Resources for Teachers

  • Information 

    Bilingual and ESL Certification

    • ISBE: Requirements for Certification 
    • NIU: Project Success 

    Archived News Sources

    Professional Organizations

    Instructional Resources

    • Activities for ESL Students.  This is a great website for classroom teachers. There are quizzes on different categories of nouns, verbs, adjectives, body parts, etc. There are different levels for parts of speech. Students can take a test and then print the results. Then students can retake the test with the words shuffled for a different order. Newcomers can go to this site and practice tests with pictures of all the vocabulary. Teachers need to spend a few minutes viewing this site before allowing students to use.
    • Awesome Stories.  Free membership to teachers. An educational tool which supports the standards-based curriculum. There are hands-on primary sources for students, short stories and movie shorts.
    • Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Center stands for Bilingual Education Technical Assistance Center. This is a user-friendly site concerning ESL and Bilingual Education that has a useful FAQ section. It also has contact information for their very helpful staff.
    • Bridges4kids.org.  In the ELL/ESL section, you’ll find a wealth of information useful for ELL  students. One of the best links from this site is Help! They Don't Speak English Starter Kit for Primary Teachers, which will help you understand what it means to be an LEP student in a mainstream classroom, how you can help these children succeed, and what issues there might be during your time together.
    • Curriculum & School Reform: English as a Second Language.  This is the NC Department of Public Instruction’s ESL website. It is a great website for accessing information regarding the laws, the ESL Standard Course of Study, ESL Certification and a list served for classroom teachers. There are numerous ESL links.
    • Dave's ESL Cafe.  This is a great website for students and teachers. Dave Sperling created this site back in 1995. 50% of the site is for teachers, 50% for students. Good lesson plans for grammar and a great section on pronunciation. Students can email Dave and other ESL students.
    • El Templo de Las Mil Puertas free online magazine on children's literature.
    • Escort -Migrant Education.  Escort is a national resource center dedicated to improving the educational opportunities for migrant students. Each elementary school has a copy of Help! They Don’t Speak English. Each middle and high school has a copy of The Help! Kit. These should be housed in the professional library. However, you can order your OWN copy free of charge by either emailing or calling 1.800.451.8058. Although your students may not be migrant, they are English language learners. This is a fabulous resource and has some great alternate assessments.
    • ESL Lesson Plans and Resources
    • ESL PartyLand for Teachers is designed to provide you with the resources and connections you need to become a better ESL teacher.
    • EverythingESL.net.   Everything ESL is a site that provides information and materials supporting ESL instruction.  Colorín Colorado.  This website is a service of the Reading Rockets project and is designed to help kids learn to read …and succeed. It is English and Spanish. It is targeted for parents, but teachers can get tips as well. There is a link to Reading Rockets that is especially good for K-2 teachers and first-year teachers. You can also access Colorin Colorado en español.  
    • Grammar practice park
    • Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Language
    • Lanternfish.   This site has it all! Not just for ESL students, either! Crosswords, word searches, flashcards, verbs, songs, creative writing, worksheets, phonics, ESL science, survival English, ESL articles, lesson plans, and holiday worksheets. Have fun!
    • MES English.  This is another great website for making flashcards of class and school subjects. Lots of great games for teaching content.
    • Multi-Grade Matters: Ideas for a Split Class. This is site has it all! It was created by Deborah Devine, Math Instructional Coach in U-46.
    • National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition.  The mission of the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition & Language Instruction Educational Programs is to respond to Title III educational needs and implement NCLB as it applies to English language learners. Anyone who works with English language learners in any capacity will love this site! It is one of the most comprehensive sites for classroom teachers. Teachers can go to “In the Classroom” and find complete lesson plans and classroom activities for all subjects and grade levels. There are many examples of methodologies found to be successful for teaching non-English speakers. This site also contains a resource collection of over 21,000 documents related to ESL.
    • Starfall.com.  The website has audio and activities for matching letters to word endings. Students can choose stories and have them read aloud to them. Suitable for elementary and middle school. 
    • The Internet Picture Dictionary.  A great website that has numerous activities for students using a picture dictionary. Remember, students involved in NCCLAS MAY use their dictionaries during assessments! Have your students make their own! 
    • Web English Teacher English as a New Language provides ESL lesson plans and teaching ideas. 
    • Everything ESL

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