Teaching Beginner ELLs Using Picture Books

Book excerpt: For beginning ELLs, a picture really is worth a thousand words! Picture books can unlock puzzling cultural and social meanings for students at all ages and grade levels. ELL educator Ana Lado illustrates how picture books are an especially useful tool for building important language and social foundations--foundations that students may miss through traditional instruction. Lado provides all the tools you need to engage your ELLs with picture books, including how to design lesson plans around themed units, select appropriate picture books using specific criteria, incorporate fun and engaging strategies like singing and reenacting, integrate picture-book learning to facilitate development of English language proficiency. In addition, you will gain access to a searchable online database to find just the right book for your lessons, based on author, title, genre, and English language proficiency level. With practical classroom-friendly techniques, Teaching Beginner ELLs Using Picture Books helps you transform your lessons into richly illustrated learning opportunities.