Bilingual Instruction (English Language Learners – ELL)

1. ESL Pull‑Out – ELs spend most of the day in a general education classroom but are “pulled out” for a portion of the day for targeted English as a Second Language instruction with an ESL‑certified teacher.

2. ESL Class Period- Common in secondary settings; ELs take a dedicated ESL course during a regular period (often for credit) focused on English language development while attending other content classes with varying levels of support.

3. ESL Resource Center / Push‑In ESL –  ELLs either go to a resource center for specialized support or receive push‑in services from an ESL teacher who comes into the general ed classroom; the goal is language development embedded in core instruction and less social isolation.

4. Content‑Based ESL –  ESL‑certified teachers teach language through grade‑level content (e.g., science or social studies), so students develop English and academic knowledge simultaneously; this includes models like structured immersion and SDAIE as content‑based variants.

5. Sheltered Instruction / SDAIE – Content teachers use specialized strategies (visuals, scaffolds, language objectives, structured interaction) to make grade‑level content comprehensible while promoting English development; often used in EL‑only or mixed classes.

6. Structured English Immersion (SEI) –  All instruction is in English, but at a level adjusted to students’ proficiency with heavy language supports and sheltered techniques; students typically are grouped by English level and may transition to mainstream as they reach proficiency.

7. Transitional Bilingual Education (Early‑Exit or Late‑Exit) –  Students receive instruction in both their home language and English at first, then gradually transition to all‑English instruction once they reach a set proficiency level; the home language is used mainly to support the move into English.

8. Dual Language / Two‑Way Immersion (TWI) – Classes include both native English speakers and native speakers of the partner language (often Spanish), with planned 50/50 or 90/10 time in each language; goals include high academic achievement, bilingualism, and biliteracy.

9. One‑Way Dual Language / Developmental (Maintenance) Bilingual –  Designed primarily for ELs who share a home language; provides long‑term content instruction in both the home language and English, aiming to maintain and develop the home language while adding English.

10. Newcomer Programs –  Short‑term, intensive programs for recently arrived ELs (often with limited prior schooling) that focus on survival English, acculturation, and foundational literacy and numeracy, while also connecting students to core content and the regular school program.

Language development and practice

Duolingo, Monkey Puzzles, kids EL apps –  Free, gamified language‑learning platforms that build vocabulary, basic grammar, and listening/speaking through short activities.

BrainPOP ELL –  Short animated movies, quizzes, and games that explicitly teach vocabulary and grammar in context. Useful for whole‑group mini‑lessons followed by structured oral/written responses.

EnglishMediaLab, English Resources collections – Sites with free quizzes, games, and pronunciation activities that students can use for focused skills practice.

Reading, writing, and content access

ReadWorks, Newsela, Epic! – Offer leveled digital texts, read‑aloud or audio support, and in some cases translation (e.g., Spanish) and built‑in questions. Good for pushing ELs into grade‑level content with scaffolds (audio, glossaries, visuals).

Amira, Writable, English 3D (HMH) –  Amira: 1:1 oral reading tutor/fluency assessment with adaptive support. Writable: guided writing practice and automated feedback; can be powerful for sentence frames and revision cycles. English 3D: a structured ELD curriculum with authentic texts and daily formative assessments designed for multilingual learners.

Multilingual Learning Toolkit (P–3) – Free hub with research‑based strategies and ready‑to‑use resources specifically for PreK–3 educators of multilingual learners.Useful for planning: you pull a principle (e.g., oral language) and get matching routines, templates, and videos.

Student voice, speaking, and creation

Flip (Flipgrid), Book Creator, VoiceThread, Puppet Pals –  Let students record video/audio responses, create digital books, or assemble multimedia stories, which lowers the barrier for emerging writers and increases output.

Padlet, Jamboard‑style tools – Interactive bulletin boards where students post text, images, audio, or video; excellent for collaborative vocabulary walls, “see–think–wonder,” and multilingual word banks.

Simple audio tools (Voice Recorder, Vocaroo) –Students record themselves reading or speaking, then listen back to analyze pronunciation, expression, and fluency.

Vocabulary, review, and formative assessment

Quizlet, Quizizz, Kahoot –  Flashcards, games, and live quizzes; supports multimodal input and repetition. Great for high‑utility vocab, language chunks, sentence stems, and quick checks for comprehension.

ABCya, BrainPOP (core), other game sites – Standards-aligned reading/math games that build language through content contexts.

Planning supports and curated hubs

Colorín Colorado – Technology & ELLs –  Guidance on choosing and using tech with multilingual learners, including multimedia projects and bilingual family‑facing ideas.

Ensemble Learning’s “Best 12 ELL Resources” A 2026 review of widely used platforms (e.g., ReadWorks, Epic, others) with specific notes on why each is effective for ELLs and where it fits (reading, writing, early learning, etc.).