Students are pulled out of their regular classroom to attend ESL class. The ESL teacher will work with the student to gain more English skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. ESL teachers collaborate with the classroom teacher to find a time that will coordinate with the classroom schedule. In pull-out sessions, the student(s) benefits from small group instruction that is tailored to their particular grade level and English proficiency level.

Content-based ESL is provided at both elementary and secondary levels with the content teacher differentiating instruction, in collaboration with the ESL teacher, in the regular education setting. This is done with training, coaching, and support from the ESL teachers who have been trained in SIOP methods.