4 Tips for Supporting ESL Students During Your Literacy Block
Supporting ESL students during your reading block can feel overwhelming. This year, I have 3 ESL students in the same class! One newcomer (level 1) from China, one Level 2 students from Turkey (limited conversational english, but very low proficiency in reading and writing in english), and one level 3 from Mexico (can read and write below grade level, but is fully conversational). It is extremely overwhelming to reach each of them at their different levels, while ALSO meeting the needs of all of other students. So, supporting English language learners is something I am currently living out.
You want to meet their needs, but you don’t have endless time to plan separate lessons, translate every little thing, or run an entirely different reading block. And by January, it can feel especially heavy when routines are already stretched thin.
Here’s the good news: reaching ESL students doesn’t require a separate system. It requires intentional supports built into the reading block you already run.
Below are practical, realistic tips for reaching ESL students during your reading block, without doubling your workload.
Why ESL Students Often Struggle During Reading Block
The reading block can be one of the most challenging parts of the day for ESL learners.
They’re often navigating:
New vocabulary
Unfamiliar sentence structures
Cultural references they don’t yet recognize
The pressure to keep up with peers
This doesn’t mean they can’t succeed! It means they need clarity, structure, and language support built into instruction. Here’s how I do it:
1. Front-Load Vocabulary (Even Just a Little)
Before students read, preview key vocabulary together.
This doesn’t need to be a long lesson. Even:
3–5 important words
A quick picture or gesture
A short student-friendly definition
Front-loading vocabulary helps ESL students enter the text with confidence instead of confusion.
2. Use Sentence Stems During Reading Responses
Sentence stems are one of the most powerful tools for ESL students.
They:
Reduce language load
Support complete responses
Encourage participation
Examples:
I think ___ because ___.
The character felt ___ when ___.
This part of the text shows ___.
When sentence stems are available, ESL students can focus on comprehension, not just wording.
3. Use Visual Supports Whenever Possible
Visuals are incredibly supportive during reading block.
Helpful visuals include:
Anchor charts
Picture cues
Graphic organizers
Illustrated vocabulary cards
This makes the content much more accessible. Pictures are universal. If they can attribute a word or phrase to something they already are familiar with, then they are more likely to absorb it.
4. Keep Routines Predictable
Consistency matters. Especially for students learning a new language.
When reading block routines are predictable:
ESL students know what’s expected
Cognitive load is reduced
Anxiety decreases
The structure you’ve already built is one of the biggest supports you can offer.
What I Don’t Do for ESL Students
This part matters.
I don’t:
Run a completely separate reading block
Plan entirely different lessons
Track a million extra systems
Throw them into the deep end with tasks that I expect all of my other students to do
Instead, I focus on intentional scaffolds inside existing routines.
Free Winter Activities That Support ESL Learners
In response to my school year this year, and the very wide range of needs in my classroom, I started redesigning my reading comprehension passages to include both ESL support pages and Extension Tasks for Gifted Learners.
I have a FREE sample of these passages in my new Winter Freebie Pack. Grab it below!