Ideas and resources for parents of ESL/ELL students

These reviewed resources offer information so share with parents of ESL/ELL students. Some are resources parents can use at home with children to reinforce language skills. Others include suggested activities ESL/ELL learners can begin in school and share with parents. Be sure to read the "In the Classroom" suggestions for ways these reviewed resources can build language skills both at home and at school.
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Clever Crazes for Kids - Building Healthy Lives Foundation
Grades
K to 8tag(s): game based learning (160), preK (277), STEM (215)
In the Classroom
Add games found on Clever Crazes for Kids to others shared on classroom computers. Encourage students to participate in games by earning points. Have students document and extend their learning by sharing screenshots of accomplishments and by screen recording student reading sessions to demonstrate progress. Use Seesaw, reviewed here, as a digital portfolio to document progress and share student learning with parents.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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CurriConnects Booklist: The Artist's Eye - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): artists (78), colors (75), drawing (73), perspective (13)
In the Classroom
This list will be a natural fit for anyone teaching art whether in elementary, middle, or high school. Use the books to introduce concepts in art and have students create digital sketchbooks about the styles and concepts they like. Replace the paper journal or sketchbook with one that can be accessed anywhere and never left behind. Use a digital "idea bin" collector like Padlet, reviewed here, that offers tools for creating shelves or grids to organize information about the concepts learned and post ideas and photos. Be sure to share this list of CurriConnects books about art with parents on your teacher webpage.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Formilla - Tawer Gilyana and Zaia Gilyana
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chat (42)
In the Classroom
Offer a set time for office hours published well in advance for parents and students to drop in and ask questions about assignments, homework help, or any other matters that they may have. Set up a chat time early in the school year for "meet and greet" so parents discover your website or for those who are unable to attend back to school night! Cut down on email! Encourage students to identify the questions they (or their parents) have the most as you develop the scope for your chat. ESL/ELL teachers can use the chat to provide extra written language practice for their students in an engaging way! Use the chat with your colleagues in a Teacher Lounge format to help each other in the appropriate use of technology, content sharing, or professional development.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Twitter Chat: ESL Teaching Tools and Tips - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): ELL/ESL (2), professional development (228), twitterchatarchive (98)
In the Classroom
Explore the tools shared in this archived chat. Share this tool with your colleagues who work with ESL students in their classrooms.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mic Note - Treebeard Bros.
Grades
K to 12tag(s): fluency (22), note taking (37), speech (82)
In the Classroom
Have students practice spelling words orally, record speeches, practice reading fluency, and much more using Mic Note. After recording, allow students to listen to the playback and reflect upon the quality of their work. Do before and after recordings of students to share with parents during conferences to demonstrate reading progress. Have students record weekly summaries for what has happened in your class to share on your class website or blog. Record weekly or daily homework assignments and share as a voice recording on your website. Save file space by replacing old files with new ones. Mic Note would be an excellent resource for recording and sharing more complicated directions for projects and assignments (adding your voice intonation and cues!). Your weaker readers and ESL/ELL students may do better with a combination of written AND auditory directions. Provide the link on your class website for students to use at home for additional practice in spelling, reading, practicing reports, and more. Share this site with parents at Back to School Night. Have students write and record audio book reviews others can play on iPads or iTouches in the school library. If you have gifted students in your classroom, this tool is simple enough for even the youngest to be able to record audio mini-dramas portraying a historic figure or event, poetry readings, and more. Be sure to show them how to NAME and download the files to the local computer! Anything they can say out loud can become a creative project recording. Don't forget about recording musical performances or practices.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Speechnotes - Speechlogger & TTSReader
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Speechnotes is a very versatile tool, for students, parents, and teachers alike. Bypass poor typing skills, dysgraphia, dyslexia, and physical disabilities. Use this tool to create emails, documents, or anything requiring typed text. Use in your writing class so students can get their thoughts into text without having to also think about typing. Be sure they edit their work. Use when you are in a hurry with emails requiring long text. Use for your newsletters or family emails. Share this on your class website and at Back to School Night. Emerging literacy students will enjoy the success they have with their oral language into written word. Improve content and forget about mechanics of writing or typing. Focus in on grammar and mechanics after seeing the recognized mistakes. Include this website on every toolbar and as a favorite on your class web page. ESL/ELL students can speak English, play it back, and correct it until it "sounds right" and expresses their ideas correctly.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Immigrant Stories - Immigration History Research Center Univ of Minnesota
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): immigrants (29), immigration (70), migration (61)
In the Classroom
Have your ESL/ELL students share their stories here (with permission from parents) when doing a biography writing unit. Have all students search for stories of immigrants whose ethnic background resembles their own. Have each student choose one story to read about and share a quick multimedia project with the class, such as a simple online posters using PicLits, reviewed here. Ask students who have a relative who is an immigrant to interview them, and then use a tool such as the 3 Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare the experiences. This could be done using a story from the same country, or other countries. Use stories from this site as a writing prompt for a poem or digital story about an aspect of immigrant life, asking students to put themselves in the immigrant's shoes. For presentations of digital stories challenge students to use UtellStory, reviewed here. This tool allows narrating and adding text to a picture. For the advanced digital atudent and teacher challenge them to create their story as a game using Pencil Code Gym, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WriteReader - Children As Creators - WriteReader
Grades
K to 5tag(s): digital storytelling (134), reading strategies (56), writing (318)
In the Classroom
WriteReader is so simple very young students can use it successfully after a demonstration using a whiteboard or projector. While creating their books students will be able to add images, multiple pages and delete pages, include voice-over, use color on the pages, view one page at a time or the entire book, and toggle between letters' names/sounds or no audio. Use this tool to design simple projects using student drawings to tell the story. At the beginning of the year have students draw and annotate stories to tell about their summer and share with classmates. Students of any age love to draw, so why not have them draw their impression of what the message to the reader was after hearing a story and then explain it in writing? ESL/ELL students especially will benefit from hearing the letter sounds as they are beginning to write in their new language.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Internet Safety for Kids Resource Guide - SearchRPM
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): bullying (56), cyberbullying (47), digital citizenship (74), financial literacy (109), internet safety (119), media literacy (87), parents (60), safety (86), social media (41)
In the Classroom
Use "A True or False: Internet Safety Facts for Kids" as pre or post assessment or discussion starter. Project the infographics for students and/or parents to introduce or summarize a topic. Since information is mostly text, except for two infographics, use the articles for informational text reading selections. Improve learning and help students identify important words by having them use Wordsift, reviewed here. The text might be difficult to follow for ESL/ELL and younger students. Use Select and Speek, reviewed here, a text to speech tool that will allow these students to follow the text as the article or passage is read to them. Have students discuss or blog responses.The articles will make useful resources for a parent information night, to send home in newsletters, or to post on school websites. The pages are embedded into the SearchRPM website, so it can be easy to stray into the corporate side. Also, there is a very large contact box that seems related to business inquiries at the bottom margin of each page.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kiddle - Google
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): search engines (61)
In the Classroom
Use Kiddle as the default search engine on classroom computers. Share on an interactive whiteboard or projector and demonstrate how to search using the different options, and how to choose keywords that make searching easier. Share a link on your class website and in your classroom newsletter for parents to use at home. Learning support and ESL/ELL students will appreciate being able to search without as much reading. Even very young students can LOOK for a site using this search tool, assuming they can type just a little bit.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Voxer - Tom Katis
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): chat (42), DAT device agnostic tool (169), listening (79), microblogging (27), social media (41), speaking (22), speech (82)
In the Classroom
Extend classroom technology use by using Voxer with early readers in your Daily 5 literacy structure for oral reading and listening to others read. Archive students' reading fluency at the beginning of the year, making comparisons throughout the year. Send the Voxer sample readings to parents via email so they can hear the progress and your comments, too. Use Voxer with any language learning students, both ELL/ESL and world languages. Students can practice speaking and listening in their new language. Connect with another class in a country speaking the language your students are learning for rich, real-world discussions. Create small groups to discuss anything from current events, to how to complete a math problem, to contributions for group research projects. Middle and high school teachers can use Voxer for communication between classes posting a question about the reading they are doing, an equation in math, or a lab in science. Collaborate with another classroom across the state or in another country allowing students to discuss with other students not in their school. Reluctant writers could use this tool to brainstorm their thoughts for a writing piece. With students under 13 consider setting up a class account using a global login. Students would need to give their first name when contributing so you will know who is speaking.Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Premium version (not free) includes additional features or storage
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
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Ocenaudio - ocenaudio
Grades
K to 12In the Classroom
Use Ocenaudio in early grades to promote literacy by recording your students and creating an audio portfolio record of their reading. Use this tool with ESL/ELL students to practice fluency and hear themselves speak. Use Ocenaudio to record parents, principals, lunch ladies, librarians, relatives, and bus drivers all telling a favorite class story. During writing time, allow students freedom from the pencil to express their true creative voices. Also, dabble into digital storytelling to create a lesson in adding voice, emotion, and characterization. Record audio interviews at local nursing homes, fire stations, or museums to recollect times such as wars, the Great Depression, Civil Rights Movements, or as a primary source during memorable events. Record world language conversations as a student project. Make music class or the school band a gold recording!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Plum Landing - WGBH Educational Foundation
Grades
1 to 3tag(s): conservation (117), earth (204), earth day (79), environment (289), game based learning (160)
In the Classroom
Capture student interest in environmental science, zoology, conservation, and ecology with Plum and her human friends! Use this site in science as a way to introduce the study of the Earth, biomes, or food chains. Share the videos on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Add to computers for center time. Use Plum's adventures to inspire further adventures involving the students. Use videos as a multimedia resource to supplement the science textbook. Use the adventures to inspire either narrative or expository writing. During Earth Day, students can explore your school community. Explore other science topics and modify student learning by challenging them to create comics using a tool such as Write Comics, reviewed here, or a digital storytelling project with their own images, observations, and stories using UtellStory, reviewed here. UtellStory allows narrating and adding text to a picture. ESL/ELL and learning support students will find this site useful with reading support, video, and demonstrations. Have students research topics mentioned in the videos for deeper understanding. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, replace pen and paper by having students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Seesaw, reviewed here. Share research and stories with other classes in your school, students' families, and on your class website or wiki.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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StackExchange - English Language & Usage - StackExchange
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): idioms (37), vocabulary (256)
In the Classroom
Explore this site with students using an interactive whiteboard or projector. Sometimes students ask a question that stumps you. Use StackExchange English & Usage to get the answer. There are times when we know the approximate meaning of a word we want to use but not the word. That is when this tool will come in handy. ESL/ELL students will find this site helpful when it comes to understanding the idiosyncrasies of the English language. Put a link to this site on your class website for students and parents to use. Share with other staff members and teachers on your campus.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Visuals for Foreign Language Instruction - Paul Toth
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): worksheets (64)
In the Classroom
Use this site with ESL/ELL learners to provide visual cues for English language learning. For more advanced learners, use the illustrations as story cues or starters. Have students create their personal learning book by printing images and combining into a notebook. Share a link to this site on your class webpage for parents and students to access at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TextProject - TextProject, Inc
Grades
K to 9tag(s): commoncore (89), independent reading (108), literacy (92), reading comprehension (121), reading lists (70), reading strategies (56), vocabulary (256), vocabulary development (99)
In the Classroom
If you teach reading or are an ESL/ELL or resource teacher for students with special needs, you will want to bookmark this site! Take advantage of all of the free downloads on the site, including forms, checklists, lessons, and reading passages. Share this site with parents to help them understand the process of learning to read and finding materials for their student. Share this site during professional development sessions when discussing reading instruction and alignment to Common Core Standards. Be sure to sign up for TextProject's monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all new additions to the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Preparing For The Oath - Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): immigration (70)
In the Classroom
Share this site on a projector or interactive whiteboard as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on US history or citizenship. Take advantage of the video lessons on this site to teach and review topics pertaining to the United States. Be sure to share with your school's ESL/ELL teacher as an informative resource for students and parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Choosito! - Eleni Miltsakaki
Grades
K to 12tag(s): bookmarks (54), learning disability (19), Learning Management Systems (24), search engines (61), search strategies (25), Special Needs (42), Teacher Utilities (99)
In the Classroom
Create a classroom account and provide a link on classroom computers for student searches at any time. Differentiate in your class by assigning reading by reading level. ESL/ELL and resource teachers will find this especially helpful when looking for reading material at your students' level for topics assigned in core classes. Be sure to introduce Choosito! on an interactive whiteboard or projector for students to understand how to use this search engine. Share Choosito! with parents for use at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Clyp - Audiour, LLC
Grades
K to 12tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (169), speech (82)
In the Classroom
When using this site in the classroom in any capacity, we highly recommend providing the direct link to your created material (or your students). This will limit students' exposure to questionable songs on the homepage. Record snippets of information as reminders on your class website or instructions for students to follow. This is terrific for learning support students or non-readers! Have students describe aspects of classroom learning experiences to share with others, such as what they learned from a science experiment or found out about life in Colonial America. Record a quick message for an absentee student and email the link to him/her explaining how to catch up on missing work. Create tutorial pieces that students can use as study aids (or have them create them for each other). Use this site in world language classes or for ESL/ELL students: have students record and listen to their own pronunciation or send short messages to each other to translate. Have students use this site to practice speeches before the presentation to hear their speed, tone, and words. Use this site for research presentations, instructions for a substitute, or many other possibilities. With younger students, read a short story on Clyp, and have students follow along using a picture book. Alternatively have the students read their own stories into Clyp and email the readings to their parents! For Mothers Day, why not have students record messages for mom or grandma? Another idea: Create a class wiki where parents can "find" the entire selection of Clyps for Mother's Day (or another holiday). Record Clyps of each student talking about the importance of Moms for Mother's Day or how grateful they are for certain things at Thanksgiving. Embed them all in a class wiki to share with parents. Just email the URL for the collection. Again, be sure to provide direct links to the students' Clyps.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Common Core Conversations - Kristina Holzweiss
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): commoncore (89)
In the Classroom
Common Core Conversations provides ideas and resources to assure your lessons contain Common Core Standards necessities. Investigate a resource for yourself every week or to share at your professional growth development. Be sure to document your new ideas under professional growth for your evaluation. When hosting professional growth development, begin here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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