Techniques for Determining if Students, Particularly ELLs, Are Comprehending a Lesson

There are a number of techniques that teachers can use to determine if students, particularly ELLs, are comprehending a lesson. These techniques include:

• Observing student engagement: Teachers can observe how students are engaging with the lesson. Are they paying attention? Are they asking questions? Are they participating in discussions?
• Listening to student responses: Teachers can listen to student responses to questions and activities. Are the responses accurate? Are the responses complete? Are the responses in the student’s own words?
• Using formative assessment: Teachers can use formative assessment to assess student understanding throughout the lesson. This can be done through short quizzes, exit tickets, or other informal assessments.
• Conducting individual conferences: Teachers can conduct individual conferences with ELLs to assess their understanding of the lesson. This is a good opportunity for teachers to get feedback from ELLs about what they are understanding and what they are struggling with.

What to Do If ELLs Are Not Progressing Linguistically After Modifying Instruction and Practice Activities

If ELLs are not progressing linguistically after modifying instruction and practice activities, there are a number of things that teachers can do. These include:

• Provide additional support: Teachers can provide additional support to ELLs by providing them with more time to complete activities, by providing them with more opportunities to practice, or by providing them with one-on-one tutoring.
• Use more visuals: Teachers can use more visuals to help ELLs understand the lesson. This could include using pictures, charts, graphs, or videos.
• Break down the lesson into smaller steps: Teachers can break down the lesson into smaller steps to make it easier for ELLs to understand. This could involve providing them with more examples, or by providing them with more opportunities to practice each step.
• Use scaffolding: Teachers can use scaffolding to help ELLs learn new concepts. This involves providing them with support that they can gradually remove as they become more proficient.
• Collaborate with other professionals: Teachers can collaborate with other professionals, such as a bilingual education teacher or a speech-language pathologist, to get additional support for ELLs.

Here are two suggestions for teachers who have ELLs who are not progressing linguistically after modifying instruction and practice activities:

1. Provide ELLs with opportunities to interact with native speakers of the language. This could involve pairing ELLs with native speakers in the classroom, or by providing them with opportunities to participate in extracurricular activities where they will be exposed to native speakers.
2. Encourage ELLs to use their native language to learn new concepts. This could involve allowing them to take notes in their native language, or by providing them with resources in their native language.

It is important to remember that every ELL is different, and what works for one student may not work for another. It is important for teachers to be flexible and to be willing to try different things until they find what works best for their students.