Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners: A Guide for K-12 Teachers

Book Synopsis: The notion that we must explicitly teach language within all academic classes is gaining ground today. . . . This guide is packed with ideas for purposeful and differentiated language instruction and assessment that can be applied in most content classrooms. . . . I predict this second edition will be as popular with teachers facing the challenges of educating ELLs as it will be in university teacher pre-service programs. As teachers . . . make use of the strategies, they will begin to share the excitement I felt at seeing a guide that addresses language differentiation for ELLs. Tim Boals, Executive Director, WIDA Consortium

What's New to the Second Edition?

• Updated student demographics that show the range of English language learners (ELLs) we find in the United States, with attention to home language, prior schooling, and cultural background
• A new chapter on teaching content and language to diverse learners that: aligns with new learning standards (e.g., Next Generation, College- and Career-Ready, Common Core) and language development progressions (e.g., WIDA, ELPA21, NY, CA, TX); prepares teachers to teach language and literacy across content areas; examines academic language at the word, sentence, and discourse levels.
• An improved differentiating instruction and assessment template that draws teachers' attention to the language demands of content-area instruction
• Stronger emphasis on teacher collaboration, leadership, and innovative teacher-directed approaches to professional learning
• Includes an updated quick-reference chart of differentiation strategies by ELD levels for teachers' classroom use.