ELL Tip of the week: Nonlinguistic representations

1. ELL Tip of the week: Nonlinguistic representations • Using modes other than language has long been in the ELL Teacher’s toolkit. • How? CITW offers 5 recommendations for using nonlinguistic representations in the classroom: • Use graphic organizers: Venn diagrams, charts, webs, timelines, cause/effect sequence, episodes, generalizations/principles • Use symbolic representations such as pictures, pictographs, maps, and diagrams: pictures and pictographs help ELLs bridge the language gap to background knowledge that they have in their primary language • Help students generate mental images: When ELLs read or listen, help them understand and store knowledge by creating a “movie in the mind”. Using all 5 senses can produce rich mental images. • Make physical models – the very act of constructing a concrete model establishes an image of the knowledge so ELLs do not have to rely solely on words. • Kinesthetic activities: Allow students to engage in learning by demonstrating their comprehension through body movements. 11/21/11 Source: CITW with ELLs