Supports and Modifications for Differentiated Learning and Teaching

1. Identifying students ability level:

ELL Benchmarks:
ELL
Level
LP1

Is able to
-

Copy without understanding

Use limited responses to
everyday conversation
Decode text without
comprehension
Write simple sentences with
usage errors or omissions
Respond to short simple
questions on familiar topics
Use two or three word
utterances or familiar simple
patterned phrases or sentences
Rely on pictures, context, direct
instruction to comprehend
simple texts on familiar topics

Is working towards
-

LP2

LP3

Respond to literal questions

using what, where, when,
who, and how many,
yes/no.
Ask clarification questions and
listen for key words
Respond to common social
expressions
Understands two-step
instructions and familiar
commands
Use some familiar descriptive
words to convey feeling, need,
and preference
Speak and write simple detailed
sentences, questions, and
commands
Use but not rely on visuals and
reading strategies to
comprehend texts on familiar
topics
Understand the main idea,
some details of shorter
paragraphs
Use sentence frames, spelling
from memory, and copying as
writing strategies
Use basic punctuation some of
the time
Complete writing templates,
journals, graphic organizers,
personal responses, stories, and
short presentations
Respond to basic questions
using simple sentences
Understand antonyms,
synonyms, words with multiple

Asking for clarification

using key words
Becoming more
comfortable with
classroom routines and
activities with visual
support
Learning all word
families and letter
sounds and blends
Learning to use a variety
of reading strategies to
comprehend texts
Write complete detailed
sentences
Begin using punctuation
and mechanics more
consistently in their
writing (capitalization,
periods)

Writing detailed and

complex sentences
independently
Compile more colloquial
words and phrases for
daily living
Increase sight word
vocabulary
Using punctuation
consistently
Reading longer passages
without support of
constant visuals
Asking a range of
clarification questions to
check for understanding

Needs/ could benefit from

-

Writing longer
paragraphs with
supporting evidence
Writing short simple

Support from peer buddy

Support in writing
Daily practice of sight
words/ everyday vocabulary
(flashcards)
Prepared class notes (have
them highlight important
information)
Direct instruction for subject
specific vocabulary
Demonstrations/ hands on
activities
Use of visuals
Matching/ cloze
assignments with visuals
Written and verbal
instructions on the board
Chunking assignments into
simple steps
Speaking slowly and
repeating important
information, having it
visually accessible in the
classroom
Frequent teacher check-in
Sentence starters in writing/
reading responses
Demonstrate the
expectations when filling in
a graphic organizer
Visual/ pictorial support
Increased use of graphic
organizers
Learning centers to
reinforce subject specific
content
Peer group or buddy
support
Vocabulary practice
Audio recordings of
readings or class lectures
Guided reading/ writing
Frequent teacher check-ins

Demonstrations or
modeling of expectations
for an assignment
More time when completing

LP4

LP5

meanings
Independently write detailed
and sometimes complex
sentences with minimal errors
Write for academic purposes
(not just connected to a
personal experience)
More confidently use proper
writing conventions
Initiate and understand
conversation without support
Respond to open-ended
questions
Understand the main idea of
discussions and presentation on
both familiar and unfamiliar
topics
Use common expressions,
slang, idioms and gestures with
peers
Complete story templates,
graphic organizers and short
simple paragraphs
Understand most academic
language with some support
Write a variety of texts
independently
Experiment with sentence
variety, and develop a voice
and style in writing
Use subject-specific vocabulary
Responds to hypothetical
questions
Respond to slang, humour,
common idioms, and social
expressions in various contexts
Independently writes connected
complex sentences and
paragraphs with some
supporting detail
Can elaborate, describe,
sequence and explain
information on both familiar and
unfamiliar topics
Use some higher order thinking
reading strategies (inferencing)
to comprehend texts on
unfamiliar topics
Understands cultural references
and most figurative language in
texts about familiar topics
Edit and revise written work
with support
Write short simple narrative
texts with support and use of
graphic organizers
Self-advocate and confidently
communicate with teachers and
peers
Fluently switch between first
language and English
Establish voice and style in
writing
Use conventions consistently
with minimal errors
Carefully select specific words
to achieve a purpose
Understand humour, sarcasm,
and figurative language

narrative texts with

support
Asking specific questions
Reading with fluency
Understanding longer
paragraphs or simple
poetry (figurative
language)

Writing a 5 paragraph
essay using a variety of
cohesive devices
Independently editing
and revising
Understanding longer
texts and more complex
story plots
Understanding abstract
information and
reasoning
Using humour and
sarcasm appropriately
Understanding cause
and effect
Decoding words with
difficult or unique
spelling patterns
Strengthen voice and
style in writing
Write organized and
properly sequenced
narrative texts

- Continuing to use acquired

skills consistently in everyday
life

writing responses
Peer support
Small group learning
Learning centers
Increased use of more
detailed graphic organizers
or mind maps
Personal dictionary for
subject specific vocabulary
Anchor charts/ instructions
written on the board

Editing and revision

checklists
Writing templates
Focus questions
Anchor charts
Peer support
Subject-specific vocabulary
practice
Consistent teacher checkins

Planning tools
English dictionary and
thesaurus
Grammar references
Student exemplars
Demonstration/ modeling
Coaching and positive
reinforcement

Responds to inference
questions and implied
meanings of statements or
questions
Understand the main idea of a
text without support
Use a variety of sentence
structures
Write a cohesive 5 paragraph
essay
Connect ideas to compare,
contrast, persuade, conclude,
and show cause and effect
Use higher order thinking
strategies to comprehend texts
on unfamiliar topics
(synthesizing, summarizing,
drawing conclusions, creating,
connecting)
Read fluently with expression
and appropriate intonation

All ELL students would benefit from:

- More thinking time to answer or participate in class discussion (prepared questions that
they can prepare to answer later in the class)
- Smaller group discussions with an assigned task (Think/Pair/ Share)
- Use of visuals and gestures to learn specific processes and vocabulary
- Classroom word wall for newly learned vocabulary (interactive) or personal word dictionary
with visuals (Google docs/ Evernote) Change/ reorganize word walls based on instructional
focus. Students can also be provided with portable word pockets that has all the words on the
word wall that can be used for practice, word sorts, or spelling reference.
- More direct instruction and teacher check-ins
- Hands on learning opportunities
- Repetition, demonstration, modeling
2. Types of supports and accommodations:
-

Study notes with visuals and modifications to the level of vocabulary content
Assign a peer tutor
Extra time to complete in-class assignments
Modification of length or type of questions for vocabulary heavy assignments
Allow for students to take pictures of notes or have a copy available for them with some
concepts missing for them to fill in important vocabulary (cloze activities)
Have the student paraphrase short paragraphs of important information
Complete first couple of examples with students
Chunk information and assignments into short simple steps
Provide background information and additional time for students to become familiar with
materials
Use idioms carefully or check for understanding if idioms are required
Check for understanding on a regular basis- ask them to retell or explain in their own words,
or find draw a picture of their understanding or check their work after some independent time
Reading supports: partner or teacher guided reading, audio recordings, text-to-speech
software, bilingual dictionaries
Writing supports: sentence starters, word walls, graphic organizers
Learning centers: self-contained collections of resources and materials to give students an
opportunity to practice using and learn new curricular information.
o Skills based games: spelling, math facts, matching
o Content review: crossword puzzles, flash cards
o Manipulatives: fraction puzzles, models

3. Types of modifications:

Non-linguistic Representations: Hands on experiences, demonstrations, math manipulatives,

puzzles, games, science diagrams or models, drawings, physical demonstration (dance or skit)
Teacher Can:
- Create anchor charts or write simple instructions, key ideas and vocabulary on the board
(with visuals if possible) to support understanding.
- Demonstrate and model the instructions
- Complete the first example with the students
- Ask students to explain or retell the steps
- Get students to try on their own and share their answers when they are done
- Try to relate content to the students previous knowledge and understanding
- Allow students to use their first language and find connections to English
- Reduce the amount of text, or find leveled readers
- Increase the use of explanatory graphs/ pictures
- Change a paragraph into a diagram or chart (Higher ELL students can work towards this
individually)
Graphic Organizers: Used to summarize discussions, review key concepts, map and organize a story,
plan projects. (K-W-L, mind maps, storyboards, multi-step processes, diagrams)
- Show students examples of they types of graphic organizers you will need them to complete
- Model organizers on the board using a think-aloud format
- Give students time to practice while coaching them throughout the process
- Share final products and give students a chance to revise or add information
- Encourage students to reflect on which organizers work best in a variety of learning
situations.
Cloze Activities: Omission of letters in words or words in sentences (can be used as a mystery
message activity)
- Select high frequency words and reproduce them with key letters missing
- Select a passage that they are familiar with and reproduce it with key vocabulary missing
- Follow a consistent pattern (remove the short vowel sound or the ending consonants, remove
adjectives, remove words that are familiar to them or are in their word bank)
Examples of assignment modifications:
Assignment
Reading Response

Regular Outcome/ Objective

Individual or group reading,
answer questions or define
vocabulary

Modifications
Read with a peer (Say-something
strategy), choose difficult words to
define (10), have them draw a
picture or find the word in their
native language, fill in a simple
graphic organizer of the important
events in the reading.

Essay

Write a 5 paragraph essay on a

research topic pertaining to
class material

Test

Complete an array of multiple

choice, problem solving, or
short answer questions in one
period (cumulative
assessment)

Lower ELL: Ready-made vocabulary

flashcards with pictures to match
Create a personal dictionary of
important vocabulary
Higher ELL: Fill in a graphic
organizer or create a mind map (KW-L, cause and effect, story map)
with simple sentences
Eliminate extraneous language
barriers, simplify language, focus
on vocabulary in questioning, or
get them to label models, fill in
parts of a graph or diagram, or
complete a cloze activity for
vocabulary.

Lab Write-Up

Complete a lab write up

following the scientific method

Word Problems

Use problem solving and math

skills to solve a word problem
successfully

Would benefit from more frequent,

shorter quizzes with simplified
language and focus on specific
vocabulary in the unit. Use
questions from these quizzes to
make a longer exam.
Extra time to complete the test
Reader or scribe for standardized
tests.
Often stronger with multiple choice,
matching.
Allow them to use notes that they
have written, personal dictionary
from the class that has visuals and
the word in their own native
language).
Have ready-made lab write-up
sheets for them to fill in, have
spaces for them to do a pictorial
representation of their
understanding.
When writing the word problem use
graphics or symbols to help show
them what unfamiliar or words with
multiple meanings are asking.
Show them how to cross out
extraneous information and circle
or underline the important function
words in the problem. Have
manipulatives for them to show you
their understanding visually or get
them to draw a picture.

4. Types of assessment:
-

Assessment should be based on growth not necessarily the regular outcome objectives
Track growth through journals/ learning logs, formative assessment, and their ability to
communicate their new knowledge in a variety of different forms (pictorially, non-verbally)
Lower ELL students experience difficulties answering questions from a blank (fill in the blank,
short answer), they are more inclined to understand or attempt to figure it out if the answers
are provided to them and they have to manipulate them in some way (placing labels on
maps, matching definitions to vocabulary words or pictures, multiple choice, cloze passages)
Graphic organizers help to assess their understanding without overwhelming them with too
much writing (lower ELLs can have ready-made text with pictures and they can paste them
into the parts of the graphic organizer, higher ELLs can write more independently)
Tiered Questions: Gives all students the opportunity to participate in discussion but questions
are based on the language stages. Ask frequently and give at about 10 seconds for the
student to respond.
Language Stage
1: Pre-Production
2: Early Production

3: Speech Emergence

Sample Question Starters

Show me
Point to
Circle the
Yes/No
Either/or
One-or-two word answers
Lists
Labels
Why?

4: Intermediate
Fluency
5: Advanced Fluency

How?
Explain?
Phrase or short sentence
answers
What would happen if?
Why do you think?
Does this remind you of?
Decide if
Retell
Summarize/ paraphrase

Links to Source Material: (Also in community folder STAFF-2014/15-ELL)

Article: Making a Difference: Meeting diverse learning needs with differentiated instruction
https://education.alberta.ca/teachers/resources/cross/making-a-difference.aspx
Alberta Education ESL Proficiency Benchmarks
http://www.education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/esl.aspx
Instructional Support for ELL Learners (CBE website)
https://portal.cbe.ab.ca/staffinsite/teaching/instructional_supports_services/ell/Pages/default.asp
x
ESL Benchmarks: Assessment and Ongoing Reporting
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/ongoing_assessment.html
Alberta Education Supporting English Language Learners
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/index.html
Tracking Sheets from Alberta Ed
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/trackingsheets.html
ESL K-9 Guide to implementation
http://education.alberta.ca/media/507659/eslkto9gi.pdf