English Language Development Resources

Support your English learners in the integrated and designated classroom with the following resources.

*Please click here if you are looking for information on the English Learner Progress Indicator (ELPI) or the transition from the CELDT to the ELPAC Assessment

Frameworks

• California English Language Development (ELD) Standards
  • These K-12 standards were adopted by the SBE in 2012, and aim to support English learners in California classrooms.
• California ELA/ELD Framework
  • This guide, adopted by the SBE in 2015, guides educators in supporting English learners in the integrated and designated ELD classroom. 
    • ELA/ELD Framework "Cheat Sheet"
      • This at-a-glance outline provides brief bullets about each chapter's contents.
    • ELA/ELD Framework Vignettes and Snapshots Chart
      • This is a linked table of contents for all vignettes and snapshots in the Framework.

For Districts and Schools

• B.E.L.I.E.F. Modules
  • These professional modules aid site and district leaders with the implementation of the ELA/ELD Framework.
• Newcomer Toolkit
  • From the United States Department of Education, this thorough resource provides considerations in all aspects of work with newcomers.
• A Guide for Engaging ELL Families: Twenty Strategies for School Leaders
  • Start your year off on the right foot by making positive connections with ELL families!
• Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English 
  • This resource from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is rife with research for policies and programs to support pK-5 English learners. 
• Sobrato Early Academic Language Model (SEAL) Videos
  • Videos topics include SEAL in action, bilingual education, designated ELD, and preschool instruction.
• Reclassification Guidance for 2019-2020
  • This letter delineates the criteria for reclassifying a student. Updated August 12, 2019.

For Teachers

• English Learner Roadmap Teacher Toolkits (from Californians Together)
• California Practitioner's Guide for Educating English Learners with Disabilities (CDE 2019)
• ELA/ELD Framework Vignettes and Snapshots Chart (see above)
• Implementation Support for the ELA/ELD Framework
• Colorín Colorado
  • This bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners contains a wealth of resources for classroom and home use.
    • ELL Starter Kit for Educators
      • From Colorin Colorado, this toolkit provides tools for monitoring language skills.
    • How to Develop a Lesson Plan that Includes ELLs
      • This includes strategies for planning all aspects of your lesson to target the skills ELs need to become proficient.
• Understanding Language
  • Stanford University's Understanding Language page offers research-based teaching resources.
• Newcomer Toolkit (see above)
• Resource List: English Learners in PBL
  • Learn how to better support your ELs through an integrated, project-based learning approach.
• Ed Tech Tools to Support Literacy for ALL Students
  • Learn of the best online resources to help all of your students, including English language learners, access language and content.
• Sounds of Speech
  • Show students how to make different sounds in the English language.

For Families

• Colorín Colorado (see above)
• Reading Tips
  • Teachers can share these tips (available in multiple languages!) with parents in order to assist them in supporting their students' literacy at home.

For Students (free Online Learning)

• Duolingo
  • Duolingo is a top-notch, FREE language learning website. Learners of all ages can learn another language. (Similar to Rosetta Stone.)
• Mind Snacks
  • MindSnacks offers iOS and Android apps for learning and practicing languages through gaming.
• English High Flyers
  • English High Flyers is a free iOS game that helps students practice their vocabulary skills.
• Free Rice
  • Play this free game in order to sharpen your English vocabulary, while donating ten grains of rice (per correct answer) to those in need.

Long-Term English Learners (LTELs): Scholarly Articles and Longer Works

• Meeting the Unique Needs of Long Term English Learners (2014) by Laurie Olsen
• Reparable Harm: Fulfilling the Unkept Promise of Educational Opportunity for California's Long Term English Learners (2010) by Laurie Olsen 
• Double the Work: Challenges and Solutions to Acquiring Language and Academic Literacy for Adolescent English Language Learners (2017) by Deborah J. Short & Shannon Fitzsimmons