ESL Program

Fair Lawn School District offers a content-based ESL Program, where students receive specific ESL instruction which is structured around academic content. The goal is to accelerate English acquisition through the use of Thematic Units along with the use of the four language skills-listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students receive small group instruction daily. Students receive 30 minutes of service daily. However,if your child speaks Hebrew, Russian, or Spanish, he or she will receive an additional 30 minutes of services in Reading. The ESL Program has its own curriculum with its own set of standards. Much of it is similar to that of the regular classroom, and the curriculum meets state standards. Our program follows the principles of CALLA, which is a Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach. We teach grade level topics which increase academic language skills and provide learning strategies for both language acquisition and academic content. Our curriculum provides students with knowledge in the areas of Math, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, and Social and Instructional Language. In addition, students learn about holidays and special events that embrace other cultures. Children's language, culture, and values are acknowledged and respected. Using a multi-sensory approach, the ESL classroom provides students with a rich environment in which they can succeed.