English language learners in elementary grades come from all walks of life. Some may have had formal schooling in another language, while others may be entering a classroom for the first time. Address the varying needs of ELL students in elementary grades and support them on their pathway to English language proficiency with the following instructional strategies and resources.

A note on language: Students who are learning English do not fit neatly into a single label and have a range of cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. We use the common phrases English language learner, multilingual learner, and ELL student, along with the acronym ELL, but we recognize that no label is perfect.

ELL strategies for elementary students

Implementing ELL best practices can help create a learning environment where all elementary students, especially English language learners, feel welcomed and ready to learn. The following strategies benefit ELL students and all students alike.

Create a welcoming classroom environment

A classroom should honor and embrace students’ languages, cultures, and lives. Create a welcoming classroom environment by providing students with opportunities to share their culture and traditions. This can be done through small-group projects where students interview one another or a whole-class show-and-tell activity. Also, include books in the classroom library that reflect the diverse makeup of your students. Cultivating a supportive and inclusive classroom environment helps all students thrive.

Build relationships with students

Get to know who students are and where they’re coming from. Use a “getting-to-know-you” questionnaire or interest survey to learn students’ likes and dislikes. This will make students feel seen, which can help them feel more comfortable in the classroom. Plus, if some of the questions relate to the subject matter you’re teaching, these surveys and questionnaires can act as a formative assessment that gives insight into what areas students need support in. This questionnaire can also help establish communication with parents and guardians. You can ask students what their preferred language with family is and send class newsletters and other forms of communication in that language.

Encourage peer learning

Peer learning provides ELL students with opportunities to authentically practice English language skills as well as foster a classroom community. ELL students can be partnered with a buddy who will show them around school or offer additional support during classroom activities. In fact, in one dissertation, researcher Kristilynn Turney explains that having English language learners participate in peer mentoring can boost confidence in communicating in English and, in turn, improve students’ academic performance.

Provide visual aids

Visual aids support multilingual learners as they are learning new concepts. They help students build understanding and make connections to their prior knowledge. Incorporate visual aids, like photographs, illustrations, videos, and realia, into your lesson plans. Graphic organizers, which help students map their thoughts and ideas, are also great visual aid tools.

Introduce vocabulary

Vocabulary building is an integral part of learning a new language. ELL students may pick up social language when speaking to peers, but they also need explicit instruction in academic vocabulary. Help English language learners develop a rich vocabulary by pre-teaching vocabulary. Before a lesson, identify and introduce key vocabulary terms. You can present students with the definition as well as images and videos to help them understand the word’s meaning.

Use gestures

Gestures can be used as a tool to support students in communicating and developing understanding. The Total Physical Response (TPR) method, developed by Dr. James Asher in 1969, makes use of movement to help students acquire vocabulary. This method is based on how children learn their first language and continues to have widespread use today. With TPR, a teacher models an action or a gesture for a vocabulary word or phrase. So long as students have the physical capability, they then mimic that gesture as they say the vocabulary word or phrase. Repeating the movement and words helps students improve their ability to recall vocabulary terms. Plus, it creates a low-stakes environment where students can engage in fun vocabulary learning. Keep in mind that there may be cultural differences with gesturing that affect understanding.

Scaffold with sentence frames

Sentence frames are a scaffolding tool that provides ELL students with a framework for written or spoken responses. English language learners benefit from the structure sentence frames provide as they model English grammar and syntax. This allows learners to focus on what they want to communicate rather than how to phrase their sentences. Sentence frames can be provided across content areas for oral or written assignments.

Incorporate language learning into all content areas

Students can learn grade-level content while strengthening their English language skills. Through integrated English language development (ELD) instruction, students have the opportunity to develop and practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills throughout the day.

Check for understanding

It’s important to gauge students’ understanding throughout the course of their learning. This can help teachers adjust instruction to better meet students’ needs. Use formative assessment tools, like classroom observations and exit tickets, to monitor students’ progress and see what they’re comprehending.

Elementary lesson plans for English language learners

An effective ELL lesson plan for elementary grades targets specific content area standards and ELD standards. For example, the content area objective covered may be identifying key details in a story, and the language objective may be oral language, having students orally describe the key details in the story.

Below is a Grades 2–3 lesson plan from English 3D, an explicit and interactive English language development curriculum. The lesson plan features many of the ELL best practices described in this article, like introducing vocabulary and using gestures, and focuses on one of the four key language uses, “Argue,” by teaching students about opinions. Download the lesson plan to use with students.

ELL resources for elementary students

Find additional ELL resource blogs that feature downloadable activities and tips to support English language learners in elementary grades.

With the strategies, resources, and tools listed, you’ll be able to empower your elementary ELL students to thrive in and outside of the classroom.

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Address the range of English learners' needs with our English language development programs.