Professional+Books+and+Interesting+Websites

====__Here are some professional books and resources that can help teachers get started: __====

Produced by the school improvement network, this series explores effective teaching strategies, stages of language acquisition, and second language acquisition theory. This is all done with the commentary of experienced teachers.
 * Every Teacher - A Teacher of English Language Learners** (dvd series)

This book is a part of the 'Classroom Instruction That Works' series. This book is a good resource to use when locating specific strategies for preteaching, cooperative learning, summarizing, using graphic organizers, and other ESL-related techniques.
 * Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners** (Jane Hill/Kathleen Flynn)

This book explores instruction of English Language Learners by incorporating it into the five domains of literacy (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and reading comprehension). It provides ideas and techniques in each of these areas.
 * Research-Based Methods of Reading Instruction for English Language Learners** (Sylvia Linan-Thompson/Sharon Vaughn)

This book begins by dissecting the different needs of English Language Learners (sociocultural, academic, and linguistic). Then, it explores different frameworks for English Language Instruction, such as the content-based model, the sheltered instruction model, and the cognitive academic language learning approach.
 * Mastering ESL and Bilingual Methods: Differentiated Instruction for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students** (Socorro Herrera/Kevin Murry)

This book delves into different ways to assess English language learners for classroom and data driven purposes. It includes research, ideas, rubrics, and other scoring methods.
 * Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners, Practical Approaches for the Teachers** (J. Michael O'Malley/Lorranine Valdez-Pierce)

This book is a wonderful tool to help teachers modify content to make it accessible to English Language Learners.
 * Teaching English Language Learners Across the Content Areas** (Judie Haynes/Debbie Zacarian)

This book contains helpful worksheets, logs, and assessment techniques that can help teachers create and maintain a classroom that has high language expectations to drive success.
 * The Language-Rich Classroom** (Persida Himmele/William Himmele)

__**The following are websites that have useful, classroom applications as well as helpful information about English Language Learners: **__

[] - This site has some wonderful, interactive games to improve vocabulary and grammar for students [] - This site includes games and lessons to help students practice spelling words and sight words [] - This website hammers home some important information about how to strengthen academic language in ELLs. [|www.brainpop.com] - This website contains short video clips that can strengthen background knowledge and academic language in the content areas. [] - This site is especially useful for students who are learning word meaning and vocabulary in context [] - This is a wonderful literacy site that has some bilingual features that can make it accessible and useful for teachers and parents. [] - This is the English as a Second Language homepage that is directly linked to PDE. Use the menu tabs at the bottom left to learn about Title III, TransAct, the LEP system, and other great resources available. [] - Pennsylvania's Standards-Aligned System can provide helpful ESL lesson plans and modifications, as well as informational updates about ESL policy in the state. [] - This website contains a lot of key information about ESL programs, testing, and other issues relevant to English Language Learners. It is provided by the Virginia Department of Education