image of a school poster with students' names and hand prints
image of a 'setting map'
image of cards with spring vocabulary words
image of students learning letters
image of students doing school work
image of a heart filled with different country's flags
EL Program Overview

Over 20 different languages are spoken by our students in Sharon Public Schools. At Cottage Street we value our diverse community of learners!

Our students come to school with a variety of experiences speaking, writing, and reading in English. English language instruction for students identified as English Learners (ELs) is designed to support students with social and academic English language. In addition to the instruction all English Learners receive in their classroom from their SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) endorsed classroom teacher, certified EL teachers also support ELs in their classroom and/or in a small group. We talk, read, write, and listen to each other to make progress with our English language!

What can I do to support my child at home?

  • Read together (in any language) and talk about what you read. Who was your favorite character? What do you think is going to happen next?
  • Visit and talk about different places in town: the library, post office, grocery store
  • Consider having your child join a club or a team
  • Listen to audiobooks at home or in the car
  • Let your child help you write the grocery list
Helpful Links

Colorin Colorado A bilingual site for parents and educators of English Language Learners http://www.colorincolorado.org/

MA DESE Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website. It has information regarding ACCESS for ELLs (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners). http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/access/

WIDA WIDA (World-class Instructional Design and Assessment) advances academic language development and academic achievement for children and youth who are culturally and linguistically diverse through high quality standards, assessments, research, and professional learning for educators. https://www.wida.us/