English language learners bring valuable perspectives to a novel unit, especially one about identity and belonging like The Face on the Milk Carton. Many of them understand what it means to live between two worlds, which gives them insight into Janie's struggle. The challenge is helping them express those ideas in written English without losing confidence.

Feedback for ELL writers should distinguish clearly between ideas and language. A student may have a thoughtful claim about Janie's loyalty but struggle with verb tense or sentence structure. Treating both as one score can hide the strength of their thinking and discourage them.

Teachers can address this by using a rubric with separate rows for content and conventions, and by weighting them appropriately for the student's proficiency level. This approach recognizes growth in both areas. It also gives students a clear picture of where they are succeeding.

Prioritizing feedback

Marking every language error can overwhelm a developing writer. Choosing two or three patterns to address, such as consistent verb tense or missing articles, helps students focus. Over several assignments, those targets can shift as earlier issues improve.

• Praise strong ideas and specific evidence before addressing language issues.
• Choose two or three recurring error patterns to focus on per assignment.
• Provide model sentences that show the correct structure in context.
• Allow use of bilingual dictionaries or translation supports for drafting.
• Offer sentence frames for analysis, such as "This shows that Janie..."

Scaffolds that support analysis

Graphic organizers, sentence frames, and word banks help ELL students organize their thoughts. A frame like "Janie feels ... because ... as shown when ..." gives them a structure for claim, reasoning, and evidence. These supports do not lower expectations; they make high-level thinking accessible.

Pre-writing discussion in pairs or small groups also helps. Students rehearse their ideas aloud before putting them on paper, which reduces the pressure of producing perfect sentences immediately. The final writing tends to be clearer and more confident.

Using AI tools thoughtfully

AI feedback can offer consistent language suggestions and flag common errors, which is useful for students who need extra support. Teachers should review the comments to ensure they are appropriate for the student's level and not overwhelming. Customizing the focus areas for each learner makes the feedback more useful.

Students should also be taught to use feedback tools as learning aids rather than shortcuts. Encouraging them to revise in their own words ensures they develop their own skills. The goal is growth in language and thinking, not just a cleaner draft.

Measuring progress fairly

Progress for ELL writers should be measured against their own starting point as well as grade-level expectations. Keeping samples across the unit lets teachers and students see improvement in vocabulary, sentence structure, and analytical depth. A portfolio approach can make that growth visible.

Celebrating that progress matters as much as pointing out what remains to be learned. Students who feel their ideas are valued are more willing to take risks in a new language. That willingness is the foundation of long-term writing development.