Instructional Strategies for ELL Students

The year I taught fifth‑grade science, a new student joined our class halfway through the school year. She had recently moved to the US and entered the classroom eager to learn. I wanted to make sure she could fully participate in activities without feeling overwhelmed by a new language. So, to support her, I pre-taught key vocabulary words, showed video clips to bring science concepts to life, and lead plenty of hands‑on experiments. By the time we reached the end of our unit on the water cycle, it was clear those supports were making a difference. My student had sketched a detailed diagram and labeled each stage. When she presented it to me, she used the vocabulary terms she had mastered to explain the process with pride. 

Experiences like this are a reminder that implementing effective instructional strategies for English language learners (ELLs) makes content accessible in English to all students. Strategies like scaffolding, visual aids, structured talk routines, and explicit vocabulary instruction can help ELL students build both language proficiency and confidence in the classroom. 

A note on language: Students who are learning English come from a range of cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. We use multilingual learner, English language learner, ELL students along with the acronym ELL, but we recognize that any label is imperfect.

Strategies for teaching ELL students

While no two English language learners have the same linguistic backgrounds and experiences, several core strategies can support every ELL’s growth in comprehension, confidence, and academic language. When these best practices are embedded throughout daily instruction, they create a strong foundation for English acquisition and support academic success. 

Strategy 1: Provide explicit academic vocabulary instruction

ELLs benefit from direct instruction in academic vocabulary. Providing repeated exposure and structured opportunities to use new language terms in speaking and writing through collaborative activities helps reinforce understanding. Tools such as response frames offer a supportive scaffold and give students the language structure they need to practice and apply academic vocabulary.

Strategy 2: Incorporate visuals, realia, and media

Images, videos, diagrams, real‑world objects (realia), and gestures help students connect new concepts to what they already know. Through visuals, students can anchor meaning in something concrete, allowing them to process content even when vocabulary is unfamiliar. 

Strategy 3: Use graphic organizers

Graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams and story maps, help ELL students organize information into smaller parts, clarify their thinking, and grasp key concepts. By presenting ideas visually and reducing the language demands of a task, these tools strengthen comprehension and provide meaningful support as students continue developing English proficiency.

Strategy 4: Offer structured opportunities to talk

ELLs need frequent opportunities to practice English through speaking and listening. Prioritize implementing structured talk routines, such as think‑pair‑share, to give students a safe space to build fluency and learn from peers.

Strategy 5: Make connections to students’ background 

Valuing and drawing on what students already know, including their primary languages, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds, makes learning more meaningful. When instruction reflects who students are and what they bring to the classroom, they are more engaged and better able to connect new concepts to their existing knowledge. 

Scaffolding vs. differentiation strategies 

Differentiation and scaffolding are both approaches to support English language learners, but they serve different purposes in the learning process. 

Differentiated instruction refers to tailoring instruction to meet the individual needs of students. There are four elements in which instruction can differentiated: content, process, product, and learning environment. Strategies to differentiate for ELL students include providing texts at multiple reading levels and adjusting the pace or complexity of assignments. Instruction can also be differentiated by providing flexible grouping, which allows students to work with peers who can support language development, or targeted small‑group instruction, which offers focused practice on specific skills. 

Scaffolding, on the other hand, refers to how content is delivered. When instruction is scaffolded, the teacher provides temporary support and presents concepts in smaller segments to facilitate student learning. As students build on their learning and master new concepts, the teacher provides less support along the way. Scaffolding strategies for ELL students include modeling tasks, breaking assignments into manageable steps, and using visual references such as anchor charts. 

The following table highlights different scaffolding and differentiation strategies. 

There can be an overlap between scaffolding strategies and differentiating strategies, as they both aim to make learning accessible for students. A lesson could include a scaffolding strategy to differentiate instruction. For example, a writing lesson could include the use of sentence frames, which are a scaffolding tool, to ensure that ELL students have the support to complete a differentiated writing assignment. 

ELL learning strategies 

Once students have had opportunities to learn through key instructional strategies, they can begin to take greater ownership of their learning. As English language learners grow in confidence and proficiency, it is important to provide opportunities for them to play a more active role in their progress. The following strategies support student independence while still offering needed support.

Strategy 1: Goal setting and reflection 

Encouraging students to set personal language and academic goals helps them understand their own learning needs and track their growth. ELLs can identify targets such as learning new vocabulary, improving writing fluency, or participating more in discussions. Regular reflection helps students evaluate what strategies worked and where they want to focus next.

Strategy 2: Choice in learning tasks

Providing structured choice allows ELL students to engage with content in ways that play to their strengths. Options might include choosing between graphic organizers, selecting a reading or writing prompt, or deciding how to demonstrate understanding through a drawing, oral explanation, or written response. Choice fosters independence and encourages students to advocate for what helps them learn best. Consider using a tool like choice boards, which provide students with a menu of activity options and allows them to select a way to practice a skill or show what they know.

Strategy 3: Student‑led discussions and collaborative learning

As students gain language skills, they can take on more active roles in group work. Low pressure, structured routines, such as literature circles or jigsaw activities, give ELLs the chance to practice academic language, ask questions, and support peers. These interactions gradually shift responsibility from the teacher to the students while maintaining a supportive and comfortable learning environment. Teachers can even pre-select students who will provide responses; that way, students have time to prepare and answer confidently.

Strategy 4: Learning journals and portfolios

Learning journals and portfolios allow ELLs to document and reflect on their growth over time. Students can record reading responses, drawn responses, or collect writing samples. Reviewing their own work helps students see progress, recognize patterns, and identify goals.

Strategy 5: Peer teaching and mentoring

Pairing students so they can explain ideas, review vocabulary, or provide feedback encourages ELLs to take leadership roles. When students are entrusted to teach a concept or skill, they gain confidence and deepen their understanding by teaching others.

ELL strategies by subject 

Many of the aforementioned ELL strategies can be used across content areas. However, the way they are implemented can look different depending on the subject. The examples below highlight content-specific strategies to support ELL students in various subject areas. Keep in mind that the reading, writing, and vocabulary strategies listed can also be also be used in math, science, and social studies. Additionally, several of these strategies can be beneficial for all students, not just ELLs. 

Reading strategies 

• Give students the opportunity to listen to audiobooks.
• Have choral readings, where the whole class reads a text aloud together.
• Chunk text while reading. 

Writing strategies

• Provide graphic organizers to help ELL students map out their thinking.
• Offer sentence frames and paragraph frames, which provide a framework for writing and help students with English grammar and sentence structure.
• Make time for quick writes and journaling, which give students the opportunity to practice their writing skills and build confidence without worrying about mistakes. 

Vocabulary strategies 

• Explicitly teach tier 2 (academic) and tier 3 vocabulary (content-specific).
• Encourage ELL students to learn words within the context of sentences, stories, or real-life situations.
• Allow students to co-construct ideas, which is a collaborative process where students explore ideas together to deepen their understanding. 

Math strategies

• Encourage students to draw models or create diagrams to explain their thinking.
• Provide manipulatives, like blocks and counters, to represent abstract ideas.
• Pre-teach math vocabulary and have students use graphic organizers to record the words. 

Science strategies 

• Do hands-on experiments.
• Incorporate visuals and diagrams during instruction.
• Connect lessons to real-world phenomena, such as weather or germination. 

Social studies strategies 

• Integrate real artifacts, news, and primary sources into instruction.
• Use maps, videos, timelines, and historical fiction to illustrate concepts.
• Connect lessons to students’ cultural backgrounds.

When ELL strategies are part of everyday instruction across subject areas, they support both language growth and academic success not just for multilingual learners, but for every learner in the classroom.

***

Build on multilingual learners’ existing linguistic strengths and accelerate English proficiency in grades K–12 with English 3D.