This study synthesized research from 1990 to the present on effective teaching for English Language Learners (ELLs), focusing on instructional strategies and methods found to have the most educational benefit and value to the greatest number of ELLs. A total of nearly 100 potentially applicable articles were retrieved, and 34 were included in the final synthesis. Most articles described small-scale studies that focused on a limited number of classrooms, and most studies were qualitative. Results highlighted seven teaching practices that were found to be effective in improving the education of ELLs, though they were not widely used in teaching ELLs: collaborative learning communities, multiple representations, building on prior knowledge, instructional conversation, culturally responsive instruction, cognitively guided instruction, and technology-enriched instruction. Results indicated that although most teaching practices were based on theoretical and conceptual frameworks, too little attention may have been paid to the development of general instructional theory for ELLs. Implications for teacher education, for inservice teacher professional development, and for research are noted. (Contains 103 references.) (SM)