Teacher Sampler Pack Ready to use assessment forms and more for classroom teachers of English language learners.

The No Child Left Behind legislation requires that meticulous records be kept on the progress of English language learners. Having the following records handy may make it easier for you to respond when questions arise about a students placement, special services, and grading.

Assessment forms

Monthly Student Assessment Oral Communication Skills Reading Skills Fluency Skills: Expressive Reading Use of Reading Strategies

Helpful resources

Common Classroom Phrases: Spanish Cognates: Similar Spanish-English Words Recommended Bilingual Books

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Monthly Student Assessment

This form can help you document the progress of an English language learner. Complete a new form each month to learn about the students overall academic progress and gains in English proficiency. Use the form to help you plan next steps. Also share this assessment with other ESL or resource teachers who are assisting your student.

Students name Class

Grade Teacher
Low Average

Date

High

1. Progress during the past month 2. Performance in class on:

Low

Average

High

Oral comprehension Reading comprehension Completes writing assignments Works independently Asks for help when needed Successful completion of tests and assessments

1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5

3. Recommendations: What kind of help does this student need during the coming weeks or months?

4. How can these recommendations be accomplished?

5. Other:

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Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from: Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training (ESCORT). (2003). Help! They Dont Speak English Starter Kit for Primary Teachers. Washington, D.C.: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Oral Communication Skills

Use this form to document the oral communication skills of an English language learner. Put a checkmark next to the skill level that best describes the students abilities. Complete a new form each month to learn about the students gains in English proficiency. Use the form to help you plan next steps. Also share this assessment with other ESL or resource teachers who are assisting your student.

Students name Class Overall communication skills

Communicates very well in social and academic English Communicates with some difficulty but conveys meaning Understands English very little or not at all

Grade Teacher

Date

Vocabulary skills
Uses content vocabulary Uses content vocabulary with some difficulty Can name concrete objects displayed

Grammar skills
Has command of basic grammatical structures Uses some grammar structures but has problems with verb tenses and number categories

Usage
Participates in classroom discussions Communicates well in social contexts Repeats words and phrases

Recommendations: What kind of help does this student need during the coming weeks or months?

How can these recommendations be accomplished?

Other:

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from: Clemmons, J., Areglado, L., & Dill, M. (1993). Portfolios in the Classroom. New York: Scholastic.

Reading Skills
Use this form to document the reading skills of an English language learner. Put a checkmark below next to the skill level that best describes the students abilities. Complete a new form each month to learn about the students gains in reading. Use the form to help you plan next steps. Also share this assessment with other ESL or resource teachers who are assisting your student.

Students name Class Use of reading strategies

Grade Teacher

Date

Reads short stories and books. Uses reading strategies. Retells plot, characters, and events. Relies more on print than illustrations. Retells beginning, middle, and end of stories. Retells main idea of text. Relies on print and illustrations. Pretends to read. Uses illustrations to tell story. Memorizes pattern and familiar books. Recognizes range of sight words and names. Recognizes basic sight words and names. Knows most letter/sound correspondences. Recognizes simple words. Recognizes some letters, names, and words in context. Rhymes and plays with words. Reads a variety of materials, including fiction and non-fiction, fairy tales, poem, directions Reads with little variety in materials. Reads books with word patterns. Listens to fiction, fairy tales, poems, oral stories. Reads silently for short periods of time. Does not need teacher guidance. Reads silently. Needs some teacher guidance. Does not see self as reader. Needs teacher support for many reading tasks. Participates in rereading of familiar stories or books. Needs teacher support for most reading tasks.

Word and sentence recognition

Text choices

Level of independence

Recommendations: What kind of help does this student need during the coming weeks or months?

How can these recommendations be accomplished?

Other:

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from Lorraine Valdez Pierces adaptation of: OMalley, J.M. & L. V. Pierce. (1996). Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners: Practical Approaches for Teachers. New York: Pearson Longman and Hill & Ruptic (1994), Practical Aspects of Authentic Assessment, Norwood, MA, Christopher Gordon Publishers.

Fluency Skills Expressive Reading

Use this form to document an English language learner's ability to read with expression. Complete a new form each month to learn about the students proficiency level. Use the form to help you plan next steps. Also share this assessment with other ESL or resource teachers who are assisting your student.

Students name Class

Grade Teacher

Date

Expressive readers read with stress, pitch variations, intonation, phrasing, and pausing in their voices. Use the following rubric to assess expression. Listen to a student read for about sixty seconds and indicate below his or her overall reading proficiency and fluency. Score 4 3 2 Criteria
Reads primarily in large, meaningful phrase groups. Some regressions, repetitions, and deviations from the text. Most of the story is read with expressive interpretation. Reads at an appropriate rate. Reads primarily in three and four word phrase groups. The majority of phrasing seems appropriate and preserves the syntax of the author. Little or no expressive interpretation is present. Generally reads at an appropriate rate. Reads primarily in two-word phrase groups. Some word-by-word reading may be present. Word groupings may seem awkward and unrelated to the larger context of the sentence or passage. Reads significant sections of the text excessively slowly or fast. Reads primarily word-by-word. Lacks expressive interpretation. Reads text excessively slowly or with excessive speed, ignoring punctuation and other phrase boundaries. Reads with little or no expression.

Recommendations: What kind of help does this student need during the coming weeks or months?

How can these recommendations be accomplished?

Other:

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners

Use of Reading Strategies

Use this form to document an English language learners use of reading strategies that aid in comprehension. Complete a new form each month to see whether the student is learning and using new reading strategies. Use the form to help you plan next steps. Also share this assessment with other ESL or resource teachers who are assisting your student.

Students name Class

Grade Teacher

Date

Monitors whether he/she is understanding what has been read Asks for help when he/she is confused about what has been read Makes predictions about stories and texts Completes graphic organizers to enhance his/her understanding of what has been read (graphic organizer has been modeled for the student, and guided practice has already been provided) Generates questions about what has been read Rereads for answers to questions Summarizes stories or content area texts Is able to sequence correctly a series of events that occurred in a story or text Is able to distinguish between fact and opinion (grade appropriate), fiction and nonfiction Is able to find the main idea, important facts, and supporting details from a text that he/she read Recommendations: What kind of help does this student need during the coming weeks or months?

How can these recommendations be accomplished?

Other:

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted by Lorraine Valdez Pierce from: OMalley, J.M. & L. V. Pierce. (1996). Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners: Practical Approaches for Teachers. New York: Pearson Longman and from http://www.colorincolorado.org/content/comprehension.php

Common Classroom Phrases Spanish

Although it may seem like a small gesture, using Spanish phrases can mean a great deal to your students and their families. Making an effort shows that you respect and value their language. This list of Spanish/English classroom words and phrases will help you get started.

Common Expressions | Expresiones Comunes

Hello Good morning What's your name? My name is Nice to meet you How are you? Good; fine Very good! Please Many thanks Where is? Do you understand? No, I dont understand Yes, I understand See you tomorrow Goodbye Hola Buenos das Cmo te llamas? Me llamo Mucho gusto Cmo ests? Bien Muy bien! Por favor Muchas gracias Dnde est? Comprendes? No, no comprendo S, comprendo Hasta maana Adis

Commands | rdenes
Be quiet Get up Give me Let's go outside Listen Look Sit down Stop, quit it Silencio Levntate Dame Vamos afuera Escucha Mira Sintate Para, deja

Days of the Week | Das de la semana

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday lunes martes mircoles jueves viernes

Months | Meses
January February March April May June July August September October November December enero febrero marzo abril mayo junio julio agosto septiembre octubre noviembre diciembre

Activities | Actividades
Its time: to draw to eat to play to read to sleep to speak to work to write Es la hora de: dibujar comer jugar leer dormir hablar trabajar escribir

Classroom Expressions | Expresiones en el Aula

bathroom bus chair chalkboard door flag paper pen pencil ruler scissors table teacher telephone water window el bao el autobs la silla el pizarrn la puerta la bandera el papel la pluma el lpiz la regla las tijeras la mesa el maestro, la maestra el telfono el agua la ventana

Colors | Colores
red yellow green blue brown black grey white rojo amarillo verde azul caf negro gris blanco

Numbers | Nmeros
one two three four five six seven eight nine ten eleven twelve thirteen uno dos tres cuatro cinco seis siete ocho nueve diez once doce trece

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from: Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training (ESCORT). (2003). Help! They Don't Speak English. Starter Kit for Primary Teachers.

Cognates Similar Spanish English Words

Cognates are words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. Almost 40 percent of all words in English have a related word in Spanish. For Spanish-speaking English language learners, cognates are an obvious bridge to the English language. The following is an alphabetical list of English and Spanish cognates. Please see http://www.colorincolorado.org/introduction/cognates.php for suggestions on how to use cognates to help students learn English.
English Spanish
accidente accidental acompaar acrobtico(a) activo (a) actividades admirar admitir adulto aventura adoptar adopcin africano agente aire alarma alrgico (a) anaconda animal anunciar aparecer apetito rea aritmtica artista asociacin astrnomo atmsfera atencin agosto autgrafo automvil banana, pltano banjo bicicleta biografa blusa brillante

English

Spanish
cabina (de telfono, avin, etc.) cable cafetera cmara camuflaje can capitn capturar catstrofe causa celebrar cemento centro cermica cereal ceremonia chimenea chimpanc clera crculo circular clase costa colonia color comit comn completo(a) completamente compaa concierto confeti confuso confusin constelacin construccin contagioso(a) continente

English
continue (to) contract contribution coyote crocodile curious curiosity

Spanish
continuar contrato contribucin coyote cocodrilo curioso(a) curiosidad diciembre decidir decoracin, adorno delicado(a) depender deportar describir desierto destruir detener determinar diamante dictador diferente dinosaurio direccin direcciones directamente director desaparecer desastre discriminacin discutir desgracia distancia distribuir dlar doble dragn dinamita dinosaurio
page 1 of 3

accident accidental accompany (to) acrobatic active activities admire (to) admit (to) adult adventure adopt (to) adoption African agent air alarm allergic anaconda animal announce (to) appear (to) appetite area arithmetic artist association astronomer atmosphere attention August autograph automobile banana banjo bicycle biography blouse brilliant

cabin cable cafeteria camera camouflage canyon captain capture (to) catastrophe cause celebrate (to) cement center ceramic cereal ceremony chimney chimpanzee cholera circle circular class coast colony color committee common complete completely company concert confetti confusing confusion constellation construction contagious continent

December decide (to) decoration delicate depend (to) deport (to) describe (to) desert destroy (to) detain determine (to) diamond dictator different dinosaur direction directions directly director disappear (to) disaster discrimination discuss (to) disgrace distance distribute (to) dollar double dragon dynamite dinosaur

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from: Caldern, M., August, D., Durn, D., Madden, N., R. Slavin & M. Gil (2003). Spanish to English Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Success for All Foundation.

Cognates Similar Spanish English Words

English Spanish
elctrico(a) elefante enorme energa entrar escapar especialmente examinar exclamar explosin extico(a) extra extraordinario(a) familia famoso(a) fascinar favorito(a) feroz finalmente firme flexible flor afortunadamente fruta funeral furioso(a) galaxia galn jardn gas jirafa golf glorioso(a) gorila grupo gua helicptero hipoptamo historia honor hospital hotel hora humano(a)

English

Spanish
idea identificacin imaginar inmediatamente inmigrantes importancia importante impresionando(a) impresin increble incurable independencia informacin insectos inseparable insistir inspeccin inteligencia interesante interrumpir introducir introduccin inventar investigar invitacin invitar isla lder limn lente leopardo leccin lecciones lnea len lista localizar mquina magia mago magnfico(a) manera mapa marzo marchar, caminar marionetas, tteres

English
medal memory metal microscope million miniature minute minutes moment monument much music

Spanish
medalla memoria metal microscopio milln miniatura minuto minutos momento monumento mucho msica natural necesidad nctar nervioso(a) obediencia objeto observatorio ocasin ocano octubre oficina operacin ordinario palacio pnico papel parque parte paciencia pingino perfecto (a) perfume permanente foto fotografa fotgrafo(a) piano pionero pirata planeta planetario planes plantas
page 2 of 3

electric elephant enormous energy enter (to) escape (to) especially examine (to) exclaim (to) explosion exotic extra extraordinary family famous fascinate (to) favorite ferocious finally firm flexible flower fortunately fruit funeral furious galaxy gallon garden gas giraffe golf glorious gorilla group guide helicopter hippopotamus history honor hospital hotel hour human

idea identification imagine (to) immediately immigrants importance important impressed impression incredible incurable independence information insects inseparable insist (to) inspection intelligence interesting interrupt (to) introduce (to) introduction invent (to) investigate (to) invitation invite (to) island leader lemon lens leopard lesson lessons line lion list locate (to) machine magic magician magnificent manner map March march (to) marionettes

natural necessity nectar nervous obedience object observatory occasion ocean October office operation ordinary palace panic paper park part patience penguin perfect perfume permanent photo photograph photographer piano pioneer pirate planet planetarium plans plants

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from: Caldern, M., August, D., Durn, D., Madden, N., R. Slavin & M. Gil (2003). Spanish to English Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Success for All Foundation.

Cognates Similar Spanish English Words

English
plates police practice practice (to) prepare (to) present (to) problem professional

Spanish
platos polica prctica practicar preparar presentar problema profesional radio rancho realmente restaurante retirar reunin rico(a) roca ruta

English

Spanish
secreto septiembre serie sof especial esplndido(a) estadstica estmago estudiar sorpresa telfono telescopio televisin terrible tomate totalmente turista trfico atrapar triple trompeta tubo

English

Spanish\
uniforme vegetales versin visitar voleibol votar

radio ranch really restaurant retire (to) reunion rich rock route

secret September series sofa special splendid statistics stomach study (to) surprise telephone telescope television terrible tomato totally tourist traffic trap (to) triple trumpet tube

U V

uniform vegetables version visit (to) volleyball vote (to)

page 3 of 3

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners
Adapted from: Caldern, M., August, D., Durn, D., Madden, N., R. Slavin & M. Gil (2003). Spanish to English Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Success for All Foundation.

Recommended Bilingual Books

The following bilingual books would be great additions to any classroom. Bilingual books, which are often written with Spanish and English appearing side-by-side, can help introduce bilingual skills, increase language and listening abilities, and increase students cultural awareness. Reading aloud to bilingual learners can be a particularly powerful instructional tool. Read alouds can help develop students vocabularies, introduce new concepts, and reinforce understandings of what students already know. See http://www.colorincolorado.org/inclass/books_month.php for more information about these books plus discussion questions and suggested classroom activities.

Mam Goose: A Latino Nursery Treasury

By Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy Grade Levels: K7
This book is a collection of Spanish-language lullabies, finger games, nursery rhymes, jump-rope songs, riddles, birthday songs, and more.

the story with detailed paintings, presenting specific life experiences that unmistakably show her familys proud heritage and traditions.

My Diary from Here to There/ Mi diario de aqu hasta all

By Amada Irma Prez Grade Level: 36
My Diary from Here to There represents a young girls perspective on how her family comes to live in the United States. Throughout the book the main character, Amada, keeps a written journal in which she invites the reader to learn more about her experiences as she describes how her life changes as she moves to the new country.

Red Hot Salsa: Bilingual Poems on Being Young and Latino in the United States
Edited by Lori Marie Carlson Grade Level: 812
A collection of poems from an array of seasoned poets and young Latino authors describing their experiences in the United States, these poems depict the reality and hardships some young Latinos have experienced, the search for identity, as well as the joy of family gatherings surrounded by food, customs, and culture.

Iguanas in the Snow and Other Winter Poems/ Iguanas en la nieve y otros poemas de invierno
Written by Francisco X. Alarcn, illustrated by Maya C. Gonzalez Grade Level: K5
Francisco X. Alarcn describes in this book many of his winter experiences growing up in the city of San Francisco, California. He has taken many of his childhood experiences to create fun, creative poems.

Family Pictures/Cuadros de Familia

By Carmen Lomas Garza Grade Level: 25
Family Pictures is a bilingual book that describes the authors childhood using her paintings. Carmen has carefully illustrated

www.ColorinColorado.org
Information, activities, and advice for educators of English language learners