Resources for teaching special needs learners and ELL students

For students with special needs, sometimes online learning could be a challenge. Fortunately, the internet saves the day! There are so many resources for teachers to get ideas and information on how to create a great and meaningful learning experience online for students who special needs or students who are learning the English language. For example, IXL Worldwide, Funbrain, and Reading Rocket. One of my favorite apps for special needs and ELL students is Chatterpix. It may seem simple, but it can help students with reading comprehension and their writing as well. Students can use this app and turn an inanimate object into a character! Students record their voice onto the app and the character has a mouth that mimics what a students would be. Apps like this are fun and entertaining, but they serve a great purpose as well. In this class we each bought a text book titled "The ELL Teacher's Toolbox" by Larry Ferlazzo. In this book, it is FILLED with examples on strategies for teaching to students who are ELL. There are 45 different strategies that all connect to standards, shows how to apply it in a classroom, gives examples, and how to integrate technology into the strategy! Students who are special needs or ELL need plenty of resources to feel comfortable and get a great learning experience. There are translating sites, and Google suite is equipped with a translator on most of the apps! Students with special needs or students who are ELL sometimes need that extra help or extra push! So... one great way that I will most definitely be implementing in my classroom is giving access to a google classroom that houses all the information about the class, important handouts and take home documents, how to contact me, homework reminders, a place to submit questions, and other similar resources! Sometimes these students lose track of papers or need help staying a little organized. Parent involvement is key, and giving them access to an online classroom like so it a step in the right direction! Overall the internet is your best friend for resources for ELL and special needs learners, but if you can get your hand on that book... that is an AMAZING tool!