By Camille Royes-Burke & Sasha Sam

Curriculum and Teaching Materials

In our schools our ENL programs use various strategies, sometimes with home language support, so students develop language and content knowledge in English. These programs include the necessary ESL/ENL and ELA standard based instructional units combined with a balance literacy program. 

The focus is integrating different instructional materials across the various domains reading, writing, listening/speaking, and language that will provide students with the opportunity to build their background knowledge and engage students in learning.

Instructional Strategies Development of Common Core aligned

content area standards and instruction Scaffolding understanding Use of realia and visuals Differentiated instruction Adaptation of content materials to all levels

of student proficiency Purposeful grouping

Implementing Strategies Our school administrators are responsible for

providing adequate instructional materials, however, the ENL teacher has the opportunity to help to select materials that provide the basis for instruction for each student in all content areas.

Instructional materials resources are not always suited for ELL students that will make it easy for them to learn a new language and they are not always provided in a variety of formats that are appropriate, suitable, and necessary for the achievement of specified educational objectives of English language learners.

Recommended ELA Units by the Department of Education

As of 2014, the Department of Education and the American Institute For research has developed a Common Core aligned unit for beginner English Language Learners.

The Units however only focus on two books for middle school ( Great Fire and Tom Sawyer) and three books for high school ( Dreaming in Cuban, Doll’s House and Susan B Anthony.

Links for units: http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/68300610-4F11-433E-8

D0C-6DE718752989/0/SecondaryUnits.pdf

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/4F8DF2CF-9AD8-420E-B34A-B2279FEB8F47/0/DollsHouseandSusanBAnthonyHSUnit.pdf

http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ELL/EducatorResources/Literacy+Units+and+Lesson+Plans.htm

Recommended Math Units by the Department of Education

The Department of Education collaborated with the Math Solution and educators to develop Common Core aligned Math Units for grades 2 through 7.

Link for available units: http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/ELL/EducatorResources/Common

+Core+Learning+Standards+for+Mathematics+Sample+Units+that+Support+English+Language+Learners.htm

New Curriculums and how they are adapting for English Language Learners

Some new curriculums ( specifically GO MATH) that once only catered for students whose LI is English now provide teachers guides with Language Objectives, bilingual vocabulary cards and tips on how to modify units for ELL students.

Questions Describe the curriculum/teaching material used by

your school/district? What are the instructional strategies used in your

school/district to support ELL students state standards?

How does our district/schools ensure that all ELLs have opportunities to develop the oral and written academic English they need to participate and achieve in all content area classes?