Individualized Instruction

Students in the elementary ELL program have very different needs. Each student has his or her own goals that we try to achieve during the year. Students learn through science or social studies topics that are interesting to them, and are connected to their grade's required state standards. In this way, students receive additional support in skills and concepts being taught in the classroom. But here in ELL class, instruction is exactly at the level they need to understand and grow. 

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GrapeSEED

This program is used for our youngest students as well as students who are new to the country with no English language background. The curriculum is fun- engaging through songs, activities, stories and pictures that teach students  phonics, pronunciation and everyday language to communicate with others. Through the stories, students learn how to read, new vocabulary and comprehension skills. As students get more confident, the materials provide a great model for beginning writing skills. ​

Learning to Read

Students in middle elementary grades and students developing their English skills are taught with books from the Treasures curriculum, which is also used in their own classroom. Students practice guided reading with the teacher and partners to learn reading strategies. Students play vocabulary games, use pictures and graphic organizers to understand the information. Writing is broken into small steps so students learn to plan and organize their writing. They look at "expert" writing in their books to model their own writing.

​Reading to Learn

Upper elementary students are taught with a variety of texts. They read Fiction and Informational books. The focus for older students, and those who are expanding their English skills, is on learning concepts through reading, science experiments and social studies projects. Students read with peers and independently as they learn to use comprehension strategies. They learn writing skills to improve their work and use strategies to better explain their thinking when they write. Students also learn to produce different types of writing.