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Supporting ELs in reading and writing workshop

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Supporting ELs in reading and writing workshop

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https://www.valentinaesl.com/blog/serving-ells-through-reading-writing-workshop

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Serving Multilingual Learners of All Ages

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​​This is a post I wrote for Tan's Blog. It was shared on EmpoweringELLs in May 2017.

When I stop to reflect on what is BEST practice for my elementary ELLs in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, the answer comes to me quite clearly...the workshop model. Why? What I know about the needs of my ELLs is that they require explicit instruction, modeling, guidance, routine, and practice. Here's how the reading and writing workshop models promote progress for ELLs in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The reading and writing workshops follow a specific daily routine. There is a structure to the workshop that is followed in order for each component to happen daily. The routine helps all students know what to expect. This is especially great for ELLs since they are (possibly) navigating a new language, school system, and culture.
The Mini-lesson
One of the components of both the reading and writing workshop is the mini-lesson. During the mini-lesson, the teacher gives direct instruction and explicitly shares with students what will be expected of them as readers and/or writers. ELLs need to know exactly what is expected of them as readers, writers and speakers. Since the mini-lesson is short, there is not a lot of teacher talk. One way to make the mini-lesson even more ELL friendly is to slow down speech and stop for a structured turn and talk. During this portion of workshop, ELLs are practicing listening and some speaking as well.
Anchor charts are a key piece of the mini-lesson. This is how the teacher leaves a fingerprint of the teaching. The anchor chart should be able to support students as they go into independent work. It allows the teacher to work with small groups or confer one-on-one with students without being constantly interrupted by students who need re-teaching. For this reason, the anchor chart should be comprehensible for students. Limit the text and support the text with visuals and graphics. The anchor chart should give students clear, step-by-step guidance for their work.
Independent Work
The biggest piece of the reading and writing workshops is independent reading/writing time. During this block of time, students work on their own reading and/or writing.
During reading workshop students are reading self-selected books at their reading level. Selecting books can be tricky. I don't want my ELLs to feel bad if their reading level is way below their grade level in English. It can be hard to find texts that they can read but are still relevant and interesting to them. Adapted texts and nonfiction texts are great here. I also encourage my ELLs to continue reading in their native language. The bridge between L1 (first language) and L2 (second language) can be strong if we continue to nurture it.
During writing workshop students are writing their own pieces of work. Providing students with touchstone texts, exemplars, or target texts is key here. All students need to see what their goal is in writing so they can aim to achieve it. And not everyone's goal will be the same. It certainly won't be to write like an adult author. Though I love using mentor text written by great adult authors, when it's time for students to do their own writing, I give them examples they can achieve (in their ZPD). The best examples are student written so start saving some student examples to use year after year!
Whether we are in reading or writing workshop, students are practicing what the teacher has taught during minilessons. Within independent reading and writing block the teacher is able to work with students in smaller settings to meet their specific needs. The teacher can pull a guided group, a strategy group, or work with students one-on-one. No matter which of these methods is selected daily, students' needs lead the decision. ELLs benefit from these smaller settings where the teacher/student ratio is lowered. These smaller settings also help to lower the affective filter for ELLs. When ELLs need time to process their thinking, possibly translate language, and build courage to answer, a smaller setting provides comfort. The anxiety level is lowered and students feel safe to respond and collaborate. In addition, the smaller setting allows for more interaction helping our students to have extra opportunities to practice the new skills they have been taught and the new language. During independent time, ELLs are practicing reading and/or writing, listening, and speaking.
Share Time
The final piece of reading and writing workshop is share time. For some ELLs, sharing in whole group can be intimidating. One strategy that has been found to alleviate stress for ELLs before they share with whole group is to allow them rehearsal time. Giving ELLs time to practice what they will share builds their confidence before they share with the class. Some ELLs will need sentence stems or starters to help them produce sentences that are grammatically correct while others will not need this type of scaffold. During this portion of the workshop, ELLs are practicing listening and speaking (if they are sharing).
I can't end this post without mentioning read aloud. Reading aloud is not actually part of the reading workshop; however it is a critical piece of a balanced approach to literacy. Providing students with an excellent model of how readers think through the reading process is extremely important. Reading aloud with accountable talk is, in my opinion, one of the most powerful ways to create lovers of reading and critical thinkers. To accommodate for ELLs, teachers can use gestures when reading, annunciate words, speak clearly, and stop frequently to assess for comprehension. Intentionally pairing students with partners who can support one another during turn and talk opportunities is another way to help advance ELLs.
All in all, the workshop structure can be powerful for each student in a classroom if the focus is on student learning. When we focus on each student individually and meet their needs, we can help them become the best readers, writers, listeners, and speakers that they can be!

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​​This is a post I wrote for Tan's Blog. It was shared on EmpoweringELLs in May 2017. When I stop to reflect on what is BEST practice for my elementary ELLs in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, the answer comes to me quite clearly...the workshop model. Why?

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https://www.valentinaesl.com/blog/conferring-with-ells

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Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners

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Confer Often
When we work with students who are learning language and learning to become stronger readers, it's important to confer more frequently than usual. The more time ELLs can get one on one or in small group with their teacher, the better. Now, that's not to say that conferences should be long in length...just more frequent. If you are lucky enough to have a co-teacher, then you and the co-teacher can both meet with ELLs and they can get a double dose of instruction. Conferring with an ELL may look and sound different than conferring with a native English speaker and that's okay!

Lower the Affective Filter
The affective filter is a like a giant brick wall that some students (not only ELLs) put up when they feel scared, anxious, nervous. This wall prevents learning from happening. The students' minds are focused on their fears and not on academics. As teachers, we can bring down the affective filter by making our kids feel comfortable and safe. Smile, let them know you genuinely care, and be careful about correcting grammatical errors. One way to quickly shut down a student who is learning English is to call them out on grammar errors in front of their peers. Instead try "recasting". For instance, if a child says they goed to the mall yesterday. You can respond by saying something like, "How nice that you went to the mall yesterday."
I have found that talking about a student's native language or culture helps lower the affective filter. Asking them questions about their lives sends them a message that we care about them as people. If a student has a book in their native language, I ask them to share a little of it with me and I tell them how awesome it is that they can read in another language. Encouraging bilingualism and valuing the student's native culture tends to bring the walls down and lift student's confidence up!

Respect Language Levels
When conferring with ELLs, refer to their language levels and be respectful of the silent period for newcomers. We never want to force a newcomer to speak in English when they just aren't ready yet. Keep in mind that students' receptive skills (listening and reading) are usually stronger than their expressive skills (speaking and writing). I think of myself as a Spanish learner. I can definitely listen and comprehend Spanish better than I can speak and write it. When conferring with ELLs at different levels of language development, we want to tailor questions to meet their linguistic needs.
Beginners: We may ask questions that require students to point to answers or give students one step commands. Point to the ___. Show me the ____.
Intermediate: Questions might consist of Yes/No and then move to questions that have simple choice. Is this his or hers? Is it a large truck or small truck?
Advanced: Ask open ended questions starting with "why" and "how".
Advanced high: Ask "Why do you think..." What would happen if..."

Scaffold and Support
There are many ways to accommodate a conference to scaffold and support ELLs. Two of my favorites are to use visuals and sentence stems. When discussing reading with an ELL, I have found it helpful to sketch or pull up visuals for words they are unfamiliar with while we talk. Visuals are a quick way to make content comprehensible. As I ask questions during the conference, if my ELL does not respond even after I give ample wait time, I provide a sentence stem or starter to see if that helps give them some inertia to get their thoughts rolling. Often they have the answer in their heads but they just have trouble put it in a sentence grammatically. The sentence stem helps with that.

Teach Students to Self-Advocate
Teaching students to self-advocate gives them power and makes them feel that they can control over their learning. I like to do this be explicitly teaching my students what to say when they don't have an answer. Instead of saying, "I don't know," here's what you can say (see picture of anchor chart)...

May I please have some more information?

May I have some time to think?

Would you please repeat the question?

May I ask a friend for help?​

​
Conferring is a critical piece of instruction in a workshop setting. For me I think of it as diagnostic. Like when I go to the doctor's office and I'm in the room with the doctor alone and she's examining me, asking me questions and assessing my needs. The conference with students is similar. We meet individually to assess students' needs. Where are they in their reading, what are their indidivual needs, where do I need to take them next?
Conferring helps us as teachers build instruction for small groups. Yes, conferring is super important. But working one-on-one is not efficient when you have 20+ students in your classroom. If I have 5 or 6 kids with the same need, it's more efficient to pull them together in a small group and work with them at once rather than to meet individually with each of them and tell them all the same thing.
Conferring is a great for diagnostics. But after conferring, we have to reflect and use that information to guide our next steps in instruction.
Resources:. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
​Fountas, I. C., & Pinnell, G. S. (2017). Guided reading: responsive teaching across the grades
Calkins, L. (2015). A guide to the reading workshop, primary grades
Calkins, L. (2015). A guide to the reading workshop, intermediate grades. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

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Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/building-better-word-wall

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Transferring ownership of the class word wall to the students can increase their engagement and learning.

Courtesy of Justine Marie Bruyère

It was raining again. My second-grade students were indoors for recess and enjoying free time when a student approached me and asked, "How do I spell because?" I responded, "That's a tricky one-have you checked the word wall?"

The student answered with a familiar tune, "Oh yeah! I forget about the wall sometimes, it's so high up." She waltzed over to the word wall and craned her neck to find the word because written at the top of the wall, in my handwriting.

A few moments later, "Mrs. Bruyère?" I looked up to see another student. He paused, then said, "T, e, n, i, s, e, e-how do I spell Tennessee again?"

For 13 years I fiddled with word wall systems, hoping to uncover one that worked for the learners in my class. When the word wall works, the classroom begins to move more fluidly, so it has always seemed worth the effort to improve it.

Taking Action

On a Monday morning soon after that rainy day, I called a class meeting to ask my students for their ideas on how to improve the word wall. A funny and bright student spoke first, "I sort of forget the wall is there most of the time." No one disagreed. Another student chimed in, "The wall doesn't have the words I need on it. I know how to spell all-OK, most-of those words already, but the words I need aren't there."

Another problem was placement. It was too high-in fact it was hard for some students to see the entire top row of words clearly.

My students shared many ideas during our class meeting that day. Eventually, they selected a section of wall for our words-a section that was accessible to them-and we affixed laminated sheets of white paper to the wall, one for each letter of the alphabet.

A 5-Step Process for Improving the Word Wall

1. Finding the right location: I started by asking my students to find the most accessible place in the room for a student-created word wall.

2. Establishing rules together: I asked my students how the wall should function. For example, would they like to draw pictures or tape pictures next to the words? My students decided not to use pictures, but many classes would make the opposite call.

How do students want to manage the wall? And who will write words on the wall-the teacher or the students? My students decided that they would be the ones to add words to the wall. First a student writes a "striving to spell" word on a recipe card, and a friend checks it. I complete an additional check to guide and nurture in-the-moment phonics and feature learning. This nurturing takes on different forms with each child. In one case, it might be stretching the child to notice digraphs or diphthongs, and in another instance it may look like asking a students to explain what they know about the sounds in the words son, done, and tone.

Once those steps are complete, the student who came up with the word records it on the word wall.

Do students want to use certain colors for certain types of words? Color-coding can be a very helpful clue, and my students decided that on their wall, Dolch or grade-level words would be written in blue, nouns in pink, action verbs in green, and adjectives in orange.
Courtesy of Justine Marie Bruyère

"Do you think that would be a good word to add to our word wall?"

"I wonder if we can make a list of words that would fit into this word family?"

"This week, I noticed that 'irr' makes the 'er' sound in squirrel. What new word surprised you this week?"

"If you need help with the word different, that's Kyle's word. He has offered to share his method!"

"What other words have a sneaky first letter?"

3. Igniting real conversations and connections to words: Try asking questions or offering tips. A few suggestions:

4. Conferring with students to heighten learning: Occasionally, students will spell a word on the word wall incorrectly. For these cases, I use one-to-one teacher time to do a quick activity, make reference to a text, or play a comparison game to draw the student's attention to common misspellings and the correct spelling of the word.

5. Celebrating the words: During share time, I encourage students to view the wall and share a reflection about a word that they added, used, or better understand now because it's on the wall. During this time, I also promote and support new additions to the wall.

After a few weeks of using our revamped word wall, a student asked how to spell Tennessee. The boy who had asked me originally jumped up and said, "That's my word!" He hopped over to his word and ran his finger along the letters, while explaining his method for remembering to add two S's.

What was the most important aspect of changing the wall? You might think it was spelling-related, but it wasn't. The most important aspect of the new word wall was that it was not created by me for them. This wall was created with their hands and held their words, and it provided evidence of their learning.

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Transferring ownership of the class word wall to the students can increase their engagement and learning.

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https://tankhuynh.com/scaffolding-instruction/

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This article on scaffolding learning for ELLs is Part 15 of WIDA's Essential Actions Series. Click here to read the first article in the series .

In education, scaffolding doesn't mean literally constructing planks and poles against the side of a building. It's a metaphor for providing students with temporary, supportive structures that, just like in constructing a structure, are "gradually removed as the building nears completion." (Riddett, 2015). When a student demonstrates proficient independence, the scaffold is no longer needed (Gibbons, 2002).
Our ELs' achievement is directly related to my ability to scaffold learning experiences.
Scaffolding is the focus of Action 12 in E ssential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards (Gottlieb, 2013). Categorized under three groups - sensory, graphic, or interactive - scaffolding can be incorporated during the lesson cycle or within an assessment task. Without scaffolding, ELs often struggle needlessly to access grade-level content and are less able to perform well academically.

In this article, we'll examine three core kinds of scaffolding and explain how they're best applied.

Research Says

There's a significant body of research around the practice of using scaffolds to support instruction. Here are some key findings found in WIDA's Essential Actions :

Instructional supports empower ELs to achieve academically and access grade-level material (Gottlieb, 2013).

Using a range and variety of instructional support tools enables ELs to engage with grade-level objectives and content (Gottlieb, Katz, & Ernst-Slavit, 2009; Himmele & Himmele, 2009).

Instructional supports can also be built into assessments to empower ELs to express their understanding and demonstrate their skills (Gottlieb, 2006).

The research highlights the need to provide various forms of scaffolding to support instruction and performance on assessments. Learning new content that is often abstract is difficult enough; learning it in an unfamiliar language adds a level of difficulty that native speakers do not experience. Scaffolding provides ELs with greater access to content and facilitates the demonstration of their learning.

Sensory Scaffolding

Sensory scaffolds allow ELs to use their senses to understand abstract concepts or learn new ideas. For most students, using visuals and manipulatives are effective forms of sensory scaffolding because images and gestures contain meaning without a dependence on language. Additionally, for Entering ELs, it's the most effective kind of scaffolding in general because there are fewer language barriers to understanding.

For example, the tactile nature of conducting a science lab invites ELs to manipulate objects in order to construct the meaning of abstract concepts. Besides tactile scaffolds, educators can use visuals as another useful form of instructional aids. Humans are visual learners because, with our eyes, we can take a large amount of information in at once and use it to construct meaning. Like tactile scaffolds, visual aids help students understand abstract concepts easier than printed texts can.

When physical objects and visuals are combined together, they offer even more opportunities to access content. For example, Mr. A (a science teacher) wanted to teach his students the concept of food chains and food webs. He designed an activity where the students received strips of paper that each contained an animal. Students then moved the strips of paper around to reconstruct the food web.

The ELs benefited from physically moving the cards around to internalize how food chains and food webs work. These concepts would have remained abstract for many ELs had they simply read the descriptions.

Interactive Scaffolding

As much as human beings are visual learners, they're also social learners too. This is why in addition to sensory and tactile support, educators should integrate social interaction into the lesson design. For ELs, social scaffolding is an excellent opportunity to use language for meaningful purposes. ELs have to use language and content to discuss ideas, offer observations, and form opinions. In the process, they synthesize content knowledge and internalize language.

Interactive scaffolds are essentially a kind of learning through collaboration, and are best used with ELs who like socializing. My ELs collaborate in these three specific categories: synthesizing knowledge, planning actions, and creating products. There are many easy ways to design student interaction in the lesson cycle. This Edutopia article from Sarah Wike Loyola entitled " In language classrooms, students should be talking " explains why interactive scaffolds are effective and provides a list of five structures we can implement.

Another fantastic interactive scaffold is the jigsaw because it makes students internalize one aspect of the new content, learn to listen carefully when peers present their aspect, and work collaboratively to piece all the things they've learned to create new understanding.

Mr. J's 7th grade history class provides an perfect example of a jigsaw. Wanting students to learn the different parts of a river, he assigned each table group to study a specific part of the river (top, middle, end). Students researched their assigned parts (Researching phase). After a period of researching, he had them form a new groups. This new group had students who were experts from the top, middle, and end groups.

They then shared their research with each other (Presenting phase). Finally, students returned back to their original grouping, and they worked in their groups to formulate a thorough understanding of all the parts of the river (Co-constructing phase). Here is an image to help you visualize Mr. J's jigsaw.

Mr. J could have taken the traditional route to deliver the content, but instead he empowered his students to collaboratively learn content while developing communication and interpersonal skills. I recommend using jigsaw when a unit has a lot of content. This way, the content can be segmented and reinforces learning through inquiry. If you'd like to learn more about the practice, I encourage going directly to Jigsaw Classroom , t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n r e s p o n s i b l e f o r creating the jigsaw itself.

Of all the interactive scaffolds that I use, I prefer Think-Pair-Share (TPS) the most because of how easy it is to implement. To foster comprehensible input , ELs often need to pause during instruction and synthesize the content that was just presented before learning new content. This is when TPS is an effective tool. During Visible Reading , I might ask, "What did you learn from reading the last few paragraphs? Let's do a TPS to synthesize what we learned". I let them think for about a minute. Then they turn to a partner, whom I assign, and share their thinking.

TPS is like a verbal Quick Write . Students are given a prompt, given time to think about it, and then orally share their understanding of it. Their responses are not graded, but they do provide a wealth of formative data on their understanding.

Jennifer Gonzalez, a highly-regarded education blogger, wrote an extensive article about TPS on her blog, Cult of Pedagogy . She consistently produces valuable content that can be easily implemented by the busy teacher.

The most important principle that I want to share about interactive scaffolds is that if something is important for students to internalize, use an interactive scaffold (mainly TPS) to have them verbalize it. If they can correctly articulate it, they've owned it.

Graphic Scaffolding

Scaffolding using graphic supports means teaching through charts, tables, and graphic organizers that morph numbers and data into visual representations. Graphic scaffolds are particularly effective when teachers want to communicate highly abstract concepts or show the relationships between things in a phenomenon.

Because graphic supports are texts with visuals, they should be treated as texts. It's vital that teachers demonstrate close reading skills when explaining charts, graphs, tables, and timelines because it usually takes multiple readings for a student to fully comprehend the graphic's ideas.

Since graphic supports usually lack the storytelling element inherent in visuals, we need to provide more guided support in reading them. The title is often the most important place to start when reading graphs, tables, and charts because it provides the main purpose of the graphic. For example, the table below from a scaffolded science lab report contains a title that orients ELs to the table.

When reading graphs, remind your students to pay careful attention to the "X" and "Y" axis on a graph or read the individual slices of a pie chart. Moreover, because they are highly abstract, I prefer to reserve using them only with ELs who have highly developed cognitive abilities.

Interactive tables - where the teacher designs a table with items the students are to fill in - are the most frequently used form of graphic support employed by content teachers. While charts, graphs, and timelines scaffold ELs' understanding of content knowledge, interactive tables empower ELs to communicate it.

Because tables are a form of writing, they should be treated like an act of reading. Educators have to directly teach ELs how to interact with a table and how to fill the empty spaces. Make sure that students must not be overwhelmed by a number of things the table is asking them to produce. Keep it simple.

The following table was co-created with Mr. Arno to help ELs produce a lab report. Notice how it helps ELs provide the necessary information for the "Materials" section and only asks for two things at a time.

Takeaways

Scaffolding is used to erect stunning buildings. Though we're not in the construction business, we are trying to impart knowledge, skills, and mindsets will serve students long after they've left our classrooms.

Scaffolding helps students develop the skills that they can later call on and build upon in their future endeavors.

Gottlieb, M. (2006). Assessing English language learners: Bridges from language proficiency to academic achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Gottlieb, M., Katz, A., & Ernst-Slavit, G. (2009). Paper to practice: Using the English language proficiency standards in PreK-12 classrooms. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Gottlieb, M. (2013). Essential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards . Madison: Board of Regents of the U of Wisconsin System.

Himmele, P., & Himmele, W. (2009). The language-rich classroom: A research-based framework for teaching English language learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Riddett, C. (2015, April 2). The teaching learning cycle. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teaching-learning-cycle-christopher-riddett

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#34. Three Types of Scaffolding: There's a Scaffold for That - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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How three types of scaffolding instruction (sensory, graphic, interactive) can empower ELLs to access content and develop academic language skills.

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Language scaffolds: Lowering the barriers to comprehension

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Language scaffolds: Lowering the barriers to comprehension

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https://tankhuynh.com/language-scaffolds/

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One of my most viewed posts is on the three main types of scaffolding: sensory, interactive, and graphics . Galina (Halla) Jmourko commented on the post saying that I actually left out two other important forms of scaffolding: language and emotional scaffolding.

Jmourko was right!

These two additional forms of scaffolding further help ELs access content, communicate their understanding, and feel safe being a part of our schools. I'll describe language scaffolding in more detail today and will explore emotional scaffolding next week.

Jmourko's detailed list of these two scaffolds is included below. What she calls "Verbal and Textual Supports" can be grouped under what I call "Language Scaffolding". Though our terminology is different, the concept is the same: make the language more accessible to empower ELs to communicate.

I adapted her list and organized the scaffolds into two categories:

language scaffolds for Beginning ELs and

language scaffolds for Developing ELs.

Because Beginning ELs are learning language at the vocabulary and phrase level, there are particular scaffolds used for them. Developing ELs are learning language at the sentence level, so they also get specific scaffolds that are not appropriate for Beginning ELs.

Language Scaffolding: Beginning MLs

Oftentimes, the language we speak or the texts we give students are significantly beyond some ELs' current ability to comprehend. Therefore, to scaffold challenging language for Beginning ELs, we can:

Use labeling: connect key words with visuals

Use repetition: develop familiarity with the words by having ELs repeat them

Provide word banks: take the guesswork out for students by identifying key words

Incorporate a student's home language: let ELs process content in their native language

Because the first three strategies are widely used, I will zoom in on one of the most shunned yet most effective practices for ELs at any stage - incorporating their home languages.

Home Language: A valuable tool

When working with students who are brand new to English, I reach for the asset they already bring with them from their home countries: their home languages . There's no English-only policy in my classroom! All languages are welcomed at anytime.

I like to think of allowing ELs to use their home languages as being like swimming with both our arms and legs. Conversely, English-only policies are like trying to swim with your just arms. It's possible to swim with just your arms... but it's tiring, less effective, and frustrating.

Don't assume that your content teachers will automatically be opposed to this strategy either. Using students' home languages is appealing to content teachers because it helps ELs quickly access content without a language barrier. ELs can process content in any language!

For example, Mr. James (a 7th grade Individuals and Society teacher - IB language for social studies teacher) wanted students to watch a video about the that was, understandably, narrated in English. However, we have several Beginning ELs who would not be able to understand the complex language used in it. So we allowed them to watch the video using subtitles from their own language to scaffold their understanding and make sure they were getting a fair shot at comprehending what was actually going on.

Doing this allowed our Beginning EL students to:

1. learn the same content as other students and

2. feel that they are like other students - capable of understanding complex information.

Teachers who use this asset-based approach to supporting ELs believe that ELs can learn grade-level content and that home languages are a powerful tool that facilitates learning.

Language Scaffolding: Developing MLs

Once our ELs have progressed further in English, we should still continue to offer language scaffolds that foster their academic language skills . While scaffolds for Beginning ELs mainly focus on building vocabulary, Developing ELs need more guidance on communicating in sentences and extended texts.

The following five types of scaffolding help Developings ELs:

Understand complex ideas in written and spoken texts, and

Communicate complex ideas in writing and in speech

1. Modified Texts

Some texts have more information than is really needed, while others don't provide enough context. When modifying a text, teachers can add in the missing context or omit details that aren't essential to the main idea.

I sometimes like to modify the language of the text to be more EL-friendly. This includes restructuring overly complex sentences filled with dependent clauses that overwhelm an ELs reading skills. If ELs have developed academic language skills in their home languages, then I leave sentences with complex structures intact to give them a chance to read in academic English.

Additionally, when there is a challenging vocabulary word, I might add a short definition or provide a synonym beside it. This keeps the academic register of the text at a high level, while also making it easy for new academic language to be incorporated into an EL's lexicon.

For example, the image below is taken from a text by NPR called " This scientist aims high to save the world's coral reefs ". I copied the entire article into a Google Doc and added "waste from companies, factories" behind the term "industrial waste" to make the concept more understandable.

We provide modified texts so that ELs can have greater access to the content. Texts in content classes should not be reading assessments for ELs. Instead, they should be sources of information. In short, if ELs don't understand the text, they won't gain any information so it is more important in content classes to make the language accessible to them so they can understand the highest level content possible.

2. Guiding Questions

ELs with developing academic language skills also benefit from having guiding questions as they watch a video, read an article, or engage in a discussion. Guiding questions help narrow in on the details that the ELs have to focus on. For example, when the ELs were reading the above article about coral reefs, I asked the students to look for the consequences of a highly acidic ocean.

3. Leveled Questions

Jmourko also suggests using probing and clarifying questions. I have housed these two types together under the category "Leveled Questions".

After students watch a video or read a text and are about to engage in a discussion, we can ask identifying and describing questions, such as those that begin with , , , , and . After students correctly answer these questions, we can move to more higher-order questions, such as those that begin with .

If I notice that my ELs are struggling to answer the identifying questions, I stop to clarify their understanding by re-watching or re-reading a selected section. The magic of Leveled Questions is that it has this built-in formative assessment feature that can double as differentiation.

4. Sentence Starters

Academic language has a particular way of structuring sentences which is quite different than social language. The example below illustrates the difference:

When we use sentence starters with ELs, we model the language of academic writing. Sentence starters provide just the first part of the response; ELs are expected to pick up where it leaves off.

Without sentence starters, ELs might know the answer but not know how to start it off or become stuck on how to form the sentence. If your ELs say they don't know how to communicate an idea, that's a sign to use a sentence starter.

5. Sentence Frames

The ability to logically string ideas together like pearls on a necklace is an indicator of deep understanding and critical thinking. ELs are highly critical thinkers but often need some support. And one such form of support is Sentence Framing. A sentence frame provides the beginning of an idea and also contains a transition to another related idea. The transition is what ELs often omit in their writings or discussions and is what distinguishes this scaffold from sentence starters.

The example below is from Mr. Arno's science lab report template . We designed sentence frames so that students could use science-specific language correctly. Additionally, these sentence frames steered students' thinking as they designed their experiments.

Takeaways

When we scaffold language for ELs, we create a bridge between language and content. Teachers who expect ELs to learn grade-level content and master content-specific skills scaffold language to make this possible. Contrary to popular perception, scaffolding language is not about lowering the rigor of a task. Instead, it's about providing lots of support to maintain high academic standards.

How do you scaffold language in your class? Leave a comment below.

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#91. Language Scaffolds: Lowering the Barriers to Comprehension - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Maintain high academic expectations by reducing the language barrier by providing specific language scaffolding for Beginning to Developing ELs.

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Word up: The Must Dos of vocabulary instruction

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Word up: The Must Dos of vocabulary instruction

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/word-must-dos-vocabulary-instruction-rebecca-alber

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A while ago, I wrote a post called Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching Vocabulary which spells out (get it?) the process and rationale for selecting certain vocabulary words and also describes six steps for teaching new words.

Here, I'm going to add to that earlier musing on this topic by offering up some must dos that took me a few years down the teaching road to figure out.

Must Do #1: Be Very Selective

As for vocabulary lists, less is better. Long lists of words just don't stick. We have to ask ourselves as teachers: Are we killing class time by having students labor through defining and writing sentences for a big heap of words or do we really, really want them to use these words out in the world? If the answer is the latter, then each week, be very, very selective. I usually had about seven words per two-week unit that I really wanted my students to own. That doesn't mean they won't be exposed to many other new, or semi-familiar, words -- words that will be given attention as they read and write. It just means that during your unit, the spotlight will be on a very select group.

When you choose, choose high frequency words. These are words students can often use in all subject areas, and words your students are more apt to experiment with out in the world or in another learning setting. (See the post I mentioned earlier which describes Isabel Beck's three tiers of vocabulary words; high frequency words are tier two words.)

And once those big-bang-for-your-buck words are chosen, you will want to really own those as a whole class -- including you, the teacher. Let's talk about that . . .

Must Do #2 Use the Words Every Day

Pull those words out of isolation in that novel or textbook and use them every day and every way you can. Include them when speaking with students, for example, "Wow, our glue sticks are becoming scarce. I better order more!"

And challenge students to take those words out of the room. Assign a Word Challenge each week: "Okay, class, we will all go out into the world and use the word scarce this week. Be ready to report how and where you used it." And, sure, keep having those weekly vocabulary quizzes, and in addition, solidify those words even more by including them in the directions you write for daily tasks and assignments.

Must Do #3: Prominently Display the Words

Create a word wall that uses images, examples, analogies, and connections to their own worlds. Challenge students to the task of creating photos of themselves that put the words into action, for example, one student may show that her Halloween candy bag is nearly empty. In the photo, she has a sad, sad face as she points to the two or three candies left. The photo (or drawing) is displayed next to the word, you guessed it, scarce. Another student has written next to the word on a sticky note, "the opposite of abundant," while someone else has placed lyrics from a popular song where the word scarce appears.

Must Do #4 Revisit Past Words

Keep an ongoing list displayed in the classroom of all the words you have "owned" as a class. Periodically revisit and challenge students to use them, for example, in a one-minute essay or a quick write. Also, when writing those instructions for current tasks and assignments, use words from the past as well.

Must Do #5 Assess Application

Buy-in from students during those daily vocabulary activities will be greater if students know they will be held accountable for using the words in their big project, paper, or presentation at the end of the unit. So when assigning a summative assessment, whether it be, for example, a processed essay or a presentation using Prezi, include in the grading criteria or rubric that students must use words they have studied and owned as a class (present and past vocabulary). How many? You decide. But remember, less is better.

Teachers, when it comes to vocabulary learning and teaching, what are your must dos? Please share in the comments section below.

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Word Up: The Must Dos of Vocabulary Instruction

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A while ago, I wrote a post called Doing It Differently: Tips for Teaching Vocabulary which spells out (get it?) the process and rationale for selecting certain vocabulary words and also describes six steps for teaching new words.

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Start with what they know: Building background knowledge

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Start with what they know: Building background knowledge

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https://tankhuynh.com/building-background-knowledge/

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Some people like surprises, like when someone throws you a surprise birthday party. But in education, surprises tend to leave ELs confused, not energized. There's no context for learning the new information and nothing for them to tether current learning to past experiences. Before surprising your ELs with new information, building on their background knowledge helps provide solid ground for them to build on new knowledge.

In this third article in the Sheltered Instruction Series, I share the key points of building background knowledge.

Building background knowledge is so important that it is considered a key component of sheltered instruction. In Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th Edition) (SIOP Series) , Echevarria, Vogt, and Short recommend three things when trying to establish background knowledge :

Make clear links between past learning and new concepts

Emphasize key vocabulary terms (2017).

(Side note: If you happen to purchase this book, it supports the blog).

Explicitly link concepts to students' background experiences

I'm currently teaching a 10th grade English unit around the concept of Because this was the first unit of the year and because I didn't know my students in this class, it was difficult for me to connect to their background experiences.

Instead, I had students connect to the universal concepts in the texts we viewed.

For example, we read The Hunger Games to start exploring this concept of heros. As we read, we identified other concepts such as:

By looking at this list of universal concepts , students could easily find personal experiences that connected to these concepts. For example, Vina connected to the concept of control by explaining how her parents control her in different ways and to different degrees. She then analyzed how the Capitol controls the districts in different ways, the cruelest of which is by creating the Hunger Games.

1. Values what ELs bring to class as assets,

2. Fosters greater comprehension of content and

3. Develops ELs' critical thinking skills

Allowing ELs to connect to concepts in this way:

Make clear links between past learning and new concepts

Because this was the first unit of the year, I didn't have any prior units to connect new concepts to past learning. Instead, I decided to connect concepts between the resources used in our , which included:

We started by watching and reading articles related to Thistle Thorns a social enterprise that supports women escaping from prostitution, trafficking and drug use. Students identified several concepts from these resources (ie: service, compassion, abuse, escapism, seeking belonging).

The next class, we went to visit a Lao-based social enterprise called Xao Ban . Students toured the facilities and interviewed Ms. Nongnut, the founder, to learn how one might consider her a hero. Once back in class, they had a Harkness ( student-led discussion ) to compare the concepts from Thistle Farm and Xao Ban.

Though these two social enterprises were different in many ways, students were able to identify concepts that were similar to both. We didn't just move from video to article to field trip. Instead, we purposefully returned to the previous resources to make sense of the current resource.

Emphasize key vocabulary terms

Lacking proficiency in academic vocabulary is one of the main reasons why many ELs experience the fossilization of their English skills . It also significantly impacts their achievement because ELs are not able to access academic text or communicate using academic language.

In my unit on heroes, I emphasize key academic command terms , such as:

Describe the conflict between President Trump and some NFL players.

Compare NFL players with the characters in The Hunger Games.

Argue your opinion about how the NFL players are protesting Trump.

Then, I make sure the assignments we have circle back to and reinforce those vocabulary terms. One way to do this is by brainstorming writing topics for homework based on the resource we reviewed in class. The topics themselves need to use one of these key academic words. For example, after reading the New York Times article about N.F.L. players' responses to Trump's tweets, students identified three writing prompts they might explore further in writing:

describe a phenomenon,

sequence events,

compare ideas,

describe the cause-effect relationship,

identify a problem,

suggest a plausible solution or

argue a claim in there other classes.

I know what you're thinking: These aren't words related to the Heroes Unit! But our priority should be helping ELs develop academic language proficiency , not just learn content for one unit. By integrating these terms in the lesson, ELs understand them when they're expected to:

Takeaways

Surprises can be unpleasant, but we can make learning experiences less surprising by building background knowledge between new content and students' experiences. These three ways to build background knowledge bridge this divide. Without them, it's certain that some students will be left behind by the divide in experiences, while others forge on ahead.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME, & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model. Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson.

Nora, Julie, and Jana Echevarria. No More Low Expectations for English Learners . Heinemann, 2016.

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#83. Start with What They Know: Building Background Knowledge - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Building background knowledge is one component of sheltered instruction. When this happens, it provides an avenue to access content for ELs.

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https://tankhuynh.com/el-friendly-instruction/

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When I first moved to Laos to teach, I didn't understand any Lao, so people resorted to pointing and gesturing to help me comprehend their ideas. The kind ladies in the market didn't expect me to go back to the U.S. to learn Lao at a proficient level before communicating. They met me where I was... And they wanted to help.

Likewise, we have to meet our ELs where they are in their language development . We can do this by employing specific strategies that establish comprehensible input . This article, therefore, is about making instruction more understandable for ELs by focusing on comprehensible input. It forms Part 3 of the Sheltered Instruction series.

In Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th Edition) (SIOP Series) , Echevarria, Vogt, and Short recommend the following strategies to make content comprehensible:

speech appropriate for students' proficiency levels

clear explanations of academic tasks and

a variety of techniques used to make content concepts clear (28).

Speech appropriate for students' proficiency levels

There are so many things that I can tackle this first recommendation: vocabulary, speech, body language, and more. However, more important than teachers speak to ELs is they speak.

Teachers often talk more than students can process the information. Some teachers see instruction as delivering content , but they should really think about teaching as facilitating understanding

Imagine a pizza pie. When it's delivered, it comes pre-sliced into small pieces because it's unpleasant and impossible to shove an entire pizza pie down our throats. Likewise, we have to deliver content in pre-sliced portions to enable ELs to talk about content in a manageable way.

A simple way to chunk content is to invite students to talk to each other about it. I chunk information by dividing it into:

There are numerous discussion structures that pedagogy guru Jennifer Gonzales recommends, but the easiest ones I recommend are:

These are low-prep structures that let ELs pause anywhere from 1-3 minutes to process what they've learned. Regardless of the structure you use, we must shift from talking at ELs to inviting discussion about content.

Clear expectations of academic tasks

Academic tasks are meant to be challenging, but when compounded with learning a new language, they can make ELs feel like Sisyphus eternally rolling his heavy boulder uphill only to watch it come crashing back down again. We want to stretch, not snap our students. It's actually quite simple to make academic tasks more comprehensible to ELs: use images.

We often think of using images to communicate vocabulary words or an event. But images can also represent a series of steps required of a complex task. For example, when I was co-planning with Ms. Lauren and Mr. Lucas (two 8th grade history teachers), they explained an activity they designed to help students think about some statistics related to using resources.

As they described the steps, I realized that even though I'm a native English user, I was still confused To help me and the students understand, I converted the steps into the flowchart below. The flowchart visually guides students through the initially complex process. It didn't lower the rigor of the task; it simply made the expectations clearer.

Later, after the lesson, Ms. Lauren said that she noticed how much the flowchart was helping all of her students, not just the ELs. This was another good reminder that when we co-plan, it's more about who's receiving ELs services than who's labeled as an EL.

We typically help ELs in first developing social language and then move to mastering academic language. However, students who are born to an English-speaking family already have established social language skills, so we need to focus on fostering academic language proficiency. But, as teachers of language acquisition, we can offer our support to non-ELs as well when they too need to understand and use academic language.

A variety of techniques used to make content concepts clear

One overarching technique to make content clearer is scaffolding, which is the process of using various techniques develop understanding of a concept. Scaffolding is particularly important for when teaching ELs. When a concept is particularly abstract and complex, we use different ways to scaffold their understanding. The more scaffolding provided, the more bridges to understanding.

An earlier article I wrote on the various forms of scaffolding describes the use of:

sensory scaffolds (ie: models, manipulatives, visuals)

interactive scaffolds (ie: discussions, partner work, dramatizations) and

graphic scaffolds (ie: tables, charts, timelines, infographics)

Comprehensible Input with Technology

We should also consider the use of technology to establish comprehensible input as it can contain elements of sensory, interactive, and graphic scaffolding. Our students are born into an age that expects them to be digital natives, and integrating technology not only increases their familiarity with it, it also encourages interaction with the content.

For example, John Sowash created this timeline in Google Drawing to improve his students' comprehensible input of historical events. There are boxes for events, wars and people involved that students were to move around to the correct location.

Sowash's timeline contains visuals, encourages students to learn through interactions, and the content is presented graphically - all elements of scaffolding.

Engaging with content by using scaffolds or technology shifts passive learning into active learning. For ELs, the more active the learning, the more they're able to retain. When we make content clearer, it really means designing lessons that invite ELs to engage, think, and create. Regardless of the tech you use, I still encourage incorporating technology in the classroom to prompt active learning and to establish comprehensible input .

[Side note] Sowash and I were part of Tony Vincent's Class Graphics course, which I highly recommend tech-oriented teachers enroll in.

Takeaways

When teaching ELs , we need to focus on what they can do instead of what they can't do yet . Likewise, we have to look in the mirror and focus on what can do to establish comprehensible input. Making content comprehensible is not about lowering our expectations for ELs. It's about using specific techniques to maintain high expectations for students .

With these three strategies, educators can make challenging academic content comprehensible. And, in doing so, uphold the promise to provide every student with the same high quality education they deserve.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME, & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model. Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson.

Nora, Julie, and Jana Echevarria. No More Low Expectations for English Learners . Heinemann, 2016.

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#85. Comprehensible Input: Making Instruction ML-Friendly - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Establishing comprehensible input is required for ELs to learn content. Learn about three specific strategies to develop comprehensible input.

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https://tankhuynh.com/chunking-instruction/

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#79. How to Chunk Instruction: Making Instruction ML-Friendly - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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If I was given only 10 minutes to offer EL-best practices , I would share strategies that: require no additional prep time can be used across content areas Chunking instruction, the act of intentionally pacing instruction to deliver one idea at a time or one step at a time, is a strategy that fulfills these two requirements while significantly improving learning for ELs.

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6 scaffolding strategies to use with your students

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6 scaffolding strategies to use with your students

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/scaffolding-lessons-six-strategies-rebecca-alber

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6 Scaffolding Strategies to Use With Your Students

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Support every student by breaking learning up into chunks and providing a concrete structure for each.

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Doing it differently: Tips for teaching vocabulary 

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Doing it differently: Tips for teaching vocabulary 

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/vocabulary-instruction-teaching-tips-rebecca-alber

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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https://tankhuynh.com/28-comprehensible-output/

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Last week, I described strategies that empower ELs to understand instructions. This is one of two priorities for an EL teacher; scaffolding student engagement is the second. The first focus enables ELs to understand what we expect of them, while the second one propels them to communicate to their fullest ability.

Comprehensible Output: The Hypothesis

Merrill Swain , the originator of the comprehensible output hypothesis, suggested that people learn language by noticing that one uses it incorrectly. The learner then corrects herself and uses language that correctly follows the grammatical rules (1985). (1998) strongly disagrees with Swain's hypothesis.

When I talk comprehensible output, I am not referring to Swain's hypothesis. Instead, I see comprehensible output to mean anything the student is doing to demonstrate understanding. This can mean engaging in learning experiences or completing assessments. I borrowed the term "comprehensible output" because content teachers usually need help in two areas:

1. getting the EL to understand instruction (comprehensible input) and

2. determining if the EL understands the instruction (comprehensible output).

The output produced by ELs indicates the degree to which they comprehend the instructions and content. With this formative information, teachers can modify instruction.

Comprehensible Output: What Students Can Do

Comprehensible output is (Haynes, n.d). the belief that ELs can communicate at the level of their language proficiency ELs and non-ELs can demonstrate similar understandings in different ways. Indeed, forcing an EL to communicate in ways that are beyond their current language capabilities often frustrates them and creates an emotional distance between them and school - further widening the education gap. After ELs understand the instructions, I offer differentiated tasks that allow them to communicate their understanding in alternative forms and in ways that honor their current language development.

The bottom turqouise section of the diagram below represents the variety of ways ELs can signal that they understand. It is broken up into four sections based on increasing language proficiency starting with Beginning and proceeding to Developing, Expanding, and ending at Bridging. The sequence of these categories also denotes the quantity of words ELs can produce orally and in writing.

For Beginning ELs, maybe all they can do is gesture and repeat a few words, while Bridging ELs can independently merge written text, voice, and images together to create something new and sophisticated.Housed in this menu of options is the belief that communication isn't limited to printed or spoken words - gestures, images and videos also have a valid place within any classroom.

You will find a fully completed diagram at the end of this blog. It's a free downloadable PDF.

Beginning MLs

Even though Beginning ELs are not as proficient in English compared to other ELs, they can still point, label, match, and gesture to show understanding. Though these forms of output are not as linguistically sophisticated as writing extended pieces of text, they do demonstrate comprehension.

Beginning ELs, for example, can be expected to produce oral or written words or simple phrases. Watch this video of me working with Zhang Ho, a 7th grader from China. The science teacher wanted him to know some specific science vocabulary. Based on Zhang Ho's English skills, gesturing while saying the vocabulary words was sufficient evidence of his understanding.

The newer the EL is to English, the more I lean on technology as a crutch to produce comprehensible output. Google Translate is an EL teacher's best friend - always there to help but sometimes adding to the confusion. By providing easy rewordings that simply teacher instructions, Google Translate explicitly honors the importance of students' home languages and frees ELs to display intelligence when their current English level betrays them.

Here's a screenshot from Zhang Ho's history project created in Google Slides . He was expected to analyze the impact of dams. Notice the academic quality of his writing, which he initially wrote in Chinese and then used Google Translate to communicate in English. Zhang Ho's use of the before and after images were additional tools that communicated his analytical thinking. These pictures carried us along his analysis when his words no longer could.

I also recommend watching this by , a passionate, experienced education consultant specializing in EL instruction and author of Carol Salva Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education. She describes what Beginning ELs can do in a secondary setting even when students have interrupted educations or no prior educational experience. Carol works miracles!

Developing MLs

Developing ELs can transition from gesturing basic ideas to communicating through graphs and images that incorporate simple text. These ELs can be expected to produce text at the sentence level because they have a growing stockpile of basic and content-specific words. They can stitch these words together to form simple - though often grammatically inaccurate - sentences.

Here is a series of images Ayaka drew to demonstrate her understanding of the main ideas in this World Vision's video on access to clean water . Notice how she produced simple sentences with basic vocabulary words to communicate her ideas. Ayaka is morphing from an EL who used to point, label, and gesture to a student who can use images combined with simple sentences to communicate her ideas.

I again depend on technology to scaffold Developing ELs' communication of ideas. Google Slides , Adobe Spark , , and are FANTASTIC ways for ELs to demonstrate their content knowledge and create from their understanding. The video and voice functions in these programs augment the limited text that ELs can produce.

Here's a video that Ho Jung created using Adobe Spark (there's a 10-sec intro). His fellow classmates were writing mini-reports in history class to describe early human life. Because Ho Jung was only able to create simple sentences, his history teacher and I honored his level of English by allowing him to produce basic sentences enhanced by the creative use of voice recording, images, and animation.

More importantly, these freemium programs promote critical thinking - requiring students to evaluate what content to use and how to communicate it. No longer just consumers of content, ELs become prosumers, people who consume and create content.

Expanding MLs

These ELs have sophisticated control of the English language. Educators can expect Expanding ELs to sew sentences together to form a coherent paragraph. Expanding ELs are able to learn text structures such as describe, sequence, cause-effect, problem-solution, and argument . Jennifer Gonzalez, one of my favorite education bloggers, explains how teaching text structures can increase students' comprehension of nonfiction texts.

Gonzalez suggests that as students are reading a text that describes an object, we can outline the traits and details of that object on a diagram. Doing so helps students see how a descriptive text structures sentences and paragraphs. I produced a mini-poster series called Bathroom Brief 18-23 that depicts each of the text structures.

Bridging MLs

Bridging ELs possess a heightened ability to switch from social to formal language on command. They're skilled enough to communicate divergent and analytical thoughts with precision, sophistication, and accuracy. Because of their ability to communicate connections between ideas, Bridging ELs should be expected to produce a central written message with multiple paragraphs and organize a coherent oral presentation aided by visuals, videos, graphs, charts, texts.

Service-learning is an appropriate output for Bridging ELs because of the rigorous demands on literacy needed to conduct research, organize findings, make suggestions, take actions, collaborate with others and reflect on the results. One notable example of service-learning is taken from Matt Colley's history class.

Students were to research a social issue they cared about such as LGBT rights, police brutality, and access to healthy foods. They then analyzed the root causes of the issue. Students were instructed to plan actions they could take to address the problem. After identifying how their social issue is manifested in their own communities , they started planning actions such as creating a petition, meeting with the mayor, and working with the school cafeteria to provide more access to healthier meals.

Service-learning bridges social and academic language because students have to be conscious about using the appropriate register. They use social language to plan and collaborate with classmates, but they shift to academic language when drafting their petition letter, writing an analysis of their survey to send to the superintendent, and organizing their presentation to a potential donor.

Takeaway

Now that I've adopted these two priorities - 1.) develop comprehensible input, then 2.) foster engagement - I see my work from a completely different perspective. I search from the menu of strategies for approaches that can develop comprehension, and I offer a rainbow of options to demonstrate their ideas in a way that honors the language they can produce. With these two lenses, I walk hand-in-hand with ELs as they learn to master English.

Next Post

I hoped you've enjoyed this short detour from WIDA's Essential Actions, though it is a tangent of Action 8's. Please visit the blog again next week when I'll share WIDA's Action 9 and describe ways to create a language-rich classroom. When ELs are creating with language and immersed in language, then they'll truly develop mastery and control of English.

Krashen, S. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning . Oxford: Pergamon Press.

Krashen, S. (1998). A Comprehensible Universe. 175-182. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-77626-0.

Swain, M. (1985) Communicative competence: Some roles of comprehensible input and comprehensible output in its development. In Gass, S. and Madden, C. (Eds.), Input in Second Language Acquisition, pp. 235-256. New York: Newbury House.

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#28. Comprehensible Output: What Students Can Do - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Comprehensible Output is how ELLs show they understand your content and instructions. Explore the output you should expect from ELLs at every level.

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https://tankhuynh.com/a27-comprehensible-input/

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Part 8 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series.

Did you get to read about Ayaka's story in the previous article? It illustrates how Entering ELs can engage in critical thinking activities even though they are completely new to English. In Ayaka's case, we focused on what we could do to help her learn and ignored all the rest until later. As I worked with Ayaka, I only had two priorities - first develop comprehensible input, then foster engagement.

This is teacher speak for: Students can participate if they understand the content and the instructions.

My first priority was to help Ayaka comprehend the instructions so that she can engage with the content. As her content knowledge grew, my role switched from translator to conductor - helping her communicate and apply her understanding. Ayaka's story demonstrated how these priorities directed my work with Entering ELS, and now we'll use the same framework to learn how to instruct ELs along a spectrum of language development.

The Diagram

The diagram below, divided into two sections, is the visual embodiment of these two priorities. The sky blue section represents the strategies that cultivate comprehensible input, which is the belief that students must understand what is being communicated in order to learn (Krashen, 1981). Comprehensible input is broken down into categories based on teacher involvement: Direct Instruction, Joint Construction, Coached Construction, and Monitoring. The most involved teaching occurs during Direct Instruction and is gradually reduced over the next three phases until students can independently use strategies to understand content and instruction.

The turquoise section denotes ways students themselves can demonstrate understanding, known as comprehensible output (Haynes, n.d), which I'll explain in the next post. This section categorizes ELs into four groups: Beginning, Developing, Expanding, and Bridging. This sequence also represents ELs' increasing mastery of English. The more skills an EL has internalized, the less teacher involvement is needed.

Comprehensible Input: What Teachers Can Do

Direct Instruction

At this phase of involvement, teachers are demonstrating strategies that develop comprehension. It's often called "Watch Me Do" or modeling.

My favorite strategy is using ELs' home languages to build understanding of the content and instructions. Teachers can use Google Translate as a tool that uses ELs' home languages like in the image below.

When our history teacher needed Zhang Ho, an Entering EL from China, to understand a project, I used Google Translate to make the directions accessible for him.

I directly taught Zhang Ho to use Google Translate as a temporary crutch to aid his comprehension. Although he watched as I modeled the strategy, I didn't ask for or incorporate his input.

Joint Construction

Once the teacher demonstrates these strategies, his role shifts from modeling to inviting students to participate in developing understanding. It's often referred to as "We Do".

This joint venture of constructing meaning is most appropriate for Developing ELs because they have cultivated enough social language to follow somewhat complex instructions but still require the guidance of an educator.

The main tool used in this phase is prompting. As a strategy is being demonstrated, the teacher gradually invites the students to contribute ideas. I use Joint Constructing to teach students reading strategie s. Below is a dialogue of what that sounds like:

[reading aloud a text] Women in Athens generally had no legal or political rights such as the right to own land and to vote. To summarize a sentence, we have to use our NVD strategy. What does the "N" stand for?
Student: It stands for noun. Mr. Tan: What is the most important noun in this sentence? Student: I think it's women in Athens.
Joint construction is key to an ELs' development because it shows them how to apply the strategies, and it weans them off their dependence on teachers to construct meaning.

Coached Construction

In this phase, the teacher coaches students to practice constructing meaning by reinforcing the strategies they have already learned. This phase is often called, "You do; I observe".

Coached Construction is most appropriate for Expanding ELs because they're capable of making meaning with growing independence.

By observing direct instruction and practicing joint construction over and over again, they've begun to internalize the need to use these comprehension strategies. Now, the teacher observes the students applying strategies on their own and offers suggestions only as needed.

Let's return to the guided reading from above. As students read the next section in pairs or small groups and work together to construct meaning, I observe and prompt them of strategies they could use. It might sound like this:
Airy: Wait, I'm confused by this sentence: "They could not hold (have) public office (work for the government) or go shopping. Dexter: Yeah, me too. I don't understand this symbol " ( ) ". Mr. Tan: Before you worry about the parentheses, let's focus Airy: Oh yeah, we have to find what "they" means. Dexter: Mr. Tan said we have to go back to the last sentence Airy: [reading the previous sentence]. Oh, I think the "they" means "Athenian women". to find the "they". on the word "they".
Monitoring

In contrast to Beginning, Developing, and Expanding ELs, Bridging ELs only need to be reminded of the strategies that establish comprehension. It can also be called, "You do; I check in".
Mr. Tan: Hi, Jessica and Jake. Can you tell me how your reading is going? Jessica: We're at this point in the text. Jake: It's about the housing in Athens. Mr. Tan: What part is challenging? Jessica: The words are easy but there's lots of details. Jake: Yeah. It's like hard to see all the details. Mr. Tan: What strategy did you use to "see" all the details. Jessica: We drew a picture of what the house to show all the details. Mr. Tan: How effective was that strategy? Jake: It helped us understand the details better.
No longer requiring constant supervision, Bridging ELs are usually the most independent ELs and can apply solutions to help cultivate understanding.

I use two methods to monitor Bridging ELs' understanding: 1) Quick Writes and 2) mini-conferences. Both of these approaches provide data on the ELs' progress, and both emphasize the need to provide daily, mini-opportunities for checking in. I'll return to the reading example above to explain what mini-conferences look like.

Takeaway

Nothing robs students of their enthusiasm for school more than the inability to understand instructions. Schools become isolating and disempowering places when students are unable to participate in activities with their peers.

No student should be stranded on an island surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar words.

As English language teachers, we can send liferafts their way. These liferafts are the strategies that make instructions understandable and content accessible. Every time we teach these strategies, ELs are less adrift in a sea of confusion. No matter how far an EL might seem from fully understanding English, we can light their way by making instruction comprehensible.

Next Post

In the next article, we'll explore the second priority when working with ELs - fostering engagement that honors the language skills they do have. I'll return to the diagram to describe the differences between what a Beginning EL can do compared to a Bridging EL and provide specific examples for helping them communicate.

References

Krashen, S. D. (1981). Second language acquisition and second language learning . Oxford: Pergamon Press.

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#27. Comprehensible Input: What Teachers Can Do | ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Part 8 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series. Did you get to read about Ayaka's story in the previous article? It illustrates how Entering ELs can engage in critical thinking activities even though they are completely new to English.

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Comprehensible output: New to English learners

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Comprehensible output: New to English learners

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https://tankhuynh.com/26-teaching-new-to-english-els/

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#26. Teaching ELs New to English: Ayaka’s Story - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Explore strategies and language solutions for Beginning ELLs in this case study of a 6th grade science experiment. Why Google Translate DOES have a place.

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http://www.janaechevarria.com/?p=191

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https://tankhuynh.com/23-language-development/

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Part 5 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series.

You're most likely an English language teacher (ELT) if you're reading this post. Therefore, you most likely have free-reading program where ELs are allowed to read from self-chosen books for fun and without receiving grades. The concept of a "just right book" is the philosophy of matching readers to books that are at the "right level" of language difficulty for them. A book that is easy but not interesting won't engage the reader, so it's not the right fit. Similarly, an interesting book that is too difficult is not the right reading choice because reading becomes frustrating.

I'd like to borrow the "just-right" philosophy and use it to explain Action 5 in WIDA's E ssential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards (Gottlieb, 2013). This week's article will highlight the need to match ELs to an appropriate instructional approach that is "just right" for their language profile. Gottlieb introduces Action 5 by saying:

Students' maturation and age, along with their language proficiency, have to be taken into account in planning instruction and interpreting their performance; in other words, language expectations for ELLs may cluster around a grade-level span rather than a definitive grade. Often it is difficult to pinpoint exact ages or grades when ELLs typically acquire specific words, expressions, and forms of language in English. Language development is variable and contingent on many factors; it is a constellation of factors that determines where students fall on the second language continuum (2013, 34)

The goal of this article is to encourage educators to consider grade-level language development when deciding instructional approaches to employ.

Research Suggests

Some of my fellow ELTs whom I've befriended on Twitter and at conferences are required to support ELs from K-12. Other colleagues have a more manageable assignment of working with ELs in just middle or only in high school settings. Some are in my position where they have to teach across both middle and high school.

We have one thing in common despite our different contexts: we understand that different strategies have to be age and language-development appropriate. ELs acquire language and literacy skills at various rates and in different orders (Gottlieb, 2013). This variance is due to students' ages, motivations, maturity, and educational backgrounds (Lightbown & Spada, 2006; Spolsky, 1989). The research urges educators to consider age and language development when planning, differentiating, and scaffolding instruction.

The first and most important step in working with all students is to develop a positive relationship with them. Once a trusting relationship has been established, teachers can identifying ELs' language abilities because they inform our teaching approach (Cloud,Genesee, & Hamayan 2009). I'll share two guiding questions that help me select the specific teaching practices needed based on students' language development. I'll also explain how to apply these two guiding questions.

Guiding Question #1: How much scaffolding is needed?

I currently teach 6th, 7th, and 10th graders. The range in their abilities is significant, so I have to carefully consider how much help each grade needs. The 6th graders require a great deal of hand holding to be successful having just left elementary school. They're also more receptive to "being mothered" because they want to be fully supported in a new academic environment. In contrast, the 10th graders will rebel if I offer too much hand holding because they want nothing more than to prove their independence and competence.

This guiding question reminds me to consider how much scaffolding ELs want and need. I've created the visual below to illustrate the distinction in the amount of teacher involvement one can provide. The categories are Model, Guide, Prompt, Self-Direct. My involvement changes depending on the ELs' needs.

Guiding Question # 2: How cognitively demanding is the task?

This guiding question helps me consider the kind of thinking that students will do. I've broken the levels of thinking down into three tiers based on Bloom's revised taxonomy ( Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) . At the Understand phase, students are engaged with minor cognitive tasks characterized by the verbs "remember" and "understand". Students usually learn concrete ideas within a familiar at this level.

Moving up to the Apply phase, students are required to use prior knowledge and apply it in a somewhat familiar context. The concepts are slightly more abstract and not as familiar. Finally, students entering the Create phase are engaged in cognitively demanding tasks. They will learn things that are unfamiliar and quite abstract. Students need to use prior knowledge to create new understandings. The most important distinction at this phase is the ability to form connections between ideas to create new thinking. This connection-making ability characterizes critical thinking.

Applying the Guiding Questions

Reading with 6th Graders

The first question reminds me that ELs would benefit from guided practice such as Visible Reading . In this practice, I demonstrate the reading interactions I have with the text and invite the students to apply them in our shared text. I lift one paragraph from the text, provide printed copies, and have students glue it into their English journals.

I have students collaboratively construct the meaning of the text using the demonstrated strategies. These strategies have the ELs slow their reading and promote multiple readings. My ELs then annotate each sentence to demonstrate their understanding. You'll see this in the video below .

The reason why my 6th graders are receptive to Visible Reading is because it slows the reading down and focuses on their understanding of one sentence before going onto the next. I find younger ELs need to understand one sentence at a time because developing readers need a grasp of the details to be able to construct an overall understanding. This collaborative process integrates the second guiding question because comprehending one sentence is not as cognitively demanding as reading an entire text.

The reason why my 6th graders are receptive to Visible Reading is because it slows the reading down and focuses on their understanding of one sentence before going onto the next. I find younger ELs need to understand one sentence at a time because developing readers need a grasp of the details to be able to construct an overall understanding. This collaborative process integrates the second guiding question because comprehending one sentence is not as cognitively demanding as reading an entire text.

This is an image of Shungo's annotated text. The image shows his thinking about the text, and the structure requires him and his partner to slow their reading.

Reading with 10th Graders

Reading with 10th graders is distinctively different than with 6th graders because they can handle multiple sentences at a time and deal with the cognitive demands of holding multiple details simultaneously. I continue to have the 10th graders slow their reading by stopping to talk about the section of paragraphs we've read aloud. They then annotate the group of paragraphs to demonstrate their understanding. Notice how Lily, a 10th grader, annotates paragraphs while the 6th graders annotate sentences. Both are annotating, but the annotations are based on their language abilities.

The 10th graders have already internalized many of the reading strategies at this level, so the most appropriate form of support is to prompt them to think more deeply and critically about the text. To help my ELs do this, I use a structure called Literature Iceberg.

The metaphor of an iceberg helps students understand the concept of "going below the surface". Just like the majority of an iceberg lies beneath the surface of the water, students have to go "below the surface" of the textual details to uncover the text's deeper meanings.

After we read a series of pages, I ask students to re-read a section of the text to formulate questions or look for particular details. Then, we share our questions and observations as a whole class using the Harkness Method . The student-lead discussions help students answer each other's questions and form connections between ideas.

Takeaways

I hope that this article reinforces your practice of matching ELs to strategies that consider their language development. I hope that these guiding questions support you in your teaching and offer a clear framework that honors their language development while empowering your ELs.

Next Post

The next article will highlight WIDA's Action # 6 -referencing language standards with content objectives so that both language and content are learned simultaneously. I'll share how I integrated language and content standards in collaboration with science and humanities teachers.

References

Anderson, L W. & Krathwohl, R. (2001). A Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching and Assessing: a Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy. New York. Longman Publishing.

Cloud, N., Genesee, F., & Hamayan, E. (2009). Literacy instruction for English language learners: A teacher's guide to research-based practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Gottlieb, M. (2013). Essential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards . Madison: Board of Regents of the U of Wisconsin System.

Lightbown, P. M., & Spada, N. (2006). How languages are learned. New York, NY: Oxford UniversityPress.

Spolsky, B. (1989). Conditions for language learning. New York: Oxford University Press.

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#23. "Just-Right" Strategy: Considering Language Development | ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Part 5 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series. You're most likely an English language teacher (ELT) if you're reading this post. Therefore, you most likely have free-reading program where ELs are allowed to read from self-chosen books for fun and without receiving grades.

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Tiered vocabulary: Not all words are created equal

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Tiered vocabulary: Not all words are created equal

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https://tankhuynh.com/tiered-vocabulary/

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Guiding Questions

1. Why is vocabulary instruction important for ELLs?

2. Why is teaching vocabulary in context important?

3. How can educators teach vocabulary in context?

Goal

Welcome to the third and final set of the Visible Literacy series, Vocabulary Instruction. I conclude the series by sharing different vocabulary instruction approaches. This is the first of several articles on providing vocabulary instruction to ELs, which introduces the concept of tiered vocabulary words and share a process to teach Tier One words.

Research Says

Beck, McKeown, and Kucan state that, "The major purpose of having a large vocabulary is to use it in the service of reading comprehension and writing" (2008, p. 183). Research indicates that the development of vocabulary plays the most critical role in ELs' language acquisition and academic achievement (August, Carlo, Dressler, & Snow, 2005; Chung, 2012). Because vocabulary impacts students' general comprehension, research suggests that explicit vocabulary instruction enhances reading comprehension as well(Beck, Perfetti, & McKeown, 1982; McKeown, Beck, Omanson, & Perfetti, 1983; National Reading Panel, 2000, Graves, 2007).

As educators who work with ELs, we understand that vocabulary is a gate-keeper skill that either opens ELs to a world of academic language when the skill is developed or shuts students access to content and learning when the skill is underdeveloped. The question that remains is how to teach vocabulary. I'll share my personal approach within these next three articles.

Mistake # 1: Ignoring Vocabulary For the first few years of my teaching career, I flat out ignored vocabulary instruction. I was overwhelmed by the act of teaching - management, planning, assessing, and complying with the district and state mandates. The newness of teaching paralyzed me from taking any action until I found my teaching stride a few years later.

Mistake # 2: Lazily "Look It Up" Strategy Instead of vocabulary instruction, I dismissively told my students "Look it up" whenever they didn't understand a word. Unfortunately, that direction rarely helped because the dictionaries did not provide a student-friendly definitions for ELs. For example,this is Google Definitions (n.d.) defines the word "analyze": Helpful, right?! This abstract definition was full of complex words that went right over my ELs' head. They felt disempowered because, despite putting out effort to understand and learn, they received no success and no help from me. My students began to identify learning vocabulary as something of an isolating experience. Speaking of dictionaries, I recommend ONE in particular because it is more student-friendly than the rest.

Consider using the Collins-Cobuild )dictionary with ELs because it provides full sentences with contextual clues instead of short, complexly-worded phrases like most traditional dictionaries. As an EL myself, I know the value of vocabulary in trying to communicate, so I conducted some research to learn how to best teach it. During my investigations, I discovered Isabel L. Beck, Linda Kucan, and Margaret G. McKeown's book called Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples (Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy) (2002) .

This book has been the most influential resource in the development of my vocabulary program. By purchasing the book, you also support this blog. Reading their book was like taking a master's class with veteran teachers: they provided practical theory and suggested actionable strategies to develop my own program. It has been invaluable and should be recommended reading for teachers in our field of education. The following section is a description of my practices that you are free to adapt and adopt.

Current Practices

What Words to Teach? Before I explain how I teach vocabulary in context, I have to pause and answer the question of "What words should I teach?" This is answered by the concept of the Tiered Vocabulary Words (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002). Words carry different weight. Choose the ones that tip the academic scale . Some are concrete, non-abstract words that do not need direct instruction like such as the words "bathroom" and "trees". \

Sequence words such as "then", "first", and "after" are also Tier One words because they are commonly used in social language. Tier One words are also sight words. Here's a link to the , which provides PDFs that break down the words into groups of 100 according to the frequency in which they occur. Fry's Sight Words Lists TeachlikeaChampion.com also has a fantastic article explaining Tier One words.

Strategy # 1: Free Reading

One the best and most low-prep strategies to develop vocabulary is allowing students to read for fun. Research suggests that written texts contain a more rare and diverse range of words than oral speech (Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998). Nagy, Anderson, and Herman's (1987) research showed that free reading produces a measurable gain in vocabulary growth. Lastly, Blachowics found that out-of-school reading contributes significantly to learning vocabulary (2006).

Best of all, this strategy helps develop vocabulary at all three tiers. Nagy, Anderson, and Herman's (1987) research showed that free reading produces a measurable gain in vocabulary growth. Lastly, Blachowics found that out-of-school reading contributes significantly to learning vocabulary (2006). Best of all, this strategy helps develop vocabulary at all three tiers. If you are interested in creating your own free reading program, scan through one of my most visited post entitled ". The article has accompanying videos and photos of the process. Preventing 'Readiciding' ELLs by teaching a Free Reading Program "

Strategy # 2: Tier One Words

Tier One words, such as "chair", "room", and "after", do not need to be taught to ELs who have some English proficiency because they are commonly used words in all languages . Only students completely new to English need to be explicitly taught Tier One words themselves. The majority of ELs, however, do need a strategy to quickly understand these words when they encounter them in text. The following two strategies are meant to be used by students to both independently understand the meaning of a word and continue with reading the text.

They are not meant to during a unit where we explored the concept of "family". As we were engaged in teach students vocabulary words because often, ELs just need to know what the Tier One word is in their language or to see a picture of the word to understand it. Let's take an example from my 6th-grade English class. We were reading Patricia McCormick's Visible Reading (my version of guided close reading), we stumbled onto the word "thatched". Below is my dialogue with the students illustrating how I teach Tier One words in context.
(Everyone goes to their devices and Google translates "thatched" in Korean, Laotian, Chinese, German, Thai and Japanese.) (They return to their laptops to search "thatched" in Google Image. Then they understand the word and we move onto the reading.)
Yeah, I could easily have told them the word and we would have moved onto the reading faster, but my teaching philosophy emphasizes solving problems and developing transferable skills to foster literacy independence, not rote memorization. In the future, they will know that when they do not know a word, they can either translate it (if they speak another language) or Google Image it, especially when the translation isn't helpful. In this video below, two Shungo and Oliva encountered the word "rural", which was unfamiliar to both. They tried Google Translating, but they didn't understand the translation in Japanese or Danish. They moved onto Google Imaging the word to help them understand.

The video shows their reflection on the use of Google Imaging when Google Translate doesn't work. https://youtu.be/LLuaAMk0a6w I actually remember having to learn the word "thatched" in my 8th-grade English class in a way that was "out of context". Wanting us to have a sophisticated vocabulary, my teacher would have us complete one chapter in a SAT vocabulary workbook each week. Each chapter contained a set of vocabulary words and accompanying exercises to instill the word in our memory. In contrast, what I just demonstrated with my approaches requires no exercise books, consumes less time, and is connected to a shared context.

Room For Google Translate:

I know that many teachers dislike Google Translate. I agree with them for various reasons, but at times, it's the simplest way to understand a word's meaning. GT is best used for translating individual words and NOT for translating whole phrases and sentences because the translation is often incomprehensible. In this video, you will see my ELs working in groups to read a shared text. One group of boys is using Google Translate to understand the word "poverty" in Laotian. Another Korean student is Google Translating unfamiliar words into Korean. Then he annotates the text to show his understanding.

Allowing students to Google Translate is recognizing that their native language is a tool to support understanding, communication, and engagement. https://youtu.be/j-ok8BeE9wc I find GT most helpful when an EL is at the Entering phase of language development. We must ensure comprehensible input if we are to expect them to offer some output. Below is an image of when I worked with Ayaka, an EL at the Entering phase, understand science content. Because she didn't understand oral English yet, I needed GT to help support her understanding and facilitate some output from her. I like to end this session with having you hear from my students directly about their experience using these two Tier One vocabulary strategies (Google Images and Google Translate) to help them understand unfamiliar words. https://youtu.be/-GI9F35UTuk

To be continued

Let's pause for now because we went through quite a lot of information in this post about the importance of vocabulary for ELs, the concept of tiered vocabulary words, and the different forms contextualized vocabulary instruction can take. I hope that the initial ideas shared in this article provide you with some food for thought and validate your own vocabulary program. In the next couple of posts, I'll share a process to teach Tier Two words, which are considered high-utility words that are found frequently across different disciplines.

Takeaways

1. Explicit vocabulary instruction is important for ELs to be successful in schools.

2. Each vocabulary word can be placed into a tiered system.

3. Teaching vocabulary can be differentiated to meet each word type.

References

Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G. & Kucan, L. (2008). Bringing words to life: robust vocabulary instruction. New York: The Guilford Press. Beck, I. L.,

Chung, S. F. (2012). Research-Based Vocabulary Instruction for English Language Learners. The Reading Matrix, (2), 105-120. Retrieved from http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/september_2012/chung.pdf Cunningham, A. E., & Stanovich, K. E. (1998). What reading does for the mind. American Educator, 22 (1 & 2), 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.csun.edu/~krowlands/Content/Academic_Resources/Reading/Useful%20Articles/Cunningham What%20Reading%20Does%20for%20the%20Mind.pdf

McKeown, M. G., Beck, I. L., Omanson, R. C., & Pople, M. T. (1985). Some effects of the nature and frequency of vocabulary instruction on the knowledge and use of words. Reading Research Quarterly, 20(5), 522-535.

McMillan, B. (1997). Night of the pufflings. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Beck, Isabel L.; McKeown, Margaret G.; Kucan, Linda. Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples (Solving Problems in the Teaching of Literacy). Guilford Publications. Kindle Edition.

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#16. Tiered Vocabulary: Not All Words Are Created Equal - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Tiered vocabulary strategies for ELLs. Developing a strong free reading program to increase exposure to Tier 1 words and making room for Google Translate.

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Tier 2 words: Words that make a difference

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Tier 2 words: Words that make a difference

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https://www.empoweringells.com/a17-tier-two-words/

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Research Says

1. Read-alouds where the teacher explains and discusses new vocabulary

2. Reading and writing activities that encourage the use of new words

3. Teacher modeling of new and high-utility vocabulary usage (Blachowicz et al., 2006; Graves, 2007; Chung, 2012)

4. Using the target words in sentences that construct a narrative (August et al., 2005).

5. Multiple exposures to target words within a variety of contexts (Blachowicz et al., 2006; Beck et al., 2002; Carlo et al., 2008)

I have taken these research-backed practices and synthesized them into a system of teaching high-utility Tier 2 vocabulary words.

Past Practices: Teaching the "Wrong" Words

I used to select vocabulary words from a text and pre-teach them prior to reading the text as a class. This worked well to teach vocabulary in context and scaffold comprehension during Visible Reading (my version of guided reading). The practice of pre-teaching, though, was not really the problem. The problem was the type of words I selected to teach; they were not often frequently-used across various disciplines. Despite the fact that the word "thatched", for example, is not as widely used across content classes as the word "significant", I devoted a disproportionate amount of time to teaching words like it that gave little return on investment.

I did not have a way to evaluate which words to teach. When faced with so many choices, I froze and didn't teach any.

The concept that words are "tiered" comes from Beck, MeKeown, and Kucan's book Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction (2002). They suggested that words fall under one of three "tiers". Tier 1 words are commonly used such as "and", "but", "when" and also concrete words such as "laptops" and "table". Tier 3 words are domain-specific vocabulary such as "cytoplasm" and "cash flow". Tier 2 words are known as "Goldilocks" words because they appear frequently across various disciplines. They are the high-utility words that empower ELs to have command of academic language. Unfortunately, I wrongly ignored teaching Tier 2 words my first few years in the field. I encourage you not to repeat my mistake.

Knowing what words to teach an effective language instruction practice. is Choosing the words to teach is just as important as the method of vocabulary instruction. Teaching Tier 2 words is not only about teaching words' meaning, but also about incorporating strategies to internalize those meanings mentally and even physically.

Current Practices: Teaching Academic Word Lists

I developed this process after reading by Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2002). Of all the books about teaching vocabulary, this is my most trusted resource. They described a concept called Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction "Academic World Lists" (AWL), which are sets of the high-utility, Tier 2 words that are found most frequently across academic texts such as journals, reports, and newspapers (Coxhead, 2000). The Tier 2 list consists of 570 words including "contain", "factors", "significant", and "effect". The document that I use each year to plan my vocabulary instruction is found here.

I was excited to learn about this concept for two reasons: 1) time pressure and 2) transferability. One year of schooling does not allow anyone to teach anything near 570 words, but, with AWL, the Tier 2 words narrowed down the terms that would be most helpful to ELs' language development. Also, these words appear frequently in ELs' science, humanities, math, design, and art lessons, so teaching them in English class would prepare them for reading texts in these other content classes.

Below are two of my favorite videos on how to teach Tier 2 words. The first one comes from the Institute for Education Sciences, and the second comes from Beth Skelton, an education consultant, who presented for VirtuEL19 on the topic of vocabulary instruction.

Step 1: Select Target Words

When I first developed this program, one vocabulary unit would consist of 8-9 words, but I found that it took too much time out of the regular class period. Now I select only 3-4 words, and the process takes only 10 minutes from my lesson cycle.

For the younger students and those ELs who are on the Entering and Beginning phases of language development, I select the vocabulary AWL words to learn because my ELs usually aren't familiar with any of the academic words. A pre-test would confirm what experience also indicates.

For my older ELs and students that are at the Expanding and Bridging phases of language development, I diagnose their prior knowledge with a simple pre-test as shown below. Notice that I do not use multiple choice, and I expect them to explain their answers. Their writing reveals the level of understanding more than multiple choice answers do.

Step 2: Create "Context Cards"

I create a series of cards on Google Slides (the Google Drive version of Microsoft Powerpoint). Each card consists of a question with the target vocabulary word accompanied by a sentence frame to scaffold the answer. Also, each slide has an image taken from Clipart.org. Here's an example:

Step 3: Teacher Models Answer

The first few times that students are introduced to the word "increase", I provide answers using the sentence stem. I make sure to provide lots of context clues to help ELs construct the meaning of "increase". I might say:
"If the noise increases, I would go to my neighbor and politely say that it's 10PM, and the increase in the noise is making it hard to sleep. If there was an increase of noise from 11AM to 5PM, I would not mind because I'm neither home nor sleeping."
I ask students to orally answer the vocabulary question using the sentence starter. This also serves as a check for understanding, and their answers indicate if I need to provide more examples. The important thing to remember is that I make students explain their answers, which forces them to create context for the vocabulary word.

Step 5: Quick Write Answers

Now students Quick Write their answers in their English notebooks using the sentence starter. The ELs are not expected to write the question, just the answer which includes the sentence starter. As students QW, I walk around to check the answers of students who have not given an oral response.

Below is an example of an ELs' QW to internalize "increase". The Context Card for this question was: "Should Vientiane International School Increase the time students have for lunch?" The sentence stem was: "VIS [should/ should not] increase the lunch time because...

Step 6: Sign Language Vocabulary Word

This is when students and I discuss what they think the vocabulary word means. By now, students' spoken and written answers indicate that they understand the vocabulary word because of all the various contexts that have been provided by me and other students. It's probable that they can create an EL-friendly definition of the word.

To scaffold their understanding, I have ELs learn a gesture for each vocabulary word. According to James Asher's theory of Total Physical Response (TPR), a person's memory is enhanced when associated with a physical movement (Asher, 1969). Let's face it - language is incredibly abstract. Many ELs (and adults!) would rather be playing outside than learning mundane academic vocabulary. By having students gesture a word, they become both more engaged in the process and more likely to remember it.

I find it helpful to ask students to learn the American Sign Language (ASL) for the words since they already have an established system. The ASL website provides a dictionary, and each word has a short video to demonstrate the gesture. Every time I display a Context Card, I can ask students for the action associated with the word.

Below is a video of me teaching this process using this Context Cards to teach the word significant.

Notice how they're listening to each other's ideas, adding to it, and asking questions. Observe how they are actively using examples to explain the meaning of significant. Look how interactive this experience is compared to completing workbook exercises. Notice how little time it takes to teach the word.

FAQs about this process
How long does a "unit" last?
I have found that it takes 10-12 sessions to have ELs internalize the target words' meaning. For each unit, I create 12 Context Cards for the word "increase". We engage with each word once a day over 12 class sessions. If a student does not grasp "increase" on a particular day, there are 11 more days when he can learn its meaning.
Are AWLs worth teaching?
Yes, because I have repeatedly seen how words taught using this process are used in other classes. For example, the word "increase" and "decrease" appeared in Mr. A's 7th grade science class when they were learning about the concept of friction. My ELs have already developed an understanding of "increase" in my English class, so when these Tier 2 words showed up on one of Mr. A's graphic organizers, my ELs had no problem engaging in the task.

In another example, an EL used the word "increased" in a presentation for Humanities class. Mr. J, the Humanities teacher, wanted students to research and present the causes that created different conflicts. Dexter, a 7th grade EL, decided to student the cause of the French Revolution. One of the causes was the increase price of bread. He intentionally used the word "increase" in his presentation slide.
It's Not Learning in Context
There are two ways that I attempt to build context for this approach to vocabulary instruction. The first is by adding students' experiences into the Context Cards. For example, my school has an annual trip at the beginning of the year called "SALSA" when each grade travels together. Some schools call this the "Week Without Walls", and its purpose is to develop a sense of community. When I was teaching the word "factor", I created a question that required them to use "factor" within the context of this SALSA trip. Below is an example of the Context Card.

One way I build context into this approach is by adding students' experiences into the Context Cards. For example, my school has an annual trip at the beginning of the year called "SALSA" when each grade travels together. Some schools call this the "Week Without Walls", and its purpose is to develop a sense of community. When I was teaching the word "factor", I created a question that required them to use "factor" within the context of this SALSA trip. Below is an example of the Context Card.
Is this challenging?
Writing about the things one might pack on a trip is not that challenging. To make it more difficult, I combine two vocabulary words into one Context Card. I only do this after the seventh day of interacting with the word because I want to make sure that they understand both words well enough to provide an appropriate answer. Below is an example of how I combined the words "increase" and "factors":

While I'm not 100% sure that this is the best method to teach vocabulary. I am certain that if I teach vocabulary through: 1) visuals and actions, 2) various contexts, and 3) engagement through discussion and writing then my ELs stand a chance of internalizing the vocabulary word in a meaningful way.

For me, teaching vocabulary has been one of the most difficult skills to learn and master. Looking back, I naively searched for the "silver bullet" solution to effective vocabulary instruction. With perspective and experience, I realized that vocabulary instruction takes many shapes, has many forms, and changes depending on the lesson cycle. I hope that these vocabulary articles have shown you the process for creating your own robust vocabulary program that will support your learners.

This article also concludes the Visible Literacy series. If you've followed the series, I hope three things stick out: 1) ELs learn best by constructing knowledge, 2) language learning is a social experience aided by scaffolds and discussions, and 3) literacy is an invisible process that can be made visible through scaffolding learning.

Takeaways

1. Words fall into three "tiers".

2. Tier Two words consist of academic vocabulary.

3. Educators can create a process to systematically teach academic vocabulary within context.

If you like your own copy of Unit 1 Slides, you can click on this link.
Next week's post is the final vocabulary post, and it will conclude the Visible Learning Series. I'll end the series sharing my process of teaching Tier 3 vocabulary words, which are high-utility academic words that are used across content areas.

Asher, J. (1969). The Total Physical Response Approach to Second Language Learning. The Modern Language Journal , 53 (1), 3-17.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford.

Blachowicz, C., Fisher, P., Ogle, D., & Watts-Taffe, S. (2006). Vocabulary: Questions from the classroom. Reading Research Quarterly, 41 (4), 524-539.

Carlo, M. S., August, D., McLaughlin, B., Snow, C., Dressler, C., Lippman, D. Lively, T. J. & White, C. E. (2008). Closing the gap: Addressing the vocabulary needs of English language learners in bilingual and mainstream classrooms. Journal of Education, 189 (1/2), 57-76.

Chung, S. F. (2012, September). Research-Based Vocabulary Instruction for English Language Learners. The Reading Matrix, 12 (2), 105-120. Retrieved from http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/september_2012/chung.pdf

Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 213-238. Retrieved from http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm

Graves, M. (2007). Conceptual and empirical bases for providing struggling readers with multifaceted and long-term vocabulary instruction. In B. Taylor & J. Ysseldyke (Eds.), Effective instruction for struggling readers, K-6 (pp. 55-83). NY: Teachers College.

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#17. Tier 2 Words: Words that Make a Difference - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Research Says Read-alouds where the teacher explains and discusses new vocabulary Reading and writing activities that encourage the use of new words Teacher modeling of new and high-utility vocabulary usage (Blachowicz et al., 2006; Graves, 2007; Chung, 2012) Using the target words in sentences that construct a narrative (August et al., 2005).

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Tiered vocabulary: What is it and why does it matter?

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Tiered vocabulary: What is it and why does it matter?

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https://www.litinfocus.com/tiered-vocabulary-what-is-it-and-why-does-it-matter/

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Tier three words consists of low frequency words that occur in specific domains. Tier three words are central to understanding concepts within various academic subjects and should be integrated into content instruction. Examples of tier three words include molecule, tundra, and legislature.

CATEGORIZING WORDS

There is no specific formula for placing words into tiers or choosing words for direct instruction. According to Beck, Mckeown, and Kucan, teachers should consider the following when choosing vocabulary words :

How useful is the word? Is it a word that students are likely to meet often in other texts?

How does the word relate to other words or ideas in the curriculum? Does it directly relate to a specific topic of study

What does the word bring to a text or situation? What role does the word play in understanding the overall meaning?

Words can also fall into more than one tier. For example, a word like pinnacle has multiple definitions, making it applicable as a tier two and tier three word.

Hopefully, you are inspired to include more tier two and tier three words into your lesson plans! Since, choosing words to focus on can be time consuming and difficult, I like to use the texts we read together in class to find new terms. Teaching vocabulary in context gives students a chance to make authentic connections and cement learning of new words.

I call it Focus on Five. First, students are required to find and record five new terms in the text. Next, students try to define the word using context clues. A dictionary can be used as a last resort. Since application of the new word is important, students are required to work with the word on their own using a variety of vocabulary activities (visual representation, narrative writing, world connections, etc.) Finally, students are assessed on their knowledge of the new terms.

You can create your own Focus on Five, or click here to download everything you need. The vocabulary activities work with any text and can be used again and again. The goal is for students to internalize the vocabulary acquisition process and repeat it automatically when reading independently.

"Hands down one of the most useful purchases I have made on TPT!" -Evelyn W.

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Tiered Vocabulary: What is it, and Why Does It Matter?

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Tier three words consists of low frequency words that occur in specific domains. Tier three words are central to understanding concepts within various academic subjects and should be integrated into content instruction. Examples of tier three words include molecule, tundra, and legislature. There is no specific formula for placing words into tiers or choosing words for direct instruction.

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https://seidlitzblog.org/2019/04/10/8-ways-to-scaffold-writing-for-english-learners/

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by Valentina Gonzalez

Scaffolds are temporary supports meant to be released when no longer needed. Think of buildings that are under construction. When the building is in the early phases, more scaffolding is necessary to sustain the structure. As the building progresses, less scaffolding is needed. Finally, before the construction is complete, the scaffolding is removed.

Scaffolding our instruction for students, English learners or not, is similar in theory. Assessing when and where the scaffolds are needed, and removing them at the right time is critical. Keeping a scaffold for too long can create a crutch for some, and students may become dependent on scaffolds that remain too long. The goal of a scaffold is to support students toward future independence.

These 8 writing scaffolds can be implemented in any grade level or content area:

1. Sentence Frames

Sentence frames are highly structured. They are basically sentences with fill in the blanks that support students at earlier stages of language proficiency. Here are a few examples of frames:

The ___has ___sides.

The ____revolted against the___.

A ___is larger/smaller than a ____.

2. Sentence Stems

Sometimes sentence stems and sentence frames are used interchangeably. However there a difference between the two. As shown above, a frame provides a tight grammatical structure. A stem, on the other hand, is as the name indicates, just the "stem" or base of a sentence and not a whole sentence. Students must continue the thought. Sentence stems give students just enough structure to begin more elaborate writing. Here are some examples of sentence stems:

Based on the experiment, I can conclude that...

In the beginning I thought..., but now I think...

One way that ___and ___are alike is that....

On the other hand, they are different because...

3. Mentor Texts

Mentor texts are also known as exemplars. They are models of high-quality writing for students. While adult-authored books or articles are often a main source of mentor texts, it is also effective to use high-quality student-authored examples. One teacher I know would save the original student samples of writing to use as exemplars. Another made digital copies. (Either way, always be careful to remove any identifiable information such as names.) Mentor texts set students up for success because they show students what the target is, which makes it much easier to achieve. Sometimes using student-created exemplars makes the target seem more attainable for students.

4. Interactive Word Walls

Interactive Word Walls (IWWs) are large, thematic or unit-based graphic organizers filled with rich vocabulary and visually supported with graphics and real objects. IWWs are often co-created with students rather than premade by the teacher. They can be used as scaffolds for writing in all content areas because students can easily take the language from the unit-based word wall and use it in their writing.

5. Model Writing

Model writing is similar to the Read-Aloud; in fact, some call it Write-Aloud. When we write in front of students in real time, we have the opportunity to "think aloud" and model what effective writers do mentally. This helps to make the writing process visible for students. Students see how an idea moves from the abstract to a concrete piece of writing. Modeling writing in all content areas helps students develop the language of the domain. For example, when we model how to write a lab report, we can share with students the language structures and academic vocabulary that scientists use. This modeling process supports students as they go off to write on their own.

6. Quick Writes

Not every piece of writing students do has to be lengthy. In fact, quick, daily writing is an effective way for English learners to practice writing in a low-stress setting. Long essays and pages of writing can be intimidating for students who are learning the structures of the English language. What's the saying? "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time." Breaking a task into small chunks (or "chunking" the task) makes it seem doable. A Quick Write is a short writing task-usually about 3-10 minutes. Author and teacher, Larry Ferlazzo writes about the power Quick Writes, or Micro-writing, holds for ELs here in an article for ASCD. He shows how this type of writing can improve English learners' confidence and language proficiency.

7. Language Experience Approach

The Language Experience Approach has been around for a long time. It is a method of shared writing in which students and the teacher write together after a shared experience. This is actually one of my favorite techniques because it builds community, models writing, and increases student participation and engagement. Students listen, speak, read, and write.

Begin by sharing an experience (like a field trip, science experiment, movie, book, etc). Next, have students talk about the experience with partners or a group, and come up with sentences to share with the teacher. Then lead the class in creating a text about the experience on chart paper (or under a document camera) as students share their sentences with you. After you write each sentence, have the class read it aloud chorally. (This provides tons of reading practice for fluency.) When the shared writing is complete, the class rereads the whole piece. Finally, lead the class in discussing organization, revision, and editing. Students can suggest adding and deleting sentences and decide to change words or punctuation. To see an example of what this can look like, check out Carol Salva's use of LEA here!

8. Mentor Sentences

Think of a mentor in your life. Who did you imagine? Someone you look up to? Someone you try to emulate? Mentor sentences are sentences students try to emulate. Jeff Anderson, author of Mechanically Inclined and Patterns of Power writes about the effectiveness of mentor sentences. The sentences that we choose can come from Read Alouds or we can make up our own sentences using information relevant to our students and our class.

For instance, suppose we had a visit from the fire department and the kids couldn't talk about anything else. So my mentor sentence may have been, " While waiting anxiously to hear all about the apparatus, a crowd of kids huddled around the fire truck ." First I read it aloud, and then we read it chorally. I then invited students to discuss the sentence with their partner or in groups. What did they notice? What did they observe about the sentence? I called on a few students randomly. Some noticed that there was a comma. One student said that the sentence was in the past tense, and we asked how he knew. He said, "Because the word 'huddled' ended with an -ed." Another student said that it looked like two sentences stuck together. We talked more about that and discovered that the first part of the sentence wasn't a complete sentence but a phrase. Finally, the students wrote their own sentences modeled after the mentor sentence. Some students used this frame:

While waiting ______to hear all about the_____, a crowd of ___huddled around the ____.

One student wrote: While waiting eagerly to grab all the kibble, a crowd of dogs huddled around the food bowl. To add to it, he drew a group of dogs around an empty food bowl.

If you have students who struggle with writing, try some of these scaffolds to support them along the way to independence and success!

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8 Ways to Scaffold Writing for English Learners

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by Valentina Gonzalez Scaffolds are temporary supports meant to be released when no longer needed. Think of buildings that are under construction. When the building is in the early phases, more scaffolding is necessary to sustain the structure. As the building progresses, less scaffolding is needed.

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https://prezi.com/0kzjvrbobodf/preview-view-review/

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Preview - View - Review PREVIEW - VIEW - REVIEW Research Approach that allows teachers to use student’s native language as a tool for learning Gracias HOW?! 1. Preview 3. Review For all Content Areas CRITICAL ATTRIBUTES √ Plan ahead ( visuals, vocabulary, language focus...) √

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https://prezi.com/pwcmearfnr8b/previewreview-strategy/

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https://seidlitzblog.org/2019/03/27/qsssa-more-than-turn-talk/

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by Valentina Gonzalez Do you feel like there is just so much curriculum to teach that you don’t have time to ask students to stop and talk? Let’s think about that. Why don’t we allow students to di…

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Talk-Read-Talk-Write: Creating a language rich classroom

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Talk-Read-Talk-Write: Creating a language rich classroom

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https://tankhuynh.com/29-trtw/

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#29. Talk-Read-Talk-Write: Creating a Language-Rich Classroom - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Applying Nancy Motley's Talk Read Talk Write (TRTW) strategy in the ELL classroom. Differentiating TRTW for Beginning to Bridging ELs.

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Get them talking: Structuring student interactions

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Get them talking: Structuring student interactions

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https://tankhuynh.com/student-interactions/

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#87. Get Them Talking: Structuring Student Interactions - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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If learning is social, then we need to design student interactions that help them to process content.

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What is the affective filter and why is it important in the classroom?

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What is the affective filter and why is it important in the classroom?

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https://seidlitzblog.org/2020/09/22/what-is-the-affective-filter-and-why-is-it-important-in-the-classroom/

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by Valentina Gonzalez

What Is the Affective Filter?

The term "affective filter" originates from Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics, who described it as a number of affective variables that contribute to second language acquisition. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines affective as "referring to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions."

Krashen (1986) cites motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety in the Affective Filter Hypothesis as three categories of variables that play a role in second language acquisition. In essence, when feelings or emotions such as anxiety, fear, or embarrassment are elevated, it becomes difficult for language acquisition to occur. The affective filter has commonly been described as an imaginary wall that rises in the mind and prevents input, thus blocking cognition. In opposition, when the affective filter is lowered, the feeling of safety is high, and language acquisition occurs. In fact, even current research in neuroscience seems to support Krashen's theory that stress affects thinking and learning.

Why Is the Affective Filter Important in the Classroom?

It is not enough to simply teach. It is not enough to deliver instruction even if it's made comprehensible to students. If students' affective filters are elevated, language acquisition will be impeded. Creating classroom environments that act intentionally to lower the affective filter will increase language development.

The lower the filter, the more input is allowed to pass through. Students who are highly motivated, feel confident, and feel safe are more open to input.

Let's picture two classrooms:

In the first classroom, students walk in and sit in isolated rows. The teacher reads from a scripted lesson before assigning a worksheet for students to complete independently. Talk is discouraged, and students are quickly reprimanded for stepping outside of the planned lesson. It is clear to the students that their role is to comply with the teacher's rules for the classroom.

In the second classroom, students have a voice in instruction. They are part of their learning journey. This creates motivation to learn. They gather in groups to share ideas, and they are encouraged to take risks, which helps build their self-confidence. The classroom talk is balanced with some teacher talk and some student talk. Students feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.

When you imagined these two classrooms, in which one did you feel that students had more room to bloom freely within the context of the content? The teacher in the second classroom had a way of lowering the affective filter for students. But how?

How Do We Lower the Affective Filter in the Classroom?

The answer is similar to how you might make visitors feel welcome at your home. Typically, if you want company to stay, you create a space that is inviting, comfortable, friendly, and interesting. You cater to their needs, offer them food, and pay attention to them. (And, I don't know about you, but if I don't want company to stay for long, I simply don't do these things!)

We can lower the affective filters of our students in our classroom in similar ways to how we make visitors feel welcome in our homes. Let's examine how this might look through the three categories that Krashen proposed: motivation, self-confidence, and anxiety.

Motivation

Some might think motivation is solely up to individual students. But while educators don't have complete control over student motivation, they can still influence it. Choice, voice, and relevance are three great motivators we can leverage in the classroom. Providing students with opportunities to select topics to study helps them feel motivated to do the work. Allowing students choice in what they write about or how they show understanding also builds motivation. Creating time and space for students to share their voice in learning stimulates a drive in learners. When students feel they have some say or some control over their learning journeys, they become more invested. Finally, providing learners with engaging experiences that tap into their passions increases motivation. When we keep instruction relevant to students' lives, what they are learning becomes compelling to them.

Self-confidence

Learners who feel a sense of belonging, value, and respect for their individuality are more likely to have lower affective filters. Creating classrooms that warmly welcome all students builds self-confidence. On the other hand, when students feel isolated or that they must "fit in," their self-confidence erodes. To build self-confidence, educators can work on correctly pronouncing students' names, ensure that walls and books are representative of the student population, and get to know students for who they are beyond the classroom.

Anxiety

A safe classroom is one in which students are not afraid to make errors. Classrooms that embrace errors as part of the learning process are more likely to decrease students' affective filters. Fostering a growth mindset and modeling this mindset with students can help them understand that mistakes are a part of growth in the process of learning. The way we talk with students and our body language can also affect their anxiety. Even students who are not yet speaking in English can understand body language and feel the energy in a classroom. Smiling sends a positive, warm message; sitting next to a student to confer with them rather than sitting in front of them is less confrontational; arms at the side rather than crossed is less aggressive. Another way to lower the affective filter is by making sure that we provide comprehensible input. Students become more focused and relaxed the more they can understand the language being used during instruction.

On the other hand, there are specific moves we make that can be counterproductive and raise the affective filter. The factors below can raise the affective filter and impede language acquisition:

Error correction

Forcing output too early

Isolation

Embarrassment

Lack of comprehensible input

We may not even know that we are doing these things or that they are causing the imaginary wall to come up. But becoming aware of the affective filter, what raises it, and how to lower it can help language acquisition flourish.
Source
Krashen, S. D. (1986). Principles and practice in second language acquisition. Oxford: Pergamon Press. http://www.sdkrashen.com/content/books/principles_and_practice.pdf

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What Is the Affective Filter, and Why Is it Important in the Classroom?

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by Valentina Gonzalez What Is the Affective Filter? The term "affective filter" originates from Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics, who described it as a number of affective variables that contribute to second language acquisition. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines affective as "referring to, arising from, or influencing feelings or emotions."

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https://seidlitzblog.org/2019/12/18/teaching-techniques-to-scaffold-reading-for-english-learners/

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by Valentina Gonzalez

"Learners who know the language can concentrate on the academic content. But learners who do not know the language, or do not know it well enough, must devote part of their attention to learning and understanding the very language in which the content is taught" ( Goldenberg & Coleman, 2010).

Imagine that for a moment. Let it soak in. If you didn't yet know a language well enough, you would need to spend energy understanding the very words and not just the reading. Maybe you've experienced this before. It's a literal struggle, trying to decode and put together sounds, then figure out and translate the words. This can take a toll on a person!

Now imagine a child doing this daily. Or for that matter, doing this all day long . Picture a newcomer in a high school biology class at the end of the day. If they are new to the language, they will most likely have to translate complicated text word by word after having spent every previous class that day translating each word. To help students, we can adapt and scaffold reading instruction to fit their unique needs.

The National Literacy Panel (2000) identified phonemic awareness, phonics, oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing as the five key components of literacy. With these components in mind, let's look at a few scaffolds (temporary supports meant to be gradually released) for reading that may work to enhance English learners' success with comprehension.

These reading scaffolds can be implemented in any grade level and content area through whole group, small group, or individual settings for differentiation:

Chunking

Chunking is a technique that breaks larger reading texts into smaller portions for students. When texts are dense or lengthy, they can seem overwhelming. By breaking them down into smaller pieces, we help to lower students' anxiety. Think of a large pizza. Would you eat the entire pizza in one bite? Probably not. It's sliced for us to hold a piece at a time. Then we take small bites from that one piece. It's manageable that way. Chunking texts is especially useful in areas like social studies and science, where text has the tendency to be vocabulary heavy.

Adding in opportunities to talk makes content even more comprehensive. For instance, a routine such as Nancy Motley's Talk, Read, Talk, Write offers students chances to access prior knowledge and build background before reading. Students discuss with a group or partner. Then students read a text with a purpose for reading that is given to them by the teacher. Once everyone has signaled that they are finished reading, they participate in structured discussion again. And finally students write about their reading while using the discussions they've had to support their thoughts. Teachers can chunk reading even more for students who are at beginner levels of English proficiency: talk, read, talk, read, talk, read, talk, write.

Shared Reading

Shared reading (Holdaway,1979) is the act of reading together in unison as a group. All students have access to the text. Shared reading is not just for elementary levels. In primary grades, teachers may read from big books, but in secondary classes, shared reading can be poetry, brochures, an excerpt from a chapter, a paragraph, song lyrics, etc. Teachers can provide each student with a copy of the text or can project the text on a screen for everyone to see. First the teacher models expectations by reading the text. Then the teacher invites the class to read together. This oral reading practice provides students with an opportunity to gain fluency in a risk-free setting. Everyone is reading aloud. Shy students can listen and read aloud as they feel brave enough, and more vocal students gain practice, too. Students benefit from practicing intonation and appropriate rate of speed.

Three ways to differentiate shared reading are Echo reading, Choral reading, and Reader's Theater.

Echo Reading is perfect when students need to hear the teacher model each sentence first while they are tracking print. Then students repeat the sentence. This technique is best for students at beginner proficiency levels or when a new language structure is being shared.

Choral Reading is a typical shared reading experience in which students and teacher read in unison, often with the teacher tracking print. English learners gain fluency and benefit from the low-risk environment. They have the ability to listen and join the reading at their comfort level.

Reader's Theater is an excellent method to use with students after they have had a chance to hear a text in its entirety. Reader's Theater can be done by dividing a text into parts and assigning students or groups to read certain lines or paragraphs. English learners benefit from rehearsal time with the lines or paragraphs they will read aloud to the whole group. Some teachers ask students to create props for their characters or parts. Acting out a story is both enjoyable and engaging for students as they participate in listening, speaking, and reading with expression.

Adapted Texts

Adapted texts are texts that have the same content but are at different reading levels. Using adapted texts helps English learners continue to learn content while they are learning English. Many teachers create their own adapted texts, which allows them to control the vocabulary that is embedded. However, creating adapted texts does take time. There are also many online platforms that offer adapted texts such as Newsela, Newsinlevels, and Wordify.

Partner Reading

Providing time and space for students to read together, or partner read, supports English learners with reading comprehension, listening, and speaking. Peer-to-peer interaction is important for English learners' language development. Partners usually read the same text and hold their own copies. In primary grades, and many times in secondary too, students are more successful when the teacher offers explicit modeling of expectations ahead of time. For example:

"During partner reading, I'm looking for partners who are sitting with their knees close to touching. You will take turns reading a page. After your partner reads, you will share what the main idea of their reading was. I'm listening for sentences like: 'The main idea was...' or 'I didn't understand...'"

Primary Language Support

When I was an ESL teacher, the students I taught spoke Korean, Urdu, Japanese, Russian, etc. I was not able to speak all of their languages, but I could still provide primary language supports. I provided my ELs with bilingual dictionaries and taught them how to use them. We also worked hard at valuing all languages. It was important for me to show my ELs that the literacy they had in their primary language was valuable and useful as they acquired English. We labeled the classroom in the students' home languages. I also made it known to them that continuing to read, write, and speak in their primary language was important, and so I encouraged them to read books in their primary language. Anytime we had extra funds, I asked to purchase books in our students' primary languages for the library.

Another way to include primary language support is through preview-review. This technique is sometimes referred to as preview-view-review and takes only a few extra minutes before and after a lesson ( Wright, 2015). It has been found to be effective in increasing comprehension, especially for students at beginning levels of English proficiency. Preview-review includes providing students with primary language support before and after a lesson or a read aloud. Let's look at a classroom example:

The second grade class is preparing to learn about living and nonliving things. The ESL teacher gathers English learners prior to the lesson to preview in their primary language. She asks them what they know about living and nonliving things. They discuss and make a chart in their primary language. The teacher reads a short passage and checks for comprehension, and then they return to the whole group.

The mainstream teacher conducts the whole-class lesson on living and nonliving things in English. The teacher shelters instruction to ensure that ELs comprehend the lesson. She uses repetition, visuals, and gestures. Then she sends them off to read and write with a partner in English.

Following the English lesson, the ESL teacher pulls the ELs back together once again to review what they learned in their primary language. This is an excellent opportunity to clear up misconceptions.
Note that, In this example, the ESL teacher is able to speak the students' primary language. But that is not always the case. It is suggested that if the teacher cannot speak the students' home languages, a same-language-speaking paraprofessional can provide the preview-review.
The bottom line of all this is that, when students enjoy what they are reading and they understand what they are reading, they will feel successful. The more often this feeling occurs, the more they will want to read, and the more their comprehension will increase.

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Teaching Techniques to Scaffold Reading for English Learners

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by Valentina Gonzalez "Learners who know the language can concentrate on the academic content. But learners who do not know the language, or do not know it well enough, must devote part of their attention to learning and understanding the very language in which the content is taught" (Goldenberg & Coleman, 2010).

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https://www.collaborativeclassroom.com/blog/lowering-the-affective-filter-for-english-language-learners-facilitates-successful-language-acquisition/

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The "affective filter" is a theoretical construct in second language acquisition that attempts to explain the emotional variables associated with the success or failure of acquiring a second language. The affective filter is an invisible psychological filter that can either facilitate or hinder language production in a second language.
When the filter is high:

Students experience stress

Students feel anxious and self-conscious

The lack of self-confidence might inhibit success in acquiring the second language

Students are reluctant to participate and seek out opportunities to collaborate

If modifications are not being made, the students will experience boredom and disinterest

When the filter is low:

Students become risk-takers as they manipulate language

Students feel safe in making mistakes without judgement and constant corrections

Students feel empowered to interact with their peers and seek out models of language

Students feel safe in answering questions and sharing their thinking with peers and the teacher

How do I lower the affective filter in my classroom within Collaborative Literacy?

Try not to overemphasize error correction. In other words, instead of correcting the student; model the correct use of the language in a supportive stance.

Utilize the ELL teacher notes laid out within the teacher's manual to scaffold your instruction.

Institute a policy in the classroom that prohibits students from making fun of peers or laughing at errors. This is directly supported by the social learning goals weaved throughout every lesson. This sets the expectations for how students work together as they collaborate.

As students share and reflect at the end of each lesson, share your observations and facilitate the brainstorming of solutions to challenges

Take advantage of the first units within Being a Writer and Making Meaning. This will build a strong literacy community and set up a safe place for learning.

Equip strong language models with strategies to support their language learner peers.

Consistently encourage risk-taking reminding students that your classroom is a safe place to learn.

Set individual goals with students and celebrate growth!

When the affective filter is low, the learner is in an emotionally safe place. These feelings of safety lower imaginary walls, promoting more successful language acquisition. This type of environment becomes a welcoming invitation to keep learning!

This is part 2 of a blog series on supporting English Language Learners in Collaborative Literacy. You can read part 1 here.

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Lowering the Affective Filter for English Language Learners Facilitates Successful Language Acquisition - Center for the Collaborative Classroom

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What is the affective filter? The "affective filter" is a theoretical construct in second language acquisition that attempts to explain the emotional variables associated with the success or failure of acquiring a second language. The affective filter is an invisible psychological filter that can either facilitate or hinder language production in a second language.

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To help English learners, you need ways to lower their affective filter

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To help English learners, you need ways to lower their affective filter

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https://resilienteducator.com/classroom-resources/affective-filter-english-learners/

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If you've ever struggled to speak another language in a foreign country, then you have an idea of how nerve-wracking school can be for English learners. The stress you experience creates what experts call the affective filter - an emotional response that can lock down the mental processes of learning a new language.

Stephen Krashen, a leading second-language learning scholar, developed the theory of the affective filter, which combines people's emotional and physical states to impede learning processes. To reduce the affective filter in English learners, we need to create a supportive learning environment that helps them feel as comfortable as possible.

What elevates the affective filter

When English learners struggle in your class, it helps to pinpoint what's increasing their affective filter. This may vary somewhat from student to student, but these factors are among the most common:

Anxiety: Some students feel extremely anxious about reading out loud and answering questions while peers are listening.

Judgment: It's difficult to participate if students constantly worry that their peers are judging them because of their accent, grammar, spelling, reading pace, etc. If your English learners don't feel your class is a safe space where they won't be judged or made fun of for taking a risk, then they probably won't feel motivated to contribute much. For some, taking a risk might be simply raising their hand to ask a question or to volunteer an answer.

Low self-confidence: Whether your students are struggling with English in a history class or an English language arts class, low confidence can make it extremely hard to improve their reading, writing and speaking skills in English. If they feel they do not know enough to make a valuable contribution, then they'll also feel inadequate and alone from the moment they walk in the door.

Adjusting to the unknown: English learners who are new to this country or to a particular region of the United States must adapt to a raft of unwritten rules and societal norms. They're getting used to a different climate, picking up on different social cues, learning slang and idioms, and understanding different expectations. For example, in some cultures direct eye contact with a person of authority is considered disrespectful, while in American culture that is often expected as a way of showing you're paying attention.

Four ways to lower the affective filter

Try these practical strategies for overcoming the affective filter in your English language learners:

Tap into their prior knowledge

Getting to know your students' backgrounds, interests and strengths can not only help you form connections with them, it can enable you to use their unique knowledge to boost their comfort level. For instance, assigning them a project on their family's holiday traditions helps them realize they have something to teach others - possibly even you. They might still feel a bit intimidated at the idea of explaining it in English, but they're starting with something to share in an encouraging environment, which can boost self-confidence.

Try SDAIE strategies

SDAIE (specially designed academic instruction in English) offers a wide range of strategies for teaching any subject to English learners. It includes incorporating learning games, manipulatives, hands-on activities and visual aids such as graphic organizers. You might already be using these strategies in your classroom, but the key here is using them consistently to create a comfortable yet structured approach where English learners become familiar with these methods. This helps them feel less anxious and more supported on a daily basis.

Modify your methods

There are many ways to modify assignments and assessments to help English learners, including using sentence frames, sentence starters, and vocabulary banks. These modifications provide support structures that allow them to better articulate their thoughts and opinions without having to nervously struggle with every single word. Modifications can also help reduce the fear of judgment because they have tools to guide them to the correct way to verbalize or write their responses. Once they become more advanced, those sentence starters and vocabulary words will become second nature, and you can build on that support structure to push them further.

Create partnerships

Putting English learners in pairs or collaborative groups with students who are proficient or native speakers can help them learn from their peers' different backgrounds. These valuable partnerships can decrease fears and feelings of judgment, and give English learners a sense of belonging over time.

It's important to approach each English learner with an open mind because every student will respond to your methods differently. Just remember that lowering the affective filter can determine how well - and how fast or slow - an English language learner will progress.
Want to learn more ways to help English learners? Discover other strategies in a TESOL or ESL-focused degree program. Kara Wyman has a BA in literature and a MEd from the University of California-Santa Barbara. She has worked with adolescents for a decade as a middle school and high school English teacher, the founder and director of a drama program, and a curriculum designer for high school and college courses. She works with 13- to 19-year-old students as a project manager of a non-profit organization.

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Help English Learners by Reducing their Affective Filter | Resilient Educator

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If you've ever struggled to speak another language in a foreign country, then you have an idea of how nerve-wracking school can be for English learners. The stress you experience creates what experts call the affective filter - an emotional response that can lock down the mental processes of learning a new language.

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How dialogue journals build teacher-student relationships

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How dialogue journals build teacher-student relationships

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/dialogue-journals/

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Listen to my interview with Liz Galarza (transcript):
How well do we know our students? They sit in our classrooms five days a week, we certainly spend lots of time with them, but how well do we really know them? How well do we know their thoughts, their worries, the things they obsess about? And how well do they ever get to know us beyond our role as a teacher?

I've been hammering away at the importance of the teacher-student relationship for about as long as Cult of Pedagogy has been a thing, but every now and then I come across a method or approach that can really help build those relationships more effectively.

My friend Liz Galarza, who teaches middle school writing in New York, has been telling me for ages about the dialogue journals she uses with her students and how transformational they have been in building relationships. The journals had such a profound impact that Galarza made them the focus of her doctoral dissertation.

A dialogue journal is any kind of bound notebook where students and teachers write letters back and forth to each other over a period of time. This is very similar to the kinds of journals described in Smokey and Elaine Daniels' book, The Best Kept Teaching Secret, but since Galarza has had such powerful experiences with these journals, I thought another post was merited.

In Galarza's class, students purchase whatever kind of journals they want, "as long as it's going to withstand a year's worth of back and forth," she says. "Most of them use the marble composition notebooks. I ask them to decorate with pictures or quotes, and it really does show their personality."

The First Entry

In the first few days of school, Galarza gets to know her students through intake forms (not included in the journals) where she asks students to tell her five things about themselves that she wouldn't be able to tell by looking at them or their school records. Next, she goes into the journals and writes the first entry, starting with a very general welcome, then beginning to connect with students based on things they wrote on their intake forms.

Although many teachers begin these kinds of journals by having students write the first entry, Galarza has had more success by starting them herself. "I think the kids who have less confidence when it comes to writing would feel paralyzed by that. So I try and make it very, very open."

In the sample letter below, Galarza connects with this student about her love of reading and writing, softball, and pets. "The first letter I ask more questions than any other time, but I get them to see that I'm human. We have commonalities. I'm interested in you. You're important to me. This is going to be fun."

Student Responses

Once the teacher's first letter is written, students write back. In this sample, Nick responds to Galarza's opening letter, where she mentioned Derek Jeter leaving the Yankees. "In his intake sheet, every single thing he wrote about was about baseball and the Yankees," so Galarza made sure she mentioned that in her first letter.

Time and Grading

As the school year progresses, the journals go back and forth between teacher and student. Galarza asks students to write one letter a week, although some students write more often than that. About once a week, Galarza will ask each class period to hand in their journals, staggering these on different days so she only has one class period per day to respond to. She takes about an hour to respond to a single class set of journals, so if it's a busy season, she may end up only collecting them every two weeks, rather than once a week.

As for grading, students are simply given credit for completion. Even if they don't write a lot, they get credit for doing it. And that's it. Galarza does not mark errors or evaluate the work for any kind of score. Because this journal is about building a relationship, Galarza doesn't want to take away its appeal by assigning a grade to it. "The more often you put a grade on something," she says, "the less empowering you're making it for the students."

Shifting the Power Differential: Because dialogue journals allow students to see their teachers as people, they shift the teacher from the "all powerful" role and create a stronger, more meaningful connection between teacher and student. "As a teacher we always have that authoritative stance: We're the teacher, and they're the student, and they know that," Galarza explains. "I think the more you use that as leverage, the less you're going to get out of students."

Writing Fluency: When students write in dialogue journals, there's no pressure to fulfill an assignment or construct perfect sentences. Students just write. And the more a person writes, the more confident they become and the better their writing gets. If the teacher can identify topics that are important to the student, this can inspire far more writing than a student would ever produce for an assignment. Nick, the student above who wrote about Derek Jeter, initially told Galarza he hated to write. After their first exchange about the Yankees, Galarza says the topic stayed with them for the rest of the year, and Nick ended up filling more pages than any other student that year.

Formative Assessment: Although the journals are not designed for this purpose, having students write regularly allows the teacher to spot errors or weaknesses that can inform teaching. "I can use the multiple language errors that I find in many of the journals as a basis for my mini-lessons," Galarza explains. "So if I see that many of my students are not using commas when they're offsetting a list, that might become a grammar mini-lesson."

Individualized Instruction: "You can literally teach them something within the journal without anyone knowing that you're doing it," Galarza says. "I've said something like, 'You know, you can use a semicolon in your sentence' ... I might even highlight it. 'You know in this sentence up here? You don't need a period there. You could use a semicolon.' I'll just throw in a little grammar instruction as we're going along only if I think that they would be receptive to it."

Mentor Texts: As the teacher and student go back and forth, students pick up on the teacher's style of writing, and the teacher's letters effectively become mentor texts. For example, when Galarza responds to her more advanced writers, "I might use a more complex sentence structure. I might combine sentences or use phrases and just more sophisticated language." Often she notices students using these same structures in their own responses.

Funds of Knowledge: Keeping dialogue journals with students over time helps teachers discover students' unique funds of knowledge, areas of expertise they might not have known about otherwise. "I had this student this year who was into taxidermy and hunting," Galarza says. "I was so interested in it, so I asked him to give me information on it, and he really did. Like technical. Like it belongs in a book. And then he drew pictures." She asked him if he ever thought about writing a comic book about hunting or taxidermy, and in his response, he considered it:

Relationships: Ultimately, the most important benefit of the journals is the relationships they build. When students feel they have a trusted adult in school, when they feel heard and seen, that makes school a place they want to come to.

"I don't look at teaching the way many people do," Galarza says. "I know that they could learn anything they need to learn from their homes with a device on their lap still in their pajamas. They don't need me to learn. They need me to care." ♦

There's a lot more where this came from.
Join the Cult of Pedagogy mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to my members-only library of free downloadable resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading. If you are already a subscriber and want this resource, just check your most recent email for a link to the Members-Only Library-it's in there!

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How Dialogue Journals Build Teacher-Student Relationships

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Dialogue journals are a powerful tool for building trust with your students. Learn how they work.

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https://tankhuynh.com/ell-strategies-content-teachers/

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This article shares strategies that help content teachers to be teachers of language. It is Part 17 of WIDA's Essential Actions Series. Click here to read the first article in the series.

I was walking from my classroom to the teachers' parking lot when I saw a group of elementary students gleefully playing on our school's soccer field. They were oblivious to the thunderstorm rumbling above and the lighting snapping through the darkening clouds. Even though I work in the secondary school, I am still responsible for the safety of all students, so I called for them to come to seek shelter.

How could I not?

But just as we're responsible for the safety of all students, even the ones we don't teach, we also have to assume the responsibility to supporting their language development. But how should content teachers interact with English language learners?

When I talk to content teachers about being a language teacher, they often respond by saying that they are an English teacher. Unfortunately, they're missing the point. Language plays a crucial role in student achievement (Wong Fillmore & Snow, 2002). Now that U.S. schools are experiencing a rise in ELs, language is an even more important topic for all kinds of teachers across all different disciplines (Egbert & Ernst-Slavit, 2010).

Content teachers have to educate their ELs on how to be literate and communicative in the language of their discipline (Gibbons, 2008).

Action 15 from WIDA's E ssential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards (Gottlieb, 2013) encourages content educators to teach the language of their discipline. If content teachers put the following strategies in place, their students will better access content and experience greater academic achievement. Luckily, content teachers are not alone on this linguistic journey. We, the English language teachers (ELTs), are eager to guide our colleagues to adopt language-friendly practices.

Language Strategies for Content Teachers

Content teachers focus primarily on helping students develop critical thinking skills by acquiring, synthesizing, and applying content knowledge. I've created the simple framework below to help them think about how to make the language of their disciplines more visible to ELs. These strategies are no by means an exhaustive list. They're just specific, concrete ideas to support literacy skills within each discipline.

Teaching Reading Skills

First things first: Students won't master discipline-specific skills or fully learn content if vocabulary isn't explicitly taught. Should content teachers teach reading ? Yes! Vocabulary forms the foundation that supports content knowledge and skill development. Without the ability to use content-specific vocabulary, students will find it hard to switch from social language into an academic register (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002).
They'll be stuck using social language instead, mumbling something like "Columbus is not a good person", rather than, "Columbus' expedition significantly impacted native civilizations". Moreover, if they don't understand vocabulary in the content classes, they won't be able to fully access more complex discipline-specific texts or engage in content-specific activities.

One of the most effective approaches to teaching Tier 3 vocabulary (content-specific vocabulary) is the Frayer model, which teaches a target word 4 different ways: with a definition, illustration, features that describe the vocabulary word, and a non-example. For example, if a science teacher wanted to teach the word "herbivore", she can give a student-friendly definition written in a complete sentence, provide an image of a rabbit, identify teeth made for grazing as a distinguishing feature, and list an animal that only eats meat like a tiger.

The Frayer model does not guarantee that ELs will fully understand discipline-specific texts -that's Visible Reading's responsibility - however, it helps ELs internalize vocabulary words so that they can begin to understand content-specific texts, access oral instructions, and engage in activities.

Teaching Discussion Skills

All content areas require students to think critically and analytically. For example, Art teachers might want students to explore the influence of art on culture, or Design teachers might want students to inquire into the role of artificial intelligence in engineering a car. Using the Harkness Discussion method when exploring these topics empowers students to construct a deeper understanding of the them.

In a Harkness Discussion , students create authentic questions about the topic of study, and then collaboratively discuss the answers using the texts they read or viewed in class to substantiate their claims. Returning to the Design scenario, a student might ask, "Do you agree with Elon Musk's opinion about the benefits of autonomous cars?" Then students would discuss this question with the aid of the articles and the videos they've processed.

ELs demonstrate the highest quality of critical thinking when they engage in a Harkness Discussion because they're actively constructing and negotiating meaning with others. They are doing the work - not me.

Teaching Writing Instruction

An EL's ability to communicate content knowledge through writing is paramount to academic achievement. However, many ELs are not yet able to code switch from social language to a formal register.

Content teachers can help by teaching ELs to analyze a mentor text to identify the features of academic language. I recommend writing a concise sample paragraph that demonstrates how language is used to communicate content-specific information. Allow students to study this mentor text for the how the author uses words, phrases, and grammar to communicate these ideas. I call this the Split-Screen approach. By making the discipline-specific academic language more visible, ELs can more easily attempt it in their own writing.

I recommend reading Jess Lif's article on how to teach students to analyze a mentor text . She provides a very detailed and helpful account of the process. Alternatively, I sometimes ask my students to collaboratively construct a paragraph on Google Docs. Then I deconstruct the paragraph for students using the highlighter function.

In every discipline, there are different ways of thinking and talking, different sets of vocabulary used, and different approaches to communicating ideas in writing. Content teachers who are versed in that field should share the distinct ways language is used in their disciplines; English language teachers should share ways to make discipline-specific language demands visible to ELs.

On the same note, I hope this entire WIDA's Essential Action Series has reinforced your practice, encouraged you to experiment with new approaches, motivated you to modify existing ones, and prompted you to reach out and collaborate with others teachers on behalf of your ELs.

Veteran teachers tell me that they feel pulled in so many directions: meetings, regulations, paperwork, duties, coaching, emails, assessment and feedback, lesson design - the list is endless. In the blizzard of these activities, WIDA reminds us of the essential actions that remain at the core of our practice and profession.

I'll be taking a break from posting to share articles from guest bloggers and to share posts that I've been a guest blogger on. Some topics will include strategies that help elementary ELs, meta-cognitive thinking, and writing instruction.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: Guilford.

Egbert, J., & Ernst-Slavit, G. (2010). Access to academics: Planning instruction for K-12 classrooms with ELLs. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.

Gibbons, P. (2008). English learners, academic literacy, and thinking: Learning in the challenge zone. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Gottlieb, M. (2013). Essential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards . Madison: Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

Wong Fillmore, L., & Snow, C. E. (2002). What teachers need to know about language. In C. T. Adger, C. E. Snow, & D. Christian (Eds.), What teachers need to know about language (pp. 7-53). McHenry, IL and Washington, DC: Delta Systems and the Center for Applied Linguistics.

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#37. ELL Strategies for Content Teachers: How to be a Teacher of Language - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Effective ELL strategies for content teachers. How to teach vocabulary, guide discussions and analyze mentor texts in science, history and more.

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3 cross-curricular techniques that expand thinking and develop language

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3 cross-curricular techniques that expand thinking and develop language

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https://seidlitzblog.org/2021/02/09/3-cross-curricular-techniques-that-expand-thinking-develop-language-for-english-learners/

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by Valentina Gonzalez

In the year 2025, 25% of the students in the United States will be English learners (Suarez-Orozco, & Todorova, 2008). Even now, ELs make up about 10% of our nation's public school student population, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Though if you live in California, Texas, or Nevada, you know that the percentage of ELs is much greater in your state.

English learners in our classrooms are acquiring a new language while also learning the content we teach. This poses challenges in and of itself, but it's especially difficult if the demands of the instruction are not accommodated to support language acquisition.

As teachers, we want all of our students to do well on classwork and assessments. But if we're neglecting accommodating language for English learners, then we cannot be surprised or frustrated if they do not meet expectations on classwork and assessments. The use of accommodations changes how students experience instruction by making both how they receive and how they interact with content and language more accessible. Providing linguistic accommodations involves more than merely highlighting some text and omitting a few options on a multiple choice test; rather, it often includes the use of visuals and native language support, among many other techniques. Ultimately, if we want ELs to be successful academically, we have to address their linguistic needs not only in classes focused specifically on English language development, but in content classrooms as well.

It's common that when educators work with ELs, they oversimplify the content, sometimes even below grade level. Teachers that do this usually do it with the best intentions of supporting students who are learning English; however, this unintentionally creates academic gaps. Carol Salva and Anna Matis point out in Boosting Achievement: Reaching Students with Interrupted or Minimal Education that "All teachers must see themselves as language and literacy teachers and be prepared to teach language through content" (Menken & Klen, 2010, as cited in Salva & Matis, 2017). Though ESL teachers focus on language development, the best teachers use content as a vehicle to deliver the language instruction. General education teachers may focus on content but must use language as their vehicle for delivering content-related information to students.

Ingredients for Language Development

Two "ingredients" are necessary for language development. Borrowing from John Seidlitz, "Language acquisition involves receiving copious amounts of comprehensible input with low stress opportunities for output in a target language" ( p. 30, 2019).

Acquiring language is a dynamic experience. It is not the same for each learner, and language proficiency may look different in varied contexts. For example, a student may seem more proficient in a mathematical context but less in social studies. Background knowledge, motivation, interest, and other factors play roles in the ease and speed of language acquisition as well.

By amplifying language in content classrooms, we can help English learners develop language and become more successful with content. Our aim is to create lessons that incorporate all four language domains - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - within content instruction.

3 Techniques You Can Use Now

The following three instructional methods can be adjusted for use cross-curricularly in a wide variety of grade levels. Many students will benefit from additional supports such as (but not limited to) sentence stems for speaking and writing, visuals, exemplars, and short, clear directions.

In this chart, we use the following symbols to indicate which language domains students will be working on in each step of the lesson.

Strategy Face to Face Virtual, Hybrid, Online

Text Rendering ( National School Reform Faculty, 2014)
Purposes:
- Uncover meaning
- Dig deeper
- Clarify & expand thinking

1. Provide students with a text to read.

2. Have students highlight a significant sentence, phrase, and single word.
3. Put students in groups of three to four.
4. Have students take turns sharing the sentence they highlighted. Then have them take turns sharing the phrase they highlighted. Finally, have them take turns sharing the word they highlighted.

5..Lastly, have groups discuss the significance and overall importance of the reading and write a one sentence summary, either together or separately.

1. Provide students with a text to read.

2. Have students select a significant sentence, phrase, and single word and place them on a shared document. (see example)

3. In breakout rooms, have students take turns sharing the sentence they highlighted. Then have them take turns sharing the phrase they highlighted. Finally, have them take turns sharing the word they highlighted.

4. Lastly, have groups discuss the significance and overall importance of the reading and write a one sentence summary, either together or separately.

Silent Interview
(adapted from Jennings, 1993)
Purposes:
- Build community
- Lower the affective filter
- Increase a sense of belonging

1. Pair up students.
2. Have students take turns asking one another personal or content-related questions by typing in a shared document or writing on paper. Continue this for 3-5 questions.

3. Bring everyone back to the whole group and have students introduce their partners to the group or class and share what they learned from one another.

Variation: This can be done in small groups or in whole group. Instead of typing or writing questions/answers, students can act out their introductions to one another (Step 2).

1. Put students into breakout rooms of 4.
2. Have students pair up within their groups. (Odd #s pair up and even #s pair up, for example, so 1 and 3 are a pair.)
3. Have students take turns asking one another personal or content related questions by typing in a shared document. Continue this for 3-5 questions.

4. Bring everyone back to the whole group, have them turn on their microphones and cameras (if possible) and have students introduce their partners to the breakout group and share what they learned from one another.

Blackout Poetry
Purposes:
- Uncover key concepts
- Discover new meaning
- Build ideas

1. Provide students with a text or a selection of texts.
2. Have students glance over or scan the text, select a set number of important words, and place a box around them.

3. Have students blackout all of the remaining words.
4. Provide students an opportunity to share their newly found poem, discuss, and provide feedback to their peers.

Variations: Students can create visual arts around the text.

1. Provide students access to a digital version of a text or a selection of texts.
2. Have students copy and paste the words of the text into the Blackout poetry maker.
3. Have students select a set number of important words from the text and screenshot the final image of the blacked-out poem.

4. Have students place the poem in Google Slide, adding a visual, a title, and their name.
5. Provide students an opportunity to share their newly found poem, discuss, and provide feedback to their peers in breakout rooms, whole group, or by recording themselves on platforms such as Flipgrid and responding to one another.

See example Google Slides for this activity.

In November 2020, I had the honor of hearing Okhee Lee, professor and researcher, speak. I was particularly struck by one idea that she shared, and it stuck with me. "Keep content. Amplify language." When we are intentional about our use of language combined with content, we may truly be able to enhance student achievement.

Salva, C., & Matis, A. (2017). Boosting achievement: Reaching students with interrupted or minimal education. San Clemente, CA: Seidlitz Education.

Seidlitz, J. (2019). Sheltered instruction in Texas: Second language acquisition methods for teachers of ELs. Irving, TX: Seidlitz Education.

Suárez-Orozco, C., Suárez-Orozco, M. M., & Todorova, I. (2009). Learning a new land. Harvard University Press.

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3 Cross-Curricular Techniques that Expand Thinking & Develop Language for English Learners

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by Valentina Gonzalez In the year 2025, 25% of the students in the United States will be English learners (Suarez-Orozco, & Todorova, 2008). Even now, ELs make up about 10% of our nation's public school student population, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Though if you live in California, Texas, or Nevada, you...

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How to foster student independence: 3 SIOP learning strategies

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How to foster student independence: 3 SIOP learning strategies

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https://tankhuynh.com/foster-independence/

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When I first started teaching ELs, a mentor teacher said, "Our job is to put ourselves out of a job". I laughed awkwardly not knowing what it meant, but as I put more years of teaching under my belt, I've realized that this phrase means teachers have to foster independence in their students.

As teachers of ELs, we want to solve problems for our students. At times, they might be better served if we didn't. We should instead encourage them to apply the teaching tools we've used to scaffold as their own student learning strategies, which is Part 4 of the Sheltered Instruction series focusing on the SIOP Model.

How do we encourage students to use our learning strategies?

Part of the SIOP model is using strategies to empower students to engage in academically challenging tasks. These strategies, if used consistently, foster more independence in students.

In Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th Edition) (SIOP Series) , Echevarria, Vogt, and Short recommend three things that teachers can do to hold ELs to high academic standards:

Provide ample opportunities for students to use learning strategies

Use scaffolding techniques consistently to assist and support student understanding (e.g. text structures)

Incorporate a variety of questions or task that promote higher-order thinking skills (e.g. literal, analytical, and imperative questions) (2017).

1.) Provide ample opportunities for students to use learning strategies

When we teach students strategies, we are teaching them to fish rather than providing them with fish to eat. But we can't just explain the strategies and leave it at that. We have to give them opportunities to use these strategies in multiple different ways.

For example, I use the Harkness Table to have students collaboratively construct the meaning of texts . Because it's a student-led discussion , I do not want to prompt students how to speak. Instead, I post these discussion posters in the classroom and teach students to refer to them while having a discussion.

At first, I'll be honest: it's awkward. But once they are used to these types of contributions, they are comfortable talking without referring to them. Notice how I expect students to contribute to the discussion in different ways, specifically the higher-order ways such as connecting, evaluating, comparing, and synthesizing.

2.) Use scaffolding techniques consistently

The more that teachers use scaffolds consistently throughout the whole school, all grade levels and departments, the more ELs will benefit from the scaffolding simply because when it is used in various classes and in different settings, they have more opportunities to learn it.

I can hear your objection from across the screen: But we're teaching different grades and different content!

That is true, but it's also true that academic language is used across grade levels and disciplines. For example, a Design class might want students to design an infographic that persuades the school to stop buying water bottles and instead encourage students to bring their own. While in a science class, the teacher might want students to create an awareness campaign that persuades students to get at least 8 hours of sleep.

In these two examples, students are engaging in the same task of persuading, but the content is drastically different. I've found that there are several academic verbs that consistently recur that teachers expect students to recognize and practice across disciplines and grade levels. They include:

I've created diagrams for each of these consistently recurring academic verbs and shared them with my content teachers. When these teachers assign work, usually written work, they then share with students the most appropriate diagram to help them complete the task.

As students are exposed to these diagrams across multiple disciplines, they start to internalize what the academic verb requires... what it actually . The consistency of using the scaffold during the writing process empowers ELs to better communicate their understanding.

Because these diagrams are used consistently during writing, they have the power to shift from being a teacher's tool to being a student's own learning strategy. The latter empowers them to become more independent and gives them the resources to do so.

3.) Incorporate a variety of questions or tasks that promote higher-level thinking

Because of ELs' developing language skills, they are often asked less cognitively challenging questions , which usually require them to simply identify facts and recall information . However, we have to remember to provide ELs with opportunities to think more critically. If we fail to do this, ELs will not become thoughtful, analytical thinkers and will always achieve less than their peers.

One structure that I use to help ELs think critically about texts is the Literature Iceberg. The iceberg is a visual representation of how to divide a text into multiple readings, with each reading focused on identifying different parts of the text:

First reading: identify events, characters, and problem/conflict

Second reading: read to find patterns and symbols, ask questions of the text and form opinions and make connections to the text

When we begin to analyze literature, I have students discuss the top of the iceberg to understand the events, identify the characters, and describe the conflict. Then I select a particular section of the text to conduct a second reading where students discuss it more analytically and inferentially. The section might help them identify the theme, the meaning of a repeating symbol, or what a character represents.

I encourage my fellow teachers to use the Literature Iceberg consistently with all the fictional pieces they use so that while it starts out as a teaching tool, it can shift to a becoming student learning strategy that encourages ELs to think more conceptually.

Takeaways

We serve ELs well when we turn over our teaching tools to students themselves so the tools can become student learning strategies. Students learn to adopt these tools when we as teachers use them consistently, ask cognitively demanding questions, and design higher-order learning experiences. ELs want to feel that they are just as smart and capable as other students. When we teach them to use these strategies on their own, their hope becomes reality.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME, & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model. Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson.

Nora, J., & EchevarriÌa, J. (2016). No more low expectations for English learners . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

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#86. How to Foster Student Independence: 3 SIOP Learning Strategies | ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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When I first started teaching ELs, a mentor teacher said, "Our job is to put ourselves out of a job". I laughed awkwardly not knowing what it meant, but as I put more years of teaching under my belt, I've realized that this phrase means teachers have to foster independence in their students.

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Reflecting on learning: Developing metacognitive thinking with ELs

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Reflecting on learning: Developing metacognitive thinking with ELs

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https://tankhuynh.com/metacognitive-thinking/

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Larry Ferlazzo invited me to guest post on his Education Week Teacher blog about teaching metacognitive thinking. This post appeared originally in Education Week on October 12, 2016.

Metacognitive strategies develop the ability to independently solve problems, construct meaning, and express ideas because they prompt students to think about how they learn. Metacognitive strategies are particularly effective in empowering English learners (ELs) because they illuminate how literacy skills can be transferred between classes. By using the Q-PIC framework to create metacognitive strategies, for example, teachers can create a simple strategy like What-How Sticky Noting that can be used for any subject.

Considerations When Using Metacognitive Strategies

Quick: Compose a short prompt - just a sentence or two - that elicits a quick student response. An metacognitive strategy should be a gentle pause in learning.

Process-driven: The prompt should ask students to think about the steps they took to solve the problem or describe the strategies they used to learn the content. Reflecting on the process develops transferable skills that empower ELs to be independent learners.

Integrated: Consciously look for opportunities to integrate metacognitive strategies within the lesson cycle, not just at the end of class. For example, ask ELs to pause and think about the process after they read a complex section of text, write an introductory paragraph, or experience an important breakthrough. Using metacognitive strategies when students show progress praises the process rather than the students.

Collaborative: Having ELs share their processes with the class provides other students with more strategies with which to experiment. Additionally, it cultivates a classroom culture that honors how students learn as well as what they learned.

What-How Strategy

In What-How Sticky Noting, ELs recall what they learned during a particular activity on one side of a sticky note. On the other side, they reflect on how they learned the content. This Q-PIC strategy is quick, process-driven, can be used at any time, and can be easily implemented across the disciplines.

Closing Thought

Reflecting on learning cements understandings . Teaching any student to think metacognitively is about growing the capacity to learn. But for ELs, it equalizes educational opportunities because reflective thinking enables ELs to participate in all content areas while developing their abilities to be on par with their native English-speaking peers. Metacognitive strategies shift ELs' self-perception from one of "limited" abilities to one of endless potential.

[ UPDATE, Dec. 2016]:A close Twitter friend shared this article entitled "Do you Pose Questions that Invite Metacognition" which contains MANY metacognitive questions you can ask students. Very helpful because it provides an extensive list of questions. Gracias, @emilyfranESL.

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#39. Reflecting on learning: Developing metacognitive thinking with ELs | ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Larry Ferlazzo invited me to guest post on his Education Week Teacher blog about teaching metacognitive thinking. This post appeared originally in Education Week on October 12, 2016. Metacognitive strategies develop the ability to independently solve problems, construct meaning, and express ideas because they prompt students to think about how they learn.

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Case study: Working with multilingual learners who are new to English

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Case study: Working with multilingual learners who are new to English

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https://www.empoweringells.com/26-teaching-new-to-english-els/

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Part 8 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series.

We've all heard the old adage: Don't judge a book by it's cover . Similarly, don't let an ELs' current mastery of English be an indicator of her intelligence. If teachers do that, we risk "dumbing down" ELs' learning experiences and preventing them from fully engaging in class.

WIDA's Action 8 from E ssential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards honors this principle by encouraging ELs to engage in intellectually challenging activities. Gottlieb introduces the action by writing:
With ample and varied instructional supports, every English language learner can engage in cognitively demanding tasks to demonstrate understanding and use of academic language and content. Even newcomer ELLs can be challenged using higher-order thinking when responding to different commands or questions, such as, "Show me how to ______." There is no reason why ELLs cannot make decisions based on evidence, produce creative work, construct original models, or invent using their imaginations (2013, 38).
Likewise, my goal is to share a case study of one of my own students who is cognitively an advanced Japanese speaker, but is only at the Entering Phase of English language development. The Design teacher and I scaffolded her learning experiences so that this particular EL could engage in cognitively demanding tasks even though her language skills did not yet reflect her advanced analytical abilities.
By modifying the way we provide instructions and by differentiating tasks, all teachers can successfully integrate even beginning English speakers into their classroom by modifying instruction and differentiating tasks.
Research Findings

There are several key research assertions that support this action:

Tasks that are engaging and provide a reasonable challenge will be both cognitively involving and motivating for ELs (Himmele & Himmele, 2009).

ELs are more likely to be engaged and motivated to participate in learning experiences that are reasonably cognitively challenging (Ellis, 2005).

ELs' language proficiency and thinking skills can develop significantly as they are learning content. This is particularly true for students in the upper grades (Zwiers, 2008).

According to the sheltered instruction model, it's best practice to design learning that leads ELs to high-order thinking at all levels of language mastery ( Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2008; Goldenberg & Coleman, 2010).

The research suggests that educators should design instruction that allows ELs to engage in activities that foster critical thinking even if their language proficiency does not allow them to communicate with control and precision. Thus, educators should not confuse an ELs' language proficiency with their ability to think critically . Instead, teachers should plan instruction that differentiates learning and scaffolds the interaction so that ELs are engaging in critical thinking at all levels of language proficiency.

Ayaka's Story: A Case Study of Working with Entering ELs

I would like to e-troduce you to Ayaka. She's a Japanese student in the 6th grade who has just enrolled in our school (August 2016). Ayaka is a polite, soft-spoken girl who is highly observant, learns quickly, and possesses a gentle grit usually seen in older souls.

Ayaka is also a gifted artist who impresses her classmates with creative and whimsical drawings. This is one of her drawings that describes her understanding of safe laboratory practices in science class. You can easily see how creative Ayaka is. When I reviewed her school records from Japan, I noticed her state-standardized test scores were in the 90% percentile for her grade, and she had glowing remarks about her diligence.
Sheltered Immersion
Linguistically, however, Ayaka is at the Entering Phase of English language development. She is learning basic vocabulary words such as "bathroom", "teacher", "pencil", "book", etc. As of February 2016, Ayaka has yet to produce a full spoken sentence, and only says short phrases. Ayaka is also attending mainstream classes, as is instructionally appropriate because content provides a context for learning and using language.

Her intelligence is significantly higher than her ability to comprehend and produce in English, which creates a difficult problem. As part of the sheltered immersion model at my school , we want ELs to gain content skills and knowledge without being pulled out and given remedial English lessons. Instead, our solution is for me to co-plan and co-teach with the content educators to scaffold learning experiences.

Ayaka is pulled out of her English and Mother Tongue Japanese classes to attend foundational English classes, but 80% of her class schedule consists of mainstream classes because the contexts provide the authentic purposes for using language. There is room for pull-out classes, but a diet can't comprise of vitamins alone.Twitter .I see pull-out instruction being more appropriate for elementary schools.

To support Ayaka, Ms. Jenny - the Design teacher - and I co-planned lessons, and I co-taught Design classes two days out of the eight-day cycle. In this particular unit, Ms. Jenny wanted all students to go through the Design Cycle to create a product that would keep an egg from cracking when dropped from the top of the third floor. The content goal was to use the Design Cycle to create a product and evaluate its effectiveness. The Design Cycle fosters critical thinking because students had to:

conduct research

synthesize research

apply research into a design

plan the design

build the product

test it against specifications

evaluate its effectiveness against the specifications

This is the class wall chart for the design cycle, which uses many complex, applied academic terms found in Bloom's Revised Taxonomy .

The unit was a rich, relevant, cognitively challenging, and highly engaging learning experience. Additionally, it was a great opportunity for Ayaka to English to engage in the unit. use language verses learn language. She had to . It was a clear example of in-context development of language skills. Language is driven by the need to use it

Below are the steps that I took to empower Ayaka to demonstrate her creative and critical thinking skills throughout this Design unit.

Step 1:

Researching: Ms. Jenny created a booklet that consisted of various graphic organizers to help all students collect their research findings. This activity cultivated critical thinking because students had to evaluate which information was the most relevant from their research.

Language Scaffolding: I showed her how to translate ONLY words she didn't understand using Google Translate because translating phrases often produces incoherent ideas.

I also rephrased Ms. Jenny's document when translating the words did not assist Ayaka. For example, she didn't understand "Cite your source", so I rephrased it to "Where did you find the design?"

Providing this scaffolding empowered Ayaka to engage in a critically demanding task.

Step 2:

Materials: Ms. Jenny only allowed the use of 12 items from the materials lists. This task required Ayaka to think critically about how to best make use of the limited resources she was given.

Language Scaffolding: The same strategy of Google Translating was used. This scaffold empowered Ayaka to think critically because she had to create within limitations. In order to create, she had to evaluate the usefulness of each resource. By this phase of the unit, Ayaka understood the benefit of Google Translating and could use it independently without being prompted. This demonstrates how Ayaka has begun using strategies on her own to help her engage in class.

Step 3:

Writing Solution: Ms. Jenny wanted students to compose a paragraph that synthesized their research into a workable solution. This activity required critical thinking because Ayaka had to apply her research and the materials to create her own design.

Language Scaffolding: I had to rephrase the instructional sentence twice for Ayaka to make it more comprehensible. Even though Ayaka is at the Entering Phase, this does not mean her intelligence is. This time, I allowed Ayaka to enter full ideas in Google Translate to help her communicate her complex, detailed thinking in the long, written response. Ayaka needs to be given the opportunity to show her advanced level of understanding despite her developing English skills.

This is Ayaka's paragraph that describes her solution. The grammar is not perfect, but Ms. Jenny was more concerned about Ayaka's ideas at this phase of the project.

Step 4:

Drafting Solutions: Ms. Jenny wanted students to create three initial design drafts from their paragraph solution. This task fostered Ayaka's critical thinking because 1) she engaged in creating by using her own research and 2) evaluated the three plans and decided on which one would be most appropriate to build.

Language Solution: We used the same strategy of translating unfamiliar words, writing them in Japanese for easier comprehension, and rephrasing the instructions.

Ayaka has started to realize that it's ok to use some Japanese, so she is becoming more independent at going to Google Translate when there are unfamiliar words. My role as a language specialist is to gradually wean her off of these scaffolds as her confidence and independence increases. I hope to empower Ayaka to intentionally use strategies that facilitate comprehension of text and support communication of her own ideas.

Step 5:

Collaboration: Next, Ms. Jenny wanted the students to take their best design and partner with another person in class. They negotiated which design is best and identified which ideas, incorporating ideas from the other classmate's design. This activity is cognitively demanding because students had to 1) negotiate human interactions and 2) evaluate another person's idea.

Language Solution: I was not there for the day they collaborated, but Ms. Jenny (who exemplifies the belief that all educators are teachers of language) had a wonderful strategy to support the evaluation experience. She systemized the interaction through a gallery walk. Ms. Jenny asked students to place a star around the parts of the design that they think their classmates should keep. Ms. Ms. Jenny asked them to draw a "question mark" on items that they were not comfortable with or unsure of.

Because this system of interaction was beyond Google Translate's ability to communicate meaning, Ms. Jenny asked Shungo, another Japanese student, to provide brief instructions to Ayaka in Japanese. Then he returned to his group to continue working. Ms. Jenny intentionally did not partner Ayaka with Shungo nor had him do all the translating while Ayaka worked with her partner. She wanted the context itself to build Ayaka's English skills.

Shungo was there only to establish comprehensible input, which empowered Ayaka to engage in the interaction, not to teach and translate the entire experiment. Making an "advanced" student responsible for teaching a developing student is one of the five practices that education blogger, Jennifer Gonzales, highly discourages. She wrote about it in her article entitled " 5 Common Practices that I'm Kicking to the Curb ". Gonzales is beloved by teachers because she consistently provides practical advice to busy teachers looking for effective strategies.

Elanora, Ayaka's partner in this unit, knew that she was a clever artist so they drew their revisions instead of having full-length conversations. This is an example of differentiating the process. Words are not the only tools ELs have to communicate.

Step 6:

Creating: The next step in the design cycle was making the product. Ayaka and Elanora worked collaboratively to create the device. This is another example of engaging in critical thinking because as they created the design, they had to make some alterations to their original plans. They were evaluating the effectiveness of the product as it was being constructed.

Language Solution: I offered very little support here because Ayaka is socially smart and very observant. She does not need language to communicate her ideas. I did help Elanora use gestures to communicate meaning and asked her to use words with Ayaka, not just pantomiming.

Elanora's words will help develop Ayaka's vocabulary because Ayaka will start to associate words with actions and objects. Ayaka is still able to oral language and should be encouraged to associate words with their meaning even though she is not able to oral language yet.

This is Ayaka's and Elanora's final egg-drop design. They threw if off the third floor, and yes, the design successfully kept the egg from cracking.

Step 7:

Evaluation: The final step of the design cycle was to evaluate one's work. Ms. Jenny created this document to structure the evaluation process. This task required critical thinking because students needed to reflect on what was effective and what should be improved.

Language Solution: I again used Google Translate, rephrased written instruction, and allowed Ayaka to write in Japanese as forms of scaffolding. For each question, I rephrased it several times until Ayaka understood. The rephrasing allowed her to think critically and evaluate her design.

I also used sentence stems as tools to scaffold writing. I provided this stem to scaffold her answer for the final question in the evaluation section:

"The most important factor of our design was ....because....".

The sentence stem empowered Ayaka to identify a factor and explain its importance. It didn't matter that she had to Google Translate her ideas from Japanese to English. It mattered that she engaged critically and was able to communicate it.

A side note to using sentence stems: Remember to differentiate based on the student's language proficiency. Don't use overly complicated ones for the Entering ELs, and don't use basic ones for the Bridging ELs. Check out Jana Echevarria's article about differentiating sentence stems.

Can you imagine what would have happened if we took Ayaka out of Design, and I was assigned to teach her English until her English was ready for the classroom? It would be language robbery!

Learning is not an Olympic event where students have to qualify to participate .It's an ELs' right to join and participate in class like their other peers, even though their interaction might look different than others.

Front of the House

I used to work as a waiter at T.G.I.Friday's to pay for college and help lessen mom's financial burden. When I was with customers in the dining room, we called that "Front of the House". But the real action occurred in the chaotic "Back of the House" where food was prepared, dishes cleaned, and food stocked. Customers were blissfully unaware of the complicated work behind their beautifully plated meals rushed out by their attentive server.

This article about Ayaka is like the "Front of the House", but we still need to learn about the "Back of the House" concepts that drove my work with Ayaka.

These concepts can be distilled down to two priorities - first develop comprehensible input, then foster engagement. In the next post, I'll provide a more extensive list of practices that cultivate comprehensible input and, in the post after that, a list of tools that produce comprehensible output. Now that we've learned how to work with Entering ELs like Ayaka, I'll continue to describe how to support ELs on the rest of the language development continuum.

[Update February 26, 2017]

Alison Armstrong, an exceedingly talented music teacher, colleague, and friend, also teaches Ayaka. After reading this article, she shared this with the community:

References

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26. Teaching ELs New to English: Ayaka's Story | ELL Strategies | Empowering ELLs

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Part 8 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series. We've all heard the old adage: Don't judge a book by it's cover . Similarly, don't let an ELs' current mastery of English be an indicator of her intelligence.

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12 ways to support English learners in the mainstream classroom

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12 ways to support English learners in the mainstream classroom

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/supporting-esl-students-mainstream-classroom/

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
A note on terminology: The acronym ESL is used less often now in schools than it used to be, because we recognize that many students who are learning English already speak several other languages, so English would not be a "second" language. I use it several times in the post because schools sometimes refer to the teachers as ESL teachers, and the term is still widely used as a search term for this topic. My intent in using the acronym is to make this post easier to find online.

You have a new student, and he speaks no English. His family has just moved to your town from Japan, and though he receives English as a Second Language (ESL) support, he will also be sitting in your room every day to give him more exposure to his new language. How can you be a good teacher to someone who barely understands you?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average of 9 percent of students in U.S. public schools are English Language Learners (ELLs); that number is closer to 14 percent in cities. Although many of these students start off in high-intensity, whole-day English programs, most are integrated into mainstream classrooms within a year, well before their English language skills would be considered proficient.

How prepared are you to teach these students? If you're like most classroom teachers, you have little to no training in the most effective methods for working with English language learners (Walker, Shafer, & Iiams, 2004). So that means we have a problem here: Lots of ELL kids in regular classrooms, and no teacher training to ensure the success of that placement.

Below, three ESL teachers tell us what they know about the things regular classroom teachers can do to improve instruction for ELL students. These 12 strategies are simple, they are not very time consuming, and best of all, they will help everyone in your class learn better:

1. Make it Visual

"Avoid giving instructions in the air," says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based ESL teacher. "ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language." So instructions - even basic directions for classroom procedures - should be written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way toward helping students understand. "Sometimes showing our students what to do is all they need in order to do it," Eddington says. Not only will this kind of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. Build in more group work.

"Kids aren't just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of the day they dump it back onto a test," says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the subject of my very first podcast interview. "If you really want the kids to learn, they've got to be engaged." That means less teacher-led, whole-class instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the resource teacher doesn't have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

3. Communicate with the ESL teacher.

Mary Yurkosky, a former ESL teacher in Massachusetts, credits much of her students' success to the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers. "The classroom teachers were always talking to me about what they were doing in their classes," she says. "They made it so easy for me to support them: If a teacher was going to be doing a unit on plants, I could make sure we used some of that same vocabulary in the ESL class."

Ideally, this could be systematized, where ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support, but "it doesn't have to be that much work," Yurkosky insists. "Just talk to each other. Talk about what's going on in your classrooms, invite each other to special presentations, share what your students are learning, and the words will naturally find their way into the ESL class."

4. Honor the "silent period."

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will speak very little, if at all. "Don't force them to talk if they don't want to," says Eddington, "A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they are at a point where they're perfect." Just knowing that this is a normal stage in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move them toward talking too quickly.

5. Allow some scaffolding with the native language.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community, allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2) classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a language, it's okay to pair him with other students who speak his native language. "Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use," Yurkosky says. "Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class."

And this doesn't only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written assignment, but the ELL student doesn't yet have the proficiency to handle writing his response in English, "Don't make them just sit there and do nothing," Eddington says. "Allow them to write in their first language if they're able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can't read what they write." There has even been some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing process (Yigzaw, 2012).

6. Look out for culturally unique vocabulary.

"For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with things that are unique to American or westernized culture," says Eddington. It's important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: "Show them videos of what it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing rack - things that are not common in their own language."

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms you're going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. Use sentence frames to give students practice with academic language.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic conversations. Sentence frames - partially completed sentences like "I disagree with what _________ said because..." - show students how to structure language in a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a regular part of class. "They won't do it if it's not the norm in the class, because they'll be embarrassed to use it among their peers," she says. "But if they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes me talk like this, then they don't look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise."

8. Pre-teach whenever possible.

If you're going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview material will increase the odds that they'll understand it on the day you present it to everyone else. "That kind of thing is wonderful," Yurkosky says. "The kids feel so empowered if they've had a chance to look at the material ahead of time."

9. Learn about the cultural background of your students...

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from - exactly, not 'somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa' - tells the student that you respect her enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight about the diverse South American population at her school: "I was listening to the teachers talking about the 'Mexican' kids in our building," she says, "and I was like, 'We don't have any Mexicans.'" Not taking the time to at least correctly identify a child's country of origin, much like not bothering to pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about students' religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim, he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is viewed as disrespectful, you'll know not to force her to look you in the eye when she's talking.

10. ...but don't make a child speak for his entire culture.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of class. "That's not cultural inclusiveness," she explains. "I've seen teachers do this and then pat themselves on the back. The students' English is limited so they can't express themselves very well, and they don't want to 'represent'; they just want to be there." If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that's going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it's appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. Show them how to take themselves less seriously...

By modeling the risk-taking that's required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it. "I tried to say the word 'paint' ( pinta) in Portuguese and instead I said the word for 'penis' ( pinto). They all roared with laughter while I stood there with a What?? look on my face," Yurkosky says. "When they explained what I'd said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay."

12. ...but always take them seriously.

One of Kim's pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language learners is the way they often see students' efforts as 'cute,' missing the whole point of what the student is trying to say. "A student will be desperate to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the message," she says. "That's painful for me to watch." It bothers her when teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When a child can't express themselves as well as they would in their native language, it's far too easy to assume the concepts just aren't in their heads.

"It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don't know anything," says Eddington. "These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can't tell us in English yet." Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction - every student - with the respect they deserve.

"They're doing twice the job of everybody else in the class," Kim adds, "even though the result looks like half as much." ♦

Further Reading

The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL in the content areas and another specifically geared toward teaching ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
References:
Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160.

Yigzaw, A. (2012). Impact of L1 use in L2 English writing classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 8(1), 11-27.

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12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

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Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

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Supporting multilingual learners in early grades

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Supporting multilingual learners in early grades

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/supporting-multilingual-students-early-grades

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Early Childhood Education

Five ways teachers can celebrate and extend the linguistic expertise of young students who speak two or more languages.

Many children in the U.S. live their lives in two or more languages: A child of Guatemalan descent may read bedtime stories in Spanish with their parents and learn in English at school-and perhaps speak K'iche' with their grandparents. Research has shown that these multilingual children may have strong math skills, conflict resolution skills, and executive function skills.

By welcoming the whole multilingual child, including their linguistic practices, we send a powerful message that children from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds contribute to the vibrancy of our early childhood programs.

Multilingualism is an asset to be nurtured in our classrooms, and the following five strategies can help teachers strategically and intentionally celebrate and extend multilingual children's existing linguistic expertise as well as their participation in learning activities both in person and virtually.

Incorporate Children's Home Languages

All multilingual children are experts in their home language practices and come with a wealth of knowledge that should be respected. Provide space and time for multilingual children to use all of their languages to think and express themselves.

For example, during partner work, invite children to use their home languages to share what they know. All multilingual learners, whether they're new to English or completely fluent, will benefit from talking with a partner who speaks the same home language. Thinking and sharing in both of their languages solidifies their learning.

In addition, encouraging multilingual learners to make connections between new English terms and words or concepts they already know will support language acquisition. You can invite children to share their linguistic expertise by sharing how to say a new word in their home language. If your class is studying nourishing foods, you might show a pineapple and invite children to share the words they know for it in their home languages, if they feel comfortable doing so.

Teach Anchor Words

Keep in mind that anxiety and self-doubt greatly interfere with the process of acquiring a second language. These negative feelings become a barrier between the speaker and the listener that reduces the amount of language the listener is able to understand. This is called the "affective filter." It's important to keep the affective filter low so that language learners can be successful.

One way to reduce anxiety for multilingual learners is to preview some foundational concepts so that, at a minimum, they have an idea of what is being discussed and, at best, they are confident about what is being taught. Anchor words are vocabulary words such as "farm" or "eat" that activate children's background knowledge from their home language and give them a context for learning a new language.

Most children who speak English at home will not need direct instruction to learn these terms, but for children who are very new to the English language, these words will be absolutely essential. Make a list of relevant thematic words and preteach them to your multilingual learners.

Provide Sentence Stems

"I like..." and "I learned..." are two examples of sentence stems or sentence starters that expand new English learners' comprehension skills as well as oral language development. They provide a framework for children's oral responses when listening to stories or having group discussions.

Sentence stems provide an effective language model and help children to respond in the form of a complete sentence. Stems also provide scaffolding for children to focus on what they want to say rather than thinking about how to formulate their response. Teach a few stems and use them consistently.

Because of the other barriers that exist in the virtual classroom (e.g., kids needing to unmute themselves, feeling nervous sharing with the whole group, being camera shy), this strategy is particularly useful during the pandemic.

Incorporate Visuals

New English learners find themselves in a sea of language that can be tough to navigate. Visuals are a terrific tool for supporting comprehension. Use realia (concrete objects) if you are teaching in person or pictures if teaching virtually so children can "see" the terms you are using.

Try acting out new vocabulary words. If you're teaching children the difference between "washing" and "scrubbing," dramatize it by modeling the actions and then invite children to join you. Another way to incorporate visuals is to point or gesture at what you are referring to: If you're reading a book and referring to an illustration of a horse, point to the horse; when you're describing your thinking, point to your temple.

Use Layered Questioning

When you interact with children, how can you ensure that they all understand and participate, regardless of their stage of language development? One way is to use a strategy called "layered questioning," which means varying the type of questions you ask children based on their language proficiency.

You can ask a question that requires children to gesture in response ("Will you point to the pineapple?"). You can ask a question that requires a child to respond with either a "yes" or a "no" (Do you like to eat pineapples?"). You can ask a question that gives children an either/or choice ("Do you like to eat pineapples for breakfast or for lunch?"). You can also ask open-ended questions so children can share their thinking ("How would you describe this pineapple?").

When you vary your questions based on what you know about your children, it empowers them to express their thinking, extend their content knowledge, and be active members of the classroom community.

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Supporting Multilingual Students in the Early Grades

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Five ways teachers can celebrate and extend the linguistic expertise of young students who speak two or more languages.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-effective-modeling-strategies-english-learners

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English Language Learners

Providing English learners-and all students-with examples of how to do learning tasks is particularly useful during distance learning.

Despite the huge shifts in pedagogical practice caused by the move to online learning, some tried-and-true strategies, such as modeling for English learners, remain crucial. Since teachers often can't intervene in real time these days, effective modeling-in which the teacher's expectations for student performance are made explicit through an example-is a lifeline for English learners because of the clarity they provide.

In our experience observing K-12 classrooms-including classrooms with only English learners as well as classrooms that contain a mix of ELs and fluent English speakers-modeling is consistently underutilized despite being an easy, high-leverage strategy. It's helpful to remember that providing effective models saves time in the end, since it both provides clear examples of expectations for a given assignment and reduces the verbiage a teacher needs to explain a task.

5 Types of Effective Models

Effective modeling can take many different forms. In all cases, modeling should clarify the expectations of the task without giving away the answer, and should remain available for students to access throughout the task. The following are examples of effective models.

1. Completing the first one in a set as an example: This is the simplest form of modeling, yet we've found that it's not used enough. Click here to see an example. In any kind of exercise in which students are working through multiple examples of the same type of question or problem, it's helpful to model one or two examples so students see exactly what is expected of them.

2. Providing explicit guidance on the expectations of the assignment through visual models: Click here for a humanities example and here for a math one. These embedded models clearly show the teacher's expectations for performance with visuals instead of many words, without giving away the answers.

3. Using language frames as models for conversational moves: Providing sentence frames models the kinds of conversations students should be having. ELs can engage in conversations more fluidly when they can focus on what they want to express instead of how to express it. See a See Think Wonder activity with language frames and contrast it with a standard version of this same activity.

4. Demonstrating how to complete the steps of the task through video: This video example by Megan Berdugo at Brooklyn International High School models how to solve an equation by showing students each step with an analogous problem. Students can rewatch it as many times as they want and pause where necessary to catch words and ideas they missed.

5. Chunking the steps of a complex process and using a corresponding template for students to complete: ELs can easily get overwhelmed by models of a paragraph, essay, or solution when there is a lot of language to wade through and it's unclear which part of the model corresponds to which part of the assignment. Breaking the model into smaller chunks, and providing space next to each chunk, enables students to focus on one aspect at a time, reducing the cognitive and linguistic loads. Click here for a writing example and here for a math example.

We've heard concerns that providing a model reduces the rigor of an assignment. We would counter that while demystifying a teacher's expectations does make the task less difficult for a student, it in no way makes it less complex as long as the model cannot be copied. In fact, great models enable students to jump to the heart of the work instead of spending precious mental energy and time on figuring out what a teacher is asking them to do.

Effective modeling is arguably the most straightforward of scaffolds and requires the least amount of customization for individual students. And like many scaffolds, effective modeling helps all students-not just ELs. For any students who struggle, it provides crucial access that can make the difference between frustration and success.

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5 Effective Modeling Strategies for English Learners

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Providing English learners-and all students-with examples of how to do learning tasks is particularly useful during distance learning.

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/stw-expanded-learning-time-individualized-learning-hassan-mansaray

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/12-fun-speaking-games-language-learners

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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6 essential strategies for teaching english learners

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6 essential strategies for teaching english learners

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners

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Over 10 percent of students in the United States-more than 4.8 million kids-are English language learners (ELLs), and the number is on the rise. Though these students do not learn differently than their native-English-speaking peers, they do have particular educational needs.

To learn about these needs-and best practices for addressing them-I interviewed a range of educators and observers, including Larry Ferlazzo, an educator and author of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide; longtime teachers of English as a second language (ESL) Emily Francis and Tan Huynh; and the journalist Helen Thorpe, who spent a year observing a teacher who works with ELLs.

The group emphasized that the strategies listed here, which include both big-picture mindsets and nitty-gritty teaching tactics, can be incorporated into all classrooms, benefiting both native English speakers and ELLs.

1. Cultivate Relationships and Be Culturally Responsive

No surprise here. A successful classroom, our educators agreed, is one in which students feel known, appreciated, and comfortable taking emotional and intellectual risks. That requires intentional planning and consistent messaging by the teacher.

Emily Francis, an ESL teacher in Concord, North Carolina, makes clear that she wants her students to "embrace their culture and their language as a foundation of who they are" and to consider their acquisition of a new culture and language "not as subtractive, but as additive." To help support students who may never have attended school before or may be coping with migration-based trauma, Francis emphasizes that little things make a big difference. "The first thing that I need to think about is, how is my student feeling in my classroom?" she says. "Are they sitting next to a buddy they can ask a question in their home language? Do they feel comfortable tapping me on the shoulder if they have to go to the bathroom?"

But creating a supportive environment is also about cultivating an appreciation of diversity-it's critical that both the curriculum and the classroom environment honor and reflect the lives of the students. For instance, Francis makes certain that her classroom library is reflective of her students' diverse backgrounds and identities.

ESL teacher Katie Toppel, who teaches near Portland, Oregon, champions the value of home visits to get to know students' families and takes care to incorporate the particulars of students' lives, such as pets' names and favorite sports, into lessons. Students are most engaged when they feel a personal connection to a lesson or unit, a connection that's created in part by a teacher's investment in culturally competent relationships.

2. Teach Language Skills Across the Curriculum

English language learners should not be learning the fundamentals of English in isolation; they should be applying their developing language skills to rich academic content in all subjects.

"It is key that in mainstream classrooms, teachers understand their role as language teachers," says Valentina Gonzalez, a district leader in Katy, Texas, suggesting that all teachers should be aware of the specialized idiom they work within. "If we teach math, then we teach the language of mathematics. If we teach science, then we teach the language of science." Math teachers, in other words, should take the time to teach the unfamiliar vocabulary of mathematics- add, subtract, calculator, solve -concurrently with the teaching of math skills.

3. Emphasize Productive Language

The educators I interviewed agreed that productive language skills-hard-to-master dimensions of language fluency like speaking and writing-should be front and center from day one, even if students feel hesitant about them.

Beginning ELLs often develop receptive language skills like listening and reading first. Educators who are unaware of the typical path to fluency may believe that students who can follow verbal or written directions will be able to produce oral or written language, but that's usually not the case.

To support reluctant speakers, Tan Huynh, an educator who blogs at Empowering ELLs, suggests using sentence frames. "For example, when a science teacher wants ELLs to produce a hypothesis, they might offer the sentence, 'If _____ was added, then _____ because _____.' This sentence frame provides clues that empower ELLs to sound and think like scientists," Huynh says.

Andrea Honigsfeld, a professor of education at Molloy College in Rockville, New York, suggests that all lessons touch on every letter of the acronym SWIRL, which stands for Speak, Write, Interact, Read, Listen. The approach intentionally privileges productive language skills "from the beginning," she says.

4. Speak Slowly-and Increase Your Wait Time

Easier said than done. Still, many of the teachers I spoke to said this simple change is vital. You can record yourself speaking in class to measure your cadence, and adjust.

"Adding in an extra three to five seconds after we pose a question offers all students time to think," explains Gonzalez. "However, for English learners, it also gives time to translate, process their thinking, translate back into English, and develop the courage to answer. If we call on students too quickly, many of our students will stop thinking about the answers-or trying to answer at all."

That means undoing some of our own habits, according to Larry Ferlazzo, a high school ESL teacher in Sacramento, California. "Researchers have found that typically most teachers give one to two seconds between asking a question and expecting a student response," he says. "The same researchers have shown that if you wait three to five seconds, the quality of responses is astronomically greater."

5. Differentiate-and Use Multiple Modalities

All kids learn better when they engage with material in multiple ways: Lessons that involve writing, speaking, drawing, and listening, for example, give students four opportunities to deepen their understanding of the work. For ELLs, those additional engagements also provide a little breathing room so they can work through the language barrier.

Helen Thorpe, a journalist who spent a year observing Eddie Williams's classroom in Denver in order to write a book about immigrants called The Newcomers, marveled at Williams's method of differentiation. "Eddie would enunciate very clearly in English multiple times, he would write it on the board, and he would go to the projector to give a visual. And, finally, he'd be asking the kids to verbalize aspects of the lesson themselves," she says, tracing Williams's efforts to move his students from receptive to productive language fluency.

Toppel uses a strategy called QSSSA to scaffold classroom discussions with ELLs. The letters stand for Question (the teacher poses a question, then gives ample think time); Signal (a designated motion like a thumbs-up, a finger on the nose-something that lets students indicate that they're ready to answer); Stem (the teacher provides a sentence starter for the question-for example, for "What is your favorite place to read a book?" the stem might be, "My favorite place to read a book is _____"); Share; and Assess.

6. Incorporate Students' Native Languages-and Don't Be Afraid of Technology

Bilingualism is the goal, of course, not replacement.

Ferlazzo uses a strategy called "preview, view, review," which leverages a student's native language skills as a foundation for learning the new language. He introduces a topic and encourages students to preview it in materials in their home language (often using multilingual videos and other online resources); he then teaches the topic in English, and then has students review the information in their home language.

Ferlazzo also encourages teachers to embrace technologies that students find helpful, like Google Translate. He stresses that the app can be a useful way for students to translate words quickly-but warns that it can quickly "become a dependency" if it's used as more than a handy dictionary.

Thorpe agrees that Translate can take pressure off teachers, who sometimes find that they "just stand at the front of the room and say things over and over. And if the kids didn't know what those words are, they're out of luck." Translation technology means you can say it once (or twice) and let the students use the technology to translate key words and phrases.

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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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We interviewed educators with decades of experience in teaching ELLs and tapped a network of experts and observers to find the strategies that work.

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An asset-based approach to supporting English learners' reading skills

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An asset-based approach to supporting English learners' reading skills

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/asset-based-approach-supporting-english-learners-reading-skills

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English Language Learners

A look at what English learners need in order to develop the skills and motivation to improve their ability to read in English.

ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo

English learners (ELs) are the fastest growing group of students in the United States, and the NEA expects that by the year 2025, roughly one fourth of our students will be ELs. These students bring a rich diversity into our classrooms-they represent over 400 languages. With this beautiful diversity comes a need for educators to understand language acquisition and linguistic differences and similarities.

Because English learners are far from monolithic, it's dangerous to paint them with one brush, especially when it comes to teaching reading. It is critical that we consider students first, before considering content. It's also important that language acquisition be addressed in balance with reading instruction. All states have language standards to support linguistic development.

ELs may not have had the same opportunities with English as native English speakers, but they have other experiences with language, including speaking and hearing another language since birth. And in addition to language, students enter classrooms with backgrounds and experiences that influence their ability to read.

Additional factors come into play when teaching reading to English learners. If a child has already "cracked the code" in their first language (L1)-so that they understand the connections between sounds and symbols-reading instruction will differ from that of a child who has not yet cracked the code in their L1. Some factors to consider include:

the student's first language proficiency (listening, speaking, reading, and writing),

the student's current English language proficiency,

the student's background knowledge and opportunities,

the student's access to language at home, and

similarities and differences between the student's first language and English (cognates and written features).

The primary grades are traditionally highly language-rich environments. Many students, no matter their language experience, are emergent readers and writers. At this very early stage of school, phonemic awareness and phonics should be explicitly and systematically taught to all learners. This helps students learn to crack the code. Since reading is not a natural experience, students must be taught to lift letters off the page, turn them into sounds, connect sounds, and make words.

Decoding, however, is only one aspect of reading-another is comprehension. ELs who already read in their L1 can transfer knowledge and skills they've learned to acquiring English. Some may also benefit from individualized, explicit phonics instruction. For example, a third-grade newcomer EL from Venezuela may need additional support with English letters and sounds that are nonexistent in Spanish. Formatively assessing students' first language reading by listening to them read in their L1, asking them questions about their reading life, and/or talking to caregivers about their reading experiences will help teachers make instructional decisions.

There is much we can learn from observing a child read in their primary language even if we don't speak or understand the language. The simple act of sitting side-by-side with a student and observing them with a book in their language allows us to see how they interact with text, and we can listen for expression and watch for visual clues of engagement or excitement.

What Do ELs need?

ELs need high quality tier one reading instruction. Here are some characteristics of tier one reading instruction that is designed to meet ELs' cognitive, affective, and linguistic needs.

Cognitive needs: Instruction provides ELs with access to grade-level state standards with the support of second language acquisition methods. Teachers can set high expectations for ELs while providing them with supports such as:

Native language resources,

Visuals and gestures,

Opportunities to listen and speak with peers,

Sentence stems for speaking and writing, and

Content and language objectives.

Affective needs: Instruction supports ELs' confidence, self-assurance, positive identity, and self-efficacy as readers. Teachers can provide a safe environment for reading that follows a gradual release of responsibility and represents all learners by:

Building a strong classroom community,

Fostering a love of literacy,

Allowing and encouraging reading in L1, and

Providing books that represent students' experiences.

Linguistic needs: Instruction supports ELs' English proficiency and bridges or leverages students' first language and uses English Language Proficiency Standards and grade level state standards to guide students to reach literacy goals for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

This work is not the sole responsibility of the English as a second language teacher but rather a collaborative effort by all stakeholders.

3 Ways Teachers Can Help Motivate ELs as Readers

Motivation to read is built by creating environments where students want to pick up books and then don't want to put them down. Here are three ways teachers can create conditions to motivate ELs as readers.

1. Provide books that represent students: Rudine Sims Bishop wrote about the importance of seeing ourselves and learning about the world and others in books we read. Providing rich bookshelves with selections that represent students and their experiences can help students feel connected, build community, and motivate students to turn the pages.

2. Factor in student choice and interest in reading materials: Readers are more apt to read and understand a book they find interesting than one they don't. They bring their own experiences and background knowledge to the text. By removing limits, such as letting ELs read books in their primary language, we leverage their assets and increase engagement and reading growth.

3. Increase student talk and interaction: By definition, ELs are acquiring English. They benefit from multiple opportunities to listen, speak, read, and write in English. Saving space for students to talk about the books they are reading is an excellent way to help them think about their reading and comprehension.

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An Asset-Based Approach to Supporting English Learners' Reading Skills

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English Language Learners A look at what English learners need in order to develop the skills and motivation to improve their ability to read in English. ZUMA Press Inc / Alamy Stock Photo English learners (ELs) are the fastest growing group of students in the United States, and the NEA expects that by the year 2025, roughly one fourth of our students will be ELs.

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How should ELLs be grouped for instruction?

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How should ELLs be grouped for instruction?

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/how-should-ells-be-grouped-instruction

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Placing ELLs in the appropriate instruction group presents a variety of challenges to teachers, administrators, and ELL curriculum directors. Many factors can decide these decisions, such as:

student age

student language proficiency level

student educational background

students' language groups

staff time

program models

available resources for ELL programs

Ester de Jong and Nancy L. Commins provide helpful guidance about this topic by answering the question " How should English language learners be grouped for instruction?," an excerpt from English Language Learners at School: A Guide for Administrators ( Caslon Publishing, 2006).

Ester de Jong

As a general rule, districts should strive to group English language learners (ELLs) age-appropriately by grade level and organize their services in such a way that ELLs will have access to grade-appropriate content and language instruction. Grouping ELLs becomes a complex issue as practical issues such as the number of ELLs, available resources, and the desired program model interact with program philosophy and good intentions. Some issues are outlined below.

Language proficiency

Prioritizing services around language proficiency levels helps ESL/bilingual teachers develop targeted lessons for a particular proficiency level. Handling a wide range of proficiency levels can be challenging, particularly if the teacher cannot communicate in the students' native language. Grouping ELLs by proficiency level must take age differences into consideration, avoiding too large an age gap within one class (for example, a first grader and a second grader can be placed together but a first grader and a third grader should not be placed together). If grouping by language proficiency level involves multiple grades, content learning tends to be sacrificed. Depending on the program type, language proficiency grouping may also isolate students at the same level by not exposing them to more proficient students.

Language background

The choice to group students by language background is also influenced by program type.

Bilingual services require a certain amount of clustering by language background to create optimal opportunities for the use of the native language for content and literacy instruction. It is important that, within the context of bilingual programs, schools create systematic and frequent opportunities to interact with native English speakers.

English as a second language (ESL) programs, on the other hand, can be organized either for one-language groups or for mixed language groups.

In this context, grouping students from the same language group together is sometimes considered disadvantageous because it may discourage use of the target language. Some argue that heterogeneous language grouping facilitates English language learning because it creates a communicative need to use English. While the latter is often the case, the issue is more complex. First, whether students exclusively use their first language during second language classes is not only a function of the ELLs. It also depends on the language environment created by the teacher and the larger school culture.

Second, grouping students by language background can be advantageous in the ESL classroom if the teacher knows how to capitalize on the bilingual resources available for both content and language learning. Using the native language as a scaffold can accelerate ELLs' academic language development. Regardless of the grouping chosen, schools should consider native/non-native speaker interactions in addition to groupings that involve only ELLs.

Grade level placement

Grade level placement is often the most appropriate grouping practice. It is important that ELLs be placed with students who are academically and socially their peers. ELLs should never be placed in a lower grade simply because their English is limited. At the same time, the diverse backgrounds of ELLs requires districts and schools to develop policies regarding the placement of overage students (older students with academic and literacy skills that are well below grade level, students whose schooling has been interrupted or limited), as well as students who enter the school district during the school year. However, grade-level placement must also be considered in connection to available services. A multi-age or combination-grade classroom can be an appropriate placement if this arrangement allows the school to provide bilingual/ESL services.

Regardless of their grouping practices, districts should be aware of the advantages and disadvantages of different grouping options, take steps to counter the potential negative effects of certain grouping practices, articulate their grouping practices clearly as part of their school plan, and demonstrate how grouping practices promote excellence and meet academic, language, and sociocultural goals for all students, including ELLs.

Nancy L. Commins

Sound instructional programs in linguistically diverse schools purposefully plan for differentiation along multiple dimensions. One is the language background of the learners in the group (Commins & Miramontes, 2005). Three groupings are possible:

heterogeneous groups, where teachers work with students who are both native and second language speakers of the language of instruction

second language groups, where all the students in front of the teacher are working in their second language

primary language groups, where every student in front of the teacher is a native speaker of the language of instruction

Each setting offers opportunities for linguistic and academic development not necessarily available in the others. Together they can provide the full range of instruction that students need to become academically proficient in English.

Heterogeneous groups

English language learners typically spend the most time in heterogeneous groups. They benefit in these settings when they can experience "authentic" communication with fluent English-speaking models and are exposed to a rigorous academic program. Because of the presence of native English speakers, teachers usually adhere more closely to grade-level or subject area curriculum and expectations.

Heterogeneous groups, however, can be quite stressful for second language learners. When teachers plan with native speakers in mind, it is easy to overlook the language demands of instructional activities and texts, making the pace and content of the lessons beyond the grasp of many. Having to compete with more proficient native speakers can inhibit second language learners' attempts to express themselves in English.

Second language groups

Second language groups allow ELLs to work on both the structure of English and the academic content side by side with students with similar language needs. When teachers focus on making information understandable and allow for language practice, students usually feel more comfortable and tend to participate more actively in these groups than in heterogeneous groups.

However, it is not wise to segregate students into special classes all day. If their teachers are trained only as language teachers, students' access to the concepts of the academic curriculum may be limited. If their teachers are content teachers, they may not be familiar with strategies appropriate to a second language setting. In any case, their opportunities to hear and use English with native models in an academic setting will be limited.

Primary language groups

This third setting, available in programs that incorporate students' primary language into instruction, can allow students to go deeper into concepts, work on higher-order thinking skills, and make use of a full range of text materials. Although there are great benefits to primary language instruction, if students spend their day learning only in their first language, they will effectively be denied the opportunity to learn a second language. Grouping solely by first language may also contribute to a segregation of students along racial and ethnic lines.

Why is this planning with language background in mind important? This kind of planning allows teachers to utilize the instructional strategies most appropriate for the learners in front of them. These understandings also shed light on how students experience instruction across their day. Ideally, second language learners should have opportunities to work in each kind of group each day. In all-English programs, at a minimum both homogeneous second language and heterogeneous groupings should be part of daily instruction.

Accomplishing these goals necessitates schoolwide planning to organize the adult human resources and allow the grouping and regrouping of students both within and across classrooms. This kind of planning also allows schools to maximize limited resources, such as primary language speakers or second language specialists.

Source: De Jong, E. & Commins, N. (2006). How should English language learners be grouped for instruction? In E. Hamayan & R. Freeman, English Language Learners at School: A Guide for Administrators. (pp. 118-121). Â©Caslon Publishing. Printed with permission, all rights reserved.

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How should ELLs be grouped for instruction?

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Placing ELLs in the appropriate instruction group presents a variety of challenges to teachers, administrators, and ELL curriculum directors. Many factors can decide these decisions, such as: student age student language proficiency level student educational background students' language groups staff time program models available resources for ELL programs Ester de Jong and Nancy L.

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https://ellstudents.com/blogs/the-confianza-way/cooperative-grouping-strategies

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by Ellen Parkhurst
"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin Why Cooperative Grouping?
All students, but especially English Language Learners (ELLs), need multiple and varied opportunities throughout the school day to practice and interact with the language they are learning. They need to be able to engage with their peers and really dig in to the academic and social language they're seeing and hearing all around them. Research tells us that this needs to be done in a meaningful way, by really putting the students at the center of their own learning. For some students, this can be an anxiety-producing prospect, so it's important that they feel their contributions are valued and that the environment is a safe one in which they can make mistakes as they learn academic language. A particularly effective way for this to occur is through cooperative grouping. This can be achieved in many different ways and through a variety of strategies, some of which are outlined below.
What Does Cooperative Grouping Look Like?
There are many different grouping strategies and activities that teachers can choose to use in their classroom depending on their students' needs, personalities and language levels. If one isn't working, try another! Get feedback from the students as well-what did they think worked about a particular strategy? What is something new that they'd like to try? A few grouping options (listed below with links to more information) include:

Academic Conversations: Students engage in content based conversations using explicit strategies and sentence support frames for active listening, paraphrasing, elaborating, etc. This strategy also may be referred to as "academic discussion", "accountable talk" or "talk moves."

Guided Groups: Also may be referred to as "flexible groups." Guided groups allow the student to reflect on their own understanding of the content and form their own differentiated groups based on those needs.

Expert Groups: Students each read part of a text then convene in a new group to synthesize learning on a process grid. This type of grouping is sometimes called "jigsaw."

Conver-Stations: Students are already in small groups, but then mix those groups up by having 1-2 students rotate to a different group and share knowledge. This also may be referred to as a "café."

Peer Conferencing: Students engage with each other to get feedback on their writing or whatever other project they are working on. This encourages the use of academic language, talk moves and peer-to-peer learning.

The possibilities for these groupings are endless. In general, when thinking about grouping students, it is often recommended to have the teacher place the students into groups rather than asking the students to group themselves. This way, students have an opportunity to engage with other people they may not ordinarily seek out. Another advantage is that teachers can consider their students' language proficiency levels and mix and match groups to suit whatever assignment they are working on.

Something else to think about is how the students will interact once they are placed in their groups. Students may not be used to this kind of group work and may not have an idea about how things should be structured. As is true with most effective instruction, providing students the support they need to effectively engage with the group will go a long way in creating a successful collaborative environment. Modeling your expectations will help students understand what they are supposed to do.

No matter how you do it, thinking about and implementing ways to use cooperative grouping in your classroom will reap enormous benefits for your students. Involve them, and you'll be amazed-give it a try!
To Further Your Learning:

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Cooperative Grouping Strategies - Confianza

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by Ellen Parkhurst "Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin Why Cooperative Grouping? All students, but especially English Language Learners (ELLs), need multiple and varied opportunities throughout the school day to practice and

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https://teachbeyond.org/news/2015/02/teaching-multi-level-english-language-learners/

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In a perfect world, all of our classes would be comprised of students with similar abilities. However, we don't live in a perfect world. One of the questions I am asked most frequently when I am observing or coaching in our TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) program is: How do I teach to different levels in the same class? Even if you are so fortunate to teach at a school that does a great job of making groups that are mostly the same level (and not all of us are), there may be one or two students who are more advanced than the rest, or a bit behind, or, even worse, both. Perhaps, you don't even teach English but you have some lower level English Language Learners (ELL) in your class. Today's OnPractice will touch on a few of the ways to reach these students and help them find ways to succeed.
Group Work
Group work is important in any language class, but even more so in a multi-level class. It engages more students and gives them an opportunity to speak. It also takes the spotlight off of the more timid students who are more likely to speak in pairs or small groups than in front of the whole class. You can arrange the pairs/groups with similar abilities or place a higher level student with a lower level one. Make sure to mix up pairs/groups from time to time so the students can take advantage of being in both groups.

Level Activities
When students are grouped with others of similar abilities, you can structure your activities to accommodate the different levels. Focus on the main objective of the activity, then simplify it for the lower-level students and make it more challenging for the more advanced speakers. This doesn't mean you have to prepare three different activities or worksheets. If your class is practicing a simple conversation where the student is asked to supply vocabulary words, have the on-level students do the activities as written. Ask the below-level students to only do the first few lines. The above-level group can do the activity and then come up with five or six different responses than listed. Differentiating an activity like this can also help the teacher give a fair assessment based on skill level.[1]

Pre-teaching
Give lower-level students a head start by giving them reading assignments in advance. Try to send them a video or audio clip the day before you'll use it in class so they can be familiar with it. Something as simple as having access to material beforehand can boost the students' confidence because they will be better able to understand your presentation.[2]

Scaffolding with Native Language
Allowing students to build on their knowledge in their native language could help them in learning a second language. In this case, you could pair students who speak the same native language so they can help each other understand. This would be a good time to have mixed-level groups. I find it better to have groups of at-level/below-level students and higher-level/at-level students. Students can also use their native language for brainstorming and other pre-writing activities.[3]

Multi-level classes can be challenging. These are just a few of the many strategies you can use to accommodate students who are at different language levels. The three websites listed below are also good resources for multi-level TEFL class activities.

For those of you teaching mainstream classes with ELL students, I've found these two articles helpful:

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Teaching Multi-Level English Language Learners - TeachBeyond

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In a perfect world, all of our classes would be comprised of students with similar abilities. However, we don't live in a perfect world. One of the questions I am asked most frequently when I am observing or coaching in our TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) program is: How do I teach to ...

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Collaborative learning for English learners

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Collaborative learning for English learners

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https://wida.wisc.edu/sites/default/files/resource/Brief-CollaborativeLearningforELLs.pdf

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https://www.middleweb.com/41336/effective-5-to-7-minute-reading-conferences/

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By Jennifer Serravallo
In the Reading and Writing Strategies Facebook Group, a member recently posted this question:
I started conferring this week and I can't seem to keep the conferences to the recommended 5-7 minutes. What tips and tricks have you implemented to help you keep your conferring times down to the recommended time? I would set a timer, but I feel like it would be disrespectful to the student that I am with...Any suggestions would be appreciated. -Jenny H.
I promised Jenny and others who expressed an interest that the question deserved a whole blog post....so here it is!

It's hard to argue with the power of conferring: individualized instruction where teachers provide meaningful targeted feedback to each student. But to ensure that all children benefit - and that each student can have regular reading conferences with you - it's important to keep them focused and to be mindful of your time.

Here are my tips for being time-efficient while not sacrificing impact or feeling rushed. (Click images to enlarge.)

Tip #1: Stick to a structure

When you know how you want the conference to go, it's easier to adapt, adjust, and be responsive within the conference. I recommend the Research-Compliment-Teach (R-C-T) structure, something I learned from Lucy Calkins almost two decades ago that I still use today. I spend about a minute researching or checking in to see how the student is doing, then I decide on one thing to compliment and one thing to teach. Next I compliment in a sentence or two, reinforcing a strategy the child is already using.

Then I teach by offering a step-by-step strategy and supporting the student as they have a try. Finally, I link to their independent work with a quick reminder of what we worked on, leaving the student with a simple visual reminder. You might even keep these steps in front of you on a table tent as you work!

Tip #2: Don't open too many cans of worms

During the research phase of the conference, it can be tempting to ask a lot of questions, look at all the artifacts (Post-its, notebook entries, etc.) that the student has produced since the last time you met, and get into the weeds. It can be overwhelming to get so much information because it makes it harder to focus and choose what to teach. It also makes the conference feel less like a conversation, and more like you're grilling the student.

Instead, begin the conference with the student's goal in mind. Research only connected to that goal. For example, if the student is working on improving fluency, then just have them read aloud. If the student is working on better understanding the plot, then ask them to retell.

Tip #3: Keep skill progressions in mind

Conferences are most impactful when they are focused on a student's goal. Though the goal is something the student cannot yet do, there is a progression of skills within the goal. The best targeted teaching leans on what a student can already do (where they are on the progression of skills) and nudges them toward deeper work. For example, if a student is working on a goal of understanding text features, the progression might look something like this:

If you determine the student is able to offer multiple details from the feature, you might think, "What's just a little more than what they are doing now?" and help the child with a strategy to connect the information from the feature to the information in the rest of the text.

In doing so, you've based a teaching opportunity on a strength. You're working within the child's zone of proximal development. Doing so boosts a student's confidence and makes it more likely that the child will be able to approximate in the few minutes they have with you, and continue independently when you move on to another child.

Tip #4: Teach one thing

Teachable moments abound in every moment of the teaching day, and conference time is no exception. It's inevitable that you'll be in the midst of teaching a student about improving fluency by noticing mid-sentence punctuation when they get stuck on a word. You might be tempted to switch gears and teach a decoding strategy. In most cases, my advice is to stay focused on the one thing you taught, make note of what else you noticed, and plan to support what else the student needs in a subsequent conference.

© Serravallo, 2019. A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences

Tip #5 Don't model (or if you do, keep it short)

I used to do a lot of modeling/demonstrating in conferences and would spend two or more of my five minutes doing a lot of talking, showing, and telling. My experience tells me that in a one-on-one situation, it's just as effective (and much more efficient) to get the student to just try what you want them to do and give them coaching and feedback as they work. No demonstration needed.

So now, I always try that first-I just tell the step-by-step strategy, and get the student to practice while I coach. If the student needs a quick example or demo, I'll do it only after I've given them a chance and they show me they need more support. And even then it's short-just one quick example.

Tip #6 Let it go

Conferences are an opportunity to give the student some supported practice. It's ok to leave before the student masters what you've taught. Like with piano lessons where the teacher leaves when time's up even if the piece isn't perfected, in conferences we need to move on to other students and trust that there is value and potential for progress in the independent practice time in between each session.

Leave the student with a sticky note or book mark to remind them of what you worked on (just as a piano teacher leaves sheet music with marginal notes) and plan to see them a few days later.

Tip #7 Confer in groups when more than one student needs the same strategy

As you set goals with students and see them regularly, you'll start to notice patterns in your class. "Hey, these three are all working on retelling the plot of simple chapter books" you might notice, or "These two are both trying to infer character feelings." It makes great sense, then, to pull students together to save time.

In a small group conference (AKA "strategy lesson") you can start by telling the children why you've pulled them together, offer a strategy that everyone will practice on their own, and move around the group coaching and giving feedback one-on-one. These small group conferences last about the same amount of time as individual conferences, but you can work with two or three children at a time.

Learning to use less time...takes time!

Just as your students need to practice strategies to work toward their goals, you'll likely find that getting your conferences focused and short will take time, too. Be as patient with yourself as you are with your students. Work on one of these tips one at a time, reflect, improve!
Read Rita Platt's review of
A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences
Jennifer Serravallo is a literacy consultant, author, and speaker and the author of several popular titles including the NY Times Bestselling The Reading Strategies Book and The Writing Strategies Book. Her newest professional books include Understanding Texts & Readers and A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences, Grades K-8.

Jennifer was a Senior Staff Developer at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project and taught in NYC public schools. Find her on Twitter @jserravallo, Instagram @jenniferserravallo, or the web at www.jenniferserravallo.com, and join the Reading and Writing Strategies Facebook Group to have your questions answered.
Download a PDF of this article.

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Jen Serravallo: Effective 5- to 7-Minute Reading Conferences

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Literacy expert Jen Serravallo shares seven reading conference tips to help teachers be efficient with their time without sacrificing impact or feeling rushed.

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Reading instruction for ELLs at an intermediate level

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Reading instruction for ELLs at an intermediate level

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/video/reading-instruction-ells-intermediate-level

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Jump to navigation Jump to Content

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Reading instruction for ELLs at an intermediate level

Nancy talks about important considerations for teaching reading with intermediate (also called developing) ELLs. See the complete interview with Dr. Nancy Cloud in our Meet the Experts section.

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Reading instruction for ELLs at an intermediate level

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Jump to navigation Jump to Content Reading instruction for ELLs at an intermediate level Nancy talks about important considerations for teaching reading with intermediate (also called developing) ELLs. See the complete interview with Dr. Nancy Cloud in our Meet the Experts section.

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A starter kit for differentiated instruction

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A starter kit for differentiated instruction

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/starter-kit-differentiated-instruction/

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This post contains Amazon Affiliate links; if you purchase from Amazon after going through these links, Cult of Pedagogy receives a small commission at no extra cost to you.

You have probably come to this article for one of two reasons: Either you want to start differentiating instruction in your classroom and don't know where to start, or you already differentiate, but want to see if you're missing anything. I have combed through tons of online resources on how to differentiate instruction, and have put together this collection of the clearest, most high-quality resources for learning how to differentiate in your classroom. Off we go, then!

Lots of teachers think they are differentiating, when they really kind of aren't. So before you get started, give yourself a solid overview of what differentiation is (and isn't) and how it works. To do that, you need to read Carol Tomlinson, whose work is the gold standard in differentiation. Her book, How to Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms , is the best one I've seen on the subject. And it's short: At just over 100 pages, it's a fast, easy read, and is full of useful information that will set you on the path toward high-quality differentiation.

In addition to explaining basic principles, the book shows you how to manage a differentiated classroom, teaches you specific strategies, and lets you peek inside a few sample differentiated classrooms so you can see how all the parts work together. I really can't recommend this book highly enough...get it!

Reading about how to differentiate on paper is helpful, but seeing other teachers actually doing it will give you a far better understanding of how to implement the strategies in your own classroom.

This Edutopia video shows how one school has set up a system they call Reteach and Enrich, where time is built into the schedule every day to reteach students who haven't met learning targets or provide enrichment activities for those who have. Watching this process in action makes it really clear HOW to make it work:

In this Teaching Channel video (click below), high school math teacher Maria Barchi demonstrates how she tiers instruction by giving different exit slips to students based on their mastery of a lesson, then adjusts instruction the following day based on their responses:

Below, second grade teacher Robert Pronovost shows how he uses two separate online programs, Planet Turtle and Dreambox, to meet students' individual needs in 2nd grade math (Teaching Channel):

The next video shows 5th grade teacher Stacy Brewer demonstrating how she differentiates process for readiness in writing responses to a text: Because this group of ELL students needs additional help, she works with them while the rest of the class responds to their questions independently (Teaching Channel).

Finally, this Teaching Channel video shows how Mary Vagenas uses Learning Menus to differentiate in her 7th grade Social Studies class:

Once you understand the basic principles of differentiation, it's a good idea to have a few basic tools on hand.

Task Cards
What are task cards? They are all the rage in some classrooms: The basic idea is that you take tasks and questions that might normally appear on worksheets and put them onto laminated cards (one item per card), which allows you to better individualize instruction, set up centers, and group students according to need (plus, you can re-use them year after year!). You can make your own or browse through thousands on Teachers Pay Teachers. This free e-book by Rachel Lynette explains how to use them in detail:

Tiered Lesson Template
This blog post from Marsha McGuire at A Differentiated Kindergarten shows you how to plan a tiered lesson and includes an editable template. Even though the featured classroom is a kindergarten, Marsha's system would work effectively with all age groups.

Using Color to Help You Tier Differentiated Activities

Learning Menus
This packet from the University of Virginia Curry School of Education teaches you how to create learning menus or choice menus, which offer students a variety of learning activities to choose from, depending on their interests and learning profiles.

Choice Menus (PDF)

There's No Time to Differentiate: Myth-Busting DI, Part 2
by John McCarthy
This Edutopia article discusses some of the myths about and objections to differentiation.

Dr. Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum
This website is based entirely on the Layered Curriculum philosophy. Somewhere between a learning menu and a tiered unit, a layered curriculum looks like an interesting take on differentiation and is worth a look once you've got the basics down.

Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom
by Carol Tomlinson and Marcia Imbeau
Although I have not read this one, I got a recommendation from Dr. Jennifer Beasley, an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Arkansas. "This is a practical guide for how to begin to establish routines and practices that facilitate differentiation. We all know that we could have the most beautiful lesson on paper and see that same lesson fall apart in the classroom as a result of forgetting to give directions for handing out materials. This resource offers many practical examples for putting some routines in place to allow for working in groups, answering questions, or even talking with your students about differentiation."

If you thought this was helpful, stick around.
Join my mailing list and never miss another post. You'll get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration - in quick, bite-sized packages - all geared toward making your teaching more effective and joyful. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my new e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half. I look forward to getting to know you better!

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A Starter Kit for Differentiated Instruction

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A collection of the clearest, most high-quality books, articles, videos, and downloadable documents for learning how to differentiate in your classroom.

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3 ways to differentiate: Content, Process, Product

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3 ways to differentiate: Content, Process, Product

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-ways-to-plan-john-mccarthy

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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There's no time to differentiate: myth busting

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There's no time to differentiate: myth busting

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-myth-no-time-john-mccarthy

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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https://eleducation.org/resources/helping-all-learners-tiering

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Principles for EAL instruction (Stanford University)

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Principles for EAL instruction (Stanford University)

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Go-to strategies (from Centre for Applied Linguistics)

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Go-to strategies (from Centre for Applied Linguistics)

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Dos and Don'ts for teaching English language learners

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Dos and Don'ts for teaching English language learners

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/esl-ell-tips-ferlazzo-sypnieski

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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ESL.Instructional Guidance.Complex Text and Language Learners (2)

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SIOP planning: Ingredients of sheltered instruction

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SIOP planning: Ingredients of sheltered instruction

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https://tankhuynh.com/siop-lesson-plan/

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Sheltered instruction is the practice of simultaneously:

One framework that teachers can use to design sheltered instruction lessons is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) created by Short, Vogt, and Echevarria more than 20 years ago. The SIOP Model is empirically tested and research-based, which is why it's used readily all over the world.

Though the SIOP model is not a step-by-step process, it provides a framework for teaching content and language instruction . But here is a link if you're looking for an official SIOP-created lesson planning template.

In Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th Edition) (SIOP Series) , Echevarria, Vogt, and Short recommend that teachers design lessons that teach content and language simultaneously by incorporating the following items below.

1. Identify Content Objectives

Content objectives prevent learning experiences from being mere activities. They need to be clearly defined in language that is friendly for students, clearly displayed, and reviewed with students.

For example, one of the science objectives from the Middle Years Program of the International Baccalaureate Program is for students to develop the skill of designing a lab experiment.

Instead of saying that ELs can't successfully complete this task, Mr. Adam scaffolded his instruction to ensure that the content objective was reached. We co-designed a lab experiment to teach students how to design, carry out, and analyze data, which were the content objectives, which I will describe later in this blog.

2. Integrate Language objectives

Integrating both content and language objectives ensures that learning content is not the only focus in content classes. Learning a language and content detail can occur in the same class.

These standards should also be clearly defined, displayed, and reviewed with students.

As an English language development teacher, having language objectives helps focus my time when I'm supporting in the content classes - both on the content that students need to learn and the language they need to acquire to engage with the content.

I use both the WIDA Can Do Booklet 6-8 and the IB MYP Phase 4 standards in Mr. Adam's science class. Here are two examples of objectives that help:

WIDA: Writing Level 4 Expanding - produce content-related reports

IB MYP Phase 4 - organize information and ideas into a structured text; use a wide range of cohesive devices

3. Teach Concepts

Teaching with concepts helps elevate the rigor of content lessons. Students learn to think abstractly, form connections between ideas, and form conclusions. Conceptual teaching empowers ELs to develop critical thinking instead of just learning facts. Concepts must be age appropriate, however, and suitable for the educational background of students.

In the example of Mr. Adam's science lab experiment, the concept is relationships. He wanted students to design, carry out, and analyze data from a lab experiment to understand the concept of relationships.

More specifically, he wanted students to see the relationship between the calories and energy level in the snacks that students eat. Therefore, he created a task that guided them through a lab where they gathered data on the energy content of food. Students internalized the concept much better through this hands-on activity than they would have from a static lecture.

4. Scaffold for Comprehension

Use various forms of scaffolds such as sensory, interactive, and graphic support to make instruction and content comprehensible . Scaffolding for comprehensible input means that ELs are expected the learn the same material, but the process they use to acquire content knowledge might be different than that of students who are proficient in English.

To scaffold the process of designing and carrying out the experiment, I annotated Google Drawing images that I later inserted into the lab format. This format was given only to the ELs, but it is such a useful tool in general that many non-ELs also requested access to guide their work. The image, tables, and sentence starters help the students visualize essential information from the lesson.

5. Differentiate Instruction

Some content teachers think that rigorous content has to be watered down for ELs. The opposite is true. Content can be adapted to meet all proficiency levels. Not differentiating the content means ELs are not being given access to grade-level expectations.

When teaching ELs, focus on what they do rather than cannot do. In Mr. Adam's class, there are ELs who are still beginning English users, yet they're intellectually capable of engaging in critical thinking. So I differentiated the to help them engage with the experiment. One way I did so was by creating a data-collection table that was color coded to match the two different type of crackers students were experiment with (see image below).

With this differentiation, ELs engaged in the same rigorous task, but they engaged in the process in different ways than proficient English users. When done correctly, differentiation doesn't dumb the content down, it makes it more accessible. This graphic scaffold , for example, helps ELs as they engage in the experiment, but it doesn't do the work for them.

6. Integrated Literacy

Content classes provide rich contexts for using language authentically. As students acquire content , they employ all the language domains: listening, reading, speaking, and writing . Doing so both develops language skills and serves as a means to learn content.

Mr. Adam's science experience is a perfect opportunity to organize writing using science-specific language and practice thinking like a scientists. ELs are actively using language in specific ways that meet the text features of a lab report such as forming a hypothesis, writing a research question, and analyzing data.

Mr. Adam is not waiting for ELs to have perfect English to allow them to do the experiment. He knows that the process itself makes learning language more authentic for them .

Takeaways

The SIOP model offers a framework for lesson planning - not specific steps for how to do so . Each element of the sheltered instruction framework is like a promise we keep to ELs that despite their growing language skills, they will be given access to the same content. This isn't an empty promise because we intentionally build in more ways to scaffold their acquisition of content.

If you would like to learn more about the SIOP model as one way to implement sheltered instruction, Dr. Jana Echarvaria's No More Low Expectations for English Learners (Not This but That) is a fantastic quick read on the topic. By purchasing this book, you also support the blog.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME, & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model. Fifth Edition. New York: Pearson.

Freeman, D. and Y. Freeman. 1988. Sheltered English Instruction. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

Nora, J., & EchevariÌa, J. (2016). No More Low Expectations for English Learners . Duke, N. K., & Keene, E. O. (Eds.). Heinemann, 2016.

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#82. SIOP Lesson Planning: Ingredients of Sheltered Instruction - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Learn to plan sheltered instruction lessons by following the SIOP framework for lesson planning for ELs. SIOP lesson plans teach both content and language.

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SIOP planning: 3 keys of sheltered instruction

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SIOP planning: 3 keys of sheltered instruction

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https://www.empoweringells.com/sheltered-instruction/

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Many teachers have heard the aspiration that all teachers are teachers of language. Yet most teachers are still teachers of topics. Likewise, English language teachers often prioritize learning a language over access to content.

In truth, access to content cannot exist without effective literacy skills. Likewise, language morphs from being social to academic when used to talk about content.

One cannot exist without the other.

(Freeman and Freeman, 1988). In Sheltered instruction wrangles these two competing priorities into one powerful force. It empowers English learners (ELs) to access content while developing language skills Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (5th Edition) (SIOP Series) , Echevarria, Vogt, and Short recommend that teachers

1. design instruction derived from grade-level curricula and

2. use strategies to help students understand content (comprehensible input).

In essence, the philosophy behind sheltered instruction is that content is both essential to learn and perfect as a meaningful purpose to use academic language.

1. Design Content-Driven Instruction

In sheltered instruction, the content teacher is still the one designing the lessons using grade-level standards. They are not dumbing down the rigor or limiting ELs' access to the content.

Instead, sheltered instruction dictates that ELs learn the same content and be held to the same expectations as non-ELs. ELs are not of content classes to be given extra English lessons. Pulling ELs out of content classes actually deprives them from being held to the same expectations as non-ELs. With sheltered instruction, content serves as an avenue to language proficiency .

2. Develop Comprehensible Input

As content teachers are planning instruction, they employ various strategies that help ELs understand both the instructions and the content. Without strategies that develop comprehensible input , ELs won't be able to access the content. Strategies that scaffold instruction can include :

Sensory scaffolds: incorporating images and models to teach content

Interactive scaffolds: allowing students to learn through social interactions

Graphic scaffolds: offering graphs, tables, and infographics to learn content.

You do not need to be a language acquisition teacher to use these strategies; these strategies help all learners access content. Developing comprehensible input is the core of sheltered instruction because content teachers want to help ELs access content. In under-resourced schools, there simply aren't enough English language teachers to help, so the content teachers can call on these strategies when teaching content.

3. Foster Language Development

Content classes can be the context for ELs to develop academic language (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2009; Goldenberg & Coleman, 2010) . It's in science classes that students learn to communicate like scientists by talking about data, forming hypotheses, and validating of an experiment. It's in history classes that students learn to talk about the reliability and bias of a resource.

In order for ELs to develop the language used in each discipline, content teachers can offer language mini-lessons that model how science language or history language is used. Without this deliberate instruction, ELs revert to social language when talking about academic topics.

And how would they? How would Ben (a 7th grader) know to describe his science experiment about the neutralizing capabilities of toothpaste using the words decrease or increase? He wouldn't. Instead, Ben would say, "The graph goes down" or "The lines go up". How scientific does that sound?

One way to teach academic language is to teach text structures . The text structures that are used across the disciplines are:

While a history class might describe the causes and effects of the Black Plague, a science class might describe the environmental implications of the meat industry. Though students describe different topics and phenomena in different classes, the structure of a descriptive text remains unchanged.

Takeaways

Of late, the world is experiencing several devastating humanitarian crises, such as the refugee crisis that is resulting in families leaving their countries. Teachers around the world are now expected to teach students with developing or even non-existent English knowledge. But most districts and schools are under-resourced and cannot provide an English language teacher to help content teachers.

I want to remind content teachers one thing: they are not alone.

They can use sheltered instruction to help ELs access content and develop academic language without the aid of language specialists. More importantly, using this form of instruction ensures that all students have equal access to instruction. In doing so, we communicate to our ELs that they have a place in our school, and we'll serve them like we would any other student.

For the next two months, I'll be covering each element of sheltered instruction, and in particular, the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP Model). Each week, I'll describe an element of the SIOP Model and provide clear examples of how it's implemented in my class.

References

Cloud, N. F. Genesee, and E. Hamayan. 2009. Literacy Instruction for English Learners. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Freeman, D. and Y. Freeman. 1988. Sheltered English Instruction. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

Goldenberg, C. and R. Coleman. 2010. Promoting Academic Achievement Among English Learners: A Guide to the Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

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79. Sheltered Instruction: Teaching Content & Language Simultaneously | ELL Strategies | Empowering ELLs

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Many teachers have heard the aspiration that all teachers are teachers of language. Yet most teachers are still teachers of topics. Likewise, English language teachers often prioritize learning a language over access to content. In truth, access to content cannot exist without effective literacy skills.

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https://choiceliteracy.com/article/selecting-texts-for-strategy-teaching-with-english-language-learners-in-mind/

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Author

Author

Over the past several months we have spent time thinking and teaching with a group of educators whose students are predominantly English language learners (ELLs). During our visits to their classrooms, we see teachers working diligently to use the texts in their district-mandated curriculum to teach whole-class and small-group lessons. Many of the passages, however, are difficult for English language learners to understand even when the teachers spend significant amounts of time building background knowledge and reading the texts aloud.

Challenges arise in each of the following areas:

1. The settings of many passages are unfamiliar to the students (an orange grove or a snowy mountaintop).

2. The language structures of some texts are difficult for the students to understand. Texts for small group lessons are phonetic-based decodable readers with controlled vocabulary.

3. Although the texts are connected through a "unit theme," the topic of each passage changes within the theme. When students comprehend the first selection in the theme they cannot use their background knowledge from reading this passage to understand the next selection in the anthology.

4. The amount of time the teachers need to spend building background is reducing the amount of time students have to read the text.

These teachers' concerns and observations have pushed us to think further about what factors to consider when selecting texts for teaching during reading workshop.

Selecting Texts Around One Topic

When we select texts for our English language learners, we think a great deal about the students and the topic. First we ask:

What topics are the students interested in learning?

What topics in the curriculum are accessible to our students?

What do they already know a lot about?

What settings and ideas are most familiar to them?

We think carefully about our topic choices as we want to choose a familiar topic or a subject that reflects the children's interests.

Once we have a topic, we collect texts from a variety of genres around this specific topic. Then we put the books in an order that makes sense for supporting the children as they learn about the topic. Instead of reading one book about animals that live in a particular habitat, we read many. We think about the order in which we will read these texts aloud so that the children can use their schema from previous books to understand a new text. This means that teachers with a scripted anthology must add several books to each unit of study, so that children can build their schema.

As children listen to or read several texts about one specific topic, they build their English vocabulary while also expanding their background knowledge for this topic. Once the children have become familiar with these selections, the teacher can use these texts to model important reading strategies. Since the students now have schema for these stories, the teacher spends less teaching time building background knowledge. The children will then have more time for reading.

Reading several books around one topic, and selecting familiar topics for classroom studies has not only helped these students to learn reading strategies, but more importantly, emphasized that the true work of a reader is to think deeply, construct meaning, and enjoy the story.

Looking at the Language Structure of the Texts

Thinking about the language structure of a text is always important when selecting books for reading instruction, but becomes essential when teaching reading strategies to English language learners. When students cannot understand the text they are unable to learn reading strategies, no matter how well the teacher models the strategy. The texts we select should not only be about a familiar topic, but should reflect a natural language pattern. Decodable books and the controlled vocabulary of many leveled texts may be at the child's "instructional reading level," but if the child cannot understand the story, then the text is not "just right."

Too many of our English language learners are reading texts that they cannot understand, and therefore, are learning that their job as a reader is simply to decode the words on the page. As we select texts for instruction, we look closely at the way the words are written. The texts we show children should be authentic and mimic the way we speak. When texts use stilted language so that a particular phonetic concept appears frequently in the text, the text does not make sense and our learners cannot make meaning.

During a small-group lesson, we watched a group of Kindergartners read a story that said, "I am dog, I am cat . . ." Although these children could "read" the words, "I am", this simplified text did not help these young learners to understand the meaning of the words "I am". (We have to admit that even we were confused about what the phrase "I am dog" actually meant!) More importantly, texts with contrived language confuse these learners about the true job of a reader.

Readers don't just say words on the page, they construct meaning when reading. When a teacher teaches reading strategies with a text that does not make sense, these readers become more confused about what they are learning. When children don't understand what is read, they certainly do not learn and apply a new reading strategy. English language learners need teachers to use authentic text when teaching reading strategies so that they learn how to think about the meaning of the story at all times.

Creating Texts for Teaching Reading Strategies - Shared Reading and Writing

In Writing Essentials: Raising Expectations and Results While Simplifying Teaching, Regie Routman writes about the importance of shared reading and writing experiences for students. She states, "For all learners, but especially for our English language learners, challenged learners and economically underprivileged students, shared writing helps provide the rich oral language modeling that stimulates literacy." When students collaborate to write about what they have learned with a teacher, the reading and writing processes come alive for them.

Once children help construct a text, the text becomes a "just right" text for teaching. It can be used during whole and small group instruction for modeling reading strategies. It can be read and reread by students during independent reading. Since the students wrote the text and read it as a class, the text level and language structure are no longer problems. They now have a text that they can read with understanding that is relevant and meaningful to them.

Using a Familiar Text When Teaching Reading Strategies

Rereading can be used in a variety of ways to teach strategies. For English language learners, the more rereading the better. We are observing teachers reading the same book aloud again and again, each time encouraging and modeling a higher level of thinking skills. Students can then also reread these same texts during reader's workshop with a partner or independently. When these students hear a text for the 3rd and 4th time they can use what they learned during prior readings to construct a deeper understanding of the text. Now searching for a "just-right level text" is no longer an issue, and this text is a perfect match for many children in the class because the text is so familiar. Students are now better able to share their thinking with their peers and build their knowledge of English.

These teachers and their English language learners have helped us to expand our knowledge of picking "just-right books" for the reading workshop. When we pay particular attention to the language structures in the text, select books around one topic, and think carefully about the student's background knowledge, we find that many English language learners are successful in learning to read. This process has not only helped the students acquire new knowledge and brought excitement back into the curriculum, but it has also reduced the amount of teaching time being devoted to building background knowledge. Ultimately, reading is about constructing meaning. If we remember to analyze and select texts through this lens - for our English language learners in particular as well as the others in our classrooms - then we can support all our students in learning that the true work of a reader is to make sense of texts.

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Selecting Texts for Strategy Teaching with English Language Learners in Mind

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Author Author Over the past several months we have spent time thinking and teaching with a group of educators whose students are predominantly English language learners (ELLs). During our visits to their classrooms, we see teachers working diligently to use the texts in their district-mandated curriculum to teach whole-class and small-group lessons.

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/oral-language-development-and-ells-5-challenges-and-solutions

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges.

Dr. Moses Guccione is the co-author of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels ( Heinemann, 2009).

Getting Started

As a former elementary teacher in a bilingual school, I developed a love and passion for finding effective ways to support oral language and oral reading development of emerging English language learners (ELLs). I discovered this passion when I began my first year of teaching in a second-grade classroom, where I encountered a handful of challenges related to my students' oral language development.

Many students were transitioning from a classroom with Spanish instruction into my classroom with instruction provided in English. I had students ranging from monolingual English speakers to students who had just recently moved to the U.S. from a Spanish-speaking country. The range of language proficiency levels crossed the entire spectrum. Having minimal experience with this range of diverse students and needs, I began reading, researching, and implementing new instructional ideas into my classroom. With each challenge I encountered, I gained new information about my students and their parents. I also began learning more about my own methods of instruction, and I learned a great deal each year about new challenges and successes.

Currently, I am fortunate to work with many teachers who have the opportunity to impact the lives of children and families who speak more than one language. As I work with these teachers and families, I have found five common and reoccurring challenges that they seem to face in the area of oral language development that parallel my own experiences. I detail these challenges and questions below, as well as suggestions for addressing each challenges based on strategies I used in my classroom.

Questions and Classroom Scenarios

1. What do I do if they don't know ANY English?

Understanding the characteristics of language learners at different proficiency levels helps to think about how we can best support students in their oral language and reading development. Below is a chart that gives a description of the first two levels of language proficiency as well as implications for using oral reading. This is a nice place to start when thinking about how to interact with and support our Starting and Emerging English speakers.

Levels of Language Proficiency

Description

Implications For Using Oral Reading

Level 1: Starting
Students are in a silent period in which they listen, but do not speak in English. They may respond using nonverbal cues in attempt to communicate basic needs.

The teacher and other more advanced students should model oral reading. Students in the silent period should not be forced to speak, but should be given the opportunity to participate in a group activity where they won't be singled out.

Level 2: Emerging
Students are beginning to understand more oral language. They respond using one- or two-word phrases and start to produce simple sentences for basic social interactions and to meet basic needs.

Teacher and students should continue to model oral reading. Students should be encouraged to begin taking risks with simple, rehearsed oral reading in non-threatening situations.

Opitz & Guccione (2009). Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels.

2. How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English?

Differentiation is the key to effective instruction for all students. Students of varying proficiency levels can learn the same content when the teacher provides a wide range of learning opportunities for students with different academic and linguistic needs. Three key strategies for this approach include differentiating or modifying the texts, creating grouping structures, and targeting the amount and nature of support based on students' needs (Opitz & Ford, 2008).

Modifying the text: Teachers can differentiate the text by selecting various levels of text difficulty on similar content, or they can also divide the text up into smaller portions appropriate for certain groups/individuals for a jigsaw activity. Another idea is to summarize text that might be too difficult and provide ways to make the text more accessible (such as vocabulary support, visual support, connecting to background knowledge, etc.).

Creating grouping structures that set students up for success: While some grouping structures can be established according to language or literacy skill levels and needs, it is also important to think about providing students exposure to interact with peers who demonstrate a wide range of different language and literacy skills. Additionally, teachers can improve engagement and motivation by creating choice/interest groups where students gather, read, discuss and work together on topics of common interest.

Targeting the amount and nature of student support: It is important to think about scaffolding the experience and using comprehensible input to make it accessible for all students. Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the gist of what is being said or presented. There are many ways to do this, such as selecting key vocabulary, using context or visual cues, building background knowledge, building on experiences the students have had, using consistent language, and providing images or visual representations to support vocabulary and content. Teachers can support their students by embedding comprehensible input into their whole-group instruction, but this also becomes particularly effective when used in the different grouping structures. Teachers can also modify the amount of support and interaction between teachers and students depending on their individual and group needs.

3. This student knows English - I hear him talking to his friends and on the playground. He just doesn't want to try in class.

I have heard many teachers discussing variations of this same idea. However, I would caution teachers and parents about jumping to this conclusion. Academic language (or the language specifically related to school and/or academic content) can be complicated to acquire. Students often first develop social language and demonstrate near proficiency or proficiency in English in social settings. A student may be demonstrating sophisticated use of social language, but they may have difficulty using language in more formal settings such as school.

Much of the academic language required to be successful in school - everything from instructions to expectations to content-specific vocabulary - requires assistance in acquiring. Students hear and use their social language in various settings from home, community, and school, but academic language is often only used in the school setting. These students need specific instruction and support surrounding their language development in this area.

The same children who appear to be functioning at a high level of English proficiency in social settings may actually be functioning at a beginning stage in other settings, depending on how they are called on to use language. The students need to feel safe and in a low-anxiety environment in order to begin to feel comfortable taking risks with their oral language. When they have less exposure and instruction related to academic language, this can often cause students to feel intimidated and less likely to be willing to share in class.

One idea for reducing anxiety and encouraging students to experiment with language might include allowing students to read, practice, and discuss their responses in partners and small groups before sharing out to the entire group. This allows students an opportunity to hear language modeled by peers, practice what they want to say, and possibly revise their original thought and/or language before sharing it in a public way. As students find more success with their language production and classroom participation, they will be more likely to share and take risks, and in turn continue building their confidence.

4. How is the child ever going to learn English if they don't speak it at home?

It is important to celebrate being bilingual and biliterate. Research has shown that development of a students' first language can facilitate development in the second language (Genessee, Geva, Dressler, and Kamil, 2007). Understanding this helps parents, teachers, and children to encourage the use and development of the students' home language while they are at home. All of the home literacy activities that we recommend for English speakers, such as reading aloud, making lists, discussing books, reading environmental print, etc., should also be encouraged for the English language learners in their home language. Students can begin to use more English as they feel comfortable in different settings, but it is important to note that speaking two languages will not hinder their English development.

Another important idea to remember is that we want to invite parents to feel confident in their interactions with their children regardless of their English proficiency level. As they begin to read or retell stories and discuss them at home, they are developing vital oral language and comprehension skills, and these skills will transfer over into their school language.

5. What kinds of activities should I be doing to help the student develop their oral language and oral reading?

McCauley and McCauley (1992) report four factors as necessary for acquiring a second language: a low-anxiety environment, repeated practice, comprehensible input, and drama. These are all important components of setting children up for success and language development.

A low-anxiety environment includes a setting where students feel nurtured and supported by their teacher and peers, and in turn, they feel safe to take risks without the fear of being laughed at or made fun of.

Repeated practice is just like what it sounds! Students need repeated practice hearing and using a new language. They need multiple opportunities to comprehend and express their ideas in a new language. Like with anything new that we learn, practice helps us get better.

Comprehensible input, as explained above, means finding different ways to make what is being said comprehensible and easier to understand. Things to consider with comprehensible input might include using speech that is appropriate for students' language proficiency, providing a clear, step-by-step explanation of tasks, and using a variety of techniques to support their understanding.

Drama, or a sense of excitement and engagement, can be found in activities like Reader's Theatre, dramatic play, puppetry, narrating wordless picture books, etc. All of these activities also have the other three factors embedded within them. These activities assist in the development of oral language in addition to introducing students to oral reading and rich literacy experiences and responses in a classroom setting.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see from these questions and examples, there are a lot of different approaches to helping ELLs build their oral language development skills, and you may have to try different activities until you find what works for your students. The most important thing, however, is to build your students' confidence while giving them new words and phrases to practice. Don't be afraid to try something new - and most of all, don't be afraid to have fun doing it!

About the Author

Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione is a coauthor of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels. She is an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado and teaches courses in Early Childhood Education, Literacy, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. She is a former elementary teacher of English language learners and is currently researching how ELLs make sense of texts.

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Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges. Dr. Moses Guccione is the co-author of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels ( Heinemann, 2009).

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8 strategies for teaching academic language

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8 strategies for teaching academic language

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-strategies-teaching-academic-language-todd-finley

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Draw it to understand it: Making academic language visible

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Draw it to understand it: Making academic language visible

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https://tankhuynh.com/ep20-academic-language/

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Part 2 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series.

I have a secret to tell you. But first, I want you to guess my 2002 SAT score. Before the SAT changed their scoring model in 2006, the top SAT score possible in 2002 was 1600. My score was...drum roll...

Yes! low. My PSAT score I took the year before was 1040, not much better.

I share my embarrassing score with you to indicate the impact that mastering academic language can have on an ELs' ability to access rigorous text and communicate using an academic register. I was a typical EL in high school - fully fluent in social language but barely floating when it came to academic. This is one of many reasons why I earned only a 900 on my SATs, but it is the primary reason why I so strongly agree with WIDA's Action 2.

Action 2 from WIDA's Essential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards tries to emphasize the need to make academic language explicit for ELs. It's is entitled "Analyze the academic language demands involved in grade-level teaching and learning", and Gottlieb (2013) introduces the action by saying:
Throughout the school day, ELLs are surrounded by the academic language of oral and written discourse. The specialized discourse of each content area challenges students to understand and engage with ideas and concepts. Teachers and instructional leaders must be aware of the complexities of language development and consider the features of academic language in planning and implementing curriculum and instruction (24).
WIDA categorizes the features of academic language into three groups: linguistic complexity, language forms and conventions, and vocabulary usage. In this article, I provide a process that makes academic language more accessible to ELs and focuses mainly on academic language at the vocabulary usage level.

Research Says

Academic language often condenses complex mental moves (ie: analyze, evaluate) that require various steps into a singular word. They are often known as "command terms."

The meanings of command terms are often abstract, which makes it difficult for ELs to meet their teachers' expectations.

When students gain a mastery of grade-level academic language, they will have greater academic success (Freeman & Freeman, 2008; Zwiers, 2008; Francis, et. al., 2006).

For students to gain this mastery, academic language must be explicit (Valdés, 2001). Our charge is to make academic language less abstract and more tangible. Educators can do this by turning verbs into diagrams to help ELs access command terms. Below are my diagrams of some common command terms used in my class and in my school.

Averil Coxhead analyzed post-secondary texts such as periodicals and industry journals to determine the most frequent words used in academic language (2000). She found that there were 570 words that appear quite frequently across a range of disciplines, and she complied them into what is now known as The Academic Words List . Examples of words on this list include "consists", "vary", "impact", and "factors".

Because these words are highly abstract, ELs usually struggle to understand their meaning. Even if they are proficient in their home language, these words continue to remain abstract to them. If ELs do not learn to understand these command terms, they won't be able to engage in tasks, follow instructions, or produce academically appropriate work that meet teachers' expectations.

I looked at the list and focused on verbs such as "analyze", "describe", "compare", "evaluate", and "infer" because verbs can be more easily illustrated in a diagram than can nouns. Diagramming is an attempt to visualize the thinking that students need to do. For example, when describing something, students will need to identify who's involved, where it takes place, how it occurs, what the problem is, and how the problem was solved. This diagram for "describe" captures all of these aspects.

These are not the only diagrams, of course, because they are not the only command terms EL students need to learn. I produce diagrams any time I see an opportunity to explain a concept, describe a process, or make a connection.

For example, I wanted to help ELs describe Amma , a character in Patricia McCormick's Newberry award-winning book To do this, I made a poorly-drawn female stick figure. I then went through each part of the stick figure and asked students for details from the text that correspond to what we could associate with different parts of the human form (what her heart feels, for example).
LEVEL 1: characterization
I used this diagram to teach two levels of characterization, depending on students' abilities. The first level highlights the textual details. The second level identifies the inferences that can be made about Ama's personality.

HEAD: What does Ama think about a lot?

EYES: What does Ama often look at?

EARS: What does Ama often hear?

MOUTH: What does Ama often talk about?

SHOULDER: What fears does Ama have to "shoulder/carry"?

HEART: What feelings does Ama have?

HANDS: What work does Ama do?

STOMACH: What does Ama's "gut" tell her? (Please note that I had to teach that in American culture, we have the phrase "thinking with your gut", but that is not the case in many other countries.)
LEVEL 2: characterization + inference
FEET: Where do Ama's feet want to take her?
Mr. Tan: S1: S2: "She wants a tin roof instead of a thatched roof because it keeps the house dry. This tells us that she is not happy the way she is living." "She looks at the tin roof because she doesn't have one." "Ama always looks at the neighbor's tin roof. What does this tell you about her?"
At this level, we discuss what Ama's traits reveal about her as a person. The discussion might sound like this:

The analysis done at this level encourages ELs to think more critically about the way the author develops her characters. This step takes reading text one step beyond literal observation.

ELs can think critically and perform complex, demanding tasks if we make command terms such as "describe" and "explain" visible by using diagrams. Diagrams can also be used to teach concepts such as characterization too because they make visual the ideas people have to think about when trying to characterize someone in a text.

I share WIDA's Essential Action # 2 with you with the hopes that you may take your abstract language in your units and also turn them into diagrams. Guiding students through critical thinking in this way makes cognition more visible and slows down the pace of instruction. Regardless of the ability to communicate, ELs can engage in analytical tasks . Diagrams provide an important scaffold to help them communicate their critical thinking without needing to first master a host of English academic vocabulary.

Next Post

Thank you for reading this article. I hope that it has reinforced your practice and added another resource to your teaching toolkit. I encourage you to visit the Facebook page and post diagrams that you've created to help ELs learn. We will continue with WIDA's third Essential Action in our next article - planning with students' language abilities. I'll share how we can plan instruction that empowers all ELs to learn.

Coxhead, A. (2000). A new academic word list. TESOL Quarterly, 34, 213-238. Retrieved from http://www.uefap.com/vocab/select/awl.htm

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#20. Draw it to Understand it: Making Academic Language Visible | ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Part 2 of WIDA's Essential Action Series. Click here to return to the first article in the series. I have a secret to tell you. But first, I want you to guess my 2002 SAT score. Before the SAT changed their scoring model in 2006, the top SAT score possible in 2002 was 1600.

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Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners

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Sentence Frames
Sentence frames essentially frame a sentence and students add in some verbiage. Think of a picture frame where you add in a picture. Sentence frames look very much like traditional fill in the blank sentences.

Here are some examples of sentence frames:

The square has ___sides/angles.

The ____has ___sides/angles.

The ___are the same/different.

Based on the experiment, I can infer that the ____will increase and the ____will decrease.

My name is_____ and I am ___years old.

The _____ revolted against the ____.

____ is north/south/east/west of ____.

___have ____, however, ____ have ____.

​Both ____ and ____ have ____.

Sentence frames are scaffolds that may fit the needs of English learners at beginning levels of English proficiency. Some students may also benefit from visuals and word banks.
However, sentence frames can be used with English learners at higher levels of English proficiency to teach specific language structures or to teach mortar words/tier II words.
Sentence Stems
A sentence stem is the beginning of a sentence. Think of the stem of a plant. It's not the whole plant, just the beginning of it. It helps students get their sentence started. Sometimes we use the term sentence starter interchangeably. Sentence stems give students the inertia to get their thoughts going. Then their sentences bloom.

Here are examples of sentence stems:

What surprised me was...because....

I think that...for example

First...then...next...

In my opinion....in addition...

Based on the passage, I can infer that...for example....

I don't understand why....

Based on the pattern, the numbers will...

Sentence stems are scaffolds for English learners at all levels of English proficiency. They are open ended.
Personalizing
By thinking of the end in mind, you can level and personalize sentence frames or sentence stems to help English learners progress in language proficiency.

Beginning-Simple sentence structure: ____and ___ are quadrilaterals.

Intermediate-Comparative sentence structure: ___and ___ are quadrilaterals, however ___has___.

Advanced-Complex comparative sentence structure: Although___and ___ are ___, ___is different because...

Why is it important for us to provide students with sentence frames or sentence stems?
Learning to communicate effectively is important for all of us. I think we can all agree on that. But providing students with vocabulary lists will not achieve that goal.

Backward Design
Let's begin with the end in mind again. What is our over-aching goal? If we want students to, let's say, understand and communicate effectively using domain specific vocabulary (vocabulary of our content area), then how will we get them there?

Students will need to hear the vocabulary in context (from the teacher and peers)

Students will need to use the vocabulary in context (in speaking and writing)

To set English learner up for success, we will provide them with linguistic supports that they may use until they no longer need them. Any student can use them, but English learners especially will benefit as they are learning English and content simultaneously.

1. We can begin by modeling the language we want students to use. We want students to hear the language structures and vocabulary over and over again.

2. Then we move to letting them use the vocabulary and language structures with partners. We provide them with sentence frames or sentence stems. They practice verbalizing and hearing a peer multiple times.

3. Finally, we move to writing. Students are asked to write. Some students will rely on the sentence frames or sentence stems as scaffolds. Others will be able to write independently. Either way, students will have had the opportunity to learn from the teacher, verbalized themselves, and heard from peers.

This model takes students through the Gradual Release of Responsibility or I do, We do, You do model.
How do I think of vocabulary?
Start with your grade level standard. Look at what students need to know. Whether it's Common Core or not, your state standards will reveal vocabulary that is critical for your students to master.

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Well, first and foremost, we should care if we want our students to speak like scholars. If we want our students to be marketable after they graduate. If we want them TO graduate! Then we should...

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Free database for differentiated reading material

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Free database for differentiated reading material

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https://www.commonlit.org/en/library?initiatedFrom=library

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CommonLit | CommonLit Library | Browse Content by Theme, Grade Level and More

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View the CommonLit collection and filter by grade level, theme, genre, literacy device and common core standard.

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Translation website (or app) - better than google translate

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Translation website (or app) - better than google translate

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https://context.reverso.net/translation/

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Reverso Context | Translation in context - Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Chinese, English

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Translations in context of words, groups of words and idioms; a free dictionary with millions of examples in Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian, Chinese and English.

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https://www.empoweringells.com/a6-teaching-inferencing/

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Article updated December 11, 2019

Guiding Questions

1. Why is inferencing an important skill to teach?

2. How can teachers support ELs' mastery of inferencing?

Goal

The goal of this article is to help ELs develop their ability to make inferences by sharing a language scaffold.

Research Suggests

Academic Language
There is a clear distinction between social and academic language (Cummins, 1991). Social language is most often learned through social interactions and is highly influenced by context. Because of the nature of social language, it is developed rather quickly and without much direct instruction.

Academic language, however, requires direct and explicit instruction because of its abstract, decontextualized nature. Academic language often assumes that the reader already has the context and background knowledge to access the text and concepts. Hence, academic language is often devoid of context and baffles ELs (Cummins & McNeely, 1987).

For ELs to be successful at school and in their future workplaces, they need to be proficient in both social and academic language. Therefore, it is our responsibility to explicitly teach academic language to empowers ELs to achieve academically and perform better on assessments (Short, Echevarria, & Richards-Tutor, 2011).

Inferencing

The International Baccalaureate Program defines inferencing as the ability to, "Deduce; reason from premises to a conclusion. Listen or read beyond what has been literally expressed" (2014 p. 102). It is the ability to create a thought or opinion that can be supported by the text. Oftentimes, it requires combining one's background knowledge and life experience with the text-based evidence.

Why Teach Inferencing

One reason to teach inferencing is that students are required make them during in-class and national standardized assessments. However, it also develops ELs critical thinking skills. Marzano suggests that it is a foundational skill that is a prerequisite for critical thinking (2010). Additionally, it is used across content areas. For example, ELs need to both make inferences about communities they are studying in a humanities class and draw conclusions about the data from a lab experiment in science.

Inferencing is a complicated mental move that requires close reading of the details and connecting them in a way that supports ELs' opinions and claims. Research suggests that language can grow from engaging in tasks that require higher-order thinking (Himmele & Himmele, 2009; Gottlieb, 2013). ELs, despite their language status, can still think critically.

They may need to express it in their strongest language or with limited English, but they can be encouraged to think deeply and critically. Check out Reading Rocket 's website because they have devoted an entire page to teaching inferencing across content areas.

Past Practices

When I started my career, I never explicitly taught inferencing, but rather would ask students questions after they read a text. My questions would be inferential in nature, but students did not seem to have a way to answer them. They simply guessed at answers without going through the process of using textual evidence to support their claim. This is because I didn't make this process explicit to them.

Current Practices

After reading Kylene Beers' book, When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6-12 , I now use a scaffolded approach to help students master inferencing. Her book was incredibly helpful in developing strategies to support all students - including ELs - because she shared practical strategies that are easily implemented. I used Beers' book with a "diagnose-read-apply" approach. Although I did read the book from cover to cover, I could easily flip to a chapter, quickly read it, and then applied the strategies the next day.

Strategy: It Says - I Say - So

Beers utilizes a three-part structure to help internalize the process of making inferences. She breaks a complicated task into manageable units of thinking. Below are her steps.
1. Create an inferential question Inferential questions require searching for answers that are not explicitly stated in the text but can be reasonably supported by textual evidence. After reading a text, I ask ELs inferential questions about the ideas presented. I will use an NPR article that we read in my 7th grade English class as an example about how the coral reefs are dying due to the changes in the ocean's chemistry . After reading 4-5 paragraphs, I asked students "What does a coral reef need to be healthy?"
2. Identify the "It Says"
In the second phase of the structure, I send my ELs back to the text to carefully re-read for textual details that can answer the inferential question. This step in the process honors the central pillar of close reading: returning to the text to look for details. This step also helps ELs learn the value of re-reading, which is a habit proficient readers possess. A detail from the coral reef article that ELs can use as evidence to form their claim is:

When you look at the chemistry of the oceans, the carbon dioxide is already making a measurable change. It reacts with seawater and turns into carbonic acid, and has made the oceans 30 percent more acidic than they were before the industrial revolution (Harris, 2013).

If you are working within the Common Core Standards and want to learn more about close reading, the definitive go-to expert is Dave Stuart Jr. He has written a called " The Non-Freak Out, Focused Approach to The Common Core " .
3. Add "I Say"
In this third step in the structure, ELs interpret the meaning of the textual detail they have identified. In other words, students are gathering textual-based evidence. In the excerpt above, ELs might say:

- Carbon dioxide is changing the ocean's chemistry.

- CO 2 produces carbonic acid when it reacts with seawater.

- Carbonic acid makes the ocean more acidic.

- The ocean's chemistry is 30% more acidic than before the industrial revolution.
4. End with"And So"
Beers' final step in forming inferences encourages ELs to make a claim or an opinion that can be supported by the text. Based on the sample question for the coral reef article, a response might be:

To be healthy, coral reefs need the amount of carbon dioxide to be at a certain level. Too much CO 2 can cause the water to be too acidic. If too much CO 2 is a bad thing, then too little might also be harmful for the coral reef. CO 2 has to be at a particular level for the coral reef to be healthy.

Additional Resources

If you would prefer a PDF graphic organizer of Beer's It Says, I Say, So structure, Reading Rocket has provided such a resource here.

Odell Education is another resource that is also helpful in developing ELs' inferencing skills while also following Beer's structure. Odell Education produces a CCSS-aligned literacy curriculum and offers an editable PDF of the structure so that ELs can have an electronic version .

Takeaways

1.ELs can learn academic skills.

2.Inferencing is an essential academic skill and life skill.

3.Structures and scaffolds can be used to teach ELs to acquire academic skills.

Next Post

Thank you for spending time reading this post. I hope the information will be helpful in supporting your ELs to master the skill of inferencing. Please leave comments and questions below.

The Visible Literacy series consists of articles about reading, writing, and vocabulary. This article concludes the articles about reading instruction. My next two posts will be about writing instruction, and I will share a routine to help students talk collaboratively about the text to construct meaning and analyze its ideas and concepts.

This routine simultaneously teaches students to be close readers and to be effective, receptive communicators. If I was asked to teach pre-service educators only one structure, it would be this process. Stay tuned!

Bibliography

Beers, K. (2003). When kids can't read: What teachers can do. Portsmouth, NH:

Cummins, J. (1991). Language Development and Academic Learning. In L. Malave &

G. Duquette (Eds.), Language, Culture and Cognition. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Cummins, J. & McNeely, S. (1987). Language Development, Academic Learning, and

Empowering Minority Students. In K. Tikunoff (Ed.), Bilingual Education and Bilingual Special Education: A Guide for Administrators . Boston: College Hill.

Gottlieb, M. (2013). Essential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's

Framework for English Language Development Standards. Madison: Board of Regents of the U of Wisconsin System.

Harris, R. (2013, April 4). This Scientist Aims High To Save The World's Coral Reefs.

Retrieved November 12, 15, from http://www.npr.org/2013/04/22/176344300/this-scientist-aims-high-to-save-the-worlds-coral-reefs

Himmele, P., & Himmele, W. (2009). e language-rich classroom: A research-based

framework for teaching English language learners. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Marzano, R. (2010). Teaching inference. Educational Leadership, 67(7), 80-81.

Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr10/vol67/num07/Teaching-Inference.aspx .

Middle years programme language acquisition guide . (2014). Geneva: International

Baccalaureate Program.

Short, D., Echevarría, J., & Richards-Tutor, C. (2011). Research on academic literacy

development in sheltered instruction classrooms. Language Teaching Research, 15 (3), 363-380.

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#6. Four Steps of Teaching Inferencing to MLs - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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Modifying Kylene Beers' " It Says - I Say - So" with visible reading in order to teach inferencing strategies to ELLs. Academic language strategies.

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https://www.valentinaesl.com/blog/ell-friendly-anchor-charts

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Rooted Linguistics: Serving Teachers of Multilingual Learners

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Anchor charts should be an imprint of our teaching. They should be remnants we leave behind to remind students of the important parts of the lesson. They should serve as mini-teachers so that as we work with small groups, our independent readers and writers can rely on the anchors to guide them instead of interrupting the small group. (Below you can find a poem to place on bare walls that explains to parents why the walls are empty. Great for beginning of the year.)

If anchor charts are not being used by students, then they are simply wallpaper.

For English learners, anchor charts can pose big problems. Not only can they be overwhelming wallpaper, they can be confusing due to the amount of words. They can cause more confusion than assistance. Here's how we can make sure that our anchor charts serve our English learners and all students and are all not a waste of space and time.

The first thing we have to consider when working with English learners and anchor charts is that the anchor charts should be made in front of the students. English learners (and all students) benefit from seeing and hearing the process that happens live in action. Seeing and hearing while making the chart in front of the students helps with brain imprinting. Modalities of visual and auditory are reached.

Second, anchor charts should be explicit. Here's how to___. Step one, step two, step three. Be direct and clear. Don't use a lot of unnecessary words. Just stick with the most essential parts of what students need to know. For example, if I want to teach my students how to talk with partners about nonfiction, my anchor chart might look like the one here.

Third, include graphics, icons, or pictures to support comprehension. Notice in the Nonfication Partner Talk anchor chart, I included specific visuals for my students to help them later when they use the chart without me. The pictures will remind them of what we discussed.

Last, location, location, location! Put your most important, most valued charts where students can see them and use them. Think about the real estate in your classroom. Where you place your anchor charts means something. Think about that ocean front property. It has value. Once they no longer need a chart, put it away where students can find it but it's not taking up prime real estate. Many students, especially English learners, benefit greatly from having their own small copy of important anchor charts. I achieve this by either making person copies on sticky-notes or taking pictures of my anchor charts and printing them out small for students who need them. They keep them in a section of their reading or writing notebooks.

Your students should know how to use the anchor charts in the class, why they are on the walls, and where to find them. If they can't answer those questions, then it's time to reflect on that chart.

Resources used:
Units of Study for Teaching Reading
Meredith Alvaro

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​ Have you ever walked into a classroom and looked around in awe at the beautiful charts and posters? The beautifully decorated boarders and store bought matched sets? But when you ask the students...

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https://www.empoweringells.com/academic-essays/

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This article on teaching academic essays was original published on Classroom Q & A with Larry Ferlazzo on April 22, 2017.

Britton says, "Reading 'floats on a sea of talk'" (1970, p.164). Before ELs write, start with talk.

If we want ELLs to use formal language in their essays, we can start by giving them opportunities to talk and refine their ideas before committing them to writing. I structure these talking opportunities as five distinct phases of modeling writing.

At each phase, we ask ELLs to talk about their ideas through mini-presentations, giving them opportunities to develop not only their formal register, but also their argumentative analyses.

Phase 1: Setting a Context

For demonstrative purposes, let's pretend I want ELLs to write an argumentative essay about the benefits of using smartphones in school to aid instruction. First, students work in groups to list all of the ways smartphones are useful outside of school. Then, groups can compare their answers to find commonalities and new insights.

The informal presentation between groups begins to raise the register of students' language by having them compose a prepared statement to exchange with others.

I guide students through the reading of news article explaining how one school integrates smartphones. Next, I prompt the ELLs to focus on how the author is presenting ideas. Does the author use data, stories, examples, or analogies, etc. to communicate them? I direct students to explore this question by assigning each group the task of deconstructing a specific paragraph.

Then students their analysis with other groups. Engaging this way helps ELs formulate more ideas that they can use later when they write independently.

Phase 3: Teacher-Guided Construction

It's still too soon to release ELs to write independently, so I support them through a teacher-guided construction of text. First, we need ideas. I ask ELLs to work in pairs and list the reasons that support the use of smartphones in school. We take one of their justifications, and I model writing the paragraph.

As I am crafting the sentences, I invite the ELs to contribute ideas to help formulate the wording and organization of the text. This is an opportunity for them to try out their own arguments using formal, academic language and receive immediate feedback from the teacher.

Phase 4: Pair Construction

Now that they have seen me model the writing decisions, they are familiar with the process. ELs are now empowered to construct a paragraph with a partner to explain another justification. These social interactions act as an additional scaffold in preparing students to develop an independent argument for the assigned essay.

Phase 5: Independent Construction

Now that ELs have had multiple occasions to use formal language aloud with fellow students and teachers in order to internalize how writers make writing decisions, they are prepared to attempt formal writing on their own.

Throughout this process, ELLs engage in various opportunities to organize their ideas into informal presentations, which can share the same formal register as written ideas. When students speak out loud, it prepares them to compose on paper by practicing both their formal register and their argumentative constructions with the class first.

Furthermore, when teachers model the writing decisions, the process becomes visible . When literacy is made visible, ELs are no longer lost in fog of abstract expectations. Instead, their paths on the journey of writing are illuminated.

Britton, J. (1970). Language and learning. Coral Gables, FL: University of Miami Press.

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#40. From Talking to Writing: Teaching MLs Academic Essays - ELL Strategies | TanKHuynh

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This article on teaching academic essays was original published on Classroom Q & A with Larry Ferlazzo on April 22, 2017. Britton says, "Reading 'floats on a sea of talk'" (1970, p.164). Before ELs write, start with talk.

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Website for building interactive language games

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Website for building interactive language games

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https://wordwall.net/

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Wordwall - Create better lessons quicker

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Need a fresh teaching resource that fits your class and teaching style? Create a customized pack of interactive and printable activities in just one minute.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-ways-use-word-clouds-classroom

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Try these strategies for creating and using word clouds to help students better understand a topic and see it from a different angle.

Michael Morgenstern / The iSpot

Can a word cloud promote student engagement? If you're looking to boost student participation and increase motivation, a word cloud might be a great fit for your classroom. But first...

What Is a Word Cloud?

A word cloud is a visual representation of information or data. It shows the popularity of words or phrases by making the most frequently used words appear larger or bolder compared with the other words around them. A word cloud contains a set of data such as a list of words, text from a blog post, or a collection of written items like a series of articles.

Even if the term is new to you, you may have come across a word cloud in a few places. For example, sometimes a news article will include a word cloud to show a high level of interest in a topic.

Why Are Word Clouds Useful?

The word cloud graphic is a visual representation that supplements a section of text to help readers better understand an idea or approach a subject from a different angle.

A word cloud shows off trends. For example, if you run the text of five articles about sharks through a word cloud generator, some of the biggest, boldest words in the word cloud might be ocean (where sharks live), large (their size), or boat (where research is taking place). You can also use word clouds with student-submitted words or phrases.

How to Create a Word Cloud With Students

A word cloud generator is a tool that lets you copy and paste a selection of text, and then it automatically pulls out the words that appear most frequently and makes them larger or sets them in bold. Although there are a few different tools you can use to create a word cloud (if you look up "word cloud generator" you'll see what I mean), I like one tool in particular, Mentimeter, because you can use it for doing things beyond word clouds, including setting up brain breaks where you might want students to answer quick questions. While you have to create an account, it's free to use-I only use the free plan.

If you set up a free account, you'll see a button at the top of the screen where you can share the word cloud maker with students, and you'll decide what type of activity to try out.

5 Word Cloud Activities

Choose two words to describe how you're feeling today.

How would you describe the character we read about yesterday?

Skim this article and add two words that jump out at you.

1. Start off with a do now: Do a pulse check, a quick read of the room so that students can share ideas at the beginning of a lesson. Use a prompt like one of these:

For this activity, give students a word bank to choose from by posting suggestions in a shared space. Ask them to brainstorm some words as a group or turn and talk to a partner before adding to the word cloud. A do-now activity can feel low stakes for students but gives you useful information or examples you can point back to during a lesson. There are a few more word cloud prompts in my new book, EdTech Essentials: The Top 10 Technology Strategies for All Learning Environments, along with more strategies for using digital tools with students.

Which words did you struggle to pronounce, spell, or wrap your head around?

If another student is studying this topic, which words do they need to know and use?

Which words have you been using more in your own writing or conversations?

2. Spotlight a challenging vocabulary word: Just like a do-now activity, this is ready for you to customize for grade level or subject area. After discussing a new topic, reviewing a concept, or reflecting on a previous activity, ask students to choose one or two words that were particularly challenging. Try a prompt like the following:

Depending on the results in the word cloud, you can start a conversation with students about how to tackle challenging words, or you might decide to revisit these words in upcoming units of study.

Meet (I will meet with my group today)

Research (I will research where pandas live)

Ask (I will ask my partner for feedback on my writing)

3. Share an action word: This can be a word connected to what students plan to do next or a goal they have. Share examples such as:

Similar to the first activity on the list, you can give students a word bank to refer to or a handful of examples to get their wheels going. Like all of the activities on this list, a "think aloud," where you model your thinking for students, can be particularly useful for introducing the new word cloud routine.

After teaching about an event in history: "Who would you like to learn more about?"

When the class has accomplished a big goal: "What does it feel like now that we've reached this milestone?"

After a field trip: "What word would you use to describe today's experience?"

4. Reflect on an experience: With this activity, you might use a prompt like the following:

Students can elaborate on an experience in a more formal response, but sharing one word in this collaborative activity is a good start. For example, if your students had a great time with a guest speaker or visiting a special place, you can include this word cloud in a thank-you card or follow-up note.

Which season is your favorite?

What ice cream flavor is top of your list?

Which sport could you watch all day, every day?

5. Share a favorite: Whether it's connected to course content or related to a favorite food, students really like talking about things they love. Consider asking a question like:

Using a quick activity like "share a favorite" to open a lesson or close out a week is a great option for bringing students together to talk a little bit about themselves and building community. I hope these five ideas feel flexible enough for you to tailor word clouds to every subject.

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5 Ways to Use Word Clouds in the Classroom

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Try these strategies for creating and using word clouds to help students better understand a topic and see it from a different angle.

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/dialogue-journals/

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Listen to my interview with Liz Galarza (transcript):
How well do we know our students? They sit in our classrooms five days a week, we certainly spend lots of time with them, but how well do we really know them? How well do we know their thoughts, their worries, the things they obsess about? And how well do they ever get to know us beyond our role as a teacher?

I've been hammering away at the importance of the teacher-student relationship for about as long as Cult of Pedagogy has been a thing, but every now and then I come across a method or approach that can really help build those relationships more effectively.

My friend Liz Galarza, who teaches middle school writing in New York, has been telling me for ages about the dialogue journals she uses with her students and how transformational they have been in building relationships. The journals had such a profound impact that Galarza made them the focus of her doctoral dissertation.

A dialogue journal is any kind of bound notebook where students and teachers write letters back and forth to each other over a period of time. This is very similar to the kinds of journals described in Smokey and Elaine Daniels' book, The Best Kept Teaching Secret, but since Galarza has had such powerful experiences with these journals, I thought another post was merited.

In Galarza's class, students purchase whatever kind of journals they want, "as long as it's going to withstand a year's worth of back and forth," she says. "Most of them use the marble composition notebooks. I ask them to decorate with pictures or quotes, and it really does show their personality."

The First Entry

In the first few days of school, Galarza gets to know her students through intake forms (not included in the journals) where she asks students to tell her five things about themselves that she wouldn't be able to tell by looking at them or their school records. Next, she goes into the journals and writes the first entry, starting with a very general welcome, then beginning to connect with students based on things they wrote on their intake forms.

Although many teachers begin these kinds of journals by having students write the first entry, Galarza has had more success by starting them herself. "I think the kids who have less confidence when it comes to writing would feel paralyzed by that. So I try and make it very, very open."

In the sample letter below, Galarza connects with this student about her love of reading and writing, softball, and pets. "The first letter I ask more questions than any other time, but I get them to see that I'm human. We have commonalities. I'm interested in you. You're important to me. This is going to be fun."

Student Responses

Once the teacher's first letter is written, students write back. In this sample, Nick responds to Galarza's opening letter, where she mentioned Derek Jeter leaving the Yankees. "In his intake sheet, every single thing he wrote about was about baseball and the Yankees," so Galarza made sure she mentioned that in her first letter.

Time and Grading

As the school year progresses, the journals go back and forth between teacher and student. Galarza asks students to write one letter a week, although some students write more often than that. About once a week, Galarza will ask each class period to hand in their journals, staggering these on different days so she only has one class period per day to respond to. She takes about an hour to respond to a single class set of journals, so if it's a busy season, she may end up only collecting them every two weeks, rather than once a week.

As for grading, students are simply given credit for completion. Even if they don't write a lot, they get credit for doing it. And that's it. Galarza does not mark errors or evaluate the work for any kind of score. Because this journal is about building a relationship, Galarza doesn't want to take away its appeal by assigning a grade to it. "The more often you put a grade on something," she says, "the less empowering you're making it for the students."

Shifting the Power Differential: Because dialogue journals allow students to see their teachers as people, they shift the teacher from the "all powerful" role and create a stronger, more meaningful connection between teacher and student. "As a teacher we always have that authoritative stance: We're the teacher, and they're the student, and they know that," Galarza explains. "I think the more you use that as leverage, the less you're going to get out of students."

Writing Fluency: When students write in dialogue journals, there's no pressure to fulfill an assignment or construct perfect sentences. Students just write. And the more a person writes, the more confident they become and the better their writing gets. If the teacher can identify topics that are important to the student, this can inspire far more writing than a student would ever produce for an assignment. Nick, the student above who wrote about Derek Jeter, initially told Galarza he hated to write. After their first exchange about the Yankees, Galarza says the topic stayed with them for the rest of the year, and Nick ended up filling more pages than any other student that year.

Formative Assessment: Although the journals are not designed for this purpose, having students write regularly allows the teacher to spot errors or weaknesses that can inform teaching. "I can use the multiple language errors that I find in many of the journals as a basis for my mini-lessons," Galarza explains. "So if I see that many of my students are not using commas when they're offsetting a list, that might become a grammar mini-lesson."

Individualized Instruction: "You can literally teach them something within the journal without anyone knowing that you're doing it," Galarza says. "I've said something like, 'You know, you can use a semicolon in your sentence' ... I might even highlight it. 'You know in this sentence up here? You don't need a period there. You could use a semicolon.' I'll just throw in a little grammar instruction as we're going along only if I think that they would be receptive to it."

Mentor Texts: As the teacher and student go back and forth, students pick up on the teacher's style of writing, and the teacher's letters effectively become mentor texts. For example, when Galarza responds to her more advanced writers, "I might use a more complex sentence structure. I might combine sentences or use phrases and just more sophisticated language." Often she notices students using these same structures in their own responses.

Funds of Knowledge: Keeping dialogue journals with students over time helps teachers discover students' unique funds of knowledge, areas of expertise they might not have known about otherwise. "I had this student this year who was into taxidermy and hunting," Galarza says. "I was so interested in it, so I asked him to give me information on it, and he really did. Like technical. Like it belongs in a book. And then he drew pictures." She asked him if he ever thought about writing a comic book about hunting or taxidermy, and in his response, he considered it:

Relationships: Ultimately, the most important benefit of the journals is the relationships they build. When students feel they have a trusted adult in school, when they feel heard and seen, that makes school a place they want to come to.

"I don't look at teaching the way many people do," Galarza says. "I know that they could learn anything they need to learn from their homes with a device on their lap still in their pajamas. They don't need me to learn. They need me to care." ♦

There's a lot more where this came from.
Join the Cult of Pedagogy mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration-in quick, bite-sized packages-all geared toward making your teaching more effective and fun. You'll get access to my members-only library of free downloadable resources, including my e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half, which has helped thousands of teachers spend less time grading. If you are already a subscriber and want this resource, just check your most recent email for a link to the Members-Only Library-it's in there!

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How Dialogue Journals Build Teacher-Student Relationships

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Dialogue journals are a powerful tool for building trust with your students. Learn how they work.

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https://diversifi-ed.com/explore/2018/11/14/ells-amp-the-silent-period

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The following is an excerpt from The Newcomer Student: An Educator's Guide to Aid Tranisition (Roman & Littlefield International, 2016). Interesting in exploring the full book? Find it on The Silent Period & Obstructed Speech , Roman & Littlefield, or your favorite retailer.
The effects of a child's emotional and psychiatric distress are routinely fleshed out in the Newcomer classroom. Often, the first of these symptoms are speech-related. In many cases, newly resettled students endure a period of marked silence. Silence is usually ascribed to the process of emotional transitioning. During the silent phase, which last for variant lengths of time, an individual will not express thoughts in the host language, either out of reluctance or inability.[1] Those who experience this phenomenon are sometimes referred to as "shell shocked".[1] [1] The silent phase can last a period of days, weeks, or months.

In addition to silence, exposure to traumatic episodes at any period in a child's life can trigger recurring nightmares and cognitive delays, as well as speech "freezes" and impediments. Such blocks include stuttering. Newcomer students who exhibit impeded speech should also be evaluated for traumatic stress.

Both silence and stuttering have a need to be addressed in the classroom. To begin, students should not be expected or mandated to produce oral language before they are ready. It is also wise to avoid situations that might embarrass new language learners, including publicly calling on them to speak before they are ready. We can be careful to offer caring encouragement and guidance. Also, we are responsible to practice patient wait time for processing speakers. In doing so, we model this behavior for other students.

Specific classroom accommodations must be in place to support language learners, and particularly non-verbal ELLs. First, to achieve this, a healthy and nurturing learning environment is critical. Small group engagement, tactile activities and positive feedback may encourage speech attempts and decrease overall anxiety. Alternative-expression tasks, such as drawing-and-labeling, script singing, or charade acting can provide additional opportunities to demonstrate knowledge in a language-centric environment.

Of course, kindness and caring are often the most influential antidotes to stress-stemmed silence. In the context of non-verbal ELLs, relationship and safety are everything. Simply, security induces speech.

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ELLs & the Silent Period - DiversifiED Consulting

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The following is an excerpt from The Newcomer Student: An Educator's Guide to Aid Tranisition (Roman & Littlefield International, 2016). Interesting in exploring the full book? Find it on Amazon , Roman & Littlefield , or your favorite retailer. The Silent Period &

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Understanding the silent period with English learners

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Understanding the silent period with English learners

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https://choiceliteracy.com/article/understanding-the-silent-period-with-english-language-learners/

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Author

Author

If you have a new English language learner in your class who is not speaking, don't worry. According to language researcher Stephen Krashen, most new learners of English will go through a "silent period," where they are unwilling or unable to communicate orally, even though they understand much of what is going on around them. They are not comfortable speaking in the new language, because it is difficult for them to express their thoughts orally. Children in this silent period should not be forced to speak before they are ready. They need time to listen to others talk, digest what they hear, and observe their fellow classmates' interactions with each other. Because they are silent, it doesn't mean they are not learning the language.

It is easy to understand the concept of the "silent period" if you look at the language learning of babies. Babies in any culture can understand far more than they express. In a class of children who speak many languages other than English at home, you will often have children in the "silent period"-they are learning many English words, ideas, and idioms, but they are not comfortable speaking as part of the group or individually.

The length of the silent period can vary greatly for students in classrooms from a few days to a year, simply because their experience with language, their personality, and their emotions around learning a new language can vary so greatly. Because the child is silent in the dominant classroom language, it can be hard to know where they are in acquiring English.

When conferring with English Language Learners in our kindergarten classroom, we use these strategies to communicate verbally and nonverbally:

We ask questions that allow the child to respond with nods of "yes" or "no". These prompts include guesses of what the child is drawing or about the marks they are making on the page (i.e., "Is that your mother?" ; "Is this writing in Russian? " "In English?").

We accept as response facial expressions like smiles. Â Nonverbal cues from children in conferences include establishing eye contact, flipping through pages of writing for us, pointing to specific pictures or letters, or grabbing our hands to touch the page or help the child draw a letter.

We share a word or two in the child's language.Â This might be the Spanish word for "butterfly" if we are studying butterflies in science, or the Russian word for "mother" if we think the child has drawn a picture of their mother. Because there are so many different first languages in our classroom, we rely on bi-lingual dictionaries and suggestions from native language speakers. If the alphabet is the same as the English alphabet, simple web translators can be helpful - "Babblefish" ( www.babblefish.com) and "Free Translation" ( www.freetranslation.com). These are only useful for basic literal translations, but children appreciate the attempt. (These websites will also translate several sentences into another written language such as Vietnamese, Russian or Chinese, which can be helpful for brief notes to parents.)

We ask the child to teach us words in their language.Â They usually know the word "Chinese" or "Spanish" when you ask how to say something like "pencil" or "book" in their language.

Many children draw pictures of their family, and we ask for details. Â We point to each figure and ask if this is the mother, or sister, or brother, and if they nod, we ask the name of the family member. The first words of children in the silent period are often related to family.

We watch the child on the playground. Â If there is no verbal communication in the classroom, there are often early words around play.

We ask children to mime the action of what they are trying to convey using their bodies to communicate.

We ask the child to draw a picture of what they are trying to tell us.

The silent period at any age can last many months-even children who understand a tremendous number of words and concepts are overwhelmed at the thought of trying to speak in the language. But if we convey through our verbal and nonverbal cues that we want to communicate and trust the communication will come, children will eventually speak. Classrooms that are engaging, nonthreatening, and honor a child's native language and culture can help each student's motivation, risk-taking, and ability to learn.

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Understanding the "Silent Period" with English Language Learners

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Author Author If you have a new English language learner in your class who is not speaking, don't worry. According to language researcher Stephen Krashen, most new learners of English will go through a "silent period," where they are unwilling or unable to communicate orally, even though they understand much of what is going on around them.

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Teaching elementary ESOL students through the silent period

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Teaching elementary ESOL students through the silent period

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https://www.tesol.org/docs/default-source/new-resource-library/teaching-elementary-esol-students-through-the-silent-period-2.pdf?sfvrsn=0

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3 tips to remember when english learners struggle

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3 tips to remember when english learners struggle

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-tips-remember-when-english-language-learners-struggle

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English Language Learners

The academic needs of language learners are distinct and complex-figuring out how to help when they struggle is critical for their success.

Allison Shelley for the Alliance for Excellent Education

When students who are learning English struggle in school, it can be especially difficult to figure out why-and how to help. There are plenty of "myths and misconceptions about services and supports" for English language learners (ELLs), writes Lydia Breiseth for Understood, leading schools to sometimes refer language learners for special education services when they don't need them. It's important to "know the facts behind these myths," she writes, so educators can "make changes that can result in better outcomes for students."

Start by getting to know English learners in your classroom and becoming better informed about their needs. In all cases, but especially when they're struggling, Breiseth recommends gathering important information about them-including strengths, challenges, and background experiences-to help determine how to support them as they progress through the stages of language acquisition.

"ELLs bring unique skills, gifts, and talents to the classroom," says Breiseth, who is the director of Colorín Colorado, a resource for teachers and families of English learners. "They often have rich background experiences, different perspectives, and the ability to navigate between multiple languages and cultures. They may also have sophisticated social-emotional skills, such as being tuned in to body language and tone of voice."

As you get to know your English language learners, Breiseth recommends keeping the following three ideas top-of-mind:

1. Silence is a natural and important component of language learning: Just like toddlers and preschoolers who typically understand what they hear before being able to speak, "many students who are starting the process of learning a new language go through a nonverbal or 'silent' period," Breiseth writes. The length of this interval depends on "the richness of the student's language instruction and interaction in the classroom," the student's confidence level, and "whether they're being encouraged to take risks" in the classroom.

This silent period is entirely natural and productive, yet language learners should be gently encouraged to steadily increase their talk time each week using strategies like " turn and talk," Breiseth advises. "English language learners in particular benefit from ample talk time," agrees high school ELA teacher Rosie Reid. "While it is possible to learn by listening, I've found that oral participation leads to greater gains in student literacy and engagement."

Consider giving language learners questions ahead of time so they have time to prepare, and remember to speak slowly and add a few seconds after posing a question to give students time to think. "For English learners, it gives time to translate, process their thinking, translate back into English, and develop the courage to answer," writes elementary and ESL teacher Emily Kaplan.

2. Students often understand you better than their language skills suggest: Language comprehension tends to develop faster than speech, and students might fully understand directions but not yet be able to respond fluently. This can create misunderstanding and frustration between students and teachers. "In many situations, students are actually succeeding, even though it doesn't look like success to their teacher," says Breiseth.

Using visuals like graphic organizers can help English learners organize their thoughts and learning-and demonstrate to you that they are on the right track, even if their grasp of the language is still developing.

Consider pairing pictures with important vocabulary words, or include them in assessments, or alongside printed directions to boost comprehension. When ESOL teacher Karissa Knox Sorrell taught Romeo and Juliet, she gave her English learners handouts with difficult words they'd encounter in each scene. "The handout had the word in English, a picture, and a place for students to write the translation of the word in their own language," writes Knox Sorrell, who also projected the words and pictures on the board and explained each one.

3. English learners need a rich, engaging environment: When English learners struggle, Breiseth says there's a tendency to look to special education for individualized support and attention-but that's often a mistake. "This is not to say that when an ELL experiences academic challenges, it is always only a question of language," she cautions. "But special education placement without careful consideration is not likely to help."

Instead, she says it's important to keep in mind that English learners need regular exposure to the "rich language environment and scaffolded support that matches their level of language proficiency." They need access to rigorous curricula and a special education placement may cut them off from an environment in which, given enough time and targeted support, they might thrive.

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3 Tips to Remember When English Language Learners Struggle

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The academic needs of language learners are distinct and complex-figuring out how to help when they struggle is critical for their success.

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Strength-based approach to teaching English learners

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Strength-based approach to teaching English learners

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https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/strength-based-teaching-esl/

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This guest post was contributed by Laura Lenz. It first appeared on her blog,
Teaching with an Open Heart.
Close your eyes.
Imagine a school where we focused on the strengths of English language learners. What if these students' cultures, languages, countries of origin, unique skills, and life experiences were held up as assets?

Let's decide this school year to focus more on these strengths and assets and the unique potential of our English learners. What brilliance might be unleashed? What confidence might be built? What might non-ESL* students learn from the ESLs?

This would be a change in the way we view our English learners as well as a shift in how we view the very nature of teaching. The basis of teaching is to teach students what they don't know. We're trained to look for gaps in knowledge. We're the teachers, the experts, the givers of information.

At the beginning of the school year, most teachers will be asked to look at data from state tests. Tests that focus on who is proficient and who is not proficient. We will identify gaps and deficiencies. Of course, this analysis has its place, and we need to know where students are struggling. However, we can also stimulate growth by capitalizing on existing strengths.

A few years ago, I was on an interview committee for the ESL coordinator in our district. The individual who eventually got the job kept talking about the very principles I have outlined in this article. He believed that the English learners could be the stars of the school district. I had never heard anyone express this sentiment quite that passionately and forcefully, and I immediately knew that what he was saying held enormous value. I believe in his vision, and it's my vision too.

Here are some suggestions for making this shift in how we work with our English learners this year.

1. Make it clear that your students' first languages and cultures are a tremendous strength and asset.

These students are the newest bilingual or multilingual members of our community. They are also learning to be bicultural or multicultural, figuring out how to navigate the tricky ins and outs of living in a diverse society. Our country will continue to become more diverse, and knowing more than one language and being able to navigate multiple cultures will be highly prized skills in our community. Make sure you explicitly share this information with parents as well. They need to know that their culture and language needs to be preserved and it will only strengthen their child's future.

2. Uncover students' unique strengths and funds of knowledge.

Some strengths will be easy to see, like how expert a student is at playing soccer or the great artistic talent some students possess. Some might be a little more difficult to uncover. Make it your job to find the hidden gems that each student has. Sometimes you discover these assets through conversation and questioning, and sometimes you might stumble upon them. By observing carefully, here are a few things I found in my students:

Our art teacher decided to do a sewing project one week. I walked into the room and the African boys were already amazingly adept with that needle and thread. There they were, heads bent over in concentration, sewing like nobody's business. It was amazing.

On one of our field trips we took the class ice skating; most had never done this before. The handful who already knew how to skate took off and skated together, except our Japanese student, who already knew how to skate. I noticed that one by one and with great patience, kindness, and encouragement, she was teaching all the other girls how to ice skate. They trusted her and took risks they may not have taken with their teachers. This kind of interaction among students is something teachers love seeing. This student told us later in the year that she wants to be a teacher.

3. Once you've discovered some of their brilliance, make sure you tell them what you see.

Be specific in your praise. Acknowledge students' strengths in front of the whole class and have conversations with kids privately.

We had to rely on one student sometimes for interpreting when students had conflicts and a bilingual specialist wasn't available. He was a refugee from Africa, already fairly proficient in oral English and also spoke the two most dominant languages in the classroom. The unexpected joy was realizing that he was also a natural peacemaker with a very keen sensibility for justice and fairness, also possessing a charming sense of humor and sweetness that would make kids laugh and get over things quickly.

My teaching partner and I made sure to tell him that he had something special-the three languages, of course, but even more than that, his natural diplomacy skills. I told him he was going to do something great in his life-be a diplomat or a community organizer. He'd always say, "Thank you, Miss," while looking slightly embarrassed, yet with a huge smile spread from ear to ear.

Then he told us one day that he wants to be a police officer. I can just imagine the impact he could make, a black police officer who speaks three languages, understands many cultures, and is a natural peacemaker. We should do everything we can to build on this young man's strengths and help him reach his full potential.

4. Teach your students to validate each other.

One year we did an activity every Friday called "Fill the Bucket," which comes from a popular children's book, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud. We drew a different name each week and focused on that person, or if a student was moving, going back to their country, or exiting our program, we would choose them for the activity. The student would sit in the teacher chair at the front of the class and receive praise and compliments from their classmates. We encouraged the kids to be as specific with their praise as possible.

One Friday, it was a particular student's turn. He was from Saudi Arabia, and we were exiting him from the program because he was proficient enough to transition to mainstream classes in the school. When he sat in front of the class, every hand shot up.

"You're a great friend."

"You helped me with my locker on the first day."

"You're always so nice to everyone."

"You make me laugh when I'm worried about things."

I watched this sweet boy absolutely dissolve into tears. Nobody laughed at his crying. It was incredibly moving and I wondered if he had ever been told how amazing he was. We all need validation.

5. Highlight and elevate the English learners in big and small ways in your classroom, in your school, in your community.

Work on integrating the English learners into the greater school community. Have native English speakers help with the language and academics, but then make sure the English learners have a chance to share their talents and knowledge as well.

We teach all of our kids to play chess and they get really good at it. There are always a few who become especially skilled and competitive. They go to tournaments and compete, including the state tournament. We reached out to the local newspaper and made sure this great story was told to the community.

6. Never forget that refugees and immigrants are doing a tremendously difficult thing simply by trying to make their way in this country.

It takes courage and strength to move to a new country and adapt to a new culture, language, and way of life. Most refugees have already endured unimaginable hardships and are forging ahead despite experiencing loss, grief, danger, and trauma. There is a resilience in refugees and immigrants that is just unbelievable and which they will ultimately use to contribute to their new home and community.

When you point out kids' strengths to them and to others, they grow in confidence. They know you see them. You see the whole individual, not just an empty vessel that needs to be filled with your knowledge. Not just a kid who doesn't know English. But a human who already has many unique strengths and assets. Your belief in their value and potential will help their confidence grow. This confidence will enable them to build upon the skills they already have and to be brave enough to learn all the essential things they need to know in this country in order to succeed.

Now, open your eyes.

Decide your model of teaching and working with English learners this year will be a strengths-based one.

You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by trying.

The brilliance and possibilities you uncover might just amaze you. ♦

*Editor's note: The term ESL is used in several places in this post because it would make the post easier to find when people searched for it. In the English language teaching community, it is more appropriate to describe these learners as English language learners (ELL) or simply English learners, and the process of teaching them as TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Other Language). These terms more accurately reflect the fact that many of these students come to us already knowing several languages, and the use of "second" does not recognize this asset.

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A Strength-Based Approach to Teaching English Learners

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Instead of focusing on the deficits of English language learners, what if we held up their cultures, languages, unique skills, and life experiences as assets?

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An asset-based approach to support ELL success

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An asset-based approach to support ELL success

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https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/an-asset-based-approach-to-support-ell-success

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An asset-based approach to teaching English language learners is about creating a culture where we acknowledge strengths and expect success. It's the shared vision everyone in a district must adopt before we can hope to set relevant learning goals or implement worthwhile instructional strategies for ELLs.

This is the approach we've taken in Albuquerque Public Schools, the largest district in New Mexico with nearly 82,000 students in 143 schools. Two-thirds of our students are Hispanic, we have learners from 23 different Native American communities, we're a refugee resettlement area, and nearly 17 percent of kids in our schools are classified as English language learners. I was myself an ELL, and linguistic and academic supports were noticeably absent from my education. Once I became a teacher, I noticed not much had changed since my days as a student. The district's resources and planning hadn't yet caught up with ELLs' unique needs. They didn't have quality English language development instruction or appropriate linguistic scaffolds. Some ELL students were not scheduled in English language development (ELD) classes, and those who were did not have equal or equitable access to standard resources found in most English Language Arts classes, such as textbooks and computers. Many long-term ELLs spent six years or more receiving English language instruction without exiting ELL status, which is evidence of a broken system.

It was close to impossible to address these issues as a classroom teacher, but I did what I could within my sphere of influence. I strived to push my students and refused to coddle them. I encouraged them to stretch their academic skills by reading literature, debating complex and polarizing ideas, and developing voice through writing. I also believed in their right to a rigorous education in their home language-a right denied to me-and taught students to see the academic value in their home languages and cultures.

Back to Basics

What we needed was a districtwide plan to improve instruction for ELLs. When I became the senior director of language and cultural equity, I knew the first step was to change mindsets. ELLs must be a priority of all district leaders and stakeholders. When leadership lacks an advocacy and equity lens, history is doomed to repeat itself.

Our approach now includes supporting linguistic and academic development together, including oral language development and explicit literacy development, along with instruction in academic uses of English, writing skills, and relevant texts that reflect students' identities and experiences (Sharma &amp; Christ, 2017). These foundational elements lead to improved academic language development, which enables ELLs to participate in classroom discussions, to better articulate their thinking as they learn new material and, overall, to engage.

The engagement piece is essential as students move through the grade levels. If students continue to struggle with language skills as they grow older, they will feel less confident in their ability to express their knowledge and may become reluctant to participate.

When You See Engaged ELLs, You're Doing It Right

To refine our approach, we partnered with Curriculum Associates, a company that specializes in data-driven, differentiated instruction. Our asset-based philosophy, reflected in the lessons and vocabulary, makes learning personal, as students understand that their unique experiences and perspectives are beneficial to their learning.

Some key strategies have been highly effective for our students:

1. We use culturally responsive materials. From books in our library, such as The Children of Blood and Bones by Tomi Adeyemi and Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, to authentic classroom resources en Español such as Yabisí, we find resources that will resonate with students and connect to their backgrounds. Instructional materials should be built by a diverse team of experts with ELLs in mind, as opposed to "retrofitting" textbooks as an afterthought. Tools like Curriculum Associates' i-Ready, an adaptive diagnostic that connects assessment to instruction, can be valuable support. Giving students voice, such as the option to choose what they read, allows them more control over the process of language development.

2. We use strategic scaffolding. Because we believe in our learners' assets and abilities, we start with appropriately challenging materials and then provide supports as necessary. Scaffolds may look at math through multiple representations or frame sentences to help students communicate their mathematical thinking.

3. We make PD a priority. As content's difficulty and pacing increases, there is risk for long-term ELLs to become permanently disengaged. To prevent this, our district prioritizes teacher training and professional development, so all educators understand how to lay the foundation for success. Newly hired secretaries, paraprofessionals, and certified staff all receive tailored training around the needs of ELLs, using methods that champion student voice, language development, and content knowledge. Classroom educators use English proficiency data to guide differentiation and specialized supports for newcomers, translanguaging for biliteracy, and other strategies to contextualize content for ELLs.

4. We celebrate our students. Even if districts prioritize services for ELLs on a larger scale, every teacher can improve instruction for ELLs by getting to know students' strengths and struggles. One activity that our teachers use involves a simple prompt. They write, "I wish my teacher knew ... " on the board, and after some small-group and whole-group discussion, students respond anonymously on sticky notes or in their journals. This short activity can set the stage for trusting relationships.

Our English language learners are filled with potential. Educators have the awesome opportunity to help them reach it. With a dedicated plan and a commitment to action, we can change outcomes for every student in our schools.

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An Asset-Based Approach to Support ELL Success - ASCD

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An asset-based approach to teaching English language learners is about creating a culture where we acknowledge strengths and expect success. It's the shared vision everyone in a district must adopt before we can hope to set relevant learning goals or implement worthwhile instructional strategies for

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3 steps to developing an asset-based approach to teaching

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3 steps to developing an asset-based approach to teaching

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-steps-developing-asset-based-approach-teaching

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Differentiated Instruction

Through this approach, which focuses on students' strengths, teachers can plan instruction that promotes a growth mindset.

Alan Ingram / Alamy Stock Photo

As educators welcomed students to the 2020-21 school year, they did so with great care and attention to their social and emotional needs. Now, as school routines become habits and students dive deeper into their learning, this message of hope and support must continue to be conveyed during instruction.

If students only hear of the gaps in their learning or that they have fallen behind, they will begin to act according to the low benchmark that has been set for their achievement. An asset-based approach to teaching is one that is grounded in what students can do rather than what they cannot do or areas of weakness. It is an embodiment of growth mindset in instruction.

3 Steps to Using an Asset-Based Approach to Teaching

1. Begin with a diagnostic learning activity that provides information about what students know and can do. A simple way to design a diagnostic learning activity that focuses on what students can do is to align the task to the skills or concepts from the previous grade level. Most standards are scaffolded from one grade level or course to the next. For example, in mathematics, this is known as coherence. In science, it can be seen through progressions of the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI). By looking at standards or intentionally identifying foundational skills or concepts in a curriculum document, teachers can quickly access this information.

For example, the following learning targets are based on English language arts standards:

Fifth grade: I can use the supporting details to determine the central idea.

Sixth grade: I can explain how supporting details are used to develop the central idea.

As a simple diagnostic, students read and annotate an article using text tags to identify key details and then use the tagged details to write the central idea. A sixth-grade teacher would review student work focused on the details that the students selected and how they were used to write the central idea, or the fifth-grade expectation.

With this information, the teacher can plan instruction to provide strategies for moving students from identifying the central idea to explaining how it is developed. Additional pathways are created for students who have this skill and need more practice or are ready to apply it in different ways.

2. Provide different learning pathways so that all students have the opportunity to meet high expectations. Time has always been precious in the classroom, and it feels even more so as learning this year takes place in remote or blended environments. A learning plan that can be used in these various settings may be strategically constructed so that all students are able to work toward high expectations from their starting point.

The learning plan begins with the diagnostic activity. The student can then choose or the teacher may select different pathways through the plan, with students completing a core set of learning activities aligned to the plan's learning target to ensure that they are all working toward high expectations.

Pathway A embeds instruction and review so that students build background knowledge and skills. For example, students create criteria for identifying important details. They use the criteria to identify details to tag that reveal the central idea.

Pathway B includes additional activities for student practice and application. For example, students use SEE (statement, evidence, explanation) as a cognitive routine for explaining the connection between the central idea statement and the evidence from text.

Pathway C provides activities for deepening understanding or applying learning in new ways. For example, students use SEE to evaluate a text that presents a different point of view.

Creating pathways will help eliminate endless review, repetitive tasks, and/or disengagement that can come from the one-size-fits-all approach to instruction. It communicates to the students that the teacher believes each of them is a unique but ready and able learner.

(Click here for a full example of a learning plan for a sixth grader with an asset-based approach to instruction.)

3. Provide feedback to students identifying what they can do and strategies for using their strengths to address areas of need. Embedded in each learning activity is a formative-assessment moment. These are tangible or observable evidence of student learning. In an asset-based approach to learning, they are used to provide students with feedback that includes three important pieces of information.

Strength: The evidence you selected clearly identifies the important information about the impact of the transcontinental railroad on different groups of people.

Need: The central idea is a summary statement of what is most important about the text. How can you say what is most important without rewriting all of the details?

Next step: Write the central idea for two or three paragraphs in your own words before writing the central idea for the entire text.

It is important to note that not all students need to receive the same feedback at the same time. The formative-assessment moment exists as an opportunity for students to receive the feedback they need when they need it. However, all students deserve specific and tailored feedback at some time during their learning.

When teachers begin to look at what students understand, know, and can do, it changes the way the teacher and their students approach learning. The teacher begins to leverage what students know as a means for moving learning forward. For students, small successes lead to larger ones and help develop belief in their own capability as well as the willingness to engage when learning becomes difficult. When students are made aware of how they can learn, they take another step toward being independent, self-regulated learners.

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3 Steps to Developing an Asset-Based Approach to Teaching

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Differentiated Instruction Through this approach, which focuses on students' strengths, teachers can plan instruction that promotes a growth mindset. Alan Ingram / Alamy Stock Photo As educators welcomed students to the 2020-21 school year, they did so with great care and attention to their social and emotional needs.

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Your students have assets, not deficiencies

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Your students have assets, not deficiencies

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https://ellstudents.com/blogs/the-confianza-way/your-students-have-assets

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I used rainbow sticks to group students. They were literally these popsicle sticks that someone painted all colors of the rainbow. I found them in an area book rescue facility that allows teachers to search for items and take them home. Yes, they were someone's garbage. But, they were my treasure. Sometimes, I used the sticks to group by interest or ability without students knowing that I was doing it. Other times, I just randomly grouped kids with handing them different sticks and telling them to move into their groups.

The colors helped me with grouping but also seating. On my seating chart, the colors did match up with students language proficiency levels. I tried to strategically think about how kids needed to be seated with someone that can be a language model. At the same time, I didn't want my arrangements to be too polarized. This was not something that I publicized in class.

Looking at the picture, I didn't seat students in the traditional method of keeping English Learners alone together and keeping non-English Learners away from them. It is great for English Learners to have companionship, but at the same time the need to be exposed to students who can model language for them. On the flip side, developing students have an opportunity to build confidence being the model for a student who is a newcomer. Being vigilant of who sat with who was a practice that I always observed to serve all students.

I didn't want to group a student who is bridging (in a sheltered English Learning setting) or a student who is a non-English Learner (in a general education classroom) that had no language background of their English Learner peers with a newcomer who has just started school with us. It would be difficult for both students to not only interact but also engage academically. The students may become jaded or frustrated because of too much challenge or lack of it. From another lens, it would give students who were second or third year a great opportunity to spend time with a student who has a strong English proficiency background to expand on their language. Pairing them up with a non-English Learner or student who is Bridging into English proficiency would be helpful. Always keeping your arrangements flexible and changing it up throughout the year is good for students instructionally, socially, and emotionally.

Design Lessons that Allow for All Students to Engage and Grow Linguistically

In a general classroom of twenty-eight students, it is difficult and time-consuming to have individual lesson plans for all students. It is also not acceptable to allow for remediation all the time for English Learners. These students need support in language. This doesn't mean that teachers should water down content. It just means that they need to think about "how" to speak in the classroom and what they would need to write down on the board or how to word a handout they are giving students.
Creating Content and Language Objectives
Writing content and language objectives that are clear for students is vital. Content and Language objectives are important for all students. The SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) model, a research based framework, established twenty years ago by Dr. Jana Echievarra, Dr. Mary Ellen Vogt, and Dr. Deborah Short, provides a foundation for teachers to plan according to the needs of English Learners. The first component of the model refers to lesson planning and using clear content and language objectives for students. Not only should teachers plan these objectives in their plan to create a path for student learning, but they need to communicate those objectives to students visually and in writing. They also need to assure that students have reflection on those objectives at the end of the lesson.
Incorporating the Four Domains of Language (Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing) Into Classroom Lessons As Much As Possible
Yes, we do naturally incorporate the domains of language into our teaching. How often do we really strategize ways of doing this? "This differentiation process requires knowing and understanding both key cultural and linguistic factors that profoundly and predictably impact each student's learning and language acquisition." (Fairbairn & Jones-Vo 2010) Once we have gained that knowledge, we need to plan for how to allow students to interact with language. This can be done a variety of ways.

We don't always thinking about enhancing students' listening comprehension in class. Teachers often utilize methods of comprehensible input in order to allow students to understand key concepts and vocabulary. This could range from using hand movements and gestures to just slowing down the speed of their speech. Allowing students to learn, listen, and comprehend is key. How you use comprehensible input is based on who you have in your classrooms and their needs. Also, allowing students wait time in classroom discussions gives them more opportunities to answer questions. The way the brain works when acquiring language is not always as quick as you would like to it be. Give children time to process information. Having smaller group discussions in larger classrooms is also helpful for listening comprehension.

When thinking about reading, giving students access to materials that are linguistically appropriate and high interest as well as allowing time to read in class is key. Using tools like Newsela allows for teachers to give students the same content but at various levels When allowing students time to read in class, reading activities need to be engaging for students. I was a big fan of paired reading because I saw more growth in my students as they read to each other in class.

Moving from actually reading in class to actually being able to comprehend a text or concept, giving students a choice in how that is done helps students build the skill of reading comprehension but also aids students in building their strengths and potential. As a teacher, I used a chart in the classroom that allowed students to choose how they wanted to convey their comprehension of their book club novel.

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Your Students Have Assets, Not Deficiencies: Differentiating Instruction for English Learners based on Strengths and Interests - Confianza

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by Sarah Said Being in the field as long as I have, I hear the constant chorus of "I just don't know what to do to help this child." Here is the scenario: A child just came to the United States from Yemen. He has moved around a lot because of the recent conflicts in the country.

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https://getsupported.net/elassets/

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https://blog.heinemann.com/what-is-translanguaging

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Translanguaging is when a multilingual person’s full linguistic repertoire is used and honored, instead of trying to keep narrowly focused on a single language.

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https://ealjournal.org/2016/07/26/what-is-translanguaging/

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'Translanguaging' - the use of different languages together - can be a powerful tool for learning ... but it can also go against the grain for language teachers who are used to supporting learners to master the intricacies of a single language. In this post, we ask what the research tells us about 'translanguaging' and how it can be used to support EAL learners in the classroom.

Picture the scene: two students are sitting together, working intently on a handout. They have different first languages but some shared knowledge of the words and phrases of each other's languages, so they are moving in and out of English to get their message across. Another two students are sitting together nearby. Both of them are Spanish speakers, but are very strong in English and often use it as their main language. At other times, as now, they blend Spanish and English together.

Are either of these examples of translanguaging?

In both cases, yes. The young people are using resources from different languages together, with very little regard for what we might call the 'boundaries' of named languages such as 'Spanish' or 'English'. They are using elements of each language together to communicate more effectively. This is translanguaging: it's about using the all your language resources to communicate.

Translanguaging is the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of what are described as autonomous languages, in order to maximize communicative potential.

Ofelia García (2009: 140)

Translanguaging is about communication, not about language itself. There are times when we need to be language teachers, focusing on accuracy in English so that our learners can pass exams and be taken as proficient speakers in wider society. Much of the time, though, we are working with students to explore concepts, add to their knowledge, make connections between ideas and to help them make their voices heard by others. This is often about communicating, and this is where using all our language resources can be very valuable.
A (very) brief history of translanguaging ...
Translanguaging is nothing new - it can be a very natural way for multilingual people to communicate - but as a focus of research it emerged in the 1980s in Bangor, north Wales. Cen Williams and colleagues were investigating strategies for learners to use two languages (Welsh and English) in a single lesson. They came up with the term 'trawsieithu' to describe reading or hearing input in one language (e.g. English) and writing or speaking about it in another (e.g. Welsh, or vice versa). The term was translated into English (and popularised) as 'translanguaging' by their colleague Colin Baker (see Lewis, Jones and Baker 2012).

Since then the term has expanded to cover the use of multiple languages in many contexts. It is one of a series of related terms (such as polylanguaging and flexible multilingualism) and the subtle differences between them suggest the wide range of academic work investigating how multiple languages are used - especially for learning. We can use 'translanguaging' as our general term.
The beginnings of a translanguaging pedagogy
Translanguaging pedagogy challenges what Jim Cummins (2008) called the 'two solitudes' approach to bilingualism, in which languages were kept strictly separate. It sees languages as a property of the community: the language resources that are relevant to the classroom are those shared by the students and the teacher. This separates the languages of the classroom community and the language of the test or the curriculum. We can use our classroom repertoire to learn, share and communicate, coming to focus on the language of the curriculum (highly formal and accurate English, for example) as necessary. It means making a distinction between forms of learning that require display (such as essays, often written in 'best English') and forms of learning that do not (such as worksheets). We can move between them within a lesson: perhaps using all our repertoire to discuss and to draft, moving into more formal/correct English to report to the group, back into translanguaging to revise the work-in-progress and into a very formal register for the final written product.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the strongly monolingual slant of recent education policy, much work into translanguaging pedagogy has been done outside mainstream classrooms. Creese and Blackledge (2010), for example, have looked at Gujarati and Chinese complementary schools. Li Wei and Zhu Hua (2013) studied learners at university, but connected translanguaging to migration and identity development in ways that are very relevant to school-based language policies. Hornberger and Link (2012) look at children the US, with an explicit focus on the restrictive language policies of that country, and offer ideas that are very applicable to the UK. A good starting point is García and Li Wei (2014) - a recent and very readable (only 165 pages) discussion that has a strong focus on translanguaging and education, with one author based in the US and one based in the UK.

The first issue of the EAL Journal (published in September and free to all NALDIC members) features Li Wei writing about translanguaging and the EAL classroom. Click here for information on how to join.
Recent developments
García's recent work has focused on translanguaging pedagogy as a political act, a critical response to the monolingual bias of current education policy. Earlier this year the South London EAL Group (part of NALDIC's national network of regional interest groups) discussed García's work on translanguaging stance - a teacher's political commitment to encouraging bilingualism in her classroom. The video below features Constant Leung discussing this approach and explaining how it connects to the UK context:
Constant Leung discussing Ofelia García's work on translanguaging, at NALDIC's South London EAL group. But what about exams?
Very often, we meet the colleagues who are keen to encourage multilingualism in their classroom (even experiment with a translanguaging pedagogy), but who are worried about how it will affect their students' exam performance.

A translanguaging approach is entirely consistent with high expectations in exams - if we recognise the difference between language and communication.

testing the proficiency of children in a language must be kept separate from testing their proficiency in language.

(Otheguy, García and Reid 2015: 299)

Translanguaging pedagogy is about you and your students. It draws on the languages you have available to your group - so even if you don't speak all (or any) of the other languages your students do, you can welcome them and encourage the learners to use them in the classroom. You can then make a distinction between your classroom approach to languages and the language resources the students will need to use in exams. If you have used a translanguaging pedagogy in your classroom (even if that wasn't the term you used for it) we would love to hear from you.
References
Creese, Angela and Adrian Blackledge (2010). Translanguaging in the Bilingual Classroom: A Pedagogy for Learning and Teaching? Modern Language Journal 94 (1), 103-115.

Cummins, Jim (2008). Teaching for Transfer: Challenging the two solitudes assumption in bilingual education. In: Jim Cummins and Nancy H. Hornberger (eds). Encyclopedia of Language and Education Vol. 5: Bilingual Education (2nd edition edition). Boston: Springer Science + Business Media.

García, Ofelia (2009). Education, multilingualism and translanguaging in the 21st century. In: Ajit Mohanty, Minati Panda, Robert Phillipson and Tove Skutnabb-Kangas (eds). Multilingual Education for Social Justice: Globalising the local. New Delhi: Orient Blackswan, pp.128-145.

García, Ofelia, S. Johnson and K. Seltzer (forthcoming). Translanguaging Stance. In: Ofelia García (ed.). The Translanguaging Classroom. Philadelphia, PA: Carson.

Lewis, Gwyn, Bryn Jones and Colin Baker (2012). Translanguaging: origins and development from school to street and beyond. Educational Research and Evaluation 18 (7), 641-654.

Li Wei and Zhu Hua (2013). Translanguaging Identities and Ideologies: Creating Transnational Space Through Flexible Multilingual Practices Amongst Chinese University Students in the UK. Applied Linguistics 34 (5), 516-535.

Otheguy, Ricardo, Ofelia García and Wallis Reid (2015). Clarifying translanguaging and deconstructing named languages: A perspective from linguistics. Applied Linguistics Review 6 (3), 281-307.

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Interested in translanguaging and what it means for EAL? We look at the research and share the essential info.

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https://www.cuny-nysieb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Translanguaging-Guide-March-2013.pdf

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Home language: An English learners' most valuable resourse

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Home language: An English learners' most valuable resourse

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https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/home-language-english-language-learners-most-valuable-resource

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The Home Language: An English Language Learner’s Most Valuable Resource

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Fred Genesee discusses the research supporting the importance of a child’s home language. In addition, Dr. Genesee explores the question of why an approach that is well-supported by research has been largely ignored in the era of “research-based” policy.OverviewWebcast: ELLs and ReadingLearn more about using the home language to support ELLs’ reading instruction in our Teaching ELLs to Read webcast featuring Dr. Genesee!The education of English language learners (ELLs) is one of the most important issues facing U.S. educators. ELLs are a large and growing proportion of the school-age population — according to National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2007, about 10.8 million (or 20%) school-aged children in the U.S. spoke a language other than English at home (Planty, Hussar, Snyder, Kena, Kewal Ramani, Kemp, Bianco, & Dinkes, 2009). This situation is not likely to change because ELLs are currently the fastest growing population in U.S. schools (National Center for Education Statistics, 2004), with the number of ELLs expected to increase another 50% by 2025 (Passel & Cohn, 2008).The importance of the issues goes beyond the sheer number of ELLs, however. It has been shown in numerous national studies and surveys that, on average, ELLs under achieve in comparison to their English-speaking peers in academic domains and that the achievement gap tends to increase the higher the grade level (e.g., Fry, 2007; Rumberger, 2007; McNeil et al., 2008). As we consider ways to help ELLs increase their academic achievement, then, it is clear that educators need all the resources at their disposal to meet these challenges.Policy and Home LanguageUntil recently, significant efforts were made to enhance the educational outcomes of ELLs by offering alternative forms of education that incorporate use of ELLs’ home language (Genesee, 1999, for a review). These programs were justified on the grounds that educating ELLs in English only posed a triple threat to their educational success since it would require that they simultaneously:learn academic English to high levels,master challenging academic skills and content taught through English,adopt new social skills that would permit them to integrate with their English-speaking classmates and teachers.However, in recent years, recent political and legislative initiatives that disfavor bilingual education have made these educational options difficult to access, despite evidence of their success (Goldenberg, 2009). Along with these politically-motivated changes, it would appear that educators and policy-makers no longer recognize the native language skills of ELLs as an important educational resource and, indeed, it would even appear that they discredit it having any role in the education of ELLs.What does the research say?At the same time that the role of the home language is diminishing in public education policy, there have been growing political and legislative expectations that educational policies and classroom practices be backed up by scientific, empirical evidence. With respect to ELLs, there is undeniable and growing evidence that the home language of ELLs is of considerable benefit to their overall academic success. There are multiple sources of such evidence. First, recent meta-analyses have shown that educational programs that systematically incorporate use of ELLs’ home language result in levels of academic success, including achievement in literacy and other academic subjects, that are as high as and often better than that of ELLs in English-only programs (Genesee & Lindholm-Leary, in press). In a review of these meta-analyses, Goldenberg (2008) notes “Readers should understand how unusual it is to have five meta-analyses on the same issue conducted by five independent researchers or groups of researchers with diverse perspectives. The fact that they all reached essentially the same conclusion is worth noting. No other area in educational research with which I am familiar can claim five independent meta-analyses based on experimental studies — much less five that converge on the same basic finding.” (p. 15).Second, in a study of ELLs in two-way immersion programs, Lindholm and Aclan (1991) found a significant positive relationship between individual student’s level of bilingual proficiency and their achievement in math and reading in English. Furthermore, the students who were classified as “high bilinguals” were able to attain grade level results by fourth grade in English reading and by third grade in English math.Third, a growing body of evidence from researchers around the world has shown that bilingual children exhibit significant cognitive advantages in comparison to monolingual children (e.g., Bialystok 2006; Chin & Wigglesworth, 2007; Kovaacs & Mehler, 2009). These advantages have been demonstrated in executive control processes related to selective attention and inhibition and monitoring of attention when, for example, children are engaged in problem solving.Fourth, and finally, extensive research, again from around the world, has found that children who are learning to read in a second language are able to transfer many skills and knowledge from their first language to facilitate their acquisition of reading skills in the second language. The best evidence of this comes from studies showing that students with strong reading skills in the home language also have strong reading skills in their second language. Much of this work has been done on ELLs in the U.S. (August & Shanahan, 2006; Riches & Genesee, 2006).What we see in the U.S., then, is a push for research-based policy but the creation of policies that contradict the research. Debate concerning the value of using ELLs’ home language in specially-designed programs, such as two-way immersion, will undoubtedly continue, and so it should since it makes little educational sense to diminish U.S. students’ opportunities to become bilingual in an increasingly globalized community.Back to topHome Language in the ClassroomIn the meantime, teachers and students can’t wait for these policy debates to be settled before deciding how or whether to draw upon ELLs’ home language. The question arises how can schools and teachers, even those who are monolingual, act on evidence that clearly shows the personal, cognitive, linguistic and educational value of using the linguistic resources that ELLs bring to school. There is no simple or single answer to this question, but a number of options are worth exploring that, at the moment, are often overlooked and discounted. Cloud, Genesee, and Hamayan (2009, Chapter 3) offer a number of suggestions:To encourage students to see connections between their languages and, thus, to better understand how languages are structured and organized, talk to ELLs about their home language — ask them:How is the home language the same and how it is different from English?Are there words in the home language that sound the same and mean the same thing in both languages?Are there words in the home language and English that sound the same but mean different things?As part of phonological and metalinguistic awareness exercises to facilitate reading acquisition, ask students:to say words that start with the same sound(s) in English or the L1.how words are changed and formed in the home language — singular and plural forms, present tense and past tense forms of verbs — to enhance their word knowledgewho are new to your class, to read books in their home language to show you what they know about reading.By using the collective skills and knowledge of all students (both ELL and English-L1 students) in the classroom, even a monolingual teacher can tap into these valuable language resources that ELLs have and do so with the confidence that these methods will promote their language development — in English as well as the home language.Back to topEducation for AllA hallmark of public education in the U.S. is respect for and appreciation of the individual skills and backgrounds of students as a foundation for furthering their education. Taking advantage of ELLs’ home language resources is asking no more than the same respect and appreciation for this group of learners. At the same time, parents, teachers, educational leaders in local school districts, and politicians should discuss how best to provide all students in the U.S. with high quality educational programs that promote competence in additional languages. At stake is not only the competitiveness of individual students once they enter the work force but, indeed, the ability of the U.S. itself to compete in an increasingly multilingual and multicultural world.Back to topVideo: Using the Home Language as a ResourceDearborn Public Schools ELD Director Rose Aldubaily discusses the value of using students’ home language as a resource. About the AuthorFred Genesee is Professor in the Psychology Department at McGill University, Montreal. He has conducted extensive research on alternative forms of bilingual and immersion education for language minority and language majority students. His current research interests also include language acquisition in pre-school bilingual children, internationally-adopted children, second language reading acquisition, and the language and academic development of students at-risk in bilingual programs. He is the recipient of the Canadian Psychological Associate Award for Distinguished Contributions to Community or Public Service and the 2-Way CABE Award of Promoting Bilingualism. Publications include:Genesee, F., Paradis, J., & Crago (Eds.) (2010). Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning, 2nd Edition. Baltimore, Maryland: Brookes Publishing.Cloud, N., Genesee, F., and Hamayan, E. (2009). Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners: A Teacher’s Guide to Research-Based Practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.Back to topAcknowledgementsOur policy section is made possible by a generous grant from the Carnegie Corporation. The statements and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.

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ELL students' home language is an asset, not a barrier: Part 1

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ELL students' home language is an asset, not a barrier: Part 1

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https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-response-ell-students-home-language-is-an-asset-not-a-barrier/2017/01

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The new "question-of-the-week" is:
What is the role, if any, of an ELL student's home language in the classroom?
Over ten percent of the student population in the United States is comprised of English Language Learners. Given that reality, the role of a student's home language merits discussion.

Today, Melissa Eddington, Wendi Pillars, Tracey Flores, Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo and Mary Ann Zehr offer their thoughts. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Melissa, Wendi and Tracey on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

There will be times, however, when limiting primary language use could be important. For example, during certain classroom activities, I might say that the next ten minutes is an English-only time. The chances of this request being generally respected is high in my classroom because students know that I do not typically restrict their own use of L1 at any point (and in fact often use it in the strategic ways I've previously mentioned).

You might also be interested in previous columns here about .
Response From Melissa Eddington
Melissa Eddington is an ELL educator from Central Ohio. She has been teaching ELLs for 14 years - and16 overall. She's an advocate for her students everyday in the classroom:

Imagine you have a student who entered your classroom where the only language spoken is one unfamiliar to them...what do you do? As an educator, a student's home language plays an important role in the classroom. According to Frank Genesee, a professor in the Psychology Department at McGill University, Montreal, in his book The Home Language: An English Language Learners Most Valuable Resource, "With respect to ELLs, there is undeniable and growing evidence that the home language of ELLs is of considerable benefit to their overall academic success." We need to nurture our students by using their home language as we assist them in acquiring their new language.
Some Instances where using the student's home language in the classroom may be necessary are as follows:

1. Understanding Directions: Students may need the directions spoken to them in their home language for full understanding and for success. It is crucial for the teacher to model as well for the new student. With translation and modeling, the student has a higher chance of being successful, which is our goal.

Of course there are additional reasons why a student's home language would need to be utilized in an English speaking classroom, these are just a few. I would encourage you to explore more. A student's home language is something we should never try to take away from a student. Response From Wendi Pillars

1. Connecting Vocabulary: Students who have a solid understanding of their home language can connect new English words to the known words for success in the classroom. It is found that "knowledge, skills, concepts, and ideas that a student learns in their first language can transfer into their learning of the second language..." (Russell, J. and Wariua-Nyalwal, P. (2015) "Research-Proven Strategies for Improving Content Vocabulary for Middle School English Language Learners." International Journal of Business and Social Science). Consider having the student write the vocabulary words in both their home and new language for deeper understanding.

ESL teachers know that optimizing students' linguistic resources can be a game-changer, but it's tricky business. We don't realize the advantage we have as English speakers until we are outside of our language bubble, become part of a minority language scenario, and are unable to use it as the tool it has always been for us. You juggle constant active listening, observing facial cues and body language, translating and interpreting everything you can because you're not sure when and what to filter, plus the anxiety of responding to teacher questions -- whew! Our language learners have a LOT on their mental plates. We must acknowledge L1 as a valuable resource and judicious tool for learning to help ease their mental loads. But ultimately, language is power, and in American schools that power is based in English. It is the language of testing, and of most instruction and student-teacher interaction. The goal is for students to use their L1 intentionally to access English. Our role is to teach students to value their language as a tool for comparing, accessing, and contextualizing information. Encourage students to think deeply by showing that language learning is both a perspective and a process. Value your students' knowledge and skills as incredible resources upon which to build new learning, and do so explicitly. From my experience in multilingual classrooms, I see the transformative power of "students as experts" when teaching others about their native cultures and languages. Watching various language learners craft English into their common tool for communication is fascinating. The knowledge of their own language(s) serves as a foundation for patterns, concepts, and usage in other languages. Much evidence has shown that the stronger a student is in his/ her L1, the more readily they can learn another language. Encouraging students to talk about, and family members to continue communicating in, the L1 are critical for this reason. This semester my English learners are uniquely monolingual. All of my students are Spanish speakers, and we've optimized that in a number of ways. We combine ESL I, II, and III classes frequently, which makes for fabulous grouping scenarios, partnering, and opportunities for student leadership. We've had the pleasure of several bilingual guests, who have been gracious enough to speak in both languages during their presentations. Doing so allows students to hear complex language used naturally, helping concepts stick for all students and facilitating subsequent conversations about the content and speakers. We also use bilingual textbooks, so that even our newest learners can pull concepts directly from the text. They learn to analyze cognates, make educated inferences based on phrases and words they already know, access nuanced ideas, and navigate complex grammar and vocabulary from the start. These textual experiences further increase motivation since they are typically culturally relevant. When written texts are unavailable, we use podcasts, TED talks, video clips, live broadcasts, and even former students to supplement student learning through a broad array of multimodal inputs. Considering language as a tool rather than a barrier is a mighty fine place to begin, no matter how you say it. Response From Tracey Flores

1. Classroom Routines and School Tour: Students who do not understand the language spoken in the classroom need to have the classroom routines (including rules and expectations) translated into their home language and be given a tour of the school because they are held to the same standard as the English speaking students. According to the Ohio Department of Education, in Teaching English Language Learners: What Classroom and Content Teachers Need to Know About English Language Learners, "allow students with the same first language to discuss the learning materials. Often higher proficiency students can help new arrivals." Set the new student up with a buddy, preferably one who speaks their home language, so they are comfortable and feel safe.

"So, if you really want to hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity-I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself." ~Gloria Anzaldúa It is 1962, a young Latina girl, in 4th grade, with long black hair and curious dark brown eyes is in her classroom after the school day has come to an end. She is alone. In her right hand is a small piece of white chalk, which she raises to the chalkboard and writes, "I will not speak Spanish on the playground." This sentence, she has been told by her teacher, must be written 100 hundred times on the blackboard, punishment for speaking Spanish on the playground. This is my mother's story. I cannot write this blog post without sharing this very personal story that my mother shared with me. Each time she shares it with me, she becomes that young girl again. As she relives the torment of this moment, I can hear the deep pain in her voice. This moment of filled with shame, ridicule and guilt was not one isolated experience. It was a series of experiences that she endured as a child and young adult growing up bilingual and biliterate. As a former English Language Development (ELD) teacher working within a state with English Only policies, this narrative of shame, ridicule and guilt continues to be part of the lived experiences of many children learning English as an additional language. In Arizona, students are tracked into classrooms based on language proficiency and receive 4-hours of skills-based language and literacy instruction. This mandate is based on the assumption that the acquisition of language will happen within one school year and does not take into account the rich linguistic and literacy practices that children and youth bring to our classrooms from their homes and communities. Under restrictive policies and mandates like the one in my home state, many of our students learning English as an additional language enter the classroom already viewed as "lacking" or as "blank slates" in need of remediation. Rather than stigmatize the language and literacy practices that our students bring from their homes and communities, we should work toward recognizing the value of these resources and their place within our learning communities and schools. From my own experiences, I open my classroom door to you, and provide a glimpse into the ways that I created space for my students' home language in my own learning community, even under very restrictive English-only policies.

1. Support Parents' in Sustaining Home Language: There are some misconceptions made by teachers and families about language policies in schools. Our job is not to discourage families from sustaining home language, but rather to support families in their commitment to teaching their child their home language. This is a gift!

2. Home Language/Literacy Dig: Invite students to enter their homes as ethnographers and record all the different ways language and literacy is used in their homes and communities. This can uncover practices and "funds of knowledge" that can be included in the curriculum throughout the school year.

3. Dialogue Journals: Provide each student with a personal journal that is a shared writing space between the two of you. Give daily prompts or free writing time. Allow students the freedom to practice writing in any language without fear of judgement.

4. Classroom Newsletter: Create a classroom newsletter with students and their families as reporters. Invite families to contribute stories, recipes, how-to-guides, etc. in the language of their choice. Print and distribute to all families.

5. Family Writing Workshops: Create an after-school multilingual space for students and their families to draw, write and share stories in a variety of genres.

Even under restrictive policies and mandates, our classrooms must provide space for our students' home languages. A student's home language is a powerful tool for mediating learning. Through their home languages, the language of the heart, students first learned as children -- how to love, to hope, to dream and to wonder. This in itself is a powerful resource to use in our classrooms to build learning communities where students and teachers can learn, thrive and live--together. Response From Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo
Wendi Pillars, NBCT, has been teaching students with English as a second/foreign language needs in grades K-12, both stateside and overseas, for 21 years. She has also taught Algebra, History, vocational classes, and Health and PE. She is the author Visual Notetaking for Educators: A Teacher's Guide to Student Creativity, as well as several articles on best practices for ELLs, educational neuroscience, and teacher leadership. A lifelong learner, she loves using creativity to empower her learners. She can be reached on Twitter @wendi322:
Across the nation, districts vary in the language service delivery models that are implemented and often use a combination of programs. Decisions on which model to use are left in the hands of the local education agency and determining factors are state laws, population, resources, and the preference of the community. Language programs fall under one of two overarching goals, English development or bilingualism and biliteracy (Faulkner-Bond, et al., 2012; Garcia & Baker, 2007). These goals will drive how the home language is viewed and used: whether it is the means to acquiring English or developed so that students can understand, speak, read, and write in more than one language. With the cognitive, psychological, and social benefits of being bilingual, programs in which the home language is not developed may be at odds with what is best for students (Baker, 2000). When children enter the door of a school, they bring with them all of who they are - lived experiences and rich backgrounds. A significantly important part of their identity is the language spoken at home, a valuable resource that connects them to family and can lead to a positive self-concept and educational success if promoted in school (Cummins, 2001; Genesee, 2012). The good news is that, regardless of the language program model in place, educators can create positive learning environments and make conscientious choices that build upon the cultural and linguistic resources students bring with them. The following are some suggestions:

Form traditions and rituals that incorporate the home language. It can be the start or end to the school day or a celebratory song/chant when the class accomplishes a goal. Come up with it together and make it your own! Many times, these are the things that students remember and enjoy.

Empower students and families by allowing them access to the "ways of school." Depending on their exposure to our school system, students from nonmainstream cultures benefit from explicit guidance on how the classroom and the school functions. This can be especially challenging when there is a language barrier so, as much as possible, educators should make every effort to communicate information in the home language.

Tap into family and community resources. Invite family and other community members into the classroom to read a book, model how to do something, or teach a song or a poem in the home language. This can also be kept in mind when scheduling classroom trips.

Include the home language in ways to assess children's understanding of concepts. As much as possible, utilize the home language to create ways for students to demonstrate what they know. At the very least, always have it as a point of consideration when analyzing other data points. This will be helpful for guiding instruction and making decisions about programming.

Advocate for the use of the home language beyond the classroom walls. Collaborate with and enlist the help of school staff, especially those who speak the students' language(s), in infusing the home language throughout the day, during lunch, on the playground, in special classes, and at school-wide events.

Choose materials that authentically represent students' language and culture. Offer a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction, in the language(s) spoken by students. Choose books with which students can connect and encourage them and their families to be the creators of their own stories

The goal is that one day all students will have the opportunity to develop bilingual proficiency. Until that day comes, students will benefit from the choices educators make to honor and promote the home languages they bring to the classroom. References/Suggested Readings Baker, C. (2000). The care and education of young bilinguals. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Cummins, J. (2001). Bilingual Children's Mother Tongue: Why is it Important for Education? Faulkner-Bond, M., Waring, S., Forte, E., Crenshaw, R.L., Tindle, K., & Belknap, B. (2012). Language Instructional Education Programs (LIEPs): A Review of the Foundational Literature (pp. 107-121). US Department of Education. Genesee, F. (2012). The Home Language: An English Learner's Most Valuable Resource. Garcia, O. & Baker, C. (2007). Bilingual education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Nemeth, K. (2009). Many languages, one classroom: Teaching dual and English language learners. Silver Spring, MD: Gryphon House, Inc. Response From Mary Ann Zehr
Tracey Flores is a PhD candidate in English Education at Arizona State University (ASU). She is a former English Language Development (ELD) and Language Arts teacher who worked in elementary classrooms for eight years. Her research focuses on adolescent Latina girls and mothers' language and literacy practices and on using family literacy as a springboard for advocacy, empowerment, and transformation for students, families, and teachers:
I work at an academy in the District of Columbia that is part of the Internationals Network for Public Schools. The network promotes a school design for teaching English-language learners that incorporates the use of students' home languages in the classroom. I agree with this approach. Spanish is the home language for most students in our academy. My students have primarily immigrated from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, but some students have come from other countries and thus do not understand Spanish. All of my students are English-language learners. I teach to the whole class always in English but I occasionally speak Spanish with some students one-on-one or in small groups to offer a brief explanation. When students work in pairs or groups, they may speak in their home language, but when they hand in an assignment to me or make an oral report to the class, they must use English. In every class, they must produce English. I pair students with more English proficiency with those who have less English proficiency and have the more advanced students help the newcomers to write what they want to say in English or practice saying words in English before they make a presentation to the class. One of the most valuable uses of the native language is to have students read content first in their home language and then in English. Reading a text first in their native language helps them to better understand the English text. They do this while completing online research assignments. Also, when students are reading articles I've printed from Web sites such as newsela.com, I encourage them to read the content first in Spanish and then in English. In addition, last school year, we read excerpts from "Enrique's Journey," by Sonia Nazario, a story about a Honduran teenager who travels thousands of miles to try to reunite with his mother in the United States. I assigned students whose native language was Spanish to read the excerpts first in Spanish and then in English. This approach greatly increased their engagement. When their peers were reading aloud in Spanish, students were more attentive than if they heard the text read only in English. The Spanish text provided a bridge for those students who were newest to the class to understand the story. When students are new to writing English, I encourage them to write their ideas first in their native language and then have another student help them translate the ideas into English or do so themselves. Using their native language is a way to get them started in thinking about what they want to say. Sometimes they are so new to English that they really don't know enough words to express their ideas. Other times, they are simply stuck and can't think of what to say. Once they write some ideas down in their native language, their ideas start flowing and it doesn't seem so daunting to write in English. While I constantly model English and encourage students to always speak with me and to the whole class in English, permitting them to use their native language while working in pairs or small groups can help students to get their heads around the content and then move to thinking, speaking, or writing in English. I believe teachers are missing out on some valuable strategies if they don't incorporate students' native languages into the teaching and learning process. At the least, if teachers have a number of students who share the same home language, such as Spanish or French, teachers can use words in English that have cognates in that home language to ease the acquisition process.
Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo is a resource teacher for dual language learners and co-author of More Mirrors in the Classroom: Using Urban Children's Literature to Increase Literacy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) [Editor's Note: You can read an interview I did with Sandy and her co-authors here):

Bio: Mary Ann Zehr teaches English at the International Academy, a high school for English-language learners that is part of the Francis L Cardozo Education Campus in the District of Columbia Public Schools:

Thanks to Melissa, Wendi, Tracey, Sandy and Mary Ann for their contributions!
Just a reminder--you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And, if you missed any of the highlights from the first five years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. Author Interviews
Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

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Response: ELL Students' Home Language Is an Asset, Not a 'Barrier' (Opinion)

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Melissa Eddington, Wendi Pillars, Tracey Flores, Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo and Mary Ann Zehr offer their thoughts on the role of an ELL student's home language in the classroom.

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ELL students' home language is an asset, not a barrier: Part 2

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The new "question-of-the-week" is:
What is the role, if any, of an ELL student's home language in the classroom?
In Part One of this series, Melissa Eddington, Wendi Pillars, Tracey Flores, Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo, and Mary Ann Zehr offered their thoughts. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Melissa, Wendi and Tracey on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Today, Rosa Isiah, Tan Huynh, Karen Nemeth, Sarah Thomas contribute their responses to the question.
Response From Rosa Isiah
Rosa Isiah, Ed. D serves students as principal at Smith Elementary School in Lawndale, Calif. Rosa is passionate and purposeful about equity, closing the opportunity gap, and learning with her school community:
"It is hard to argue that we are teaching the whole child when school policy dictates that students leave their language and culture at the schoolhouse door" (Cummins, 2005). The number of English Learners has dramatically increased over the last two decades. Current research indicates an extraordinary boom in our English Learner student population in the United States. The U.S. Department of Education estimates that 4.5 million English learners are enrolled in public schools across the U.S. (CDE, 2016). The growth is evident across the nation, but especially in California where "...one of every four students is an English learner" (Goldenberg, 2010). For many educators, English language learners ARE the majority student population in our schools. Clearly, educators have the responsibility of addressing the needs of this growing student population, including nurturing the precious linguistic and cultural diversity they bring into the classroom. The validation of a student's culture, home language, as well as the development of academic identity, should be a priority for every educator who has the privilege of working with language learners. Home Language and Academic Identity The home language of our English Learners plays a major role in the development of their academic identity and overall educational success. Researchers have found that validating a student's culture and language in a safe and encouraging environment will help students develop a positive and confident student self image. "Students perception of how the majority culture accepts or rejects the culture and language they bring to school are extremely important for their eventual success" (as cited in Walqui & van Lier, 2010). Culture and Home Language: English learner Assets The linguistic and cultural diversity offered by our English learners has not been valued as an asset or a resource by many in the educational communities. Linguistically diverse students often have no choice but to adapt to an English-only culture and assimilate to the dominant language, English, as quickly as possible. In the process of attempting to immerse our students, educators create a subtractive schooling experience for students where their culture and language is seen as a challenge to overcome. This type of experience hurts the overall confidence and academic success of English learners, students who are trying to accommodate their ideas, feelings, and position in school. In life. Home Language in the Classroom We cannot completely address the needs of our English learners if we don't consider their culture and language and use that knowledge as a teaching tool. How can educators support the home language of English learners in the classroom? We can support students in the classroom by:

Affirming a student's home language and culture- talk about it, ask about it, establish a genuine connection with students

Inviting student to share similarities and differences between the students home language, second language, and cultures

Seek opportunities to incorporate home language in projects, celebrations, lessons

Give students an opportunity to use home language in the classroom

Provide materials in primary language: books, resources, websites, apps

Model strong language use in both home and second languages

Promote education about diversity, equity, and tolerance within the community

Encourage parents and families to continue to speak and preserve language and culture at home

Create opportunities for families and teachers to celebrate and share language and culture with the school community

There are many benefits to embracing and drawing from a student's home language. Connections to a student's primary language encourages bilingualism, preserves language and culture, helps develop a solid academic identity, and promotes overall academic literacy. Understanding these benefits and the monumental role culture and language play in the academic identity and success of English Learners must be a priority for all educators. Response From Tan Huynh
Tan Huynh is a Teach For America alumnus and the head of the English Language Acquisition Department at Vientiane International School, an International Baccalaureate World School. He shares his classroom-tested, research-supported strategies on his blog, EmpoweringELLs.com with the hopes of adding to teachers' instructional toolkits:
Some school adopt philosophies that are focused on learning with technology, while others adopt those that focus on technology integration. The difference between the two is the degree to which technology is seen as a fun activity versus an intentional tool for learning. The same philosophy is true for home language (HL) integration. It can seen as something to "honor" during cultural heritage months, or it can be valued as a tool to aid instruction. I prefer the latter. There are three ways principle reasons I integrate HL into instruction: 1) to foster comprehensible input (Krashen, 1981), 2) to encourage social interactions and 3) facilitate comprehensible output (Krashen, 1981). Here are some specific ways I do so: These strategies demonstrate the useful, strategic role HLs can play within instruction. HLs should not just be honored during sporadic cultural celebrations, and they should be used jointly with English in any classroom. Krashen, S. (1981). Second Language Acquisition and Second Language Learning. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Response From Karen Nemeth This question has special importance for teachers working with birth - age 5 populations because these are the children that have not yet fully developed in either/any of their languages. For this reason, the role of each child's home language in the preschool and kindergarten classroom is critical. As early childhood programs are becoming increasingly diverse, several organizations have released similar recommendations. In, a paper from ETS, Ackerman and Tazi (2015) reviewed the research and reported a growing number of studies showing that supporting a young child's learning of and learning in their home language is an effective way to build English competency. The term "dual language learners" (DLLs) is used to describe multilingual children in preschool and kindergarten instead of "English learners" because it highlights the importance of supporting both languages. While young children are still in the process of learning their home language, support of that language is vital. We know that the brains of young DLLs have separate systems for each of their languages. They know information in the language that was used to teach them that information. To successfully build on their prior learning, teachers need to be able to interact with DLLs using both of their languages. Learning English is also very important, so early childhood educators have to find a balance between the types and amounts of language inputs. For this, we do not yet have definitive, research-based answers. We do know, however, that children who are immersed too early in English are likely to lose some of their home language proficiency. Children who continue to receive support in their home language at home and at school not only maintain their home language, but seem to experience no negative impact on their English language development. And DLLs that are immersed in English may be losing ground with concept and vocabulary learning as so much of what happens in their school time is not comprehensible to them. By supporting a child's home language and helping them see connections between what they know in that language with new information in English, teachers help them keep up with learning. Concept knowledge forms the foundation for all later language, literacy and learning. The more teachers do to make sure young children are getting a healthy dose of concept learning in any language, the better the children will achieve in English later on. In addition to these cognitive and academic reasons, teachers should also consider that supporting a child's home language is beneficial to his identity development and self-esteem. Supporting the home language also encourages children to continue using it at home where it can be the tie that strengthens family bonds and home-school relationships. What can teachers do when they don't speak the home languages of children in their class? Try these strategies:

1. Invite family members or bilingual volunteers in to play, read and talk with the children.

2. Ask the local children's librarian for help finding high quality, authentic children's literature, videos and non-fiction resources in the needed languages.

3. Encourage oral language practice via conversations with adults and peers.

4. Learn some relevant key words in each child's home language by practicing with bilingual children's stories or apps that come with audio recordings.

Ackerman, D. & Tazi, Z. (2015) Enhancing Young Hispanic Dual Language Learner's Achievement: Exploring Strategies and Addressing Challenges, Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. Response From Sarah Thomas Many times, when students enter school, they are met with a deficit model of bilingualism. Terms such as "limited English proficient" and movements such as "English only" do a huge disservice to students, as they fail to realize the strength that students bring with their home language and culture. Instead, schools should be embracing the richness that students bring, and fostering a positive climate that helps to bolster their cultural identity. For that reason, students should be allowed to communicate in their home language when in school. In addition, special attention should be given to underrepresented groups, who are often overlooked in terms of services provided.
Thanks to Rosa, Tan, Karen and Sarah for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers.
Just a reminder-you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And, if you missed any of the highlights from the first five years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. This Year's Most Popular Q & A Posts! Classroom Management Advice Student Motivation & Social Emotional Learning Relationships In Schools Instructional Strategies Author Interviews
Look for Part Three in a few days...

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Response: Understanding the Benefits of a Student's Home Language (Opinion)

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Rosa Isiah, Tan Huynh, Karen Nemeth, Sarah Thomas contribute their ideas on the role of English Language Learners' home language in school.

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ELL students' home language is an asset, not a barrier: Part 3

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ELL students' home language is an asset, not a barrier: Part 3

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https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-response-home-language-support-helps-learners-navigate-both-worlds/2017/02

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The new "question-of-the-week" is:
What is the role, if any, of an ELL student's home language in the classroom?
In Part One of this series, Melissa Eddington, Wendi Pillars, Tracey Flores, Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo, and Mary Ann Zehr offered their thoughts. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Melissa, Wendi, and Tracey on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

In Part Two, Rosa Isiah, Tan Huynh, Karen Nemeth, Sarah Thomas contributed their responses to the question.

Anna Bartosik, Nathan Hall, Chloe Smith, Beth Konomoto wrap this series up with their suggestions. I've also included comments from readers.
Response From Anna Bartosik Anna Bartosik is an ESL professor from Canada. She is a teacher/facilitator with an extensive background in ESL/ELT education. Her current interests include instructional design, assessment and rubrics, storytelling, motivation's role in memory, and thoughtful incorporation of educational technology in the classroom. You can follow her on Twitter at @ambartosik: "It is better to prevent the mother tongue in the classroom in order to accelerate English language learning." "There is no discernible benefit to continuing bilingual education after a child has reached a standard level of proficiency in the target language." "Allowing ELLs who already possess proficiency in the target language to participate in two-way bilingual programs is costly and unnecessary." We hear these assertive statements being made by administrators and teachers alike. School districts are interested in hard data (read: grades) to support a winning formula for efficient instruction. It would be convenient to make a declarative statement that provides one correct answer to the question of using a student's home language in the classroom. The truth, however, is muddy. Or unclear from an administrative perspective. Learning can't occur in a vacuum; it needs to be connected to something meaningful and motivating. There is currently a big push for differentiated instruction in education. Each student's experience is different, the argument goes. So why aren't more teachers looking at language learning as differentiated learning as well? Why is it only one language at the expense of the other? In the United States, two-way bilingual education can be a hot topic for funding decisions. In addition to being more expensive than transitional bilingual education, participation in two-way bilingual education is discouraged beyond kindergarten. However, transitional bilingual education, where the use of the mother tongue fades as proficiency in English increases, supports funding first, not the learners. Why can't the learner's needs be considered first beyond the school district's needs, beyond the "here and now"? Being fluent in the home language and the target language helps learners navigate both worlds they inhabit. By insisting on English at the expense of the home language, communication with family becomes stilted and superficial. How does the learner perceive themselves when their fluency in English outpaces the first language? By not allowing the home language to be used in the classroom, the language learner is not encouraged to see their home language in a positive light. The ties to the home culture become weakened; this can affect family dynamics, where the grandchild who used to be able to share a common language with a beloved grandparent now approaches the relationship with the awkwardness of needing translation to facilitate communication. Let's consider the long-term effects of English at the expense of the home language. How will not speaking more than one language hinder future career prospects? Is that the best choice for our education system? Each science learner is different and brings different strengths to the table. A science learner's needs should be considered when making decisions about classroom approaches. A science classroom needs to provide instruction that makes all of its learners comfortable and maximize science learning. Removing the adjective "science" from those sentences and replacing it with "language" does not change the teaching strategy. Learning is learning. In short, eliminating the ELL's home language in the classroom may or may not have an impact on exam outcomes, and the school may feel pressure to demonstrate to the district that it has been successful in achieving academic superiority and fiscal responsibility by erasing the mother tongue from the classroom. But by not allowing the mother tongue to thrive and maintain itself in the classroom, we may be doing our learners a larger disservice. Response From Nathan Hall
Nathan Hall is an EAP instructor and teacher trainer for Douglas College in New Westminster, BC, Canada. He is especially interested in pedagogically sound uses of technology in the language classroom. He you can contact him through his website at nathanhall.ca or on Twitter at @nathanghall:
Welcome home: Inviting the student's home language into the classroom It was my first day in a language school. Opening the door to my classroom, there was a sign boldly declaring in no uncertain terms: English only! While this was my first "real-life" encounter with this philosophy of language education, the debate regarding the use of a student's first language (L1) in the classroom has been taking place for decades. The exclusion of a student's L1 in the classroom sends a message of cultural hierarchy, with the target language (TL) in a higher position. Until 1996, this was the case in the residential schools in Canada, a system where indigenous children were emotionally and physically punished for using their L1. While this is an extreme case of language isolationism, cultural superiority through language restriction cannot be overlooked. Teachers must recognize the significance of a student's L1 and the relationship it has with their culture. With their L1 placed in a role of importance, students are inclined to accept the TL as beneficial. The importance of a student's previous knowledge in mastering a skill has been the core of education since the seminal work of Lev Vygotsky. Students can use their L1 to explore complex ideas and can compare language concepts for appropriateness such as in the area of register. This is typically done in pairs and small groups as learners use their L1 to "fill in the gaps" in terms of lexis and form. In many classrooms around the world, the teacher and students share a common L1. This shared knowledge can efficiently be used to explain complex concepts and can also be drawn on to provide clarification, turning the student's attention towards cognates and linguistic similarities. Through providing a purposeful relationship between the L1 and the TL, students can appreciate the role of their language in the learning process. While the potential for difficulties remains, the focus should be placed on a mutual understanding of respect. No rules or punishment can bring this about; only through a clear and open conversation between all stakeholders can boundaries be set and purposes clearly laid out for all to see. Response From Chloe Smith
Chloe Smith (BA English, MA English, CELTA) is the project coordinator and teacher trainer for New Education Highway (NEH). Chloe is striving to change the local teaching culture in a rural community in Rakhine state, Myanmar from the outdated, passive model of Victorian England to active and student centered:
From my experience teaching in Greece, the US, and now Myanmar, I think the role of the home language depends on the existing learning culture and health of the students, as well as the diversity of the class. Classroom culture plays the biggest role in whether I advocate for English-only or duel-language classrooms. For students who have never been taught by native speakers or participated in student-centered teaching, the use of home language keeps them engaged. My rural Myanmar students do not respond well to 100% English. Having had no prior exposure to foreigners or to an active learning culture, they often become distracted. They need the calming reassurance of instructions in their home language for them to concentrate on the given task. In a rote learning system where students do not think for themselves, the home language also encourages them to engage critically with the new teaching method. They can begin to consider themselves as agents in their own learning. My desire is that the home language will recede into the background as student engagement levels rise to the new teaching method. In Greece and the US my classrooms were English-only environments as students were familiar with active learning and were used to tourists and foreigners. HEALTH Sufficient food and nutrients affect students' ability to learn, and therefore, the role of L1 in the class. For students who are malnourished, L1 is critical for the student engagement. I saw this in Greece during the economic crisis of 2012 and in rural Myanmar when my fellow teachers used L1 to keep the students' attention. In Greece all of my fellow teachers were healthy and so they could teach for 8 hours a day. In contrast, Myanmar teachers sleep for up to 14 hours each day and are only able to teach 1.5 hour stints. For a mixed nationality class, there is much more onus on the students to be inclusive and use English. This is especially true in English-speaking countries. I cannot and will not use every home language of each individual student. Response From Beth Konomoto
A student's home language plays an influential role in the classroom. This influence affects how the student processes and produces the target language. Teachers need to consider the student level and the context of the class to consider how the home language should be used in the classroom. Depending on the level of the student, he or she may still be thinking mostly in their home language and attempting to translate. One option for teachers who can speak the home language of beginner-level students is to discuss both languages and translation in order to help students think about the relationship between the two languages and how to avoid making mistakes with direct translation, formality, pragmatics and other sociolinguistic-related choices. The context of the class will also affect the role of the home language. If the class is monolingual, students take comfort in talking, confirming, and joking with their classmates in their home language. They also benefit from home language explanation of vocabulary and grammar. However, if the class is multilingual, there will be less time spent in any particular home language. If there are any who share the same language in a multilingual class, they will most likely gravitate towards each other for this comforting sociability. The effect of this is the exclusion of others which can include the teacher if he or she is not familiar with the language. An interesting phenomenon is when students self-police these groups. These students want to stay focused and maximize their use of English while in class. When students leave class they may be returning to non-English speaking families. They need class time to be "in English." Student level and class context are only two of the many variables in the role of the home language. Teachers need to find the right balance to ensure students feel they are getting the most efficient use of their class time. Responses From Readers Megan Forti: Contrary to some advice I received as a student teacher, I've always told my Spanish-speaking ELs that I share a language with them. Their eyes light up with a look of surprise. When I meet their parents at conferences and explain their student's progress in Spanish, their faces are shocked as well. The role of the home language in the classroom is crucial because it shows respect and love for the students and their culture. It also validates their language and experiences. I've found it useful in my instruction in various ways. Foremost, I understand the challenges of being a language learner. I can relate to the students. For instance, I have a newcomer who is making great progress in listening comprehension. But as she learns more and more, she usually prefers Spanish over English when we speak to each other. When I ask her a question in English, she understands and gives a perfect response to me in Spanish. That demonstrates comprehension right there! It is a human right to use your home language. I have many students that speak to me in Spanish one minute and English the next. One student will tell me stories that happen at home in Spanish because that is the language she was immersed in when the situation happened. This doesn't mean the student is deficient. It means they have incredible language skills. Knowledge is power, no matter what language it is in.
DIVERSITY

CLASSROOM CULTURE
Beth Konomoto has been teaching English to students from around the world since 2005. Originally from Canada, she completed her masters degree at the University of Birmingham. She has a passion to help international students and immigrants navigate their way through learning English:

Cultural exchange and identity. My Ss love when they hear their lang in books and when a word is the same in other languages. @Larryferlazzo //t.co/TGbmQfccCs

-- Damaris Gutierrez (@CNE_Gutierrez) January 27, 2017

Thanks to Anna, Nathan, Chloe and Beth, and to readers, for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.
Just a reminder-you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And, if you missed any of the highlights from the first five years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. This Year's Most Popular Q & A Posts! Classroom Management Advice Student Motivation & Social Emotional Learning Relationships In Schools Instructional Strategies Author Interviews
Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at lferlazzo@epe.org.When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo.

Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers.

Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.

I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributers to this column.

Look for the next "question-of-the-week" in a few days...

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Response: Home Language Support 'Helps Learners Navigate Both Worlds' (Opinion)

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The new "question-of-the-week" is: What is the role, if any, of an ELL student's home language in the classroom? In Part One of this series, Melissa Eddington, Wendi Pillars, Tracey Flores, Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo, and Mary Ann Zehr offered their thoughts. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Melissa, Wendi, and Tracey on my BAM!

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Compilation: Resources explaining why we need to support home languages of ELLs

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Compilation: Resources explaining why we need to support home languages of ELLs

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https://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2017/04/10/the-best-resources-explaining-why-we-need-to-support-the-home-language-of-ells/

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Though most teachers of all-English Language Learner classes understand the importance of supporting the home languages of their students, many other educators and community members are less familiar with its importance. I thought it would be useful to bring together a few related resources, and I'd love for readers to contribute more (you might also be interested in The Best Resources For International Mother Language Day) :

I'm going to start off with links to a recent three-part series on the topic that appeared at my Education Week Teacher column:
ELL Students' Home Language Is an Asset, Not a 'Barrier' Understanding the Benefits of a Student's Home Language Home Language Support 'Helps Learners Navigate Both Worlds'
The Home Language: An English Language Learner's Most Valuable Resource is from Colorin Colorado.

Fostering Literacy Development in English Language Learners is also from Colorin Colorado and includes a section on home languages.

"But What If I Don't Know English?" is another great resource from Colorin Colorado, and it's available in Spanish and and in English. It shares ideas on how parents who don't speak English can still help their children develop literacy skills.

4 Reasons Parents Should Speak Heritage Languages at Home is a useful article for teachers who have immigrant students.
Quote Of The Day: "It Is Lovely To Speak Your Native Language"
How has language shaped your world? is an important feature from The Los Angeles Times that shares answers from readers to the question: How has language shaped your world?

Here's one:
I'm probably the youngest kid ever to be kicked out of first grade. Born in Seattle to immigrant parents, I was kicked out one school day in 1952 for not being able to speak English. My parents wanted me to be bilingual in Cantonese and English, but that was not to be. To get me back in school, they had to promise never to speak Chinese in our presence. They kept their promise and I ended up with fractured Cantonese.
Seven reasons for teachers to welcome home languages in education is from The British Council.

Integrating DLLs' Home Language in the Classroom Does Not Hobble English Learning, New Study Finds is from New America.

Banning immigrants' languages can backfire. Just ask Ohio and Indiana. is from The Washington Post.

Julian Castro is practicing his Spanish, and tells @kasie why he didn't grow up speaking the language: "In my grandparents' time... Spanish was looked down upon. You were not allowed to speak it. People, I think, internalized this oppression..." pic.twitter.com/MLJHq1jCKU

- Kasie DC (@KasieDC) July 1, 2019

'Why don't you speak Spanish?': For Julián Castro and millions of Latinos, the answer is not so simple is from The Washington Post.

New Survey Examines Teacher Beliefs About Bilingualism is from New America.

Reading in Any Language Improves Reading Levels in English is from Language Magazine.
ANOTHER STUDY FINDS SUPPORTING A STUDENT'S HOME LANGUAGE BENEFITS THEIR ENGLISH ACQUISITION
The Importance of Home Language Series is from Head Start.
The Promise & Peril Of Using Google Translate In The ELL Classroom - Share Your Ideas
Diversity: How should learners' own languages be used in the classroom? is from The British Council.

KEEPING YOUR HOME LANGUAGE is from Care For Newcomer Children.

WIDA has multilingual resources to help parents understanding the academic importance of supporting their children in their home language. Go to this page, and then scroll down to "Tips For Parents and Families."

Strategies for Supporting Young Students' Home-Language Development During COVID-19-and Beyond is from The American Institutes for Research.

Should we allow students to use L1 in an English class? is from Blogging Crazy.

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The Best Resources Explaining Why We Need To Support The Home Language Of ELLs

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Though most teachers of all-English Language Learner classes understand the importance of supporting the home languages of their students, many other educators and community members are less familiar with its importance.

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What does equity really mean for multilingual learners?

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What does equity really mean for multilingual learners?

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https://wida.wisc.edu/memberships/isc/newsletter/what-does-equity-really-mean-multilingual-learners

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What does equity really mean for multilingual learners?

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What does equity really mean for multilingual learners?

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https://www.ascd.org/el/articles/what-does-equity-really-mean-for-multilingual-learners

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Vol. 78

No. 6

Abstract

"The English Will Come"

Scaffolding Up Learning

Multilingualism as a Strength

Doing Better: Changing Teacher and Student Roles

Scaffolding up the curriculum, rather than watering it down, is key for English learners.

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Abstract

"The English Will Come"

Scaffolding Up Learning

Multilingualism as a Strength

Doing Better: Changing Teacher and Student Roles

The landscape of schools today is increasingly multilingual. To achieve equity in culturally and linguistically diverse schools, we need not just new strategies but new roles-for both teachers and students. We need to recognize what meaningful engagement with rigorous content learning actually involves, and we need to understand that effective language interactions are at the heart of that engagement. Creating the

conditions necessary for such interactions goes well beyond what we have traditionally considered "good teaching." English proficiency cannot be seen as a prerequisite to meaningful participation in the curriculum because this limits engagement. Instead, language must be viewed as something that is developed in the process of learning when students are supported and have access to the richest curriculum our schools have to offer (NASEM, 2017).

Engaging multilingual learners means leveraging their energy and curiosity, their diverse experiences, and their creativity as communicators. Multilingual learners can no longer be the few students in the back of the room, whose ideas we'll tap into later when they're able to share them with us in English. Their participation in class discussions and critical thinking processes is an increasingly important element of our shared future. We will need students with the cultural, linguistic, and intellectual flexibility to be able to cross borders, bridge communities, and help solve the global crises we face- whether climate change, ethnic conflicts, or perhaps the next pandemic.

How, then, can we create opportunities for students to use all the tools in their toolbox, including home languages, to engage meaningfully with content and each other? First, we have to remove the barriers we impose, even unintentionally, on learning.

"The English Will Come"

Too often, students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds are asked to put their learning on hold to focus on English language development. Yet families should not have to choose between learning and language. Consider the following anecdote, based on a real exchange between a parent and principal:

A father walks into the principal's office to enroll his daughter in school. The family has recently arrived from Santiago, Chile. "Don't worry," the principal says, "we'll have your daughter speaking English in no time. I have good teachers, classroom aides, and even some parent volunteers who will work with her on learning English."

"So, what do the other students learn at this school?" asks the father.

"Oh, well, our math program is great. Our music teacher is the best around. And we have a new push to introduce STEM labs earlier and more effectively than before.

"The father pauses for a moment.

"Those are the programs I'd like for my daughter," he says. "The English will come soon enough if you help her with all of that."

This father's convictions couldn't be more on the mark: He believed that the most important thing for his daughter was the opportunity to learn through access to a rich curriculum. This was the school he wanted his daughter to attend; not one that lowers the bar for her to focus primarily on English acquisition. Indeed, research confirms that English learners develop English most effectively while also mastering the knowledge, skills, and literacies needed for college and career readiness.

We can no longer accept that fragmentation, tracking, and segregation of multilingual learners in separate pull-out programs is in their best interests. While we ostensibly "give them time to learn the English," multilingual students are losing out on opportunities for learning and enrichment. Recent national trend data illustrate that multilingual learners are not gaining access to experiences like gifted and talented programs or AP classes in nearly the same percentages as their peers (U.S. Department of Education, 2014).

We know that integration of language and content learning, along with effective collaboration and in-class support, provides opportunities for all students to engage with challenging, grade-level curricula. There is growing evidence that English language development specialists in schools cannot work in isolation; to provide the most comprehensive support for multilingual learners, all teachers need to collaborate to serve all learners (Boals, Hakuta, & Blair, 2015).

Fortunately, new approaches to curriculum and instruction build on the assets of both teachers and students. Today's classrooms leverage instructional technology to provide students with greater access to multimodal and multilingual resources. Professional collaboration with English language development specialists builds capacity for teachers to attend to language in all subject areas. And equity-focused curricula promote the use of language in deliberate ways to serve multilingual students. New standards and new teaching tools mean more students have authentic opportunities to learn.

Scaffolding Up Learning

Equality is not the same as equity, however, and access to curriculum without appropriate support is not enough. Consider another true story shared with one of the authors:

A high school counselor placed a newcomer student from Russia in Biology 1, thinking it would be easy since this student had advanced biology in his native language. The counselor went to see the teacher at semester's end when he saw an "F" as the final grade.

"How could this student fail your class? He knows biology."

"He doesn't know enough English to pass my test," the science teacher replied.

Because this teacher was either unwilling or unaware of the need to change the way instruction or assessment was delivered, the student failed the English, not the science. Not surprisingly, 70 percent of teachers nationally report they have not received adequate preparation to meet the needs of multilingual students (NASEM, 2017).

The dilemma is clear to see: Multilingual learners cannot benefit from an unsupported curriculum, and yet if "language support" means a remedial curriculum or simplified, inauthentic language, we have set up students for long-term failure even as they fall behind grade-level expectations. To protect multilingual learners from struggling with academic work, we might reduce task complexity or segregate students, inadvertently preventing some of them from engaging with complex language or content. As linguists Lily Wong Fillmore and Charles J. Fillmore pointed out:

One of the biggest roadblocks to learning is that [English learners (ELs)] never get a chance to work with complex texts. Why would that be a problem? Simply put, the easy texts schools give to ELs-given [...] as a safeguard against failure-actually prevent them from discovering how language works in academic discourse. Simplified texts offer no clue as to what academic language sounds like or how it works. (Fillmore & Fillmore, n.d.)

On the other hand, just putting a dense text or complex task in front of students without appropriate support is not effective either. Ambitious content standards deserve ambitious teaching. Equitably serving multilingual students who are learning both language and content requires intentional scaffolding. "Both macro- and micro-scaffolding practices are integral to scaffolding up-rather than differentiating down -in order to engage multilingual learners within challenging curriculum" (Daniels & Westerlund, 2018).

Macro-scaffolding practices require deliberate instructional planning before a lesson or unit, such as sequencing activities to bridge from familiar concepts to new ideas, and by doing so, decreasing the gap between known and new learning. For example, when asking 4th graders to write a theme-interpretation essay, it is important to sequence activities to move students toward the complexity of thematic interpretation. This may entail identifying themes from familiar picture books and comparing them to books on similar themes.

By contrast, micro-scaffolding, also called interactional scaffolding, happens during a lesson in the interactions between a teacher and students. In that same unit, a teacher might model the language of talking about how authors develop a theme. In the process, she might recast students' responses to help them articulate ideas more accurately. Similarly, when the teacher guides the students in deconstructing a mentor text, the conversations around text can be a powerful scaffolding for students' future writing.

Multilingualism as a Strength

Providing equitable opportunities to learn requires us to develop not only new skills such as scaffolding up, but also new, asset-based beliefs about multilingualism. This includes the value of translanguaging, where students use multiple languages to integrate and express their learning. By over-emphasizing not only English proficiency but "correctness" in English, we might inadvertently signal to multilingual students that their work isn't as good as their peers. Such mixed messages can confuse or frustrate highly capable multilingual students who may be struggling. In consequence, while their classroom peers begin seeing themselves as capable of taking on academically successful or career-oriented identities, multilingual learners wrongly surmise that they can't cut it, when the truth is they simply need supported, engaged opportunities to learn.

Building on the cultural and linguistic assets that multilingual learners bring to the classroom, even as they gain supported access to content, is key. Well implemented dual-language programs have the advantage of being able to fully connect to students' native languages as they begin acquiring English. Not all schools have that luxury, but all schools can practice assets-based approaches that are culturally and linguistically relevant and sustaining. Students can leverage translanguaging practices to co-construct their conceptual understanding, teachers can select texts that reflect the cultural diversity of the school community, and schools can ensure that multilingualism is valued in its communication with parents. English as the medium of instruction does not require English as the only language of learning.

We should aim for effective participation that builds on this asset of a rich linguistic repertoire, rather than focusing on speaking in complete sentences in English. Inviting students to write notes in any language and offering the chance to discuss with a home-language partner prior to a whole-class discussion in English can improve both confidence and comprehension. Likewise, encouraging students to sketch out ideas in multilingual and multimodal representations before writing helps all learners make deeper connections and organize key ideas. Mastery will come eventually with repeated scaffolding and meaningful opportunities for participation with feedback contingent on both content and language growth (Boals, Hakuta, & Blair, 2015; Pimentel 2018).

Doing Better: Changing Teacher and Student Roles

To accommodate contemporary academic standards, which emphasize students' ability to make and support evidence-based claims and to articulate their logic, teacher-fronted instruction is giving way to more participatory structures. Small group work, appropriately supported, provides important opportunities for the negotiation of meaning that aids language development. When students are invited up onto the stage, they are more engaged and in control of their own learning.

To leverage these new roles and participatory structures better, educators can consider questions such as:

Have I provided students multiple ways to express, clarify, support, build on, and challenge ideas?

Have I taken the time to expand students' language resources to add to what they already know? Can they adjust their language to be able to communicate in a variety of contexts and not only use technical language because it's in the book?

When will everyday language suffice, and when do students need discipline-specific language?

How can we provide opportunities for students to learn how to adjust language as the context calls for it?

By encouraging students to use their full repertoire of language, including everyday language, we provide opportunities for authentic engagement with content while simultaneously offering deeply contextualized and relevant opportunities for language development.

At the same time, we create openings to probe and strengthen students' reasoning. Through guided inquiry, we can help students learn patterns of disciplinary reasoning. For example: What qualifies as a valid argument in science? And how is that different in mathematics or social studies? Fortunately, learning activities that elicit, surface, and deepen critical thinking and collaborative reasoning also support English language development.

Indeed, in a report commissioned by the National Academy, experts in STEM education and English language development recommended that language development be understood as a product of meaningful engagement in instruction, not a prerequisite. They found that multilingual learners "develop science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge and language proficiency when they are engaged in meaningful interaction in the classroom and participate in the kinds of activities in which STEM experts and professionals regularly engage" (NASEM, 2018, p. 55). These experts agreed that language development and conceptual understanding are "inextricable" and "occur simultaneously."

Simple, everyday language can be sufficient for rigorous, inquiry-based learning and can provide a solid foundation for language development when students are given the opportunity to interact with academic content in authentic ways. For example, a student might share "it gets hotter when you mix them" which is useful in a scientific inquiry as lab partners co-construct meaning; we can recast the terminology by agreeing that "the reaction increases the temperature" to introduce specific language without invalidating the student's observation. By providing multiple opportunities for students to negotiate meaning in disciplinary conversation together, we can engage multilingual learners in the interactions that, over time and with appropriate modeling, enable them to become increasingly effective in expressing and exploring ideas.

In this way, equity equates to scaffolding up content rather than watering it down. The goal is to create a rich instructional environment that challenges all students to inquire, negotiate meaning, and articulate complex disciplinary concepts. This means creating the conditions for multilingual students to become protagonists of their own learning.

It is time to stop seeing English proficiency as a prerequisite to success and fully embrace multilingual learners for the journey of learning the "real" content in school in ways that engage and support all learners. Only then will we be able provide a full range of equitable and meaningful opportunities to all.

References

Boals, T., Hakuta, K, & Blair, A. (2015). Literacy development in academic contexts for adolescent English language learners: Policy considerations and future research. In D. Molle, E. Sato, T. Boals, & C. Hedgspeth (Eds.) Multilingual learners and academic literacies: Sociocultural contexts of literacy development in adolescents. New York: Routledge.

Daniels, J., & Westerlund, R. (2018, June). WIDA focus on: Scaffolding learning for multilingual students in math. Wisconsin Center for Education Research.

Fillmore, L. W., & Fillmore, C. J. (n.d.). "What does text complexity mean for English learners and language minority students?" Stanford University, Understanding Language.

NASEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). (2017). Promoting the educational success of children and youth learning English: Promising futures. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press. NASEM (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). (2018). English learners in STEM subjects: Transforming classrooms, schools, and lives. Washington D.C.: The National Academies Press.

Pimentel, S. (2018). Policy brief: English learners and content-rich curricula. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins School of Education, Institute for Education Policy.

U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC). (2014, March). Data snapshot: College and career readiness (Issue Brief No. 3). Washington, D.C.: Author.

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What Does Equity Really Mean for Multilingual Learners?

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Scaffolding up the curriculum, rather than watering it down, is key for English learners.

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https://www.languagemagazine.com/2019/08/16/the-role-of-equity-in-the-assessment-of-english-learners/

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Teresa Krastel

camp refugee, syrian girl showing one eye, closing mouth

argues for administering tests for ELs in their home languages
Imagine you and a traveling companion are visiting the Netherlands to see fine art. You tour a beautiful museum, but your guide speaks only in Dutch and all of her materials are in Dutch. Fluent in Dutch, your traveling companion has the opportunity to read about specific works, ask directions, and converse with docents. But since you do not speak Dutch, there is only so much you can glean from the tour, despite your deep interest in and knowledge of art history. In this situation, you simply do not have the tools to get what you need out of the experience. You find the entire visit frustrating.

Now imagine you are given a test, also in Dutch, assessing what you learned from your tour. The results of your test will determine whether or not you are invited to an exhibit and roundtable discussion on your favorite artist, about whose life and work you are quite knowledgeable. You would likely do poorly on the test, but it is not an accurate reflection of your knowledge. Additionally, based on your score, you would likely not be invited to participate in the discussion, although your knowledge could be very insightful in such a session. If someone provided a tour and an assessment in your native language, you could truly demonstrate your understanding. Even with something low stakes, like this fictional scenario, the situation sounds unfair and inequitable. However, this is what happens on a much larger scale to K-12 English learners (ELs) every single day when they are administered tests in English. Just as a test in your native language of your knowledge of the fine art in the Dutch museum would have been more accurate and reliable for you, for ELs, assessments in their home languages are crucial in providing reliable and accurate information about their knowledge. To get a valid measure of ELs, assessments must be offered in the students' home languages.

What Is at Stake for Teachers and Students?

At the heart of this decision is equity and inclusion. As of 2015, there were more than 5 million ELs in the U.S., close to 10% of the entire student population, and the number continues to rise. Of those students, about 77% speak Spanish at home (NCES, 2019). These students should have the opportunity to engage with the material, and feel welcome in their classrooms, just like their English-speaking peers.
To improve student agency and buy-in, the needs and cultural background of ELs should be acknowledged and taken into account.

This is also an issue of accurate measurement. Administering ELs' tests in English raises the question of whether educators are measuring English proficiency or the subject in question. For example, the language components of a math story problem could mask a student's ability to demonstrate understanding of the skills in question.
As research demonstrates, this can ultimately impact assessment reliability for ELs. Since these English assessments are often used to inform instruction, determine grouping, measure proficiency, and screen for interventions, ELs and their classroom teachers have an incomplete portrait of the students' true strengths, skills, and needs if they only use one data point.

Additionally, students come into classrooms at different points in time with different levels of English proficiency and different educational backgrounds or experiences. Student variability is something every classroom teacher contends with, but ELs add another layer of complexity. A measure in a student's home language provides an additional data point for ELs, regardless of where they are in their learning.

Adapting and Developing New Content

The solution to this multifaceted issue sounds simple on paper-provide assessments for students in their home languages. In some instances, it is possible to translate an assessment item directly from one language to another. This is most common in the context of math, where the content is the same regardless of the language of instruction. Math is often called a universal language for this reason. In other cases, a particular skill might be relevant in multiple languages, but linguistic or cultural differences make translation problematic. To get an accurate measurement of how students perform in their home languages, particularly in reading, it is imperative districts and schools use assessment solutions that go a few steps further.
First, building any type of assessment starts with defining the purpose and claims that the assessment supports. When developing a version of the tests in a new language, it is critical the new assessment meet the same purpose, structure, and claims as the test in English, while addressing the constructs unique to the second language. High-quality assessment solutions must reflect these nuanced differences and can be achieved by transadapting English items as well as developing new items in the students' native languages.

Transadaptation is the process of adapting content for cultural differences, parallel structure, and improved clarity. For example, for Spanish-speaking students, a reading assessment with a passage about snowshoeing or a math item that asks students to measure in inches may be incongruous with their lived experience. In this case, elements of the questions may have to be rephrased and adjusted to eliminate potential cultural biases as well as to include elements of their own cultural experience.

Following that, brand-new authentic items must be written to address constructs that may only appear in certain languages, as well as the inherent differences in how children from different language backgrounds learn to read. For instance, foundational reading instruction in English typically includes a heavy emphasis on phoneme work-deconstructing words into their individual sounds. Spanish reading instruction tends to concentrate on the syllable level. High-quality assessments must address these theoretical foundations, particularly in tests for early learners. Building items that are more culturally and linguistically relevant is a way to further engage and improve agency among ELs.

Finally, transadapted and newly composed items undergo several quality-assurance checks to ensure validity, complexity, and cultural accuracy.

How Will This Benefit Students?

Assessments like these can provide data points for students new to the school or for those students who do not have enough English proficiency to participate meaningfully in English assessment. This reliable assessment data may also provide key insights into questions educators may have, such as "Where are my students on their path to academic achievement?" or "What specific instructional actions can I take to support my students' growth?" Insights like these can be the bridge to instructional next steps, to help teachers make informed decisions for classroom instruction. For more on this topic, see Durán (2008), Abedi (2011), and Trumbull and Solano-Flores (2011).

Student achievement does not depend on language. Assessments in languages other than English provide educators with the equitable tools they need to understand, support, and engage more of their students. Students, in turn, get to bring their whole selves to the classroom and have a true opportunity to demonstrate just how much they know, all in a school or district where their language and culture are both respected and celebrated.

Given the rapidly changing demographics of our communities, a thoughtful assessment system should include high-quality Spanish-language assessments to provide valid measurements of math, reading,
and oral fluency for Spanish-speaking students. Our teachers need it. Our students deserve it.

References

Abedi, J. (2011). "Assessing English Language Learners: Critical Issues." In M. del Rosario Basterra, E. Trumbull, and G. Solano-Flores (Eds.), Cultural Validity in Assessment, 49-71. New York, NY: Routledge.
Durán, R. (2008). "Assessing English-Language Learners' Achievement." Review of Research in Education, 32, 292-327. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20185119
National Center for Educational Statistics (2019). "English Language Learners in Public Schools." https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cgf.asp.
Trumbull, E., and G. Solano-Flores (2011). "The Role of Language in Assessment." In M. del Rosario Basterra, E. Trumbull, and G. Solano-Flores (Eds.) Cultural Validity in Assessment, 22-45. New York, NY: Routledge.

Teresa Krastel, PhD, is the Spanish solution lead for NWEA. She has taught Spanish at all levels from grades 7-12, as well as at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and English as a second language (ESL). Throughout her career, she has trained and mentored international teaching staff and has provided numerous faculty development workshops on accommodating student needs in the language classroom. She earned her PhD in Hispanic linguistics and literatures from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her research interests include curriculum and instruction and second-language acquisition, bilingualism, and dialectology. Teresa brought her talents to NWEA in 2010 and joined the staff in 2016.

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The Role of Equity in the Assessment of English Learners - Language Magazine

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Teresa Krastel argues for administering tests for ELs in their home languages Imagine you and a traveling companion are visiting the Netherlands to see fine art. You tour a beautiful museum, but your guide speaks only in Dutch and all of her materials are in Dutch.

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https://www.edutopia.org/blog/equity-for-english-language-learners-rusul-alrubail

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.