Cross-curricular teaching tools
Visuals
graphic organizers that provide visual representations of important ideas in a text, lesson, or unit
charts, Venn diagrams, classification trees, flow charts, story maps, and visual representations of timelines
essential tools for reducing the language barrier for ELLs
can be used to introduce new content in many subjects and at many grade levels
Word Charts
select key words that will be used in a lesson, and
teach them before the lesson or explain them as they arise
display on a wall in the classroom where it can be seen easily
include information about various forms of the word as well as related words, word roots and sentences that show the word being used in relevant contexts
only the ten most useful and transferable words from the lesson are included in the complete chart
it is not necessary to introduce all possible forms of a word at once
Guided Reading
helps readers work their way through new and
difficult text
small groups
guide students through challenging text, demonstrating
and prompting effective reading strategies, and focusing on specific aspects of the text, such as organization, the use of visual material, and new vocabulary
* the teacher supports students by helping them to “unpack” the text
* the strategy unfolds in three stages – before, during, and after reading
* the teacher models, or prompts students to use, reading strategies