The number of students whose primary language is not English has steadily risen over the last few decades in school districts across the country. These students pose a special challenge to teachers and administrators, especially in the “no excuses” culture created by No Child Left Behind Legislation. Weak English vocabulary or literacy skills can translate into poor test performance, and strategies not specifically designed to meet the special needs of non-English speakers can actually hinder the ELL student’s learning.

This one-day seminar is designed to equip teachers and administrators with those strategies and instructional principles proven successful with English language learners. Not only will the strategies be modeled, but teachers will also be provided with opportunities to practice them in a supportive, collegial setting. This seminar is for teachers of all grade levels and content areas; is for districts with ESL, bilingual, or partial immersion programs; and is based on the philosophy that bilingualism is a strength in any classroom at any age.

The strategies include, but are not limited to:

• Methods for ensuring student comprehension of new concepts and knowledge without translation
• Developing assignments that support ELL students' ability to complete them without compromising the challenge level
• Ways to diagnose a students' linguistic needs to facilitate greater comprehension of content
• Methods for challenging ELL students at just the right level so curriculum is neither "dumbed down" nor overwhelmingly difficult.

The strategies presented in this seminar are for teacher of all grade levels and content areas; are for districts with ESL, bilingual, or partial immersion programs; and are based

This seminar, as one of the principal-teacher series for higher student achievement, offers an additional half-day of training for participants to acquire licensure to train others in-district. This “trainer of trainers” seminar includes a trainer’s kit.