10 Things to Do When a New ELL Student Arrives

A fun, yet stressful part, of being an ELL teacher is  never knowing when a new ELL student might arrive.  Sometimes ELL students move into your district during the summer and they will start the school year like everyone else.  However, it is more likely an ELL student will arrive in the middle of the school year, often with little to no warning.  This can be exciting to know that there will be a new student to work with and help. While the experience can be a fun challenge, the arrival of an ELL student can be stressful and nerve wracking.  There can be many unknowns. Here is a list of 10 things every ELL teacher should do when a new student arrives.

1.  Ask  key questions to find out as much information about the student as possible.  

Is the student coming from a city nearby, a different state, or a different country?  Why is the student moving here?  What is the student's native language?  What is a student's language level?   How much previous schooling has the student had?  Can the student read/write in English and/or in their native language?   My school requires every parent to fill out a home language survey before his/her child begins.  This is often a good starting point and informs the ELL teacher about some of the basics of the student's language background.

2.  If the student went to another school in the United States, request records as soon as possible.  

Make sure to get the parent's signature on a release of records form.  While you wait for the records to arrive, be proactive and call/email the student's former ELL teacher.  This is a quick way to get a snapshot of the student before he/she arrives.  The former teacher can be very valuable in giving information about the student, as well as share what services the student received prior to moving.  The previous teacher should also be able to give you the student's current language level or inform you if the student has an IEP.

3.  If you are not able to access a student's previous records or the student does not have any, administer a language "screener" test to students.  

My state, along with 29 other states, are in a consortium that use the W-APT, the WIDA-ACCESS Placement Test.  This a "screener" test that helps determine a language level and a student's ability to speak, listen to, read, and write English.  Once you know the language level of the new student, it is easier to decide placement and services for the student.

4.  Gather materials and supplies.  

This could be as simple as making sure the student has basic supplies like pencils, notebooks, crayons, and a desk.  It can also mean ensuring they have the proper textbooks, workbooks, and computer log-ins like their peers.  If a student has little to no English, other materials to provide might include:  books on CD, an iPad, websites appropriate for beginner ELLs, a picture dictionary, labels for classroom objects, picture books (fiction and non-fiction), books in the student's native language, simple games, beginning level worksheets with letters, numbers, and basic vocabulary.

5.  Learn to pronounce and spell the student's name correctly. 

Teach the correct pronunciation of his/her name to other staff and students.  NEVER shorten or simplify a student's name to make it easier for you to say.  Names are important and a part of everyone's identity.  Practice the name until you get it right.

6.  Work with the classroom teacher to assign a classroom buddy for the new student.  

Also assign a lunch and recess buddy, or buddies, for the student.  The role of the classroom buddy is to help the student learn the new routines and expectations and show the new student around the classroom.  The lunch and recess buddies will make sure that the student has friends on the playground and at the lunch table.  It also ensures that the new student does not get lost transitioning from one place to the next.  When possible, assign a buddy that speaks the same native language as the student.  When this is not possible, choose a student who is responsible, kind, and patient.    

7.  For a student with little to no English skills, print some picture cards that allow the student to communicate basic needs to his/her classroom teacher.  

I paste the pictures on index cards and hole punch them before I put them on a ring.  The six picture cards I always create for students are:  I need to go to the bathroom,  I need a drink of water, I am tried, I am hungry, I need to go to the ELL room, and I am sick.   Include a photo with each sentence so that students will know what each card represents.  Show the student how he/she can flip to the picture that he/she wants to communicate and shows the card to the teacher.   

8.  Give the student a tour of the school.  

Show key places like the bathroom, office, your ELL classroom, gym, lunch room, playground, etc.  Provide the student with a school map and mark these key places with special colors, stickers, or pictures.

9.  Teach the student some names of key people, especially your own name.  

I want the student to know who I am and that I am there to help.  It may be helpful to create photo cards of the key people, just like the key communication phrases mentioned in item eight.

10.  Establish a schedule.

The student will need to know where he/she needs to be, at what time, what he/she will be doing, and with whom.  A picture schedule would be most helpful.  The schedule could be placed on the student's desk, in a notebook, or in a folder.  Creating a schedule as soon as possible will also help you figure out how to best provide services for the new student.    

These are just a few suggestions to get you started.  What are other important things to do when a new ELL student arrives?  Please share your thoughts and ideas :)