From Ideas to Words: Writing Strategies for English Language Learners

“Through strong teaching, multilingual students can expand their range of literacy practices, and we, their teachers, can also grow and change as we get to know students as individuals with talents, strengths, interests, and concerns.”

―Tasha Tropp Laman

Tasha Tropp Laman helps classroom teachers, ELL specialists, administrators, and literacy coaches  become confident in their ability to support English language learners' growth as writers. Her book, From Ideas to Words, provides insight and practical tips for getting ELL students writing, even if they are at the very beginning stages of English language acquisition.

Each chapter is stocked with specific tools and strategies that help writing instruction meet the needs of ELL writers; illustrated classroom vignettes, samples of children’s writing, student observations, and planning notes based on the information in that chapter. In addition to the theories and research behind working with ELLs, Tasha offers her experience and advice on:

• creating a classroom environment that supports ELL writers
• building a community that promotes risk-taking and values different experiences
• creating whole-group minilessons that meet the needs of emerging and fluent ELLs
• scaffolding independent practice for a wide variety of ELLs
• scaffolding writing conferences with tools based on ELL students’ writing and language needs
• facilitating and encouraging students to share and reflect.

To preview a sample of From Ideas to Words click here.

Tasha Tropp Laman is an associate professor in the department of Instruction and Teacher Education at the University of South Carolina where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading, writing, and critical literacy. Her research focuses on multilingual students' literacy learning and their literate identities. Collaboration with classroom teachers is at the heart of her research and her practice. Tasha has been an educator for 20 years including time as a classroom teacher in the Navajo Nation in New Mexico, where she taught kindergarten and third grade and as a teacher educator in the Peace Corps in Belize where she worked in rural multilingual communities. She presents at national conferences, writing institutes, and consults in K-5 classrooms regarding writing instruction in general and English language learners in particular.