Teaching English Learners and Students with Learning Difficulties in an Inclusive Classroom: A Guidebook for Teachers

"The strength of this book is its consistent message that with the appropriate instruction, all students can learn, no matter what their challenges are."
– Nancy Snodgrass, Bilingual Special Education Resource Teacher

"The strategies in this book — particularly those that address teaching and using academic language — address a huge need for both general education and special education teachers."
– Dee Torrington, Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Trainer for special education, and President-elect of California Association for Special Educators

"I can see this guidebook as a resource that teachers read, highlight, take notes in the margins, reread, and keep near their desk for use."
– Elizabeth Hughes, Assistant Professor, Duquesne University

This unique guidebook offers powerful, concrete ways to engage all middle and high school students in successful learning, especially English learners and students with special needs.

Teachers will benefit from the practical, evidence-based approaches for teaching standards-based content in any subject area. School and district leaders will benefit from the sustainable schoolwide and districtwide practices that respect diversity and support inclusion.

Authors John Carr and Sharen Bertrando provide invaluable insight, tools, and strategies, including:

• An effective framework for teaching diverse learners in any core discipline
• Specific steps and resources for helping students organize concepts, develop appropriate use of academic language, and communicate ideas effectively
• Rubrics identifying key characteristics of five English language proficiency levels, along with teaching strategies appropriate for each
• Methods for scaffolding assessments to ensure every student has a fair and accurate way to communicate what they are learning
• A lesson plan template for combining and putting into practice all of the ideas, approaches, and tools offered in this guidebook

John Carr co-authored the bestselling guidebooks Making Science Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers and Making Mathematics Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers. He develops resources and conducts workshops for teachers and teacher leaders on practical approaches to standards-based classroom instruction and assessment for English learners and students in inclusive classrooms. He is a Senior Research Associate for the Evaluation Research Program at WestEd.

Sharen Bertrando develops materials and provides training, resources, and technical assistance for the Least Restrictive Environment Resources Project, Po'okela Project Centers of Educational Excellence on Inclusive Practices and Access to the Common Core, and other projects. She provides technical assistance and training to support diverse learners using technology as an effective instructional tool. She also works with the California Comprehensive Center and the California Department of Education to develop educational resources to support students with disabilities, including second language learners with disabilities.