Teacher using the SIOP model to teach English language learners in a diverse classroom

SIOP Model: 7 Proven ESL Techniques

The SIOP model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) is a research-based framework for teaching academic content to English language learners without simplifying the material itself. It works through 7 classroom techniques — building background, comprehensible input, scaffolded strategies, structured interaction, guided practice, varied delivery, and multi-format review — that let a teacher cover the same science,…

Teacher leading a multilingual ESL classroom using translanguaging techniques

Translanguaging: 7 ESL Techniques That Work

Translanguaging is the practice of letting multilingual students draw on every language they know — not just English — to understand content, process ideas, and produce language. Instead of banning a student’s first language, a teacher invites it in strategically: students brainstorm in Spanish before drafting in English, compare cognates between Mandarin and English, or…