Differentiating instruction: How to reach struggling learners & ESL Students

Struggling Readers/Writers

Teachers should use scaffolding with students that really struggle with reading or writing.  They may need the hints, starters, organizers that others may not.  Let the other students in the room know early on that everyone needs different things to learn at their best, and anyone may use the extra assistance if they need it.  Many of these students have had bad past experiences that leave them vulnerable and apprehensive towards reading and writing. You have to get to know the students strengths and needs, and this can be done through pre-assessments or observations.  The following link is wonderful because it is organized by what the student is lacking in, and then offers strategies to use with that student to develop those skills.

www.carlscorner.us.com/intervention/interventions.pdf

ESL Students

http://iteslj.org/Techniques/Lile-Motivation.html

Strategies you use for struggling readers/writers will also help when working with ESL students.  Again it is imperative to get to know each students strengths and needs, and then precede from there.  These students need to be given explicit directions with visuals to ensure they understand the task given.  Make sure these students know what they have to read in order to complete an activity because if you don’t they might get hung up on making sure they can translate every word.  The following links have great advice and strategies to use for ESL students during reading and writing.  They also touch on how to motivate students to want to read, speak, and write English when it is not their native language.

www.scsk12.org/SCS/subject-areas/ESL/.../Hurleys-ESL-Modifications.pdf