English Learner Materials for Illinois TPI Classrooms, Grades 2–6
English Learner Materials for Illinois TPI Classrooms, Grades 2–6
For Illinois TPI classrooms, where a few English learners share a room but not a language, the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle offers nine English resources for Grades 2–6 that work for every home language at once: places and directions, present and past tense, pronouns, word families, time and calendar, vocabulary and grammar practice. $79.99.
Open the ESL newcomer bundleTeachers in an Illinois Transitional Program of Instruction can use the ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99) as shared English material for students with different home languages in Grades 2–6. It includes nine resources on everyday English, grammar and vocabulary. It is not a TPI or TBE program, has no home-language component and is not approved by the state or any district.
The resources
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle, Grades 2–6
9 resources in one download: $79.99 instead of $159.91 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle | Everyday English, Grammar & Vocabulary | 9 Resources | Grades 2–6
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Grade 3 ELA Pack | Grammar, Creative Writing, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Learning at Home Bundle | Parent Guides & Workbooks for Reading, Math, English & Motivation | Grades 1–4
The real problem
One group, several languages, no shared starting point
Illinois requires Transitional Bilingual Education when a school has 20 or more English learners of the same language. Smaller groups can be served through a Transitional Program of Instruction, or TPI. That is the situation in many buildings where newcomers arrive from different places: no single language group reaches the TBE threshold, so the teacher may have students with several home languages in the same group. Materials written for one language pair, such as Spanish and English, help only part of that room. What the teacher needs instead is English material that every student can use from the same starting point. The second problem is age. A Grade 2 newcomer and a Grade 6 newcomer may sit in the same group but need very different tasks: one is still learning short English words, the other may read well in a first language and needs English grammar to catch up. The third is continuity. Students leave the TPI group and return to a general classroom, and the practice has to be short and self-contained enough to pick up again the next day without a long review.
Why it fits
Why English-only material helps a mixed TPI group
When the students' languages differ, a shared English resource lets the whole group work on the same topic.
- In the Town: Places & Directions gives every student, whatever their language, a common first unit.
- Exploring Word Families builds English word patterns without depending on any one home language.
- Pronouns & Possessive Determiners gives focused practice with pronouns and possessive words in English sentences.
- Grammar & Punctuation Practice for Grades 1–3 and for Grades 4 to 6 splits the group by age.
- The Vocabulary Trainer Mega Bundle gives Grades 2–4 newcomers daily word work they can do alone.
- Simple Present and Simple Past units let students talk about routines and recent events in English.
Getting started
Running a mixed-language TPI group
One suggested way to use the bundle with a TPI group. Adjust it to how your school schedules English learner support.
- Start everyone on the same topicOpen with In the Town: Places & Directions for the whole group. Students with different languages can point, label and practice the same words together.
- Split by age for grammarGive younger students the Grades 1–3 grammar pack and older ones the Grades 4 to 6 pack. One topic, two levels and one teacher keep the session manageable.
- Pair students across languagesPair students who do not share a home language. English becomes the one tool they have in common, which gives them a real reason to use it with each other.
- Keep a daily vocabulary slotUse the vocabulary trainer or word families for a few minutes at the start of every session. Newcomers learn the routine quickly and can begin without spoken instructions.
- Tell short stories in the pastLater in the year, Simple Past: Stories About Yesterday lets students write short accounts of a weekend or a trip, at whatever length they can manage.
What to buy
What to buy for a TPI group
The ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle at $79.99 is the right buy for a mixed TPI group in Grades 2–6; the nine resources cost $159.91 separately. Once students move past newcomer English, the Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum ($49.99, parts $95.76) supplies grade-level grammar, writing and phonics packs. For one Grade 3 student, the Grade 3 ELA Pack ($13.99) is cheaper. The Learning at Home Bundle ($79.99, parts $119.96) is written for parents, with guides and workbooks for reading, motivation, math and English in Grades 1–4.
Honest limits
Limits worth knowing
This is not a TPI or TBE program and does not replace the services Illinois requires. It was not written for Illinois and has no Illinois standards codes; check it against your district's English learner plan and the state's rules. There is no home-language material, so students who need first-language support get it elsewhere. The bundle stops at Grade 6. You do the printing. If a district EL department wants to use it across schools or teachers, message Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this approved for TPI or TBE programs in Illinois?
No. Illinois sets what TBE and TPI programs must include, and this bundle has not been aligned to, reviewed or approved under those rules or by any district. It is supporting English material for Grades 2–6. Ask your EL coordinator whether and how it can be used within your program.
My students speak several different languages. Will it work?
That is the situation it handles best. Everything is in English, so no student is helped by a translation another student lacks. Start with shared topics like In the Town, then split by age for grammar. You will still rely on visuals, gestures and pairing to get instructions across.
We have 20 Spanish speakers in one grade. Is this the right product?
At that point Illinois requires TBE for that language group, which includes home-language instruction. This bundle is English-only, so it can only supplement English practice within that program. For a smaller, mixed group served through TPI, it fits more directly. If you are unsure which program applies in your building, ask your district before you buy.
What grades is it written for?
Grades 2–6. The vocabulary trainer set is for Grades 1–4, one grammar pack is for Grades 1–3 and the other is for Grades 4 to 6. The topic units on town, routines, past events, pronouns, word families and time work across the whole span. Older students simply start with the topic units and the Grades 4 to 6 grammar pack.
Is there anything for parents?
Not in this bundle. The Learning at Home Bundle has parent guides with workbooks for reading, motivation, math and English in Grades 1–4. It is in English, so it suits families who read English or have someone at home who can help. It is a separate purchase at $79.99, so buy it only if families have actually asked for help at home.
How do I get the files?
They download right after purchase. You get a link by email, and the files stay in your customer account under Orders, so you can download them again in another school building or at home. Nothing is shipped, and nothing needs to be installed. If a download fails, open the link again from your account and start over.
Give every language in the group the same starting point
Open the product page to see the nine resources and choose where your group begins.
Open the ESL newcomer bundle