As classrooms become more linguistically and culturally diverse, meeting the needs of all students becomes more challenging. Differentiated instruction plays a key role in supporting both language development and access to grade-level content for English language learners (ELs or ELLs).
Differentiation for ELL students ensures that multilingual learners can engage with rigorous academic material while building the language skills they need to succeed both in and out of the classroom.
What is Differentiated Instruction?
Differentiated instruction is a teaching strategy that customizes learning experiences to meet the unique needs of each student.
Differentiation can include modifications to:
Content–the skills and knowledge that students need to learn
Process–how instruction is delivered
Product–how students demonstrate understanding
Learning environment–how the classroom is structured to support engagement
Differentiated instructional strategies adjust how content is presented, how students engage with it, and how they show what they’ve learned. Differentiated instruction for ELL students supports their participation in the learning process alongside their native-speaking peers.
Differentiation for ELL Students
Effective differentiation for English language learners focuses on supporting both academic skill acquisition and language development. Differentiation for ELs often includes a combination of visual and language support, supported discussions, flexible grouping, and modifications for assessment.
These strategies allow teachers to maintain academic rigor while removing language barriers. The goal is to ensure that content is accessible to all students, regardless of language proficiency level, while continuing to build their English proficiency.
Benefits of Differentiated Instruction for English Learners
Differentiated instruction offers meaningful benefits for multilingual learners, especially when it is implemented consistently over time. When these supports are built into daily instruction, students are better positioned to engage, participate, and grow.
Some key benefits of differentiated instruction for English learners include:
Increased Access to Content
Students can engage with grade-level content even as they continue to develop their language skills.
Stronger Language Development
Differentiation for ELLs focuses on opportunities to read, write, speak, and listen with appropriate scaffolding, allowing students to develop English language more efficiently.
Higher Engagement
When ELL students have structures to support their learning and their language skills, they’re more likely to participate and stay engaged.
Boosted Confidence
Accessible instruction helps English learners feel capable, encourages risk-taking and growth, and facilitates a growth mindset.
How to Differentiate Instruction for ELL Students
There are many differentiation strategies that work for all students in the classroom. For ELs, it can be helpful to break strategies into three key areas: instruction, language, and classroom procedures.
Instructional Differentiation
Instructional differentiation centers on how content is taught. Some high yield instructional strategies include:
- Activating Prior Knowledge
- Modeling and Demonstration
- Chunking Information
- Graphic Organizers
Language Differentiation
Differentiated instruction for language focuses on scaffolds that help students use English within content areas. You can support students’ receptive and expressive language skills with intentional strategies.
Strategies to support comprehension
- Pre-teach key terms
- Use visuals
- Modify sentence structures when possible
- Provide bilingual support such as picture dictionaries and glossaries.
Strategies to support expression
- Supply sentence frames
- Provide word banks
- Think-Pair-Share
These supports allow students to demonstrate understanding while their language skills are developing.
Procedural Differentiation
Procedural learning focuses on the structures of the classroom routines. By creating clear language support, you can help students internalize expectations and acclimate to the classroom more quickly.
Some tips for differentiating procedures include:
- Flexible grouping
- Visual support for verbal directions
- Checking for understanding before beginning tasks
Accommodations for English Learners
Differentiation focuses on instructional delivery, while accommodations for ELL students ensure equitable opportunities for them to demonstrate their understanding. These supports maintain the same level of expectations while reducing language barriers so that students can more easily show what they know.
Some common accommodations for ELLs include:
- Extended time to complete tasks
- Simplified or clarified directions
- Oral responses as an alternative to written responses
- Visual supports or graphic organizers
- Bilingual dictionaries or glossaries
These strategies ensure that teachers can determine students’ understanding of the concept apart from any language barriers.
Teacher’s Corner
We asked members of our Teacher Advisors Group to share their top strategies for differentiating instruction for English learners. Keep reading to see what differentiation looks like in real classrooms.
In your classroom, what differentiation strategies make the biggest impact for English learners?
“The strategies that make the biggest impact are visual supports. Explicit vocabulary instruction and structured language opportunities are also very important. Sentence frames, word banks, anchor charts, and visuals help make content comprehensible. Teaching vocabulary before introducing new content is especially powerful.”
— Benita Afonso“Differentiation is not one size fits all. Different students have different proficiency levels, and strategies may change depending on the assignment. Don’t be afraid to try different things. I’ve had students answer essay questions verbally, create drawings to show understanding, or complete picture-based assessments. Sometimes I ask them to tell me everything they remember about a topic. I’ve even had students create their own tests and answer keys—then swap with a partner. They often ask harder questions than I would.”
— Sheri Swearengin
Do you approach differentiation differently for lessons versus assessments? If so, how?
“During instruction, I differentiate to build access and confidence. During assessments, I provide accommodations to ensure students can demonstrate understanding. During lessons, I scaffold with modeling, guided practice, visuals, and structured talk. During assessments, I may reduce linguistic complexity, allow oral responses, provide extended time, or clarify directions. The goal is to measure content mastery—not English proficiency.”
— Benita Afonso
What accommodations are essential for supporting multilingual learners?
“Essential accommodations include visual supports and graphic organizers, sentence frames, simple directions, extended time, oral rehearsal before writing, and home language support when needed.”
— Benita Afonso
How has differentiated instruction influenced student engagement or growth in your multilingual learners?
“Differentiated instruction has significantly increased participation, confidence, and academic growth. When students feel supported, they are more willing to take risks with language. I’ve seen multilingual learners move from minimal verbal participation to actively contributing in discussions.”
— Benita Afonso
“There is usually a lot of growth, but we need to remember that growth looks different for every student. Think about a flower garden—some grow quickly, some slowly, and some need extra care. That’s what makes it beautiful, and that’s when you really see the results of your work.”
— Sheri Swearengin
At its core, differentiation is about meeting students where they are and helping them progress on their learning path. With the right supports in place, English learners can engage with grade-level content, develop language skills, and actively participate in learning every day.
Looking for more teaching tips and resources for your English language learners (ELLs)? Check out our ESL Resource Center!
Thank you to our blog contributors: Benita Afonso, ENL/Building Point Person for grades 1 and 2 in Sleepy Hollow, New York; and Sheri Swearengin, an EL teacher in Marshall County Schools.