ELL Services, Best Practices and Strategies

ELL Services

How Do Students Qualify for ELL Services?

          An English Language screening test is given if another language is spoken in the home or if the child speaks another language.  The screening tests were developed by the WIDA Consortium, and are used by 33 states.  The test is mandated by the state of Illinois and takes 30-60 minutes to complete. It tests English proficiency in the four areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.  

Exiting ELL Services 

          The students take the state mandated ELL test each year to determine their proficiency levels in all 4 areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.  The tests were created by the WIDA Consortium and typically given in late January or early February.  Parents receive the results report in the Fall.  We use the results to plan instruction. State of Illinois: 5.0 Composite (Combined all areas)

          and a 4.2 in Reading and Writing. We also look at: ACCESS Test Scores, MAP Test, Classroom performance, Reading Level, teacher recommendations.

ELL Best Practices

Click on each best practice for more information...

             Activating Prior Knowledge and Building Background Knowledge - ELL teachers begin units and lessons by engaging the students and talking about their past experiences with the topics.

           Assessment - Should be similar to real life (authentic) and match real world situations for the students.

           Fiction and Nonfiction Writing - ELL students need to be taught both fictional and nonfictional writing.  Since the students must write nonfiction writing more frequently, teachers focus on nonfiction writing first.

Making Input Comprehensible - Teachers use visuals and scaffolded, simplified language to make sure that students will understand new information.

Thematic Instruction - Teachers choose a science or Social Studies theme and teach all subjects using that topic.

Total Physical Response (TPR) -Teachers give directions that include movements to help the students remember the material.

           Vocabulary Development - Teachers focus on content area and academic vocabulary.  The instruction is specific and sequential. Each lesson has planned content area and academic vocabulary.

           Classroom Technology -Teachers use technology to provide engaging lessons that are individualized.

             Differentiated Instruction - Teachers plan instruction that is individualized and addresses the proficiency of each student.

ELL Strategies

**Click on the strategies below to find out more information.


Cooperative Learning - Students work together to practice and learn new information.  This helps them to develop their speaking proficiency and remember the new information.

           Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers -These are used at the beginning of lessons to help teachers to figure out which skills and how much information the student already has learned about the topic that is being taught.

Generating and Testing Hypotheses - Teachers focus on problem solving skills.

           Homework and Practice - In order to remember new information students must practice the new skills or concepts.  Homework should be skills that have already been taught.

Identifying Similarities and Differences - Finding how words are similar and different increases the students vocabulary and helps them to make connections between words.

          Nonlinguistic Representations - The use of nonlinguistic representations help students to remember the new information and vocabulary.

Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition - This lowers the affective filter and helps to optimize learning.

Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback - Teachers work with the students to set objectives in all language domains.

Summarizing and Note Taking - Students are explicitly taught how to summarize and take notes.