Recommended Resources

Notes:  Most of these titles are books.  I have added words for the files that resources other than books.
Texas English Language Learners Portal (TEA) - This website has links to A LOT of information and resources from TEA that are related to the teaching and learning of ELs.  It is designed more for teachers and administrators.
Differentiated Instruction
  • "The Diverse Learner Flip Book:  A User Friendly Guide for Meeting the Needs of All Students"   Author(s):  John Seidlitz 
Educational Research
  • "Keys to Success for English Language Learners"   Author(s):  Carol Carter and Sarah Lyman Kravits
  • "Preparing Quality Educators for English Language Learners:  Research, Policies, and Practices"   Author(s):  Kip Téllez and Hersh C. Waxman 
 
English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)
  • "ELLevate:  Strategies to Support English Language Learners"   Author(s):  Glencoe
  • "ELPS Academy:  A Framework for ELL Success, Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide (LIAG)"   Author(s):  Texas Education Agency and Region 20
    • ELPS Resource Supplement - electronic format of additional resources in the LIAG
  • "ELPS Flip Book:  A User Friendly Guide for Academic Language Instruction"   Author(s):  John Seidlitz
  • "English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) Toolkit"   Author(s):  Region 13 Education Service Center 
  • "Flip Into Success:  ELPS at a Glance"   Author(s):  EL Saber Enterprises
 
Instruction
  • "Academic Literacy for English Learners:  High-quality Instruction Across Content Areas"   Author(s):  Cynthia Brock, Diane Lapp, Rachel Salas, and Dianna Townsend
  • "Balanced Literacy for English Language Learners, K-2"   Author(s):  Linda Chen and Eugenia Mora-Flores
  • "Connecting Content and Language for English Language Learners"   Author(s):  Eugenia Mora-Flores
  • "Explicit Instruction:  Effective and Efficient Teaching"   Author(s):  Anita L. Archer and Charles A. Hughes
  • "Helping English Language Learners Succeed"   Author(s):  Carmen Zuñiga Dunlap and Evelyn Marino Weisman
  • "The Highly Engaged Classroom"   Author(s):  Robert J. Marzano, Tammy Heflebower, and Debra J. Pickering
  • "Idioms and Other English Expressions", Grades 1-3   Author(s):  Timothy Rasinski
  • "Idioms and Other English Expressions", Grades 4-6   Author(s):  Timothy Rasinski
  • "Mental Models for English/Language Arts", Grades 6-12   Author(s):  aha! Process, Inc.
  • "Mental Models for Math", Grades 6-12   Author(s):  aha! Process, Inc.
  • "Mental Models for Social Studies/History", Grades 6-12   Author(s):  aha! Process, Inc.
  • "Starting Out Right:  A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success:   Author(s):  National Research Council
  • "Teaching the Core Skills of Listening & Speaking"   Author(s):  Erik Palmer
  • "Teaching Reading & Comprehension to English Learners K-5"   Author(s):  Margarita Calderon
  • TEKS Essence Statements - TEA has updated these as of Spring 2017.  They are organized by grade and content area.  Scroll to the bottom of the new window, then select your grade and content area.  A PDF document will open.
  • Vertical Alignment Documents - scroll to the bottom of the new window that opens and select your content area.  Click on the content area title and a PDF document will open.  This is excellent to determine prerequisites and to assist in building background/filling gaps.  TEA updated these documents as of 9/13/2016.

Instruction Websites

  • American History - Access articles on different US History topics written at various Lexile levels to provide information for students at a reading level they understand.
  • BrainPopESL.com - Students learn listening, speaking, reading and writing with animated movies and interactive features and teachers get to download resources that go along with the website's curriculum.
  • Culturally Authentic Pictorial Lexicon - images demonstrating the true meaning of the word, making it easier for ELs to understand.
  • E Reading Worksheets - teachers can find additional resources for reading, writing, and language arts skills.  The site also has some online reading activities available.
  • EL Civics for ESL Students - Various resources and PowerPoints on U.S. History for ESL students
  • Khan Academy - a free website that provides instructional support to all students, all grade levels, in all content areas plus Computing, Arts & Humanities, Economics & Finance, and College Test Prep
  • LanguageGuide.org - helps language learners acquire the vocabulary of the physical world using an image based guide which contains up to 2,435 words.  Excellent for vocabulary acquisition.
  • Many Things - quizzes, word games, word puzzles, proverbs, slang expressions, and many other computer assisted language learning activities for ESL.
  • Math Interactive Dictionary:  A Maths Dictionary for Kids 2018 - an animated, interactive online math dictionary for students.  It explains over 630 common mathematical terms and math words in quick simple language (definitions, examples, practice, and calculators).  It also has teacher resources.
  • Math: Interactive Glossary - you can change the language at the top right hand corner
  • Quill - Free tools to make your students better writers.  It provides free writing and grammar activities for elementary, middle, and high school students.  It also connects with Google Classroom.
  • Science:  Interactive Glossary - an engaging new way for students to experience science vocabulary and activities
  • Science Resources in Spanish - a collection of science resources in Spanish
  • Social Studies Audio Glossary - click on a word and hear a brief, basic definition
  • Social Studies - iCivics - lesson plans and activities to help teach young people to understand the structure of our government and its branches and to cultivate informed citizens.
  • Teaching American History - provides an organized list of links to information, documents, videos, and lesson plans on various topics related to U.S. History.
  • Using English - a large and growing collection of ESL tools and resources for teachers and students.
  • Verb Conjugation Website - English       Spanish/Español
  • Voice of America's American History for ESL Learners - transcripts with recorded readings to help students improve their reading and listening skills.
  • Weblinks to various Social Studies Resources - this list is suitable for Middle School and High School
  • Writing - Your Dictionary - provides a list of elementary school transition words and phrases for grades 1 through middle school
 
Instructional Coaching
  • "Instructional Coaching:  A Partnership Approach to Improving Instruction:   Author(s):  Jim Knight 
 
Instructional Strategies
  • "50 Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners", 4th Edition   Author(s):  Adrienne L. Herrell and Michael Jordan
  • "Activities for English Language Learners Across the Curriculum", Grades K-5   Author(s):  Stephen A. White
  • Back to School Ideas - this website contains ideas, resources, organizational techniques, links, lesson plans and more to help you get off to a great start in the new school year.
  • The Balanced Literacy Diet:  Putting research into practice in the classroom - this website is an excellent resource for teachers of Reading and Writing.  It provides videos that demonstrate strategies on a variety of topics related to literacy.
  • "Classroom Instruction that Works"   Author(s):  Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock
  • Graphic Organizers - this website has over 100 graphic organizers
  • Graphic Organizers for Content Instruction - this is another website has links to many graphic organizers that can be used by teachers or students
  • "A Handbook for Classroom Instruction that Works"   Author(s):  Robert J. Marzano, Jennifer S. Norford, Diane E. Paynter, Debra J. Pickering and Barbara B. Gaddy
  • "Research-Based Strategies:  Narrowing the Achievement Gap for Under-Resourced Students"   Author(s):  Ruby K. Payne 
  • The Teacher Toolkit - Region 13 has a website with many tools for teachers.  Categories include:  Classroom Management; Opening Activities; Checks for Understanding; Partner Practice; Group Practice; Independent Practice; Reading Strategies; Games; and Closing Activities.
  • Websites for English Learners - Elementary - this is a collection of websites you can use in your centers or for students to work on from home.
 
Miscellaneous
  • "Encyclopedia of Teacher/Classroom Blackline Masters:  Includes 200+ Forms for New Teachers and Veterans Too!", Grades K-6 
  • New Teacher Survival Guide - This site has links to many ideas for a successful start to the school year.

Sheltered Instruction

  • "99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Learners with The SIOP Model"   Author(s):  MaryEllen Vogt & Jana Echevarría
  • "Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners:  The SIOP Model", 1st-4th Editions   Author(s):  Jana Echevarría, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah J. Short
  • "Scaffolding for English Language Learners:  The Comprehension Toolkit" (Grades 3-6)   Author(s):  Anne Goudvis, Stephanie Harvey, Brad Buhrow, and Anne Upczak-Garcia
Vocabulary/Academic Language Instruction
  • "Building Academic Language through Content-Area Text:  Strategies to Support English Language Learners"   Author(s):  Erica Bowers and Laura Keisler
  • "Science for English Language Learners:  Developing Academic Language Through Inquiry-Based Instruction"   Author(s):  Dolores Beltran, Lilia E. Sarmiento, Eugenia Mora-Flores
  • "Teaching Vocabulary to English Language Learners"   Author(s):  Michael F. Graves, Diane August, and Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez 
  • "Words Their Way with English Learners:  Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling"   Author(s):  Lori Helman, Donald R. Bear, Shane Templeton, Marcia Invernizzi, and Francine Johnston