Helping English Language Learners Thrive In K-6

When I was growing up there were zero kids in my elementary school who spoke another language.

However since 2001, as a teacher, I’ve had at least one student each year whose first language is not English. This year, I have five. Mass immigration into North America over the past couple of years has certainly affected all levels of education. Class size keeps increasing too. 

So how can elementary teachers help English Language Learners thrive in the classroom?

Students whose first language is not English tend to need more assistance with their learning in the classroom. Cultural differences also play a role in social and academic comprehension and application of new concepts and skills.

These students learn most of their social skills from other English-speaking students. It is the academic skills that take a considerable amount of time to practice, revise, and assess.

The school day is structured into blocks of time that have been assigned core subject learning intervals such as English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

All four core subjects require the use of the English language therefore, it is important to allow time for students to practice reading skills and new vocabulary more frequently throughout the day as an integration to learning the English language.

Research demonstrates that there are many motivational factors for learning English as a foreign language. These factors include:

• Cultural beliefs and expectations

• Educational policies

• Local influences

• Task requirements

• Personal preferences

• Learning opportunities

• Individual age

• Gender

• Educational level

• Social class

Curriculum and instruction that allows for connections to cultures other than mainstream European culture allows students to feel affirmation of their identities and increases their academic engagement and performance in the classroom. Unfortunately, this kind of engagement is largely omitted from curriculums that are designed to increase educational effectiveness.

So… what is the solution?

Learning activities that maintain a daily routine and patterned flow will ensure any learner, especially ESL learners, are not left behind in grade-level skill development.

Often teachers must return to the basics of language structure and semantics for their ESL students and this means differentiated instruction of a lower grade level in English language learning.

The majority of elementary school teachers teach a single grade level each year. Every year, elementary school teachers spend copious amounts of personal time and money finding, creating, modifying, and revising learning materials for their students.  

In order to attempt to manage grade-level curriculum expectations, most student learning in the classroom is done at grade level in isolated units of study. However, this is highly problematic as students miss large chunks of time to routinely practice the basic skills of the English language and to compound the matter, grade-level instruction is often too complicated for these students.

Teachers need student learning activities that are structured to provide any learner with a daily routine and a patterned flow of English language instruction and practice at their current level of instructional needs. 

Students thrive when afforded sustained daily exposure to all learning concepts and skills expected in the curriculum.

This is why our learning activities in our K-6 Learning Library are a great resource for teachers and parents alike, as they allow for any child learning the English language to have a daily routine and a patterned flow of English language instruction and practice at their current level of instructional needs

Thank you for reading this blog post on helping English language learners thrive in K-6.

The lesson plans in our K-6 Learning Library will help you and your child or students right now and for years to come. The best part is you can edit these resources so that your child or students can focus on what they can do right now and build on it rather than internalize that they are not performing at grade level.