From 2000 – 2015, the number of English Language Learners (ELL) public school students in the United States increased from 3.8 million students to 4.8 million students. As the years progress, the number of ELL students is expected to rise in areas that have a prevalent international community, such as California, Arizona, Florida, and the District of Columbia.
A new environment, culture, and language for ELL students can sometimes be daunting, and a traditional classroom setting for these students can often be challenging. ELL students might not be as vocal as other students who are native English speakers, because there are so many different factors that they are learning to adjust to and they may sometimes need special attention to ensure they don’t fall behind in lessons.
According to Mrs. Genevieve Rossin, a 5th-grade teacher at Key Biscayne K-8 Center in the Miami-Dade County Public School District, ClassFlow is a great tool for her class where some students aren’t native English speakers. “In Miami, we have a lot of students who are learning English,” said Mrs. Rossin. “When there is a little bit of a language barrier, visuals make a huge difference when you are trying to describe certain words. ClassFlow made it a lot easier to incorporate visuals quickly into lessons.”
Mrs. Rossin shared that ClassFlow also helped with students’ vocabulary tests. “My students learn 15 vocabulary words every two weeks. I created ClassFlow games where I’d include visuals with each vocabulary word because initially, students were struggling. I encouraged students to play these ClassFlow games after school at home and before every test. After students made the ClassFlow games a part of their routine, I did see an improvement in test scores.”
Mrs. Rossin shared that her lessons were more engaging for students when used on Promethean’s interactive display. “I can tell that my students are more engaged when we use the Promethean interactive display in the classroom because on the days that we don’t use it, I tend to get a lot more questions from students,” recalled Mrs. Rossin. “When we are using Promethean’s solutions, it’s easier for the students to follow along during lessons.”
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