ELL Services

Frazee-Vergas Schools offers to students English Learner (EL) services from a licensed EL teacher. The main purpose of the EL program is to assure that all students have the same educational opportunities. The intent of the program is to help all students to become proficient in English as soon as possible. All instruction in EL classes takes place in English. An EL teacher helps students to become proficient in English orally and also to become proficient in the much more difficult academic language of the classroom. Some of the areas addressed in an EL classroom are: vocabulary, pronunciation, understanding sentence patterns, understanding irregularities in the English language, punctuation, being able to read and understand directions, and to eventually be able to read and interpret all materials in English. EL services are vitally important to students whose language background is other than English. Typically, unless these students receive some special help from an EL classroom, they will not be able to compete in school as successfully as the native English speaker. Parents of students whose first language was other than English, or who come from homes where the language spoken most often is other than English, should be aware that their son or daughter may be eligible for EL services. It is the student’s legal right to have EL services. The Home Language Questionnaire is the first step that will notify the school that a student may be eligible for EL services, therefore it is critically important that this form be filled out correctly. If there is an answer other than English on this form, the school will follow up and determine if the student is eligible for EL services.