FAQs

What is ELL? ELL stands for English Language Learners. You may also see our program referred to as ESL (English as a Second Language). What is the ELL program about? ELL student groups are small, which allowsfor individualized instruction in the areas the child needs help with. The children come to ELL for 30 to 60 minutes a day. The literature covered in ELL is science and social studies based so that the children are still learning many of the same concepts as their peers in class. The program focuses on reading, writing, speaking and listening activities to strengthen their social and academic vocabulary, increase their comprehension, build fluency and develop their phonetic, spelling and grammatical skills. Who is tested for ELL services and how do students qualify? ELL Testing and Entrance Qualifications · After a registration form or a home language survey has indicated that a language other than English is spoken in the home, or by the student, the district must screen the student with theEnglish language proficiency test called the W-APT, as required by the state of New Jersey. · If a student scores below a 4.5 on the W-APT he or she is eligible for ELL services per state mandates. If the student receives a 4.5 or above on the W-APT, then that student will be considered fluent in English and will not receive services. · If a child is tested and found to be fluent but is still struggling in the mainstream classroom, the ESL teacher will retest a fluent student if a concern arises and it has been one marking period since their last ELL placement test. How does a student exit the ELL program? A student will receive ELL services until the following criteria have been met: · A score of 4.5 or above on the ACCESS state assessment. · The student is reading on grade level according to District guidelines. Does my child have to be in ELL? A parent may choose to remove their child from ELL services at any time. A simple letter to the ESL teacher stating your wishes to remove your child from services is all that is required. Students withdrawn by their parent(s) are still required by the state of New Jersey to take the ACCESS state assessment to determine their language proficiency the first year they are withdrawn. What is the ACCESS State Assessment? ACCESS stands for Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English from State to State. New Jersey began using this test in compliance with the new No Child Left Behind regulations. This assessment scores the student’s English proficiency level in the areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening in grades Kindergarten through 12. ACCESS is administered in April/May to all students who qualified for ESL services during the school year. How are students grouped? Students are primarily grouped by grade level and come to ELL with other English language learners from their classroom. At times students may work with children at a different grade level based on their level of English acquisition and their language needs. The ELL classroom is always a warm and welcoming environment where students can feel free to express their thoughts and opinions. The students work together to increase their language skills through direct teacher instruction and cooperative student groups. Students also work on independent projects and individual participation is always encouraged. What language is ELL taught in? ELL is all English instruction. The teacher works with children who themselves speak another language or their families speak another language. This program offers additional support to help make the transition into all English instruction easier for the student. Who teaches ELL? Mr. Diaz I enjoy the challenge of working with students in different grade levels and greatly appreciates each individual student’s cultural background. Who do I contact if I have additional questions about the ELL program? At Roland Rogers, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have. Please direct your questions to any of the following people: Dr. Robin Moore (Principal) Ms. Gruber (Assistant Principal) Ms. Betty Napoli (Program Supervisor) Mr. Diaz (ESL Teacher) What is the focus of the ELL program? ESL has 4 areas of learning: Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Some of the areas of focus are listed below. Speaking Listening asking questions following oral directions sharing feelings spacial relations/positional words sharing opinions multi-step directions role playing activities using visual and nonverbal cues speaking clearly role playing activities speaking in complete sentences Reading Writing letter identification upper/lower case letters phonetic sounds sentence development vowel sounds paragraph development dipthongs/digraphs punctuation and conventions parts of speech grammar one to one correspondence compare and contrast directionality of print retell/summarize using picture and context clues think and respond decoding skills making connections reading strategies author’s purpose comprehension making inferences predicting outcomes writing a letter recalling details journal writing story elements writing poetry main idea fluency speaking fact & opinion context clues vocabulary character analysis appreciation evaluation drawing conclusions cause & effect What Materials do they use in ELL? ELL uses many different strategies to develop student skills. . Students practice fluency and comprehension skills, as well as many other activities. ELSL also focuses on the development of social and academic vocabulary through hands on experiences, as well as grammar and parts of speech. A variety of games and activities are used to strengthen these areas and make learning fun and interactive for the student. ELL’s reading series is Avenues by Hampton Brown. The series focuses on science and social studies concepts through authentic literature of many different genres. Avenues was developed as a motivational, multicultural comprehensive, research-based instructional tool to meet the state standards. Its multi-level materials provide learning opportunities for all students with assessments to monitor progress. The series has abundant visual support, authentic literature and hands on activities to ensure understanding. Attached is a list of the themes covered in each unit by grade level. · Motivational, multicultural selections speak to student’s own experiences. · Multi-level materials providing access for all students. · Abundant visual support and hands-on activities to ensure understanding. Is technology used in the ELL program? Most definitely.  We have PC computers, iPads, iPods and mp3 players in use regularly in Mr. Diaz’s ELL Program.  Technology is revolutionizing the way students communicate, connect and create-inside and outside the classroom. It's also revolutionizing the way they learn.   With the latest digital tools, students explore and investigate rich academic content through real-world examples. They express ideas through photos and videos, and practice writing skills with blogs. They learn how to integrate multiple media, analyze multiple perspectives, and connect the dots between multiple subjects and disciplines.  These are the things students "WORLD-WIDE" are doing.  These are the things the students at Roland Rogers ELL Program are doing.  Students in my classroom have Blogs.  They are familiar with using Ipods and mp3 players.  We also use Edmodo to allow students to communicate with each other and their teachers.   Weekly I'll be uploading various tutorials I've created that students can use at school or at home on a computer or ipod/mp3 player.  Students from Grades 2-6 will at times be bringing an iPod or mp3 player home to review words and listen to common English phrases or greetings.  Current students can access these materials on our class Edmodo page. I have several instructional videos on YouTube.  My YouTube User Channel is http://www.youtube.com/youtubeuser