What should Mrs. Martinez provide to support her ELLs during partner discussions?

Providing sentence stems is effective in supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) during partner discussions because these structured phrases offer a framework for students to express their thoughts and participate in conversations more confidently. Sentence stems help to reduce the anxiety that ELLs may feel when formulating responses in a new language. They serve as useful prompts that guide learners on how to structure their sentences, making it easier for them to articulate their ideas while also learning new vocabulary and sentence structures.

Visual aids, while beneficial, primarily assist with comprehension and retention rather than directly facilitating spoken language use during discussions. Translation dictionaries may not always be practical during conversations, as they can interrupt the flow of dialogue and may not always provide immediate assistance in verbal situations. Group projects can promote collaboration and language use, but they do not specifically target the individual speaking needs of ELLs in one-on-one partner discussions. Sentence stems focus directly on aiding verbal communication, making them particularly powerful for enhancing participation and confidence among ELLs in discussions.