RUNNING HEAD: ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
Making Adaptations to the Daily 5 Literacy Program to Meet the Needs of
Beginning English Language Learners
Chelsea E. Pasfield
Vanderbilt University
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Abstract
The Daily 5 is an instructional framework designed to organize the literacy block in early
elementary classrooms. The model is grounded entirely in research-based practices for early
literacy instruction, and has been widely implemented in classrooms throughout the country.
However, there has been little research investigating how the Daily 5 aligns with best practices
for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). This issue becomes increasingly more pertinent
as the ELL population continues to grow in our schools. The goal of this paper is to synthesize
the research in early literacy instruction, the Daily 5 framework, and best practices in ELL
instruction to provide specific recommendations for modifying the Daily 5 to better meet the
needs of ELL students. The research focuses on early elementary instruction (K-3) and ELLs at
the beginning stage of English language acquisition. Furthermore, the recommendations for
modifications to the Daily 5 are specific to the framework’s five independent work rotations and
assessment procedures. Investigations across all three areas of research indicate that teachers can
successfully make effective and meaningful adaptations to the Daily 5’s independent work
rotations and assessment procedures for their ELL students. The recommendations focus
primarily on adapting the tasks and materials presented in the model. The modifications either
reduce the language demands of a task, or provide additional language and/or contextual support.
This research paper provides teachers with initial steps for making the Daily 5 more appropriate
and meaningful for their ELL students.
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Overview and Rationale
The Daily 5 has become a prominent literacy practice in elementary schools across the
country. It allows for balanced literacy instruction, opportunities for teachers to meet with
flexible small groups, and provides a structure to engage students in meaningful independent
literacy activities for extended periods of time (Boushey & Moser, 2006). Research supports the
Daily 5 practice in terms of improving and enhancing students’ literacy skills (Guastello & Lenz,
2005; Pressley et al, 2001) however, there is little information in the field that provides insight
on how this model impacts literacy instruction for English Language Learners (ELLs). As we
continue to see an influx of ELL students in schools across the country, it is critical to consider
how our best literacy practices, like the Daily 5, meet the needs of this population of students.
Therefore, I investigated the research in best practices for ELL instruction and early literacy
education to provide research-based adaptations for tailoring the Daily 5 to meet the needs of
ELLs in the general education classroom. My research sought to answer the following questions:
What are the benefits of the Daily 5 balanced literacy program in early elementary classrooms?
How can the Daily 5 independent work rotations and assessment procedures be modified to meet
the needs of beginning ELL students?
Given my background in Early Childhood Education, I focused specifically on meeting
the needs of beginning readers (K-3) and ELLs at the beginning stage of second language
acquisition. Students at these grade levels, whether native English speakers or ELL students, are
learning the fundamental language components for reading, and developing their independent
reading skills. Furthermore, ELL students at these grade levels are often in the beginning stage of
learning English, and have received little literacy instruction in English or their native language.
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There are three main sections to this research paper: Curriculum and Instructional
Strategies, Learners and Learning, and Learning Context. First in Curriculum and Instructional
Strategies, I explore the Daily 5 balanced literacy model, and the research that supports the
program as a best practice for early literacy instruction. I provide an overview of the structure,
then focus in on the five independent work rotations and assessment procedures. In the next
section, Learners and Learning, I provide an in-depth description of beginning ELLs and their
unique learning context. I also investigate the research on appropriate instructional and
assessment strategies in effective literacy instruction for ELLs. Finally, in the Learning Context
section, I provide clear, detailed recommendations on how to modify the Daily 5 independent
work rotations and assessment procedures to more effectively meet the language and literacy
needs of beginning ELLs. I have grounded all recommendations in research about best practices
for ELL instruction.
Curriculum and Instructional strategies
Overview of the Daily 5
Gail Boushey & Joan Moser are educators who developed the Daily 5 in order to create an
effective structure for organizing the literacy block. The Daily 5 is a framework that incorporates
holistic, balanced literacy instruction into a structured classroom, where students are engaged in
meaningful literacy experiences at all times. It allows students develop the daily habits of
reading, writing, and working independently that will help lead them to a lifetime of literacy
independence. Furthermore, the model is grounded entirely in research-based principles for
effect literacy instruction during the early elementary years (LaShomb, 2011).
The Daily 5 literacy block consists of 3-5 whole group mini-lessons organized around
(approximately) thirty-minute spans of independent work time. Appendix A provides a visual
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display of how instruction is organized. During the independent work periods, students cycle
through their choice of one of the Daily 5 rotations: read to yourself, work on writing, read to
someone, listen to reading, and spelling/word work. The independent work time allows teachers
to meet with students in more individualized contexts while the rest of the class is engaged in
authentic literacy activities. The teacher has the option of meeting with small groups, assessing
individuals, or holding one-on-one conferences (Boushey & Moser, 2006).
The Daily 5 is a student-driven model that views the learners as having internal locus of
control. The teacher takes the role of a facilitator who establishes routines and procedures to
foster independent literacy behaviors. Instruction focuses on providing students with choice,
independence, and opportunities to practice self-regulation. This learning environment
communicates to students that they are trusted to be responsible for their learning and behavior
(Boushey & Moser, 2006).
Balanced literacy
Many researchers (Guastello &Lenz, 2005; Taylor, Peterson, Pearson, & Rodriguez,
2002) have found that the most effective literacy teachers are ones who teach all facets of
literacy development. This approach is commonly accepted as balanced literacy, which Pressley
et al (2001) defines as “a balance of explicit, systematic skills instruction with holistic reading
and writing experiences” (p. 37). The Daily 5 is supported as a best practice because the
framework addresses all the necessary components to balanced literacy instruction. While there
are many important elements to the model, the five independent work rotations are what make
this framework unique. Each rotation connects the explicit instruction delivered in whole- or
small- group contexts with opportunities for students to reinforce and practice the learning
through authentic literacy activities (Allington, 2002). Each day, students are given extensive
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independent work time to progress in all areas of their literacy development. For the remainder
of this section, I will explain each of the five rotations and the research supporting the task as a
best practice for early literacy instruction.
Read to yourself. The purpose of the read to yourself rotation is to give beginning readers
sufficient time to read independently to practice applying the decoding, comprehension, and
fluency strategies needed to be successful, self-monitoring readers (Allington, 2002).
Independent reading time should be embedded into classroom instruction. Routman (2003)
believes that, “a carefully monitored independent reading program is the single, most important
part of your reading instructional program” (p. 87). For example, Krashen’s (1993) study
investigating the results of school-based free reading programs found that students in the freereading program performed as well or better than students in the traditional instruction model.
These students also significantly outperformed the students in the traditional model in
longitudinal studies (Krashen, 1993).
Independent reading also engages students in an authentic reading experience. Allington
(2002) found that effective first-grade teachers engage their students in reading and writing
experiences that have real-world, meaningful implications. In the read to yourself component of
the Daily 5, the teacher guides students in selecting their own reading materials based on their
reading level and interests. They are given the time, encouragement, and materials during the
school day to read for pleasure and improve their reading skills (Renandya, 2007). Read to
yourself gives students at least thirty minutes each day to practice and develop the skills needed
to make successful, self-regulated independent reading a habit (Routman, 2003).
Work on writing. Similar to read to yourself, the goal of work on writing is to provide
students with sufficient time to practice and develop their writing skills. Students work
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independently or with a partner on a writing piece of their choice. Work on writing rotation was
designed predominantly off of Grave’s (1985) approach to writing instruction, which states that
students must write at least four days a week in order to make noticeable progress in the quality
of their writing. Regular writing experiences provide students with visible evidence of their
personal growth, and provide teachers with data documenting their progress. It also allows
students to consistently gain experience, creativity, and a range of topics that they can utilize as
resources in future writing tasks. Consistent with the research, work on writing provides students
with sufficient time and choice to engage in a writing activity that has a meaningful connection
to their lives. Boushey & Moser (2006) quote Ralph Fletcher who says, “You don’t learn to write
by going through a series of preset writing exercises. You learn to write by grappling with a real
subject that truly matters to you” (p. 80).
Read to someone. In this rotation, students pair up and read a piece of literature together.
This practice is especially beneficial for developing readers because they share the responsibility
of reading with their partner, who can support them through the process (Boushey & Moser,
2006). Peer reading is beneficial for increasing students’ engagement in reading tasks. When
students take turns reading a story, they are actively involved in the task, paying attention to the
other reader, and collaborating with their partner. Furthermore, research suggests that peer
reading can positively influence children’s self-esteems (LaShomb, 2011). Boushey & Moser
(2006) comment that out of all the rotations, read to someone quickly becomes a favorite for
many students because of the social aspect of the task.
Listen to reading. The purpose of the Listen to reading rotation is to increase early
readers’ exposure to fluent and expressive reading. Morrow, Tracey, Woo, & Pressley (1999)
found that effective early literacy teachers provided opportunities for students to listen to good
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reading in a variety of ways. In the daily 5 rotation this most often takes the form of audio
resources, where students listen to an expert reader on tape while following along in a book.
Listening to fluent, expressive reading can have a significant impact on different areas of reading
development. For example, read-aloud practices help children develop listening abilities and
comprehension, expand vocabulary, gain exposure to a variety of books and genres, build
background knowledge, and increase motivation to read (LaShomb, 2011). Listen to reading
provides beginning readers with an opportunity to engage in reading that extends beyond their
current decoding skills. It allows them to focus on the content of the story and develop the
understanding of reading for meaning (LaShomb, 2011).
Spelling/word work. This rotation gives students time to practice the following concepts:




Experimenting with words for learning and practicing a spelling pattern
Memorizing high-frequency words
Generalizing spelling patterns
Adding to our knowledge and curiosity of unique and interesting words (Boushey &
Moser, 2006, p. 85)
Research emphasizes word study as a critical component to balanced literacy instruction
(Gentry, 2004; Williams, Phillips-Birdsong, Hufnagel, Hungler, & Lundstrom, 2009). Williams
et al. (2009) define word work as a variety of hands on activities that help students explore the
different layers of orthography to recognize the regularities, patterns, and derivations of English
words. The goal is to help students develop a working understanding for how words work in the
English writing system that they can apply as they read and write. When integrated
appropriately, word work can help support young children’s literacy development. Instruction
and activities are clear and explicit, so that children can see the connections across sounds and
spelling patterns. Furthermore, word study must be tailored to students’ current level of literacy
development (Gentry, 2004).
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Assessment
The Daily 5’s approach to assessment aligns with research-based practices for effective
assessment strategies. The model embeds opportunities for teachers to assess student learning on
a daily basis, promotes formative assessments that track students’ progress towards learning
goals, and opportunities for students and teacher to talk about progress and areas of need
(LaShomb, 2011). Teachers can assess student learning during small group instruction or in oneon-one contexts. Each time teachers meets with a student, they record the teaching and learning
that occurred. This practice generates a differentiated and ongoing record of each student’s
progress, strengths, and plans for next steps of instruction (Boushey & Moser, 2012). Appendix
B outlines the system for assessment that Boushey & Moser (2012) created to assist teachers in
incorporating effective assessment strategies into literacy instruction.
The assessment strategies in the Daily 5 reflect a holistic, constructivist, and studentcentered perspective on the purpose of assessment (Bundy, 2004; Tierney, 1998). It is holistic in
that it acknowledges the complexity of literacy development. The system for assessment requires
teachers to consider all areas of students’ literacy development before choosing a focus skill. It
also encourages teachers to use a variety of assessment tools and tasks so that students can
demonstrate learning at many levels (Bundy, 2004). The focus on formative, ongoing
assessments in the Daily 5 align with a constructivist perspective on student learning. Although
assessment must address outcomes, it is should also attend to the experiences that lead to those
particular outcomes (AAHE, 1992). Teachers must understand students’ learning processes and
growth in order to know how to best support them in next steps of instruction. As the research
recommends, assessments in the daily 5 are more ongoing and suggestive rather than fixed and
definitive (Tierney, 1998).
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The assessment procedures in the Daily 5 are student-centered because they value and
incorporate the individual learner in the assessment process. First, assessment is tailored to meet
the current needs of the individual. The teacher tracks and monitors each student’s unique
developmental trajectory, and uses this information to form learning goals. These goals are
specific to the student in helping them become more independent, rather than comparing them to
other students (Tierney, 1998). Second, the assessment procedure requires students to be actively
involved in the process. Bundy (2004) states that, “assessment is a powerful way for students and
educators to come to a common understanding about learning outcomes and expectations” (p.
25). In the Daily 5, learning outcomes are agreed upon rather than imposed. Students are made
aware of their current abilities, and must work with the teacher to develop the learning goals.
They are also held accountable for achieving the target goal through practice and active
engagement in the learning process. The assessment practices in the Daily 5 help to provide a
complete and accurate picture of student learning. The approach to assessment reflects an
understanding of learning as “multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over
time” (AAHE, 1992).
Learners and Learning
Overview of ELL students
The term English Language Learners refers to students from non-English language
backgrounds whose, “level of oral, reading, and writing proficiency in English does not allow
them to fully benefit from the curriculum and creates difficulty in regular classroom curriculum
without specially designed modifications” (Tennessee State Board of Education, p. 6). ELLs’
learning context is unique and complex. In the classroom, they are acquiring academic
knowledge while also developing a new language. ELLs demonstrate cognitive flexibility, as
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they learn to utilize a variety of cognitive strategies to make sense of academic and linguistic
inputs (August, Goldenberg, & Rueda, 2010). Furthermore, this population of students comes to
the classroom with rich cultural and linguistic funds of knowledge. Moll, Amanti, Neff, &
Gonzalez (1992) define students’ funds of knowledge as the, “historically accumulated and
culturally developed bodies of knowledge and skills essential for household or individual
functioning and well-being” (p. 133). For ELL students, these cultural and linguistic resources
often vary greatly from the school environment.
Overall, ELLs lag behind native English speakers in reading achievement, regardless of
English proficiency level (Risko & Walker- Dahlhouse, 2012). Over seventy-five percent of
ELLs come from low SES families. These families often face isolation from school culture and
struggle to participate in their students’ education, because their cultural backgrounds do not
align with the standard school culture (Delgado-Gaitan, 1991). Currently, the emergent ELL
population in elementary schools across the country is growing faster than the English-speaking
student population. Relatively few of these students have received early childhood education that
prepares them for kindergarten curriculum. In the 2000-01 school year only 1.5 percent of all
emergent bilinguals attended Pre-K (Garcia & Kleifgen, 2010). The data reveals many of the
obstacles ELL students face in our education system as a result of their culturally and
linguistically diverse backgrounds. However, appropriate instruction for ELLs requires teachers
to perceive ELL’s backgrounds as differences, not deficits (Collier, 2011).
Beginning ELLs
According to the World Class Instruction Design and Assessment (WIDA), beginning
ELLs are in the second of six stages of English Language Proficiency (ELP). At the beginning
level, ELLs can understand and produce general language related to the content areas, as well as
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phrases and short sentences. Their oral and written language contains frequent phonological,
syntactic, and/or semantic errors that impede communication often with multi-step directions,
questions, or a series of statements (Hepler, Shubert & Boodry, 2008). Appendix C provides
more detailed descriptions of Beginning ELLs language abilities. In the classroom, beginning
ELLs benefit from language that is supported with sensory, graphic, or interactive aids. Some
activities they can successfully complete include gesture, draw, listen, point, choose, match
pictures, answer yes/no questions, copy, categorize (from a list), repeat from memory, use
present tense verbs, and write words/simple sentences (Hepler et al., 2008).
Literacy instruction for ELL students
Effective literacy instruction for ELLs requires an integration of structure and function
(August et al., 2010; Risko & Walker-Dahlhouse, 2012). The curriculum should provide a
balance between explicit instruction on the forms of language and opportunities for students to
use language for communicative purpose. Students’ attention should be focused on specific
structures and forms of written language within the context of meaningful activities.
Furthermore, reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills should all be addressed and
connected within instruction (August et al., 2010).
Teachers can embed a variety of listening tasks into literacy instruction to help beginning
ELLs develop their listening skills. ELLs should immersed in situations where they feel a sense
of purpose and can engage in real communication with their teacher and peers. Teachers should
utilize materials such as poems, nursery rhymes, songs, and tongue twisters to help students
identify and recognize patterns and differences in language (Diaz-Rico, 2014). Furthermore,
research indicates that listening is more likely to lead to comprehension when followed by
speaking tasks (Delgado-Gaitan, 1991). To develop their speaking skills, ELLs should have
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frequent opportunities to talk in natural interactional contexts and for a variety of purposes.
Teachers can encourage talk by arranging the physical environment to allow flexibility in
working and interacting. They should utilize partner work and small group tasks so that ELLs
work with a variety of classmates and communicate about academically relevant content. Last,
teachers must establish a low-risk learning environment, where students respect and encourage
one another in their language and literacy development (Risko & Walker-Dahlhouse, 2012).
Research indicates that effective literacy instruction for ELLs gives students the opportunity
to enjoy reading and writing (Moll et al., 1992). Many young ELL students do not see their
families reading or writing, even in their home language. Therefore, the classroom must become
a place where reading and writing is an everyday, enjoyable feature to literacy instruction.
Effective instruction also immerses ELLs into a print-rich environment (Allen, 1994). The
physical environment should be saturated with meaningful environmental print. This includes
labels, student names, classroom announcements, and anchor charts that utilize context clues and
visuals to support the written language. In addition to environmental print, the classroom should
be filled with a range of reading materials and resources. For beginning ELLs, the classroom
library should include age-appropriate and culturally relevant children’s literature, big books,
pattern-concept books, wordless picture books, songbooks, children’s magazines, how-two
books, and poetry. Materials such as advertisements, pamphlets, brochures, riddles, and tongue
twisters can also be valuable supports for language and writing tasks (Diaz-Rico, 2014).
Literacy instruction for ELLs should provide students with frequent opportunities to write.
Research suggests that exploring writing in English can be a beneficial practice, even before
ELLs demonstrate control of oral aspects of the new language (Diaz-Rico, 2014). Journal writing
presents a meaningful, low-risk writing activity that allows ELLs to explore writing for a variety
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of different purposes. Teachers can implement dialogue journals, literature response journals,
and/or vocabulary journals with ELL students. Journals are a valuable resource for ELLs because
they allow language to emerge in a natural, developmental way (Tannenbaum, 1994).
The final key element to effective literacy instruction for ELLs is that the curriculum should
build on students’ funds of knowledge. ELL students are better able to explore explicit concepts
about language and literacy when the information is grounded in a familiar context that draws on
students’ background knowledge (Moll et al., 1992). To incorporate students’ funds of
knowledge into literacy instruction, teachers can use literacy resources from the local
community, culturally relevant literature, and students’ own writing. These resources should
serve as the basis for specific instruction about forms of writing, reading strategies, and/or
structures of language (Allen, 1994). Authentic literacy tasks that stem from students’ work and
funds of knowledge also bring tangible cultural and personal connections into the classroom.
They help to give students a sense of ownership in their learning, because they see a direct
connection between their learning and real life situations (Delgado – Gaitan, 1991).
Assessment Strategies for ELLs
In the classroom, ELLs are acquiring academic knowledge while also developing their
ELP. Their academic and language development progress at different rates, which often results
in students having the content knowledge, but not the language abilities needed to express their
understanding in English. Therefore, classroom assessments must reduce the language demands
of a task in order to accurately assess an ELL’s academic knowledge.
Given the range of skills, knowledge, and strategies ELLs regularly employ in classroom
activities, authentic assessments are essential to best practices for assessing ELLs and their
unique learning context (Herrera, Murry, & Cabral, 2007). Diaz-Rico (2014) defines authentic
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assessment as, “the multiple forms of assessment that reflect student learning, achievement,
motivation, and attitudes on instructionally relevant classroom activities” (p. 199). Authentic
assessments document individual growth overtime, and emphasize real-world problems that are
relevant to the students’ lives. They allow students to participate in the evaluation processes, and
include evaluations relevant to both the teacher and learner (Herrera et al., 2007).
Authentic literacy assessments for beginning ELLs can take a variety of different forms
depending on the specific literacy concept addressed. Non-verbal assessments are a strong tool
for evaluating beginning ELLs’ comprehension, vocabulary, and literacy knowledge, because
performance is not dependent upon productive language abilities. Non-verbal assessment
strategies include physical demonstrations, where students point, gesture, act out, thumbs
up/down, or nod yes/no to demonstrate knowledge. It could also be in the form of pictorial
products, where students manipulate or create drawings, diagrams, dioramas, models, graphs, or
charts (Tannenbaum, 1996). Teachers can also use highly supported oral and written authentic
assessments with beginning ELLs. This includes teacher-student interviews, and role-play
activities. Well-structured and organized written activities can also be effective means for
assessment. Beginning ELL students tend to be more successful when an expository writing
assignment is controlled or structured. For example, the teacher guides students through a prewriting stage, which includes discussion, brainstorming, webbing, and/or outlining. This allows
for much teacher support, and also creates many pieces of written work that can be used as
performance-based assessments. Additional authentic writing assessments include, thinking logs,
reading response logs, dialogue journals (Hepler et al., 2008).
In comparison to traditional forms of assessment, authentic assessments provide for more
precise information about an individual’s learning and skills. The design process also helps
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teachers think through the specific levels and types of support beginning ELL students will need
to demonstrate the learning goal. Last, embedding assessment within classroom instruction
allows for clear connection between content and skill (Herrera et al., 2007).
Learning Context
In this section I will provide recommendations for how teachers can modify each of the
five rotations and assessment procedures to tailor the Daily 5 to meet the needs of beginning
ELLs. However before diving into my recommendations, Boushey & Moser (2006) explain some
general guidelines for adapting the model for ELL students. They state that teachers may need to
spend more time in the implementation phase to ensure that ELLs understand the procedures and
expectations during independent work. They recommend using clear models and visuals, as well
as many opportunities for students to practice before engaging in the tasks completely on their
own. The creators also state that teachers may need to support ELLs with the order of their
choices for a longer time into the school year to help them fully gain their locus of control.
Work on reading
Research indicates that the positive effects of independent reading practice seen in Native
English speakers can also be realized with ELL students (Renandya, 2007). Substantial
independent reading practice helps ELLs develop their reading skills while also aiding them
second language acquisition. For young ELL students, the practice also helps them develop an
understanding for concepts about print and conventions of language (Allen, 1994). Teachers
must carefully implement and systematically monitor independent reading practice to achieve
these results for ELLs. Many structures already embedded in the Daily 5 rotation meet these
requirements, such as allowing student to choose the materials they want to read, and having the
teacher track students’ progress. However, there are further recommendations that require
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modifications to the read to yourself rotation. First, Renandya (2007) suggests that independent
reading should be followed by a post-reading activity to improve and solidify comprehension of
what students just read. To address this, read to yourself should incorporate a reflective
component at the end of the rotation. The activity could be a speaking task where students
discuss their reading with a partner. Or, It could be a writing task where students write, draw a
picture, or respond to a prompt in a reading response journal that summarizes the material they
have just read (Diaz-Rico, 2014). Once the teacher has decided on the reflective activity that is
most appropriate for the students, she should follow the Daily 5 implementation procedure
outlined in Appendix D to incorporate the activity into the end of the rotation.
Teachers must also provide a plethora of appropriate books for ELLs in read to yourself.
There is a range of structural, linguistic, cultural, and developmental factors to consider when
choosing books for ELL students. Teachers should follow Allen’s (1994) guidelines for selecting
reading materials for ELL students detailed in Appendix E to assist them in the process.
Teachers must also consider students’ level of literacy development for the read to yourself
rotation. Teachers in the early elementary years may have students, both ELL and native English
speakers, who struggle to read independently. In this situation teachers should modify read to
yourself to make it an appropriate practice for their students. The teacher could allow students to
do repeated readings, where they silently read a familiar book. The teacher could also implement
“silent with support” (Diaz –Rico p. 93). Here, students silently read in pairs, and can ask each
other for help with difficult words, phrases, or concepts if needed. Teachers in the early
elementary years may also find that their students have not yet developed the skills needed to be
successful, independent readers. In this case, teachers should consider combining read to
yourself with listen to reading so that students have the option of reading independently or with
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audio support, based on their level of literacy development. If the rotations are combined,
teachers can either stay with four rotations, or add another rotation that would meet the needs of
their students in a different way. In Appendix F I have outlined an option for a fifth vocabulary
rotation that focuses on enriching ELL’s vocabulary development.
Listen to reading
The listen to reading rotation in the Daily 5 model is extremely valuable for ELLs. It
provides students with strong models of language use, and two sources of language input that
support one another to contextualize the language. Beginning ELLs can work on identifying
words in speech and constructing meaning through written and auditory language (Diaz-Rico,
2014). Teachers of beginning ELLs should modify listen to reading by varying the types of
listening experiences students have during the rotation. When acquiring a new language, students
need opportunities to listen to understand language, comprehend content, and repeat sounds and
structures in the language (Diaz-Rico, 2014). While listening to reading addresses listening for
understanding and comprehension, it does not explicitly teach students about the structure of
language. Therefore, teachers should incorporate “Listen to repeat” (Diaz-Rico, p. 74) tasks into
the rotation, such as minimal pair practice. Here, students listen to and then repeat simple phrases
that differ by only one phoneme. For example, “It is a ship/It is a sheep” (Diaz-Rico, p. 74). To
further support ELLs, the auditory minimal pair should be supported with visuals that explicitly
show how the minimal pairs differ (Renandya, 2007).
Teachers must also be selective with the materials they incorporate in this rotation for
ELL students. As with read to yourself, teachers should use Allen’s (1994) guidelines for
selecting reading materials in Appendix E when choosing books for listen to reading. Teachers
should also utilize Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) to provide a range of
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listening experiences at this rotation (Diaz-Rico, 2014). The term CALL encompasses any digital
learning resources that extend student learning beyond the classroom environment. Some of the
most prominent CALL resources include audio and video recordings, interactive presentations,
reading interventions, and flexible, nonlinear informational texts. Research indicates that CALL
can have meaningful implications in ELL instruction (Diaz-Rico; 2014; Wiseman, 2013). Many
digital learning resources allow teachers to individualize and customize student work, as well as
create cooperative learning activities. Furthermore, the interactive component of CALL can help
increase the percentage of time students stay on task during independent practice. CALL can
provide valuable resources for incorporating meaningful “listen to repeat” activities into the
rotation. Wiseman (2013) identified some CALL resources that are tailored to meet the needs of
ELLs, which are detailed in Appendix G.
Work on writing
Modifications to work on writing for beginning ELL students should focus on providing
extra support and scaffolds in their writing tasks. Teachers should have a multitude of writing
samples readily available for students to use as references for their own work. The samples
should be models of exemplary writing crafted by both authors of children’s literature and
students in the classroom. They should cover a range of genres and demonstrate different
purposes for writing (Diaz-Rico, 2014). Furthermore, teachers should include samples of “realworld” (Allen, p. 114) print from the local community that students are exposed to in their daily
lives. This includes resources such as advertisements, menus, and newspapers, as well as written
text from students’ homes, such as hand written letters, that parents allow their children to bring
to class (Allen, 1994). These real-world texts should reflect students’ cultural backgrounds, help
them make sense of the print around them, and model appropriate forms of writing that teachers
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want their students to practice (Allen, 1994). Teachers should organize the writing samples into a
resource center, similar to a classroom library. Before adding a sample to the resource center,
teachers should color-code or highlight the key features that they want the students to attend to
(Hepler et al., 2008). Along with the writing resource center, teachers should encourage students
to use the environmental print around the classroom to help with their writing. Environmental
print, such as words walls and labels, are especially beneficial for helping students with
vocabulary and correct spelling of frequently used words (Diaz-Rico, 2014). Furthermore,
teachers should incorporate other language supports in the classroom. There are many online
dictionaries and resources that are tailored to help ELLs with vocabulary and translation. For
example, the ESOL Help picture dictionary defines words commonly found in early elementary
classrooms using pictures (Wiseman, 2013).
Teachers can also modify work on writing by designing highly scaffolded writing
experiences. During this rotation ELLs should engage in structured writing activities that break
down the task into more manageable components. They should use visual supports, graphic
organizers, sentence frames, and sentence starters to help them get ideas on paper, and structure
theses ideas in appropriate forms (Hepler et. al, 2008). Beginning ELLs in the early elementary
years should also be allowed to use their native language and illustrations as means of supporting
their thoughts and writing. Furthermore, teachers can utilize peer assistance and peer editing
during this rotation. Teachers should encourage students to work in partners on writing tasks, and
emphasize the idea that peers can be resources for language and writing help (Diaz-Rico, 2014).
Read to someone
Read to someone is beneficial for ELLs because it incorporates communication across
peers and establishes a low- anxiety environment (Diaz-Rico, 2014). Students share the
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
21
responsibility of reading the text, and have to communicate with one another to coordinate how
they will share the reading. There are additional modifications that teachers can make to read to
someone to make it more meaningful for ELLs. As with read to yourself and listen to reading
teachers should follow Allen’s (1994) guidelines for selecting reading materials detailed in
Appendix E to provide appropriate literature for this rotation.
Teachers can also accommodate ELLs in read to someone by teaching students a variety
of ways to complete the shared reading task. Typically in read to someone the partners switch off
reading each page. However, there are other strategies that would reduce the responsibility for
ELLs while still allowing them to meaningfully participate in the task. First, the “page and
paragraph” (Diaz-Rico, p. 93) strategy is where one student reads a page, and then the other
student reads a paragraph. Second, in an interactive read aloud, students can join in on the
repetitious parts or take responsibility for parts of a dialogue. Last, there is choral reading, where
students read the material simultaneously (Diaz-Rico, 2014).
Regardless of the shared reading strategy the partners choose, it is critical that they have a
follow up conversation. This modification would allow ELLs to converse with a peer about an
academic topic, and support their comprehension of the material (Renandya, 2007). Teachers
should incorporate a reflective conversation at the end of the rotation, similar to the modification
suggested in read to yourself. Teachers should again follow the Daily 5 implementation
procedure outline in Appendix D to incorporate the practice into the rotation.
Spelling/Word Work
Research indicates that effective literacy instruction for ELLs requires explicit, targeted,
and systematic instruction on the forms of language and specific reading strategies (Kamp et al.,
2007). While most of this instruction should be delivered in small group settings, ELL students
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
22
often need explicit instruction for extended periods of time. The word work rotation can provide
ELLs with the additional practice needed to reinforce and improve their understanding for the
foundational components of language. If implemented appropriately, word work can be a
valuable extension to small group instruction for beginning ELL students. First, the tasks
incorporated in word work should be directly connected to the concepts and skills addressed in
small group instruction. These concepts should be systematically introduced so that they connect
and build off of one another. Furthermore, during word work, ELLs should be engaged in
activities that were initially introduced and practiced during small group instruction. This allows
the teacher to address any misunderstandings that may arise, and ensure that the students know
how to engage the activity correctly before working on it independently (Kamps et al., 2007).
Word Work presents another opportunity to utilize CALL to modify instruction for their
ELLs. CALL resources are valuable for word study because they incorporate audio support and
can provide context that cannot be delivered through manipulatives in the classroom (Wiseman,
2013). Appendix G details a list of CALL resources that can be incorporated into word work.
Assessment
Many elements of assessment in the Daily 5 align with the research in best practices for
ELL instruction (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short 2013; Herrera et al., 2007). The Daily 5 requires
teachers to uses a variety of ongoing assessments to track a learner’s development, inform next
steps of instruction, and provide a holistic evaluation of the individual’s skills. The assessment
procedures are highly differentiated to target the specific needs and strengths of the individual, as
well as encourage lots of feedback, student input, and teacher-student interaction (Boushey &
Moser, 2012). The Daily 5 presents a strong foundation for assessment that teachers can build
off of to appropriately evaluate ELLs’ language and literacy development.
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
23
Teachers should assess ELL students’ literacy development using authentic tasks and
diagnostic tools (Valdez-Pierce, 2002). Authentic assessments should reflect classroom
instruction, make use of interactive tasks to provide context for learning, and scaffold using
language supports and materials. Diagnostic tools can also be used to evaluate ELLs, if modified
appropriately. For example, Guastello & Lenz (2005) state that running records are an
appropriate means of assessment for ELLs, however teachers must be very selective in the books
they use for the assessment. Many basal readers and texts designed for diagnostic assessments
have cultural biases that put culturally diverse students at a disadvantage (Allen, 1994). Teachers
must preview the written text used in assessments to ensure that the content is appropriate for a
culturally and linguistically diverse learner. Teachers can also implement pre-reading activities
that will activate students’ prior knowledge or give them the background knowledge needed to
complete the task effectively (Diaz-Rico, 2014).
Teachers should use student portfolios the primary resource for collecting assessment data.
Portfolios are a form of authentic assessment that have been identified as a useful tool for
monitoring all facets of an ELL student’s language and literacy development (Diaz-Rico, 2014).
A well-organized, frequently reviewed portfolio serves a meaningful way to track students’
learning and inform next steps for instruction. It ensures that multiple forms of student work and
performance data are collected before the teacher can draw conclusions about a student’s skills,
or design appropriate instruction. Portfolios should include samples of student work from
performance-based assessments. This includes writing samples, reading logs, audio recording of
the student reading, concept maps, and teacher’s anecdotal notes about the student. They should
also include student self-evaluations, where students assess themselves on their progress and
performance documented in the portfolio (Herrera et. al, 2007).
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
24
Teachers should review these records on a regular basis, making notes on the files about a
student’s strengths and weaknesses, and drawing tentative conclusions that plan ways to help the
student succeed. Following the Daily 5 model, teachers should hold conferences with students
after reviewing their portfolios. Research indicates that ELL students benefit from receiving
clear, descriptive feedback explaining their performance on a task (Echevarria, et al., 2013).
Therefore, teachers should use clear visuals to share information in conferences. Tools such as
charts, tables, and graphs can provide visual evidence of student progress and their learning
trajectory. Teachers can also use symbols to reduce language demands, and color code to
emphasize the most important features of the data (Hepler et al., 2008).
Goal-setting with ELLs is also an important component to the conferences (Echevarria et al.,
2013). Since ELLs must meet language and literacy standards, teachers should consider setting a
goal for language learning and a goal for literacy learning with their ELLs. Furthermore, it is
critical that teachers maintain high standards for their ELL students. In order for students to
succeed in school, they must feel capable in achieving these goals, and recognize that others
around them believe they can succeed. Nieto & Bode (2008) found that “students from
communities that have been historically underserved can achieve when the teachers and school
believe they can and take responsibility to make it happen” (p. 81). Despite the many challenges
ELL students face coming into our education system, they still have the same potential for
academic success as every other student when they receive high quality instruction that is
tailored to meet their specific needs.
Discussion and Reflection
With the appropriate modifications, the Daily 5 balanced literacy model holds promise for
meaningful and effective literacy instruction for beginning ELLs in early elementary classrooms.
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
25
The framework is firmly grounded in research-based practices for early literacy instruction, and
many of the structures and strategies in place are also supported by research in effective ELL
instruction. The independent work rotations focus on maintaining student engagement in
authentic literacy tasks for extended periods of time. Research in indicates that for ELLs to make
academic progress, they should be highly engaged 90-100% of the time during each lesson
(Echevarria et al., 2013). Furthermore, the flexibility embedded into this model is a major asset
in terms of tailoring instruction to meet ELLs’ language and literacy needs. For example,
Boushey & Moser (2006) recommend thirty-minute work periods, but the teacher should end
each period based on students’ levels of engagement. The flexibility built into the Daily 5 allows,
and even encourages, teachers to make modifications based on their students’ specific needs.
The recommended modifications in this paper focused primarily on adapting the tasks
and materials presented in the Daily 5 program. Almost all of the recommendations served to
either reduce the language demands of the task, or provide additional language and/or contextual
support. These modifications give teachers a starting point for making informed adjustments to
the highly used literacy framework to meet the needs of beginning ELLs. However, there are
many areas of the Daily 5 program, early literacy instruction, and ELL instruction that were not
addressed in this paper. Future research should investigate areas such as effective small group
instruction for ELLs and early literacy instruction, Daily 5 implementation and management
procedures, and modifications for varied levels of ELP. Furthermore, this paper only investigates
modifications for beginning ELLs, even thought most general education classrooms do not
simply consist of native English speakers and ELLs. Future research needs to investigate how to
modify the Daily 5 program to meet the needs of a more diverse group of learners.
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
The Daily 5 is an effective balanced literacy framework for early elementary literacy
instruction. It addresses all facets of literacy development, and provides young students with
daily opportunities to develop the independent reading and writing habits needed to become
successful, lifelong learners. Teachers can begin to make the Daily 5 more meaningful and
effective for their ELL students by applying the task and material modifications to the
independent work rotations and assessment procedures recommended in this paper.
26
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
27
Appendices
Appendix A
The Daily 5 literacy block structure
Adapted from: North Clackamas School District. (2008). The structure. Retrieved from
http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/cms/lib6/OR01000992/Centricity/Domain/249/Copy_of_11._The_s
tructure.pdf
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
28
Appendix B
Boushey & Moser’s (2012) System for assessment:
1. Assess an individual student using a diagnostic tool. Use the data collected to
determine student strengths and greatest area of need. Decide on the or two strategies that
will help move the student progress in their skills
2. Discuss findings with the student immediately. Hold a conference with the student.
Celebrate and share strengths, and communicate areas of need that, if improved, will lead
to growth.
3. Set a goal with the student and identify strategies to practice. Work with the student
to come up with a measurable, meaningful goal. Discuss the strategies to learn and
practice in order to meet this goal.
4. Have the student declare a goal and record in conferring notebook. To declare the
goal, the student placed his or her name under the CAFE heading or headings that pertain
to the personalized goal.
5. Fill out individual conferring sheet. Record student’s strengths, goal, and strategies
decided upon.
6. Add student to flexible small group for strategies instruction and practice. If student
does not fit into an existing group, he should receive one-on-one instruction.
7. Prepare instruction and assessments. Once the plan is set in place, the teacher monitors
and track student’s progress toward the learning goal. Anecdotal notes, running records,
developmental reading assessment, and individual reading inventories are productive
assessment tools for ongoing assessment of student learning. As a student grows and
demonstrates mastery of the target goal, the teacher and student should confer again to
consider modifying or adding learning goals.
Adapted from:
Boushey G. & Moser, J. (2012). Big ideas behind daily 5 and CAFE. The reading
teacher. 66:3, p. 176.
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
29
Appendix C
Common characteristics and behaviors seen in Beginning ELLs’ listening, speaking, reading, and
writing abilities
Oral
language
Written
language
Receptive
Listening
- Understand general language
related to content areas
- Understand words and short
phrases
- Utterances contain frequent
phonological, syntactic, and
semantic errors
- Errors often impede
communication
Reading
- Follow along with choral
reading
- Recall some parts of a simple
narrative text
- Utilize some phonics and
decoding skills
- Benefit from language
supports with sensory, graphic,
or interactive aids
Productive
Speaking
- Use general language related to
content areas
- Use phrases and short sentences
- Communicate personal and survival
needs
- Benefit from frequent repetition
(especially with directions
- Struggle to follow conversations
- Retell a few events from a story
Writing
- Copy phrases and patterned, simple
sentences
- Limited and repetitive vocabulary
- Phonetic spelling
- Frequent errors in structure and
spelling
- Write slowly
Adapted from:
Hepler, T., Schubert, L. & Boodry, B. (2008). Mainstream teachers of English language learners
handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/cms_files/resources/newsfile18988_1.doc
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
30
Appendix D
Daily 5 new activity implementation procedure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Identify what is to be taught.
Set a purpose and a sense of urgency.
Brainstorm behaviors desired using an I-chart.
Model most-desirable behaviors.
Demonstrate incorrect model –least-desirable behaviors, then model most-desirable
behaviors again.
6. Everyone practice and build stamina (aim for three minutes).
7. Teacher stays out of the way.
8. Quiet signal – Come back to group.
9. Group check in – “How did you do?”
10. Repeat 1 through 9 as many times as the students need to master the task.
Adapted from:
Boushey, G. & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary
grades. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers, p. 37.
Appendix E
Allen’s (1994) guide to selecting reading materials for ELL literacy instruction
1. Books with predictable features. Predictable features, such as repetitive language
patterns, familiar vocabulary, and a narrative writing style, allow for cohesive chunks of
language that ELL students can recognize and rely on as they read.



Cumulative Books: The Napping House, The Great Big Enormous Turnip
Predictable pattern of events: Three Billy Goats Gruff, Titch
Repetitive language patterns: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do You See?, A
Dark, Dark Tale
2. Books with clear illustrations that support and extend the text. Books with supportive
illustrations provide ELLs with context clues and a deeper connection to the author’s
message.

The Chick and the Duckling, The Ox-Cart Man, One Hunter, Rosie’s Walk, Color
Dance, Tuesday
3. Concept books. This term refers to books that describe the various dimensions of a
single object, class of objects, or an abstract idea.




The Toolbox – clear and simple pictures of items that might be found in a toolbox
Circles, Triangles, and Squares – Uses real-life images to describe shapes
Over, Under, Through, and Other Spatial Concepts
Push Pull, Empty Full: A Book of Opposites
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS



31
Bread, Bread, Bread – bread of all kinds as it is made and eaten around the world
Growing Vegetable Soup – depicts the growth of plants from seeds to vegetables
People – depicts concepts such as beauty, home, games, and food as understood
by people around the world.
4. Books that invite talk. Responding to books is a critical practice in order to become a
reflective reader. Teachers should look for books that can have meaningful connections
to students’ lives. Teachers can also group books together that connect in a clear way to
promote further conversations across literature.



Books that explore the theme of being oneself – The Biggest House in the World,
Fish is Fish, and Frederick
Books that discuss love from grandparents – Nana Upstairs and Nana
Downstairs, Grandpa, and The Two of Them
Folktale variants of Cinderella – In the Land of Small Dragon, The Korean
Cinderella, A Cinderella Story from China, The Rough-Faced Girl, and Nomi and
the Magic Fish: A Story from Africa
5. Children’s own writing. Using the students’ writing allows beginning readers to draw
on their own experiences and language as they make connections with written text.


Class books that tell of a share experience such as a field trip
Individual books made by children on topics of their own choosing
6. Books that Offer a framework for writing. Students need to learn how to use written
language appropriately for a wide range of purposes. Books can offer reasons to write,
language to support that writing, and models to frame a written product.


The Jolly Postman – explores the language and conventions of letter-writing
ABCEDAR – example of how to express knowledge and information in an
organized, interesting way
7. Books that support the curriculum. Textbooks can be particularly challenging for
ELLs to understand and navigate. Classrooms should have a number of books available
that supplement and support the content of instruction and information delivered through
textbooks. These books should support a wide range of reading levels, and offer children
rich resources in photographs, maps, diagrams, and drawings that will support the content
learning goals.

The Human Body – interactive book about the body with clear labels and
depictions
8. Books linked to children’s cultures. It is important to have books in the classroom
library that relate to ELLs’ own cultures to help build their self-esteem and sense of
empowerment in the classroom. It can also support the other children’s awareness and
respect for the cultural groups that make up their classroom and society. A library filled
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
32
with culturally responsive literature helps children explore the commonalities and
differences across cultures, and an understanding for varying perspectives in
contemporary life. However, teachers must be conscious of literature that conveys
stereotyped views of culture.

Harriet Rohmer’s authentic folktales – derived from many cultures from many,
bilingual texts, illustrations that share unique art forms of the culture

Books that explore cultural heritage – The Day of Ahmed’s Secret, Arroz con
Leche, Why Ducks Sleep on One Leg, Tortillas Para Mama and Other Spanish
Nursery Rhymes, Aekyung’s Dream, A Folktale from Nicaragua, and The Little
Weaver of Thai- Yen Village

Books that look at culture side by side – I Hate English, Hopscotch Around the
World, Abuela, Hoang Anh: A Vietnamese American Boy, Houses and Homes,
and My name is San Ho

Books that help people think about the immigrant and refugee experience – How
Many Days to America?, Song of the Buffalo Boy, Abuelita’s Paradise,
Grandather’s Journey, The Lotus Seen, and Goodbye, Vietnam
Adapted from: Allen, V. G. (1994). Selecting materials for the reading instruction of ESL
children. Kids come in all languages: Reading instruction for ESL students (pp. 108-131).
Appendix F
Optional Vocabulary independent work rotation
Rationale:
Vocabulary development is critical component to language learning for beginning ELLs,
and is strongly related to academic achievement (Echevarria et al., 2013). Native English
speakers typically know between 5,000-7,000 English words before entering kindergarten.
Therefore, ELLs are charged with the extremely challenging task of not only closing this initial
gap, but also keeping pace with the native speakers as they continue to expand their vocabulary
(Diaz-Rico, 2014). Adding an independent work rotation that focuses entirely on vocabulary
development may provide ELLs with the additional practice and exposure needed to develop
their academic and content-area vocabulary in such a short amount of time. It would also free up
the word work rotation to address a greater range and depth of English phonological, syntactic,
and orthographic structures (Echevarria et al., 2013).
Overview of the rotation:
For beginning ELLs, vocabulary and academic language instruction should by systematic
and comprehensive. The rotation should provide students with varied language experiences,
practice with individual words, practice with word-learning strategies, and developing wordconsciousness. The teacher should select critical words from the current unit of study to
incorporate into the rotation, as well as primarily focus on Tier-One and Tier-Two frequency
words. The activities students engage in during the rotation should help them learn, remember,
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
33
and use those words. Teachers should also balance the types of academic language addressed in
the rotation, including content area vocabulary, general academic vocabulary, and word parts.
Furthermore, the rotation should include a variety of activities that support vocabulary
development using different approaches and language skills (Echevarria et al., 2013).
Activity ideas:
 CALL resources: websites that specifically address vocabulary development are detailed
in appendix G

Words for the week: Teacher chooses critical words connected to academic content to
provide ELLs with the language they need to participate in class discussions

Vocabulary journals: Students keep a log of words they learn, see and don’t know, or
want to learn. Journals should include a variety of graphic organizers:
o Four corners graphic organizer modified for ELLs
o Descriptors bubble concept map
34
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
o Words with multiple meanings graphic organizer
Adapted from: Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. J. (2013). Making content comprehensible
for English learners: The SIOP model, 4th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Appendix G
CALL resources for literacy instruction for beginning ELLs
Name
Story Time for
me
Starfall
Mind Play
Voxy
Name
Building
Listening to Reading CALL resources
Description
Free online stories that include narration by real
actors, animation, and word-by-word
highlighting
Explicit practice with pre-reading skills,
teaching reading, and refining reading through a
free, diverse library of reading materials
The Virtual Reading Coach and Fluent Reading
Trainer provide explicit, direct, and systematic
reading instruction and intervention to help
children become a fluent, grade-level reader.
Offers differentiated and self-paced instruction
for each individual
Listen to and read short stories on various
themes. Afterward, play games to practice and
reinforce comprehension
Website
http://storytimeforme.com/
http://www.starfall.com/
http://www.mindplay.com/
https://voxy.com/
Word Work/Vocabulary CALL resources
Description
Website
Online games that teach beginning ELLs
http://teacher.scholastic.co
35
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
Language and
Literacy: Early
Reading
Activities
iKnow
Word Steps
Name
Many Things
Learn English
Kids
Make Beliefs
Comix
Fun English
Games
phonics, phonological awareness, vocabulary,
and grammar
m/activities/bll/
Multimodal flashcards to support vocabulary
development. Also includes games based on
flashcards being studied, personalized
repetition based on performance, and
assessment data for tracking progress
Engaging activities that can be differentiated
based on students’ needs. Best for BICS
instruction for beginner ELLs because it
focuses on the 2000 most frequently used
words in English.
http://iknow.jp/
http://wordsteps.com/
CALL resources for multiple independent work rotations
Description
Website
Meets all standards outlined by Echevarria for
http://www.manythings.or
ESL language and vocabulary instruction.
g/
Includes word games, expressions, random
sentence generator, grammar, and vocabulary,
listening, and speaking practice. Includes a
“Learn Songs” section where students sing along
to a song with current lyric highlighted on screen.
Students can repeat a line to hear it again and
practice
Online resources where students can read a story, http://learnenglishkids.brit
practice writing, watch a video, play a game, or
ishcouncil.org/en/
practice tongue twisters. Available for parents,
students, and teachers and very developmentally
appropriate for early elementary beginning ELLs
Students create their own comic strips using a
http://www.makebeliefsco
variety of templates, characters, and writing
mix.com/
prompts. Provides writing practices, uses images
for connection language and learning, and can be
used as a performance-based assessment
Highly structured activities that guide students to http://www.funenglishgam
write for different purposes
es.com/
Adapted from:
Makofsky, S. (2013). Instructional technology tolls in the ESL classroom. Masters in ESL.
Retrieved from: http://www.mastersinesl.org/blog/instructional-technology-tools-in-theesl-classroom/
Wiseman, R. (2013). ELLs as digital natives: 21st century tools for sheltered ESL [PowerPoint
slides]. Retrieved from
ADAPTING THE DAILY 5 FOR BEGINNING ELLS
36
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/17fI32roU35wJbYlmA_NDEEHPpHYxkgIedw97
OiTQ1UY/edit?pli=1#slide=id.p26
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