For starters, I would label all of the different items in the room. Ms. Kay could print and laminate labels such as: desk, board, table, door, screen, and window. This is done for younger students, and these could become sight words for this high school student. When students are working on complex activities, Ms. Kay could break students into small groups. Higher level learners could become peer tutors. If the school could purchase Rosetta Stone, that might be something that the ESOL student could work on. Ms. Kay should use visual cues, and she should not speak very fast when giving instructions. All regular education teachers can begin with these simple strategies as a starting point.

Mrs. Kay should learn about the student's cultural background, it would also be helpful to seek out and consult with the school's ESL teacher in order to get the best solutions, activities and culturally relevant materials for her student. Other solutions include honoring the students silent period Mrs. Kay should not force the student to talk if they do not want to during this time. Depending on which stage the ELL student is in allowing them to use their first language in the classroom is acceptable. When a student is still very new to a language, it's always a good idea to pair them with other students who speak the same native language.

You may want to allow the student to have a dictionary with him/her, and/or a translation app or computer program, when doing work in class. This may help him/her understand the directions and the material being taught even more. Also, many textbooks come with a Spanish Glossary (if Spanish is what the student speaks) and some workbooks come with Spanish translations of the pages. This may help the student at first while he/she is learning English. You could also talk to a foreign language teacher at your school, if you have one that speaks the student's native language, and he/she may be able to help you see how much the student understands and what he/she may need help with.