Education Commons^™

Increasing Engagement Of English Learners Through Universal Design For Learning, Melinda S. Eichhorn, Amanda E. Lowry, Kristen Burke

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

English learners (ELs) are the fastest growing segment of K–12 students. When ELs do not respond to instruction as quickly as their English-speaking peers, teachers may focus on their deficits and wrongly label them as having a learning disability. In this article on the universal design for learning engagement guidelines, we summarize how we have anticipated learning barriers and increased engagement with academic content for ELs in our practice. By teaching strategies for self-regulation and individual coping skills, providing guided practice and support to sustain effort, and giving students various ways to achieve the same goal in a safe learning …