Using Pictures to Support ELL Students...

Learning academic concepts in a new language can be a daunting challenge. Often ELL students may have the necessary skills in their home language but aren't able to show this due to the English language demands in the classroom. As teachers there are ways that we can provide support to ELL students in order to facilitate their language development. One great method is using pictures in place of words. How could this be applied in your classroom?

• Vocabulary Crash with Pictures
• The game consists of a group of cards that use pictures to identify the necessary vocabulary, but some of the cards have the word crash. Each student picks a card and tries to guess the vocabulary word, if they get it right they keep the card if not it goes back in the pile. If they get the "crash" card they have to put back all the cards they have.
• Read to Someone using picture cards
• If students lack the necessary reading skills for this component of Daily 5 have them use picture cards and tell a story from them. Here they can incorporate all the narrative writing concepts as well as many reading concepts while they tell their story.

If you're stuck on how to differentiate a lesson for ELL students ask yourself if there is a way that they could learn the same concept through the use of pictures. Many literacy, math, and science activities can be modified easily by adding in picture cues.

Here is a link to some fun picture flashcards:

Halloween Flashcards