WMS Multilingual Learners

English Language Development 1 - 4 and Foundational Reading

WMS MultilingualLearnersEnglish Language Development 1 - 4 and FoundationalReading

February 2025

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Ms. Rix

zara.rix@watertown.k12.ma.us

ELD 1 (Entering)

Welcome to English Language Development class Level 1!

In this class, we learn the academic skills expected across all classes - vocabulary and sentences to describe or explain or compare characters or science experiments or historical periods - by applying them to the everyday vocabulary we need in order to grow our English language skills.


At the beginning of February, most students completed their Heroes of Justice posters. I am including some photographs of excellent work here.


We are now doing a unit on Endangered Animals. This allows us to practice the language of science while using our previous work in the past tense, the present progressive, and present tense in order to describe what animals do, what humans do, and (eventually) to explain why animals are endangered.

Ms. K

diana.karamourtopoulos@watertown.k12.ma.us

ELD 2 (Emerging)

I am Diana Karamourtopoulos, your student's ESL teacher. In this class, we work on improving our English in all 4 domains: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Before the break, we completed a unit that asks the question: Should Everyone Be Bilingual? Students learned vocabulary, read sources and found evidence for a debate and a writing project. The debate went wonderfully and all students participated. They also wrote a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) paragraph. Attached is a picture with some of their evidence and reasoning. This is great practice because this format is used in their other content classes as well. Now, we are learning about places in the Earth that are dark and mysterious. We will finish this unit up with a project researching animals that glow in the dark.

Foundational Reading Red

I am Diana Karamourtopoulos, your student's Foundational Reading class! In this class, we will work on improving our reading through learning phonics (the letters and sounds) in English. We have moved on to a program called IRLA, where students are practicing some common beginning sounds and reading different texts to practice. We have also started reading groups and students are practicing different strategies to understand more challenging texts.

Foundational Reading Orange

I am Diana Karamourtopoulos, your student's Foundational Reading class! In this class, we will work on improving our reading through learning phonics (the letters and sounds) in English. We have moved on to a program called IRLA, where students are practicing some common beginning sounds and reading different texts to practice. We have also started reading groups and students are practicing different strategies to understand more challenging texts.

Foundational Reading Purple

I am Diana Karamourtopoulos, your student's Foundational Reading class! In this class, we will work on improving our reading through learning phonics (the letters and sounds) in English. We finished learning all the alphabet sounds, and have moved on to reading longer words with more complex sounds. We will also begin using a new curriculum called IRLA, where we will learn new vocabulary and commonly seen words in English.

Mr. McCourt

Robert.McCourt@watertown.k12.ma.us

ELD 2 (Emerging)

In Mr. McCourt's middle school ESL classes, students are engaging in exciting and meaningful learning activities! In ELD, they are actively discussing their fitness routines and eating habits, while practicing how to use the present continuous tense. This helps them describe actions that are happening right now and plan for the future, giving them the tools to talk about their daily lives and goals in a more detailed way.


In foundational reading, students are diving into the study of root words to strengthen their vocabulary. This week, they are exploring the meanings of roots like Thermo (heat), Mem (memory), Dem (people), Ology (study of), and Vac (empty). Understanding these roots not only improves their vocabulary but also enhances their ability to decode academic language across subjects. By recognizing these common roots, students can more easily understand complex terms in science, social studies, and other classes, making them more confident and capable learners.

Ms. Campos

keila.camposdeoliveira@watertown.k12.ma.us

ELD 3 (Developing)

ELD 3 has worked very hard over the last few weeks. We finished our unit on the development of Flight where we learned how to write a classification essay. Right before February break we started a new unit called Know the World Around You. This unit has the objective of reviewing and introducing concepts of geography through the use of maps and other related resources so students can feel more confident in what they know about the world, and also develop a curiosity to research things they find interesting.


We will continue to practice our oral skills through content discussions while developing new vocabulary and language structures to support students’ writing and reading skills. While listening is already a great part of our daily routine, we will also use videos to enhance students’ ability to draw information they are hearing. Students have been very interested in learning about North America geography and some historical information about that region.


If you wish to get in touch with me, you can email me at keila.camposdeoliveira@watertown.k12.ma.us

Foundational Reading - Blue Block

Our foundational reading class has made significant progress over the last few weeks. Our class is small which means students have plenty of opportunity to practice their reading and spelling skills every day. We are currently working on learning “Power Words,” or words that have irregular spellings, but are high frequency words. Students are also improving their vocabulary through learning meaning from the texts we read as a group.

If you wish to get in touch with me, you can email me at keila.camposdeoliveira@watertown.k12.ma.us

Ms. Gilmartin

ELD 4 (Expanding)

Hello! Students have been engaging with the art of ancient Cave Paintings, Leonardo Da Vinci, Edgar Degas, Willard Wigan, and Eduardo Kobra, and practicing

… expressing interpretation and understanding

… using reported speech to describe what someone said

… using two- and three-word phrasal verbs

… describing and discussing a photo

… discussing art and visual communication


More recently, they have started to prepare for a socratic seminar / debate taking the perspective of a character on whether everyone should learn a second language, and drafting a C.E.R. on their perspective answering the same question.


Next up is a brief unit on practicing for the ELA MCAS in early April: trying to expand their academic vocabulary, reading and interpreting poems, short stories, excerpts from novels and essays, and informational texts.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns at sheila.gilmartin@watertown.k12.ma.us.

ESL Writing WIN

Hello! Students have started to prepare for a socratic seminar / debate taking the perspective of a character on whether everyone should learn a second language, and drafting a C.E.R. on their perspective answering the same question.


Next up is a brief unit on practicing for the ELA MCAS in early April: trying to expand their academic vocabulary, reading and interpreting poems, short stories, excerpts from novels and essays, and informational texts.

Please contact me with any questions or concerns at sheila.gilmartin@watertown.k12.ma.us.

If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact:

Kate Phillipson
ELE/ESL District Coordinator

Watertown Public Schools
68 Waverley Avenue
Watertown, MA 02472
617-972-4297

kathryn.phillipson@watertown.k12.ma.us

Zara Rix
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