Professional Learning Communities Facilitator's Guide for the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School

The Professional Learning Communities Facilitator's Guide is designed to assist teams of educators in applying the evidence-based strategies presented in the Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School educator's practice guide, produced by the What Works Clearinghouse. Through this collaborative learning experience, educators will expand their knowledge base as they read, discuss, share, and apply key ideas and strategies to help K–8 English learners acquire the language and literacy skills needed to succeed academically.

The facilitator's guide employs a five-step cycle that encourages professional learning communities to debrief, define, explore, experiment, and reflect and plan. This cycle is supplemented with activities, handouts, readings, and videos. Educators will develop a working knowledge of some of the best practices in the English learner practice guide through analysis of teaching vignettes and other interactive activities. Included in the toolkit of materials are 31 handouts and 23 videos. Four of the videos provide narrative overviews of the four recommendations in the practice guide; the remaining videos show teachers putting the recommendations into practice in actual classrooms at three different grade levels.

Facilitator's Guide, Infographic, and Handouts

PDF File View, download, and print the full facilitator's guide as a PDF file (7.6 MB)
PDF File View, Infographic: Facilitating Professional learning Communities that Support Struggling Readers Who are English Learners in the Southwest (379 KB)
PDF File View, download, and print the handouts as a PDF file (933 KB)

Video Title YouTube Link and Transcript
Introduction to Recommendation 1: YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (111 KB)
Pre-Teaching Vocabulary (Second/Third-Grade Combination Class): YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (116 KB)
Pre-Teaching Vocabulary (Fourth-Grade Class): YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (124 KB)
Pre-Teaching Vocabulary (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades: Newcomer Class): YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (123 KB)
Activities to Promote Word Learning (Second/Third-Grade Combination Class): YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (119 KB)
Activities to Promote Word Learning (Fourth Grade) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (119 KB)
Activities to Promote Word Learning (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades: Newcomer Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (106 KB)
Providing Review (Second/Third-Grade Combination Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (114 KB)
Providing Review (Fourth-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (131 KB)
Providing Review (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades: Newcomer Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (131 KB)
Word Parts and Cognates (All Grade Ranges) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (257 KB)
Introduction to Recommendation 2 YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (119 KB)
Using Videos to Anchor Instruction (Second-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (101 KB)
Using Videos to Anchor Instruction (Fourth-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (123 KB)
Using Videos to Anchor Instruction (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades: Newcomer Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (226 KB)
Completing a Graphic Organizer (Second-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (126 KB)
Completing a Graphic Organizer (Fourth-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (124 KB)
Completing a Graphic Organizer (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades: Newcomer Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (102 KB)
Introduction to Recommendation 3 YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (113 KB)
Using Graphic Organizers in Writing (Second-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (103 KB)
Using Graphic Organizers in Writing (Fourth-Grade Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (124 KB)
Using Graphic Organizers in Writing (Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades: Newcomer Class) YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (131 KB)
Introduction to Recommendation 4 YouTube
PDF File View, download, and print the transcript as a PDF file (114 KB)