Language Tree Online

If you follow block scheduling and you see your English learners for designated ELD 60-90 minutes (or more) at a time, you might benefit from splitting up your block with transitions and different activities to help keep your students engaged. Here’s an example of how to use short transitions to keep students invigorated and continually learning: ⏳ Start every day with a team-building activity that includes getting students up from their seats (~10 min) ⏳ Transition into instruction with time for students to take out the appropriate tools, materials, or resources (~5 min) ⏳ Launch a whole-class lesson on a language skill or function with opportunities for active participation (~20 min) ⏳ Move into small group instruction (SGI) while remaining students stay productive working on self-paced assignments or lessons (~30 min) ⏳ Take a whole-class stretch break (~5 min) ⏳ Provide students with an opportunity for either paired or independent practice as their “exit ticket” and a way to formatively assess student progress (~20m) With Language Tree Online, a supplementary standards-based designated ELD curriculum, teachers have enough activities and resources to instruct English learners of varying proficiency levels throughout the school year. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3MjsulU #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

Consider integrating daily teambuilding activities at the beginning of class. This provides low-stress opportunities for English learners to get acquainted and to build trust and collaboration, which are especially important for Newcomers. Here is an example of a fun “class-building” activity that allows students to practice their speaking and listening skills in both social and academic contexts:  Activity: Find the False Statement Materials Needed: Dry erase boards, dry erase markers or paper and pencil, Find the False Statement Response Cards (pictured) 1. Warm up with a teacher model by writing three statements about yourself, two true and one false. Read them out loud. 2. Once read, have the students try to figure out which is the false statement. When signaled, students will hold up the response card indicating which statement they think is false. 3. Reveal the truth! Then, ask students to write three simple statements about themselves similarly. (It may be helpful to post sentence stems for students struggling with writing a statement.) 4. Students will take turns reading the statements to the class and responding with their chosen card. Once all students have shared, they will have not only practiced productive language skills but also learned more about each other! Language Tree Online offers a standards-based hybrid ELD curriculum with all the resources teachers need, including online lessons, assessments, teacher-led instructional routines, and in-class activities like the one above. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WXrN6Q #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

Would you be surprised to learn that a student born and raised in the United States might be an English learner? English learners are widely believed to be of immigrant origin. But in 2017, six states identified an American Indian, Native Alaskan, or Pacific Island language as one of the top five languages other than English spoken by students. What makes this group of English learners even more unique is that, for some, English might even be their home language. However, their English skills are not fully developed, which impacts academic achievement. In honor of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, we celebrate the rich cultural heritage that students with Indigenous backgrounds contribute to the country and to our classrooms. The diversity of English learners in their background language knowledge, cultures, and age groups is what makes teaching our #ELLs both fun and challenging!  To support middle and high school English learners, Language Tree Online offers a standards-based supplementary #ELD curriculum that is leveled and culturally relevant. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4ciflEg #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish #WeAreIndigenous

What is a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) in education? MTSS refers to the practice of providing all students with the appropriate level of support when they need it, resulting in academic gains. Here’s a basic overview of each tier: Tier 1, also known as “core” instruction, includes the state-aligned adopted curricula that all students receive, regardless of classification. This level of instruction is found to be effective for a majority of students. Tier 2, or secondary intervention, typically involves a homogeneous small group of students led by a teacher using a specific supplementary instructional program. Many students struggling to make adequate progress in a Tier 1 setting find success when given more time to practice and learn. However, there are still some students for whom Tier 2 intervention is still not enough, which leads us to Tier 3. Tier 3 intervention is highly individualized to target each student's specific strengths and challenges. It will often include the need for more staff or resources and this type of intervention would be present daily, either through pull-out or push-in support. Research indicates that employing MTSS with English learners can support their language and literacy development. Language Tree Online recognizes that students need to be met at their level with the appropriate support resources. We offer a supplementary #ELD curriculum with additional resources that can be used for Tier 2 or Tier 3 support for secondary #EnglishLearners. Aligned to state #ELP standards, it includes standards-based assessments, lesson plans for small group instruction (#SGI), progress monitoring tools, and additional practice opportunities for truly individualized instruction. Learn more: https://bit.ly/46GlWr6 #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

For Filipinos, National Language Month – which translates to Buwan ng Wika – is traditionally observed and celebrated in August. The Philippines is home to hundreds of languages and dialects, and across the country, these languages represent origins, heritage, and cultural diversity. The goal of National Language Month is to raise awareness of native/Indigenous languages and appreciate the preservation of their use. It is also to honor the day Tagalog or Filipino became the national language of the Philippines. Language Tree Online believes multilingual learners bring unique perspectives, experiences, and knowledge that benefit the rich diversity of the classroom. Learn more about our hybrid, standards-based curriculum with content and stories that reflect the diversity of today’s learners: https://bit.ly/3SxuBGo #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

The results of quantitative assessments alone are not an accurate or fair way to measure English learners’ skill acquisition. Language Tree Online advocates for a more holistic approach to student evaluation through triangulation of data. Knowing that there are multiple facets to language development, it’s important to support and encourage partners in education to use multiple data points when assessing student achievement. Not only is this more comprehensive, but it also serves to motivate our #ELLs. Learn more about what it means to triangulate data for a more equitable assessment of student growth in this article: https://bit.ly/4c5OBGU #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

What is a hybrid ELD curriculum or program? A true hybrid ELD curriculum mixes live,  teacher-led instruction with opportunities for students to review and practice new language skills and concepts online at any time. It is not a “sit-and-learn” online program. Instead, the idea is to boost student learning and engagement through multiple modalities:  thorough in-class instruction, collaborative group work, pen-to-paper writing activities, and digital tools such as videos and interactive online activities. Benefits of a hybrid ELD curriculum: 🧐 Increased student engagement - Incorporating technology and a variety of digital content – videos, quizzes, recording exercises – makes learning more fun while providing opportunities for English learners to engage with the course content in ways best suited to their learning styles. 🧐 Teachers still teach - Face it, there’s no replacing an educator with a computer program. Also, productive language skills like speaking and writing are still best learned and assessed face-to-face by an experienced teacher. An effective hybrid ELD curriculum would facilitate this process with teacher-led instructional routines for whole class and small group instruction, rubrics, and printable worksheets. 🧐 Flexibility for teachers - Appropriately-leveled online activities that can be completed independently or in pairs keep students productive and challenged while allowing teachers time to work 1:1 or in small groups with struggling students. Teachers can also assign the online work as homework. . 🧐 Facilitates individualization and differentiation - Automated lesson grading, analytics, and progress monitoring tools give teachers insight to pinpoint skill areas needing more instructional support and students who may need intervention. Teachers can see what concepts must be taught to the whole class and what their students already know. At Language Tree Online, we believe teachers are the “pilot,” and the program is the “co-pilot.” We offer a standards-based, hybrid ELD curriculum that fully supports ELD educators and meets the specific needs of middle and high school multilingual learners. Learn more:  https://bit.ly/46oH2d3 #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

What can we do to support our multilingual learners and their families better to prevent chronic absenteeism? The Hechinger Report published an article earlier this year about this issue, which many schools face. Sil Ganzó, the founder of ourBRIDGE, an afterschool program for immigrant and refugee students in Charlotte, NC, learned that multilingual learners frequently deprioritize school when more significant setbacks occur at home, such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, and job loss. Here are some ways ELD educators can help: ✅ Develop an open line of communication and rapport with your #ELLs families. Keep them informed of news about how their child is adjusting to school. Ensure communication is understood, through translated text or have a translator present in meetings. Ask thoughtful questions to engage them so they feel more comfortable speaking up about their concerns.   ✅ Create a welcoming and culturally responsive environment for students and families. Display flags representing different countries and decorate using imagery that will allow them to connect and “see themselves” reflected in the environment. Celebrating diverse heritages makes English learners feel pride in their backgrounds, cultures, traditions, and home languages. It also shows a willingness to make students and families feel more comfortable. ✅ Make learning engaging. At the middle and high school levels, it is especially important to use age-appropriate ELD resources that reflect relevant real-life situations and issues teenage multilingual learners face. The examples and stories used in learning materials should be meaningful to older English learners so they can relate to the topics and understand how language can be used in their daily lives. Language Tree Online created a hybrid, supplementary ELD curriculum for multilingual learners in middle and high school– those with the greatest need and shortest ramp for English proficiency. With a unique acculturation module to get newcomers adjusted to school in the US and relevant, age-appropriate instructional material, English learners are more engaged and make faster progress. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3y8bN9A #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

How can educators better assess learners in the #ELD classroom? Many educators are frustrated with the high importance placed on standardized assessments, especially the yearly state-mandated summative assessments. Relying solely on data from a single snapshot to assess growth doesn’t give a full picture of what #ELL students know or the depth of their language capabilities. A better, more holistic approach is triangulating quantitative and qualitative data around student performance. Triangulating data to assess #ELL learning outcomes allows teachers to draw more confident conclusions about student progress. With data triangulation, multiple methods and sources are used over the course of the school year to determine growth: 🔺 Observation of Productive Language (qualitative)— This can be obtained from whole-class teacher-led or small-group instruction (SGI) and 1:1 conversations. Gauge how students perform when answering questions in class or collaborating linguistically with peers.  Ask yourself: “What behaviors and language do I anticipate seeing and hearing during this lesson?” and take subjective, anecdotal notes on what you find. Opportunities to converse with students 1:1 and informally can also give you a better idea of productive language skills. 🔺 Assignment/Task Completion (quantitative and qualitative)— Are students completing assigned written tasks, either individual or group, with fidelity and quality? Remember that every assignment completed with effort brings new learnings. 🔺 Assessments and Tests (quantitative) — This is the evidence of student learning, the formal assessments and graded tests students take to “show what you what they know” after the learning process. Review whether expected progress is made with standardized tests and whether there is improvement over time. We would love for you to comment below. Share practices you found effective for assessing your  English learner students. How can this process be better and more equitable? The Language Tree Online hybrid curriculum incorporates multiple ways to track and assess #MLL growth (including quantitative assessments and qualitative checks) so teachers can quickly identify patterns and trends to guide instruction and intervention.  Learn more: https://bit.ly/3zFJUGs #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish

For National Make A Difference to Children Month, we want to honor the work of our English learner advocates: teachers, coordinators, liaisons, administrators, and school support staff. Their dedication to their students’ education defines “going above and beyond.” We recognize the breadth and depth of what teachers can accomplish in any given school year. The right curriculum can help them do even more good for their students. That’s why Language Tree Online created an ELD curriculum with all resources included (diagnostic assessment, standards-based lesson plans, practice assignments, and progress monitoring) that is also flexible and easy for teachers and students. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3zzh3Ua #languagetreeonline #edchat #MLLs #ELs #edleaders #ELLchat #learnEnglish