200. Scaffolding Success: 5 Strategies for Newcomers in Your ELL Classroom

In this powerful episode of the Equipping ELLs podcast, host Beth Vaucher (formerly Boche), founder of Inspiring Young Learners, dives deep into one of the most pressing challenges facing educators today—supporting newcomer English Language Learners (ELLs) in the classroom. As classrooms across the country see a rising number of newcomer students, many educators feel overwhelmed and unsure where to begin. In Episode 11, Beth shares a step-by-step roadmap to scaffold lessons effectively so newcomers feel supported, engaged, and empowered from day one.

This episode goes beyond the basics of welcoming newcomers and focuses on actionable strategies to make instruction accessible, even when students enter with little or no English or native-language literacy. Beth explains why understanding a student’s literacy background in their first language (L1) is essential and how it informs your approach to lesson planning. She breaks down five simple, yet powerful scaffolding strategies you can start using this week—from using visuals and QR codes for listening comprehension to incorporating cognates and sentence starters.

Drawing from her personal experience teaching abroad in Panama during the pandemic, Beth offers insight into why today’s newcomers may have drastically different needs than those from pre-pandemic years. With many having experienced years of interrupted or nonexistent schooling, educators need practical tools more than ever to bridge the gaps in foundational learning.

Whether you’re a homeroom teacher or an ESL specialist, Beth emphasizes the critical importance of collaboration between both roles to see real progress in your newcomer students. She provides real-life classroom examples, reflective questions, and helpful analogies (like learning about the solar system in a language you don't speak!) to inspire confidence in teachers who may feel underprepared.

Tune in to hear how you can blend foundational language instruction with content-area learning, all while making students feel safe and successful. Plus, Beth shares how small, intentional efforts—like slowing your rate of speech or providing picture-supported vocabulary—can make a huge difference in helping newcomers thrive.

Finally, Beth invites educators to join the Equipping ELLs membership, where they can access done-for-you lesson plans, coaching, and a community of passionate teachers ready to support each other. If you’re looking to grow your confidence and capacity when working with newcomer ELLs, this episode is a must-listen.

Links and Resources:

• ⁠⁠⁠Join the Equipping ELLs Membership
• Shop our TpT Store
• [FREEBIE] Newcomer Welcome Kit
• [FREEBIE] Newcomers Scope & Sequence
• Ready for more? Grab our best-selling Newcomer Yearlong Bundle