New ELLs Checklist

If your school is anything like mine, you will welcome ELLs throughout the school year. I am sure it is your goal to make them feel welcome in their new environment. I am so blessed to work with a group of teachers who pride themselves on providing the students with an exceptional education. When new English Language Learners arrive at the school, we complete a checklist to ensure that the students have everything they need to succeed. We also want to be compliance.

• Meet with the family when the arrive – By taking the time to meet with the family you can learn a lot about the students background. This information can be valuable when you are serving your students. Especially if the students have been exposed to traumatic events.

• Provide the students with a tour of the school – On their first day of school welcome them in the office. Then provide them with a tour of the school. Also, take a moment and introduce the student to the teacher.

 

• Screen the students for language proficiency – Screen the students to determine where they are in their language proficiency . You would want to inform the teachers of the students scores. WIDA Access has a great chart you can provide the teachers. Even if you are not a WIDA state it is a beneficial tool. Also be mindful of following your states intake process with ELLs. In most cases students will need to be identified with a Home Language Survey. If on the survey it is determined, that another language besides English is spoken at home, then we screen the students.

• Complete an Individual Learning Plan – Complete an Individual Learning Plan (ILP) for each new student. An ILP describes the academic needs and language needs for ELLs. It also provides you with the opportunity to set goals with your ELLs. ESL teachers create the document in collaboration with other teachers. The goal of an ILP is that the students are on track to meet their academic and language goals.

• Notify the parents of the students eligibility for ESL– Take the time to notify parents eligibility for ESL services. Think about setting up a meeting with the parents to discuss language goals.

Having a system in place when ELLs arrive can be powerful.  I also want to share with you a PDF copy of the ESL Welcome PowerPoint.  Consider thinking through your system of how you welcome ELLs to your school. Share your process in the comments.