Writing activities for ell students

Click here to read the first post in the series. In recent years, many schools have raised the bar on writing instruction. We now expect middle and high school students to do the kind of written analysis and critique that was once limited to the college classroom. When you teach English-language learners ELLsthe concern is that this kind of increased expectation can lead to an even wider achievement gap.

Students who are near the start of their English studies are not going to have the tools to write a five paragraph essay or take an essay exam. For these students, short writing assignments are best.

When they can write a few sentences that serve a practical purpose, they will see the progress they have made in English as well as the practical applications of that knowledge. When you have a class of beginners and are looking for some interesting short writing assignments for your students, here are some ideas.

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Just about any topic you are teaching in class can be the subject of a paragraph. When you break the paragraph into smaller elements, your students will see that four to six sentences do not have to be overwhelming.

The first element of a paragraph is the topic sentence. This sentence gives the reader the main point of the paragraph. The last sentence of a paragraph, when it stands alone, is a concluding sentence. It gives some final thoughts about the topic. In between are two to four sentences that expand the idea, give examples, or argue a point.

For example, a simple paragraph about fall might look like this.

Writing Instruction for ELLs | Colorín Colorado

Note the use of color words and fall vocabulary. Fall is a beautiful season. People use brightly colored pumpkins and gourds as decorations. The sky is blue, and the wind is soft. For these students, every day is a chance to experience something new. They can share their experiences with others with a simple postcard written in English.

Postcards follow a standard format that can give your students practice with the simple past or present progressive tenses. They are also a great way to apply vocabulary about vacation or geography. Standard postcards have five simple parts.

The greeting A sentence about where you are One or two sentences about what you are doing or have done A closing When students follow this formula, their postcard will look like the following. We are having a great time.

Wish you were here.Writing Instruction for ELLs What does it take to help English language learners (ELLs) become successful writers?

This section offers a number of ideas and resources from veteran educators and researchers for students of all ages and proficiency levels. Scaffolding Writing Instruction for English-Language Learners. Step by step! Hannah Hudson on April 6, Review writing prompts: “I give ELL students the same writing assignments as the rest of the kids, but I make sure to define any unfamiliar words in the prompt itself,” says Emily B.

Do a verbal check for understanding before students. Dec 23,  · Posts tagged ‘ELL writing activities’ As part of my continuing attempt to create authentic writing experiences for my students, I had my students write a holiday letter and mail it to a person of their choice.

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There were many benefits and lessons to be learned here – friendly-letter format, summarization (milestones of their year.

Review writing prompts: “I give ELL students the same writing assignments as the rest of the kids, but I make sure to define any unfamiliar words in the prompt itself,” says Emily B.

Do a verbal check for understanding before students start writing to avoid confusion and frustration down the road. General ELL/ESL Resources Activities for ESL Students (published by The Internet TESL Journal) An extensive, diverse collection of prescreened online activities for ESL students of all levels and their instructors and a link to The Internet TESL (teaching English as a second language) Journal, which is a valuable resource for teachers.

Sample lesson plans for ELL students My Own Dictionary: This project can be tailored for ELL students of almost any age. Start with a template or from scratch using a spiral notebook, a composition book or even several sheets of blank paper stapled together and let your students design their own private dictionary.