Strategies of Scaffolding for English Language Learners

Unfamiliar:
1. H Charts: An H Chart is like a Venn Diagram. The purpose of an H Chart is to compare
and contrast two items. Columns are labeled for students to fill in with information.
Afterward, students complete a conclusion statement below the chart.
2. Mix and Match: First, divide the class in half. Prepare a set of questions with answers for
half of the students. Write one question on an index card and it’s answer on another
index card. Do this with all questions and answers, then shuffle the deck. Give one card
to each student. Each student walks around the room, reads all the cards, and finds the
card that matches their question or answer. Students then pair up and stand together.
Once each student is paired up, ask duos to go to the front of the class and share their
question and answer cards. The rest of the class gives a thumbs up or a thumbs down
depending on whether they think the match is correct or not. This is an great activity for
introducing new material or reviewing previously taught material. It involves physical
movement and cooperation, which students need. The questions also provide an
opportunity for students to engage in critical thinking.
3. Paraphrase Passport: In this activity, students earn a “passport” to speak by accurately
paraphrasing their partners ideas. First, students are paired up. The teacher then assigns
a discussion topic. One student in the pair shares and idea with their partner. Before the
partner can share, they must paraphrase what was said by their partner. The partner
whose idea was paraphrased listens closely and determines whether their idea was
accurately paraphrased. Then, the discussion continues. This is a great teaching strategy
for developing empathy as well as speaking and listening skills.
4. Cognates: Cognates are words in different languages that have a similar meaning,
spelling, and pronunciation. For Spanish-speaking ELLs, cognates are an opportunity to
bridge their native language with English. There are different classroom strategies for
introducing cognates. One strategy is through read alouds. When a teacher reads aloud
to their class, they can ask the Spanish speakers to raise their hand when they think they
have heard a cognate. The teacher could then stop the story and discuss the cognate.
Another strategy for discovering cognates is through student reading. When students
read to themselves, they can find a few cognates and write them down. The whole class
can collect these and create a cognate chart on the wall.
Familiar:
1. K-W-L Charts: These are usually done as a whole class, but can be done in small groups
one or individually. The chart has three columns: one for “Know”, one for “Wondering”,
and one for “Learn”. Students record what they already know about a subject or
question in the “know column”. Then, they record what they are “wondering about” in
the “Wondering” column. After a lesson or unit is finished, students record what they
learned in the “learn” column. This activity is great for activiating background
 knowledge, organizing thoughts into something visual, and comparing previous
knowledge to learned knowledge.
2. Guided reading: Guided reading is done in small groups or even in a one-on-one setting.
It involves a close reading of a material and various strategies for working on reading
skills. When I have observed guided reading, I noticed that there is a lot of attention on
each reader’s abilities and weaknesses. Then, the teacher targets parts of the reading
that the reader needs to focus on and provides an exercise to help the reader become
better at that target.