The changing demographics within schools due to the influx of numerous immigrant students stipulate the need for all teachers to develop the skills essential to meet the academic needs of English Language Learners.

Based in part on The ESL Building Blocks Model, shaped by Jo Gusman and designed to raise levels of achievement among English Language Learning students, this program provides educators opportunities to:

Observe highly skilled teachers as they work with their students using techniques of Sheltered English

Discover how the delivery of quality instruction benefits all students, both English language learners as well as native speaking students.

Program 1: Building the Foundation for Teachers to be More Effective with English Language Learners

Realize the importance of teachers coming to know and understand their ELL students.

Understand the need to know the laws, both deferal and local that govern the education of English language learners.

Examine practices to ensure success for Newcomers, those students new to the country and new to the school.

Program 2: Teaching and Learning: The Tools and Strategies for English Language Learners

Explore the instructional and theoretical models, including the multiple intelligences, best suited for non-native speakers.

Learn the fundamentals of second language acquisition, the various stages and how a teacher can meet the demands of each stage.

Value the importance of assessing language proficiency to maximizing the needs of the students.

Program 3: Teaching and Learning: The Tools and Strategies for English Language Learners

Examine how to make modifications in instruction to accomodate the needs of English language learners

Learn the importance of building background knowledge, going from "whole to park."

Discover a large variety of visual tools proven to work with ELL students.

Understand the need to differentiate the instruction for language as well as academic needs.

Focus on literacy, building vocabulary as well as listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.