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English Language Proficiency Standards - these are important to include in the language objectives when lesson planning and for determining which language domains are begin addressed with the lesson.

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Proficiency Level Descriptors - these are important to refer to when monitoring the progress of the English learners. They also serve as reminders of what students can do at each level of proficiency within each domain of language.

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Lau V Nichols

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1973/72-6520

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A multimedia judicial archive of the Supreme Court of the United States.

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Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) – 1974

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Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) – 1974

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https://www.eeoc.gov/history/equal-employment-opportunity-act-1972

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Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972

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An Act To further promote equal employment opportunities for American workers.

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Information about the reauthorization of ESEA to ESSA.

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Table of Contents

Overview of Title VI

Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. As President John F. Kennedy said in 1963:

Simple justice requires that public funds, to which all taxpayers of all races [colors, and national origins] contribute, not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes or results in racial [color or national origin] discrimination.

If a recipient of federal assistance is found to have discriminated and voluntary compliance cannot be achieved, the federal agency providing the assistance should either initiate fund termination proceedings or refer the matter to the Department of Justice for appropriate legal action. Aggrieved individuals may file administrative complaints with the federal agency that provides funds to a recipient, or the individuals may file suit for appropriate relief in federal court. Title VI itself prohibits intentional discrimination. However, most funding agencies have regulations implementing Title VI that prohibit recipient practices that have the effect of discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

Regulations and Statutes

Department of Justice's Title VI Regulations (28 C.F.R. § 42.101 et seq.) ( or )

Department of Justice's Title VI Coordination Regulations (28 C.F.R. § 42.401 et seq.) ( or )

Rulemaking actions to incorporate the Civil Rights Restoration Act's definitions of "program or activity" and "program" into regulations implementing Title VI, Section 504, and the Age Discrimination Act:

Title VI Materials
Executive Order 12250 The guidance documents are not intended to be a final agency action, have no legally binding effect, and have no force or effect of law. The guidance documents may be rescinded or modified in the Department's complete discretion, in accordance with applicable laws. The Department's guidance documents do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities beyond what is required by the terms of the applicable statutes, regulations, or binding judicial precedent. For more information, see "Memorandum for All Components: Prohibition of Improper Guidance Documents," from Attorney General Jefferson B. Sessions III, November 16, 2017. authorizes the Department of Justice (the Department) to provide issue guidance and technical assistance to individuals and entities that have rights or responsibilities under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.The guidance documents included below provide informal non-binding guidance to assist you in understanding the Act and the Department's regulations.

Dear Colleague Letter to Courts Regarding Fines and Fees for Youth and Adults- April 2023
In April 2023, the Department issued a Dear Colleague Letter for state and local courts and juvenile justice agencies regarding the imposition and enforcement of fines and fees for adults and youth. The letter is grounded in constitutional principles, including the Sixth, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as federal nondiscrimination statutes, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (Safe Streets Act)

Section 12601 and Title VI: Two Powerful Department Tools to Address Systemic Police Misconduct (January 2022)

Joint Letter from the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to State and Local Emergency Managers (PDF)- October 4, 2018

Guidance to State and Local Governments and Other Federally Assisted Recipients Engaged in Emergency Preparedness, Response, Mitigation, and Recovery Activities on Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Tips & Tools for Reaching Limited English Proficient Communities in Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Ensuring Effective Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery for Individuals with Access and Functional Needs: A Checklist for Emergency Managers

Press Release

Federal Agencies Issue Joint Guidance to Help Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Providers Complys with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act

Agencias Federales Emiten Directrices Conjuntas Para Ayudar A Los Proveedores De Preparación, Respuesta Y Recuperación Frente A Emergencias A Cumplir Con El Título Vi De La Ley De Derechos Civiles

联邦政府机构签发联合指导，以帮助应急准备、响应和恢复的提供商遵守民权法案第 VI 章的各项规定

聯邦政府機構簽發聯合指導，以幫助應急準備、回應和恢復的提供商遵守民權法案第 VI 章的各項規定

Các Cơ Quan Liên Bang Ban Hành HưỚng DẪn Liên BỘ Giúp Các Đơn VỊ Cung CẤp ChuẨn BỊ SẴn Sàng, Ứng Phó Và PhỤc HỒi KhẨn CẤp Tuân ThỦ Theo Tiêu ĐỀ Vi CỦa ĐẠo LuẬt Dân QuyỀn

연방정부 부처들, '비상 대비, 대응, 복구 서비스 제공자들'이 시민의 권리법 제6장을 준수할 수 있도록 돕기 위해 공동 안내서 발행

Nagpalabas Ang Mga Pederal Na Ahensiya Ng Pinagsamang Gabay Para Tulungan Ang Mga Tagapaglaan Ng Paghahanda Sa Emerhensiya, Tugon At Pag-Recover Na Sumunod Sa Title Vi Ng Civil Rights Act

Федеральные Власти Выпустили Совместное Руководство, Чтобы Помочь Организациям, Предоставляющим Услуги Подготовки К Чрезвычайным Ситуациям, Реагированию И Восстановлению, В Вопросах Соблюдении Раздела Vi Закона О Гражданских Правах

Ajans Federal Yo Pibliye Yon Gid Kolaboratif Pou Ede Òganizasyon K Ap Bay Sèvis Preparasyon, Repons Ak Retablisman Nan Yon Ka Ijans Respekte Tit Vi Nan Lwa Ki Rele Civil Rights Act

Les Agences Fédérales Publient Un Guide Commun Pour Aider Les Intervenants De Protection Civile, D'urgence Et De Reconstruction A Etre Conformes Au Titre Vi De La Loi Sur Les Droits Civils

وكالات فيدرالية تصدر دليل توجيهي مشترك لمساعدة مقدمي خدمات الاستعداد للطوارئ والاستجابة لها والتعافي منها للامتثال للباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية

Fact Sheets: Confronting Discrimination Based on National Origin and Immigration Status, Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education and Educational Opportunities Section of the Civil Rights Division - August 19, 2021

Joint Guidance on the Voluntary Use of Race, Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education and Education Opportunity Section of the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice- December 2, 2011

Memorandum of Understanding on Environmental Justice and Executive Order 12898 (PDF)- August 4, 2011

Title VI and Coverage of Religiously Identifiable Groups, Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez Letter to The Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education (PDF)- September 2010

Civil Rights Division Communication to State Courts Regarding Language Access

Letter from Assistant Attorney General Kim to federal agencies regarding nondiscrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin: hurricane-related issues (December 12, 2005) (PDF)

Assistant Attorney General Boyd Memorandum to Heads of Federal Grants Agencies, General Counsels and Civil Rights Directors on Executive Order 13166 ( HTML) ( PDF), October 26, 2001

Title VI Environmental Justice Materials

Title VI LEP Materials

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Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

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Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d et seq., was enacted as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. As President John F.

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https://educationusa.state.gov/your-5-steps-us-study/research-your-options/english-language/what-are-english-language-programs#:~:text=The%20most%20common%20types%20of,and%20Culture%20Programs%20(ALCP).

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English as a Second Language (ESL) programs offer international students the chance to learn English or improve their English language skills.

What are ESL Programs?
Hundreds of U.S. educational institutions have courses that range from academic English for university-bound students to language and culture courses for travelers.

You may also hear English language programs in the United States called "ESOL Programs," or English for Speakers of Other Languages.

The most common types of ESL program offered in the United States are Intensive English Programs (IEP) or American Language and Culture Programs (ALCP). Since there are so many ESL programs available in the United States, do some research and make sure the program you are considering is accredited. See "Research and Narrow Your Options" page for more details.
Intensive English Programs (IEPs)

Can be taken for personal or professional reasons and not for academic credit.

May also be taken to prepare for U.S. college or university admission, and some IEPs offer "bridge programs" that help students transfer into an academic program.

May include classes designed for any level of English proficiency.

Usually require 20-30 hours per week of intensive English language study.

Are offered at U.S. colleges and universities and at independent English language institutions.

American Language and Culture Programs (ALCPs)

Are usually taken for academic credit to prepare for, or as part of, a U.S. college or university degree program.

Often require an intermediate or advanced level of English language proficiency before enrollment.

May be taken to improve a specific academic skill, such as reading, writing, or grammar.

Will assist with adjustment to U.S. culture and campus life.

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Learn about the types of English Language Programs that are available for international students in the United States.

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by Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Björk

Key Ideas for Chapter 2

Students acquiring a second language progress through five predictable stages.

Effective ELL instruction

Reflects students' stages of language acquisition.

Helps students move through the language acquisition levels.

Engages ELLs at all stages of language acquisition in higher-level thinking activities.

The Five Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Anyone who has been around children who are learning to talk knows that the process happens in stages-first understanding, then one-word utterances, then two-word phrases, and so on. Students learning a second language move through five predictable stages: Preproduction, Early Production, Speech Emergence, Intermediate Fluency, and Advanced Fluency (Krashen & Terrell, 1983). How quickly students progress through the stages depends on many factors, including level of formal education, family background, and length of time spent in the country.

It is important that you tie instruction for each student to his or her particular stage of language acquisition. Knowing this information about each student allows you to work within his or her zone of proximal development-that gap between what students can do on their own and what they can do with the help of more knowledgeable individuals (Vygotsky, 1978).

Another reason for all teachers to gain insights into their students' stages of second language acquisition is to meet the requirements of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, which requires ELLs to progress in their content knowledge and in their English language proficiency. How are we going to accomplish this if we are not all responsible for content and language?

Activity

Complete the "stages" activity in Appendix 4. If time allows, add two more teacher strategies to each stage. When you are finished, answer these questions:

Why should we be aware of the stages of language acquisition?

What are the implications of the stages for mainstream instruction?

Tiered Questions

Research shows that high levels of student engagement are "a robust predictor of student achievement and behavior in school" (Klem & Connell, 2004, p. 262). At the same time, one way for mainstream teachers to engage their ELLs more is by asking tiered questions. We recommend that teachers ask frequent questions throughout their lessons, as doing so lets ELLs practice their new language and helps teachers assess how much of the content the ELLs understand. Of course, questions should be tailored to each ELL's level of second language acquisition.

Figure 2.1 summarizes the five stages of language acquisition and shows some appropriate prompts and sample questions to use for each stage of second language acquisition. By knowing the stages of language acquisition and stage-appropriate questions, you can engage students at the correct level of discourse. Asking the tiered questions that accompany the stages of acquisition is one way to help students move to the next stage. To ensure that the student is being challenged and pushed to the next level, it is important to once in a while ask questions from the next level as well.

Although there may be an approximate time frame for each stage of language acquisition, the length of time students spend at each level will be as varied as the students themselves.

As you can see from Figure 2.1, it is OK to ask Preproduction students "Where is ... ?" or "Who has ... ?" questions-that is, questions that require a pointing, drawing, or circling response. It is even OK to ask Preproduction students a question every so often that requires a one-word response, because we always want to transition them to the next stage.

For Early Production students, questions that require a one-word response, such as yes/no and either/or questions, are acceptable. You also want to begin asking students at this stage questions that require a phrase or short sentence.

Speech Emergence students should be asked to answer questions that require a short-sentence response. It is OK to sometimes ask these students questions requiring a multiple-sentence response, but it is not OK to ask them questions requiring a pointing or one-word response.

How about Intermediate and Advanced Fluency students? It is OK to ask them questions that require a lot of verbal output, but it is not OK to ask them questions requiring minimal verbal output.

You can use tiered questions to include all ELLs in whole-class activities, or one on one to check comprehension or content learning. To accomplish this, you will need to know each student's stage of language acquisition.

Classroom Example

To improve her ability to ask tiered questions, a 1st grade teacher asks the school ESL teacher to demonstrate the strategy in her class during a discussion of The Three Little Pigs. For each stage of second language acquisition, the ESL teacher asks the following types of tiered questions:

Preproduction: Ask questions that students can answer by pointing at pictures in the book ("Show me the wolf," "Where is the house?").

Early Production: Ask questions that students can answer with one or two words ("Did the brick house fall down?" "Who blew down the straw house?").

Speech Emergence: Ask "why" and "how" questions that students can answer with short sentences ("Explain why the third pig built his house out of bricks." "What does the wolf want?").

Intermediate Fluency: Ask "What would happen if ..." and "Why do you think ..." questions ("What would happen if the pigs outsmarted the wolf?" "Why could the wolf blow down the house made of sticks, but not the house made of bricks?").

Advanced Fluency: Ask students to retell the story, including main plot elements but leaving out unnecessary details.

Activity

Turn to the sample lesson plans in Appendix 5-8 and select the one that's most appropriate for your grade level. After reading the lesson, match the sample student responses at the end to their respective stages of second language acquisition. You may be asked to share your responses with the large group.

Tiered Thinking Across Stages of Second Language Acquisition

What distinguishes low-level questions from high-level ones? You likely use or recall Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, Englehart, Furst, Hill, & Krathwohl, 1956), which provides a structure for categorizing the level of abstraction of questions. Figure 2.2 illustrates the levels in the taxonomy, starting with questions for recalling information (low level) and concluding with questions for predicting and discriminating among ideas (high level).

Figure 2.2. Levels of Bloom's Taxonomy

The Ramirez study of bilingual educational programs (Ramirez, 1992) found that in all the language programs studied (including immersion and early- and late-exit transitional programs), teachers tended to ask low-level questions. In fact, in more than half of their interactions, students did not produce any oral language; when they did, they engaged in simple recall.

You may ask yourself, "How can I possibly ask a Preproduction or Early Production student a high-level question if the most that student can do is point or give a one-word response?" Do not mistake an ELL's limited output for an inability to think abstractly. It's easy to keep asking Preproduction students yes/no questions or have them respond by pointing, but the students must do more than simply recall knowledge. We can't have ELLs stuck at the lowest levels of thinking.

Have you ever seen the levels of thinking from Bloom's Taxonomy aligned with the stages of second language acquisition? For some reason, many people think that students in the initial stages of acquisition can only answer low-level questions, and that those in the advanced stages are more likely to answer high-level questions. However, this is not the case.

As Figure 2.3 shows, the levels of thinking and the stages of second language acquisition should operate more as axes than in side-by-side alignment.

Figure 2.3. Relationship Between Bloom's Taxonomy and the Stages of Second Language Acquisition

Appendix 1 shows an actual matrix using both the levels of thinking and the stages of second language acquisition.

English language learners at all stages of acquisition should be asked questions at all levels of thinking. We don't want them to get stuck at a knowledge level only. We want to challenge their thinking and speaking abilities.

Card Sort Activity

The statements on the cards for this activity in Appendix 9 are taken from a high school science class during a plant unit. The students have already acquired and integrated plant knowledge and are now ready to practice, review, and apply what they've learned.

How would you engage students across all stages of second language acquisition at all levels of thinking? Place the activity cards on the most suitable space on the game board.

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The Stages of Second Language Acquisition

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by Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Björk Students acquiring a second language progress through five predictable stages. Effective ELL instruction Reflects students' stages of language acquisition. Helps students move through the language acquisition levels. Engages ELLs at all stages of language acquisition in higher-level thinking activities.

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Adapted from: Calderón, M., August, D., Durán, D., Madden, N., R. Slavin & M. Gil (2003 and in press). Spanish to English Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Success for All Foundation.

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Cognates are words in two languages that share a similar meaning, spelling, and pronunciation. For Spanish-speaking ELLs, cognates are an obvious bridge to the English language.

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Phonology is the study of the patterns of sounds in a language and across languages. Put more formally, phonology is the study of the categorical organisation of speech sounds in languages; how speech sounds are organised in the mind and used to convey meaning.

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What is Syntax? Definition, Rules, and Examples | Grammarly

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What Is Syntax? Learn the Meaning and Rules, With Examples

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Syntax in English is the arrangement of words and phrases in a specific order. If you change the position of even one word,…

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This is an article about esl methods over time nothing bad.

https://eflcafe.net/the-journey-through-time-a-historical-overview-of-english-language-teaching-methods/

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The Journey Through Time: A Historical Overview of English Language Teaching Methods – EFLCafe.net

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When students first start school, they need to know key phrases and expressions that they can use to communicate with teachers and classmates during the school day. Being able to communicate effectively with others is key for learning to take place. Through meaningful and fun interactions, students can develop the type of everyday communication skills that facilitate learning. Teachers can use a strategy called Total Physical Response to help students in these early stages of language development.

Learning key phrases through Total Physical Response

Total Physical Response (TPR) activities greatly multiply the language input and output that can be handled by beginning English language learners (ELLs). TPR activities elicit whole-body responses when new words or phrases are introduced. Teachers can develop quick scripts that provide ELLs and other students with the vocabulary and/or classroom behaviors related to everyday situations. For example, "Take out your math book. Put it on your desk. Put it on your head. Put it under the chair. Hold it in your left hand."

Students become ready to talk sooner when they are learning by doing. TPR activities help students adjust to school and understand the behaviors required and the instructions they will hear. This will help them in mainstream classrooms, in the halls, during lunchtime, during fire drills, on field trips, and in everyday life activities.

TPR strategies are good teaching strategies for all students, not just ELLs.

Classroom strategies: How to use Total Physical Response

There are seven steps for the TPR instructional process:

1. Introduction

The teacher introduces a situation in which students follow a set of commands using actions. Usually props such as pictures or real objects accompany the actions. Some actions may be real while others are pretend.

2. Demonstration

The teacher demonstrates or asks a student to demonstrate this series of actions. The other students are expected to pay careful attention. At first, students are not expected to talk or repeat the commands. But soon they will want to join in because the commands are easy to follow and the language is clear and comprehensible. For example, the teacher gives a command such as "Take out a piece of bread" and the students say the sentence and do the action. "Now, spread peanut butter on it", and so on until a make-believe sandwich is made and eaten.

3. Group action

Next, the class acts out the series while the teacher gives the commands. Usually, this step is repeated several times so that students internalize the series thoroughly before they will be asked to produce it.

4. Written copy

Write the series on the chalkboard or chart paper so that students can make connections between oral and written words while they read and copy (or even substitute ingredients of their choice).

5. Oral repetitions and questions

After students have made a written copy, they repeat each line after the teacher, taking care with difficult words. They ask questions for clarification, and the teacher points out grammatical features such as "Yesterday we ate half a sandwich. Today we will eat a whole sandwich. Did you notice the difference between ate and eat? Yesterday we spread grape jelly, today we will spread orange jelly. Did you notice that the verb spread didn't change? Let's say the words soap and soup. Let's say the words cheap and sheep."

6. Student demonstration

Students can also take turns playing the roles of the reader of the series and the performer of the actions. Meanwhile, the teacher can check on individual students for comprehension and oral production.

7. Partner activities

Finally, students work in pairs or teams of four to tell or read the series. In teams of four, two students give commands and two respond physically. Meanwhile, the teacher monitors each team and suggests ways to elaborate on the vocabulary by adding new words.

Here is one example of the process:

1. Let's go to the zoo. Open the door and get in your car.

2. Turn on the engine in your car.

3. Drive to the zoo.

4. Park the car.

5. Get out of the car.

6. Buy your ticket with a $5.00 dollar bill.

7. Hold out your hand for your change.

8. Walk to the entrance.

9. Give your ticket to the person at the gate.

10. Open the gate and go in.

11. Wave at the giraffes.

12. Walk like a giraffe.

13. Wave at the monkeys.

14. Laugh like a monkey.

15. Wave at the elephants.

16. Wave your trunk like the elephants.

Other ideas

Before reading a children's story, select some action words and ask the students to perform these actions as you encounter them in the pages. List them on the chalkboard.

After reading the story, ask children to summarize the story by acting out the words you have demonstrated.

After reading the story, ask the children to select some words or phrases that they would like to turn into actions.

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When students first start school, they need to know key phrases and expressions that they can use to communicate with teachers and classmates during the school day. Being able to communicate effectively with others is key for learning to take place. Through meaningful and fun interactions, students can develop the type of everyday communication skills that facilitate learning.

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Activities to Encourage Speech and Language Development

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There are many ways you can help your child learn to understand and use words. See a speech-language pathologist if you have concerns.

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How do speech and language develop?

The first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, is the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills. These skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.

There appear to be critical periods for speech and language development in infants and young children when the brain is best able to absorb language. If these critical periods are allowed to pass without exposure to language, it will be more difficult to learn.

What are the milestones for speech and language development?

The first signs of communication occur when an infant learns that a cry will bring food, comfort, and companionship. Newborns also begin to recognize important sounds in their environment, such as the voice of their mother or primary caretaker. As they grow, babies begin to sort out the speech sounds that compose the words of their language. By 6 months of age, most babies recognize the basic sounds of their native language.

Children vary in their development of speech and language skills. However, they follow a natural progression or timetable for mastering the skills of language. A checklist of milestones for the normal development of speech and language skills in children from birth to 5 years of age is included below. These milestones help doctors and other health professionals determine if a child is on track or if he or she may need extra help. Sometimes a delay may be caused by hearing loss, while other times it may be due to a speech or language disorder.

What is the difference between a speech disorder and a language disorder?

Children who have trouble understanding what others say (receptive language) or difficulty sharing their thoughts (expressive language) may have a language disorder. Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a language disorder that delays the mastery of language skills. Some children with DLD may not begin to talk until their third or fourth year.

Children who have trouble producing speech sounds correctly or who hesitate or stutter when talking may have a speech disorder. Apraxia of speech is a speech disorder that makes it difficult to put sounds and syllables together in the correct order to form words.

What should I do if my child's speech or language appears to be delayed?

Talk to your child's doctor if you have any concerns. Your doctor may refer you to a speech-language pathologist, who is a health professional trained to evaluate and treat people with speech or language disorders. The speech-language pathologist will talk to you about your child's communication and general development. He or she will also use special spoken tests to evaluate your child. A hearing test is often included in the evaluation because a hearing problem can affect speech and language development. Depending on the result of the evaluation, the speech-language pathologist may suggest activities you can do at home to stimulate your child's development. They might also recommend group or individual therapy or suggest further evaluation by an audiologist (a health care professional trained to identify and measure hearing loss), or a developmental psychologist (a health care professional with special expertise in the psychological development of infants and children).

What research is being conducted on developmental speech and language problems?

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) sponsors a broad range of research to better understand the development of speech and language disorders, improve diagnostic capabilities, and fine-tune more effective treatments. An ongoing area of study is the search for better ways to diagnose and differentiate among the various types of speech delay. A large study following approximately 4,000 children is gathering data as the children grow to establish reliable signs and symptoms for specific speech disorders, which can then be used to develop accurate diagnostic tests. Additional genetic studies are looking for matches between different genetic variations and specific speech deficits.

Researchers sponsored by the NIDCD have discovered one genetic variant, in particular, that is linked to developmental language disorder (DLD), a disorder that delays children's use of words and slows their mastery of language skills throughout their school years. The finding is the first to tie the presence of a distinct genetic mutation to any kind of inherited language impairment. Further research is exploring the role this genetic variant may also play in dyslexia, autism, and speech-sound disorders.

A long-term study looking at how deafness impacts the brain is exploring how the brain "rewires" itself to accommodate deafness. So far, the research has shown that adults who are deaf react faster and more accurately than hearing adults when they observe objects in motion. This ongoing research continues to explore the concept of "brain plasticity"-the ways in which the brain is influenced by health conditions or life experiences-and how it can be used to develop learning strategies that encourage healthy language and speech development in early childhood.

A recent workshop convened by the NIDCD drew together a group of experts to explore issues related to a subgroup of children with autism spectrum disorders who do not have functional verbal language by the age of 5. Because these children are so different from one another, with no set of defining characteristics or patterns of cognitive strengths or weaknesses, development of standard assessment tests or effective treatments has been difficult. The workshop featured a series of presentations to familiarize participants with the challenges facing these children and helped them to identify a number of research gaps and opportunities that could be addressed in future research studies.

What are voice, speech, and language?

Voice, speech, and language are the tools we use to communicate with each other.

Voice is the sound we make as air from our lungs is pushed between vocal folds in our larynx, causing them to vibrate.

Speech is talking, which is one way to express language. It involves the precisely coordinated muscle actions of the tongue, lips, jaw, and vocal tract to produce the recognizable sounds that make up language.

Language is a set of shared rules that allow people to express their ideas in a meaningful way. Language may be expressed verbally or by writing, signing, or making other gestures, such as eye blinking or mouth movements.

Your baby's hearing and communicative development checklist

Birth to 3 Months

4 to 6 Months

7 Months to 1 Year

1 to 2 Years

2 to 3 Years

3 to 4 Years

4 to 5 Years

This checklist is based upon How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?, courtesy of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Where can I find additional information about speech and language developmental milestones?

The NIDCD maintains a directory of organizations that provide information on the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.

Use the following keywords to help you find organizations that can answer questions and provide information on speech and language development:

For more information, contact us at:

NIDCD Information Clearinghouse
1 Communication Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20892-3456
Toll-free voice: (800) 241-1044
Toll-free TTY: (800) 241-1055
Email: nidcdinfo@nidcd.nih.gov

NIH Publication No. 00-4781
September 2010

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Speech and Language Developmental Milestones

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How do speech and language develop? The first 3 years of life, when the brain is developing and maturing, is the most intensive period for acquiring speech and language skills. These skills develop best in a world that is rich with sounds, sights, and consistent exposure to the speech and language of others.

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Allen, V. (1986). Developing contexts to support second language acquisition. "Language Arts," 63, 61-66.

Bissex, G. (1980). "GNYS AT WRK: A child learns to write and read." Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Calkins, L. (1986). "The art of teaching writing." Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Edelsky, C. (1986). "Writing in a bilingual program: Habia una vez." Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Company.

Flores, B., et al. (1985). "Bilingual holistic instructional strategies." Chandler, AZ: Exito.

Genishi, C., and Dyson, A. (1984). "Language assessment in the early years." Language and learning for human service professions monograph series. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Company.

Graves, D. (1983). "Writing: Teachers and children at work." Exeter, NH: Heinemann.

Harste, J., Woodward, V., and Burke, C. (1984). "Language stories and literacy lessons." Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Hudelson, S. (1986). Children's writing in ESL: What we've learned, what we're learning. In P. Rigg and D.S. Enright (Eds.), "Children and ESL: Integrating perspectives." Washington, DC: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Hudelson, S. (1987). The role of native language literacy in the education of language minority children. "Language Arts," 64, 827-841.

Kreeft, J., et al. (Eds.) (1984). "Dialogue journal writing: Analysis of student-teacher interactive writing in the learning of English as a second language." National Institute of Education (NIE-G-83-0030). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Myers, M. (1980). "A procedure for writing assessment." Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 193 676).

Rigg, P., and Enright, D.S. (Eds.) (1986) "Children and ESL: Integrating perspectives." Washington, DC: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.

Samway, K. (1987). "The writing processes of non-native English-speaking children in the elementary grades." Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Rochester, NY.

Urzua, C. (1987). "You stopped too soon": Second language children composing and revising. "TESOL Quarterly," 21, 279-304.

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In teaching second language learners how to speak and read English, it is important not to neglect their writing development. Here are some strategies for teaching ESL children to become writers.

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Young children move through a series of stages as they are learning to write. The stages reflect a child's growing knowledge of the conventions of literacy, including letters, sounds and spacing of words within sentences. Almost every interaction in a child's world is preparing them to become a reader and writer. The indicators of hallmarks within stages are described below.

It's important to remember that there will be variations in the way kids move through writing stages; it may not happen in the same way or at the same time and the lines between the stages can be blurry. Many models of writing development and word study label stages with their own terms using various descriptors. The descriptions below are designed to communicate common writing characteristics.

Scribbling/drawing

Most children begin their writing career by scribbling and drawing. Grasping the crayon or pencil with a full fist, a young scribbling child is exploring with space and form. He is creating a permanent record of his ideas and thoughts. These first scribbles can be proud accomplishments! Thick markers, crayons, and unlined paper are good writer's tools for this stage.

Letter-like forms and shapes

At this stage of writing development, children begin to display their understanding that writers use symbols to convey their meaning. Writing begins to include shapes (circles, squares) and other figures. A writer in this stage will often write something and ask, "What does this say?" There's little orientation of forms and shapes to space (i.e., they appear in random places within the writing or drawing). Tubs of markers, crayons, and paper remain good writer's tools.

Letters!

As a child's writing continues to develop, she will begin to use random letters. Most children begin with consonants, especially those in the author's name. Pieces of writing are usually strings of upper-case consonants, without attention to spaces between words or directionality. At the beginning of this stage, there remains a lack of sound-to-symbol correspondence between the words they are trying to write and the letters they use. Later efforts may include letters for the salient sounds in words and include the author's own name. Different types of paper, including memo pads, envelopes, lined paper and some smaller pens and pencils are good writer's tools at this stage. Tubs of foam letters and letter magnets are also handy.

Letters and spaces

As beginning writers practice their craft, they are learning many concepts about print. When a child points to individual words on a page when reading, and works to match their speech to a printed word, a concept of word is developing. This awareness of the purpose and existence of spaces separating words and that spoken words match to printed words is known as a concept of word. Often called the watershed event of kindergarten, adults watch young writers insert these important spaces in their own work. Guided either by an index finger in-between each word or by lines drawn by the teacher, children demonstrate one-to-one correspondence with words.

At this stage, children write with beginning and ending sounds. They also may begin to spell some high frequency words correctly. Vowels may be inserted into words. As students transition to more conventional writers, they will begin to write words the way they sound. Punctuation begins as writers experiment with forming sentences.

Conventional writing and spelling

At this stage, children spell most words correctly, with a reliance on phonics knowledge to spell longer words. Writers use punctuation marks correctly and use capital and lower case letters in the correct places. Writing for different purposes becomes more important. First and second grade students often write signs for their bedroom doors or a letter to a friend. Storybook language, "Once upon a time," and "happily ever after," become a part of writing samples as the child joins the league of writers with a storytelling purpose. As students progress through the writing stages, various pieces become more automatic and fluent. Handwriting becomes easier, as does the spelling of a majority of words.

At all stages, it's important to honor the writing efforts of your young child. Find opportunities to have your child share his work with others. Display efforts on the wall or on the refrigerator. Ask your child to read his work at the dinner table or by sitting in a special author's chair.

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Almost every interaction in a child's world is preparing them to become a reader and writer. This page outlines the stages of writing development, and tips for adults to help along the way.

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The acronyms BICS and CALP refer to the length of time required by immigrant children to develop conversational skills in the target language and grade appropriate academic proficiency in that language. Understanding the difference between social language and academic language acquisition is an important concept for teachers working with non-native students. Learn more in our academic language resource section.
BICS = social language
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) refer to linguistic skills needed in everyday, social face-to-face interactions. For instance, the language used in the playground, on the phone, or to interact socially with other people is part of BICS. The language used in these social interactions is context embedded. That is, it is meaningful, cognitively undemanding, and non-specialized. It takes the learner from six months to two years to develop BICS.
CALP = academic language
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) focuses on proficiency in academic language or language used in the classroom in the various content areas. Academic language is characterized by being abstract, context reduced, and specialized. In addition to acquiring the language, learners need to develop skills such as comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, and inferring when developing academic competence. It takes learners at least five years to develop CALP. Research from Collier and Thomas (1995) has shown that it may take children with no prior instruction or no support in native language development at least seven years to develop CALP.

The distinction between BICS and CALP was made by Professor Jim Cummins.

Learn more in Explaining BICS and CALP from EverythingESL.

Video: BICS and CALP

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The acronyms BICS and CALP refer to the length of time required by immigrant children to develop conversational skills in the target language and grade appropriate academic proficiency in that language. Understanding the difference between social language and academic language acquisition is an important concept for teachers working with non-native students.

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The Importance of Diversity & Multicultural Awareness in Education

Drexel University School of Education

Cultural diversity in the classroom is on the rise. In 2014, U.S. public schools hit a minority majority milestone with Latino, African-American, and Asian students having surpassed the number of white students. In 2044, the U.S. Census predicts that over half of the nation's population will be people of color, so this trend will likely continue.

In our increasingly diverse and multicultural society, it's more important than ever for teachers to incorporate culturally responsive instruction in the classroom -- whether teaching elementary school, middle school or high school students. And the increase of diversity doesn't only relate to race and ethnicity; it can include students of different religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and language background.

Interested in becoming a teacher? Learn more about Drexel's Teacher Certification program.

Why is it Important to Encourage Diversity in Schools and Workplaces?

Fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education and taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching benefits all students. Not only does creating greater multicultural awareness and inclusion help students with different backgrounds and needs succeed, but it encourages acceptance and helps prepare students to thrive in an exponentially diverse world. Our Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Certificate Program is a great opportunity for teachers to learn how to create positive classroom environments and can serve as a foundation for understanding how to promote diversity in your classroom.

Diversity in and out of the classroom will continue to grow, so it's essential we prepare students to adapt to an evolving world and embrace those different from themselves. Learn more how the programs at the Drexel School of Education are helping to prepare more culturally-responsive educators today.

Types of Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

Every student is unique. In order to properly understand and promote cultural awareness, teachers need to understand all the different types of diversity they may encounter in their classrooms including:

Race

A person's skin color can have a great impact on their experience in society. It can also impact how they view themselves and others when engaging in classroom activities.

Ethnicity

Ethnicity relates to a person's culture and nationality. Ethnicity is sometimes confused with race, but it is important to recognize that while some people may have the same skin color, they may come from different places and have vastly different cultural beliefs and views of the world.

Religion

It is important to understand that people have different religious belief or no religious beliefs, and it may impact their participation in the classroom. Students may react differently to lessons based on their religion or may not be able to be present on certain religious holidays.

Language

While English is commonly used in American classrooms, for some students, it is not the language they speak at home. Accommodations should be made to help students for whom English is a second language.

Socioeconomic Status

A student's socioeconomic status can affect their ability to participate in the classroom without some type of accommodation. For instance, access to a computer at home or reliable internet access is not a given for some children. Teachers should be aware of this and the stress it may cause students who may struggle due to a lack of resources.

Sexual Orientation

A student's sexual orientation can have a great impact on how they are experiencing the world. Teachers should understand the struggles that exist and ensure that the lessons taught in their classroom are inclusive.

Gender Identity

Similar to sexual orientation, it is important to understand each student's gender identity and how they would prefer to be recognized. Teachers should respect their student's identity and use preferred pronouns when interacting with their students.

How can you Promote Diversity and Multiculturalism in the Classroom?

There are several ways teachers and administrators, such as principals and coaches, can ensure that both the classroom environment and curriculum are responsive to the increasing cultural diversity of our society. These strategies will encourage all students' cultural awareness, enhancing each student's sense of identity, and foster inclusion in the classroom community.

1. Get to Know Your Students Ensuring that cultural awareness is promoted in the classroom starts with the teacher understanding each individual student. Take the time to learn about each student's cultural background, hobbies, learning styles, and what makes them unique. Demonstrating a genuine interest in learning about each student and their culture will help establish trust and allow you to form a bond with them so they feel valued. If students feel appreciated by and comfortable with the teacher, there's a better chance they'll feel comfortable talking with and respect their peers in the class - and communication is the core to a culturally aware and inclusive classroom.

2. Maintain Consistent Communication Aside from getting to know your students, teachers should also continue to maintain ongoing communication throughout the semester or school year. Scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with students to "check in" every so often will allow you to consistently improve how accessible the classroom is to everyone. Students can talk about whether they felt included in the classroom culture. This can help identify issues or ways to improve the overall experience. It's also an opportunity to discuss their progress in the class and offer guidance on how they can improve, based on their individual needs as a student.

3. Acknowledge and Respect Every Student It's also important for students to celebrate and respect their own diverse backgrounds, as well as each other's. When appropriate, teachers should encourage students to research and learn about their own ethnic and cultural backgrounds. This allows them to better understand their own culture as well as the differences and nuances with their peers. As a bonus, this can be a great ice breaker assignment, allowing students to give presentations about their family traditions and culture to help expose the class to concepts outside of their own familiar comfort zone. Acknowledging these differences and creating a safe space for discussion helps promote understanding in the classroom and beyond. Also, as you encourage students to learn about their diverse backgrounds, remember to take the time to highlight what's offensive and the distinction between cultural celebration and appropriation. Learning how to talk about other cultures in a respectful, mature way is essential for success in life outside the classroom.

4. Practice Cultural Sensitivity While it's important to keep an open dialogue amongst students, it's equally as important to make sure you're being sensitive to everyone's culture, beliefs, and language concerns. Take the time to understand each student's cultural nuances - from learning styles to the language they use - and use these insights to design your lesson plans. For example, provide English language learners with appropriate and relevant resources that help them improve their English comprehension skills. Rather than teach with a traditional lecture style, create learning experiences that are more interactive and require collaboration. These considerations will help ensure that every student feels included, is given the space to learn in their own way and is given a chance to succeed.

5. Incorporate Diversity in the Lesson Plan The classroom environment is important for fostering cultural awareness, but you also should ensure diversity is represented in your actual lesson plan. For example, broaden history lessons so that they encompass the world beyond United States history and culture. Or, use references and analogies to other cultures in your lessons and assignments to help students with diverse backgrounds personally connect. Another great strategy is bringing in diverse speakers to add varying points of view and real-life context to different subjects.There are several ways you can ingrain cultural awareness and diversity into your lesson plan, and it will vary depending on the cultures represented in your classroom and the course you're teaching. Regardless of the subject, always try to present and connect lessons to real-world issues. It's easier to promote cultural awareness within your lessons when there's a real example for students to relate to.

6. Give Students Freedom and Flexibility Teachers often feel like they need to take on a strict, authoritative approach when it comes to managing their classroom. The most valuable lessons are often learned through a student's own experiences, so giving them some freedom in the course encourages more connection to the curriculum. Allow students to read and present their own materials that relate to the fundamental lesson so they can approach the topic from their own perspective. As a teacher, you can act as a facilitator and encourage conversation and healthy debate between diverse opinions. Group assignments are also a great way to expose students to diverse perspectives, allowing them to work together to explore and solve a problem. This will also help prepare them for a diverse workforce where they'll have to partner with a range of people to accomplish their professional goals.

Why is it Multicultural Education Important to Students?

It is important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term. Teaching diversity exposes students to various cultural and social groups, preparing students to become better citizens in their communities. These culturally responsive teaching strategies will help you to promote diversity in the classroom.

With these culturally responsive teaching strategies in mind, it's important to remind ourselves why diversity and cultural awareness is so crucial in the classroom and the benefits it can have on students now and in the long-term.

Students Become More Empathetic

Promoting awareness and creating a personal connection with diverse cultures in the classroom can prevent students from developing prejudices later in life. It allows them to empathize with people different from themselves since they're more aware of the experiences someone of a different race or cultural group may face.

Students Gain a Better Understanding of Lessons and People

When working and learning with people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures present in the classroom, students gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. It also teaches students how to use their own strengths and points of view to contribute in a diverse working environment.

Students Become More Open-Minded

Naturally, by exposing students to a diverse range of opinions, thoughts, and cultural backgrounds, you're encouraging them to be more open-minded later in life. This will make them open to new ideas and be able to attain a greater comprehension on a topic by taking in different points of view.

Students Feel More Confident and Safe

Students who learn about different cultures during their education feel more comfortable and safe with these differences later in life. This allows them to interact in a wider range of social groups and feel more confident in themselves as well as in their interactions with others.

Students Are Better Prepared for a Diverse Workplace

With the rise of globalization, it's more important to be able to work with people from different cultures and social groups. If students are exposed to diversity and learn cultural awareness in the classroom, it sets them up to flourish in the workforce.

Learn More About Cultural Diversity in Education

There are additional resources available to help educators grow their knowledge of cultural diversity and apply it to their classrooms. Here are a few sites where you can find more information:

Additionally, Drexel offers programs that can help broaden a teacher's expertise in multicultural education including our online Teaching English as a Second Language and Social Emotional and Behavioral Wellness certification programs. You can also contact us to request more information.

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The Importance of Multicultural Education - School of Education

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As classrooms become more diverse, it's crucial for students to learn about other cultures. Discover how students benefit from classroom diversity with Drexel.

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4 Strategies to Help English Learners Master New Math Skills

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Developing new math skills for students learning English means keeping them on grade level and building on their existing speaking, reading, and writing abilities.

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The goal of these materials is to illustrate how Common Core aligned math tasks can be used to support math instruction and language development for ELLs at three grade spans (elementary, middle, and high school). We used or adapted tasks from two publicly accessible curriculum projects, Inside Mathematics and Mathematics Assessment Project.

To learn more, see the annotated lessons below and read our Guidelines for Math Instructional Materials Development.

1. Introduction to the Materials describes how the materials were developed, and the types of materials and resources provided.

2. Principles for Math Instruction provide the over-arching principles for teaching mathematics to ELLs.

3. Guidelines for Math Instructional Materials Development can be used to develop new materials or to review already developed materials.

4. "Language of Math" Task Templates are language-focused activities that can be used by teachers to design and write their own language-focused activities. These "Language of Math" tasks were designed to support students in learning to read and understand word problems, communicate about mathematics, and build disciplinary and academic vocabulary, and develop practices in mathematics.

5. Writers, Reviewers, and Contributors handout details the team who led and contributed to the development of these resources.

Additional resources can be found here.
Download all annotated math tasks Download supplementary files A.Pointers to PD Materials 7-2-13.pdf B.Talk Moves 7-2-13.pdf

This fourth grade (elementary school) task provides students opportunities to work with patterns and tables. Students identify whether finite sequences of numbers follow given rules and extend those sequences according to those rules. This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including Mathematically Speaking, a language-focused activity that asks students to solve a problem, explain their reasoning, and discuss how they arrived at their solution while using targeted vocabulary.

MIDDLE SCHOOL TASK-MAKING MATCHSTICKS

This eighth grade (middle school) task provides students opportunities to interpret a situation, represent the variables mathematically, select appropriate mathematical methods, interpret and evaluate the data generated, and communicate their reasoning. Students work with selected formulas to model a situation, interpret given data, make approximations, communicate their reasoning in verbal and written form, and critique solutions developed by others.

This task draws on understandings of rate and proportional reasoning (a CCSS focus of grades 6 and 7), geometric measurement and volume (which begins with right rectangular prisms in grade 5, and is extended in grades 6, 7, and 8), and builds toward the high school number and quantity standard of interpreting units consistently in formulas. Making Matchsticks is part of a Formative Assessment Lesson (FAL), which can be downloaded here: http://map.mathshell.org/materials/lessons.php?gradeid=23.

This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including Mathematically Speaking, a language focused activity that asks students to solve a problem, explain their reasoning, and discuss how they arrived at their solution while using targeted vocabulary.

HIGH SCHOOL TASK-CREATING EQUATIONS

This high school task provides students opportunities to use algebra in different ways: manipulating a given equation, writing equations to represent situations, solving equations, and interpreting solutions of equations in the situations represented.

This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including three language-focused activities: Jigsaw Reading, Reading and Understanding the Problem, and Mathematically Speaking. These activities were designed to support students in learning to read and understand word problems, talk about their reasoning, and discuss their solutions.

HIGH SCHOOL TASK-SIDEWALK PATTERNS

This high school task gives students an opportunity to work with expressions, equations, and functions. The task presents a sequence of three visual patterns created using white and gray blocks, and asks students to write one symbolic expression for the number of each type of blocks. Students build a function modeling a relationship between two quantities, interpret the structure of expressions, and write expressions in equivalent forms to solve problems.

This task is annotated with suggestions for supporting ELLs, including two language-focused activities: Reading and Understanding the Problem, and Mathematically Speaking. These activities were designed to support students in learning to read and understand word problems, talk about their reasoning, and discuss their solutions.

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Supporting ELLs in Mathematics | Understanding Language

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The goal of these materials is to illustrate how Common Core aligned math tasks can be used to support math instruction and language development for ELLs at three grade spans (elementary, middle, and high school). We used or adapted tasks from two publicly accessible curriculum projects, Inside Math…

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LinguaFolio® Training Resources
Training modules to show how to implement LinguaFolio®
6.4 Summative Assessments

A summative assessment is a check of what has been learned at a specific point in time, such as at the end of a lesson, unit, or course. It is based on cumulative learning experiences, tests for achievement, and mastery of specific performance objectives. The teacher's role is to evaluate student performance. The assessment is rigorous and the focus is on the result or product. Depending on age and level, summative assessments may include performance tasks, oral interviews, written reports, projects, and external examinations.
The following are some examples of summative assessments:

Benchmark tests

End-of-course exams

Performance tasks

ELP: English Language Proficiency tests

ACCESS for ELLs: English Language Proficiency test

STAMP: Standard-based Measurement of Proficiency

IPA: Integrated Performance Assessment

SOPA: Student Oral Proficiency Assessment

ELLOPA: Early Language Listening and Oral Proficiency Assessment

NOELLA: National Online Early Language Learning Assessment

OPI: Oral Proficiency Interview by ACTFL

WPT: Written Proficiency Test by ACTFL

National Language Examinations

AP: Advanced Placement Language exams

LinguaFolio includes formative and summative assessment samples, self-assessment of language competencies and intercultural experiences, as well as work samples that complete the "photo album" of a student's performance.
Some school districts and entire states are using some of these formal assessments and recording them on LinguaFolio as overall evidence of learners' language performance.

In this video, students learning English as a second language talk about ways that using LinguaFolio has helped them in other subject areas as well as with end-of-grade assessments. What reasons do they give and in what subject areas have they improved?

Watch video here
Video transcript: "Summative Assessments: How Using LinguaFolio Helps With Other Assessments" (pdf)

Next:6.5) Performance assessments versus traditional assessments

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LinguaFolio® Training Resources Training modules to show how to implement LinguaFolio® 6.4 Summative Assessments A summative assessment is a check of what has been learned at a specific poi...

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Jump to navigation Jump to Content

Summative assessment is generally carried out at the end of a course or project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade.

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Jump to navigation Jump to Content Summative assessment is generally carried out at the end of a course or project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to assign students a course grade.

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Challenge Innovate Grow: Teacher &  Learner Centre

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ELSF | Resource: Formative Assessment: A Key to Improving Learning for English Learners

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Formative assessment is a critical key to improving learning and can be used effectively with English learners who come to the classroom with different strengths and assets. What is formative assessment? How and why does it work?

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Methods of Teaching Science to English Language Learners | Cambridge

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Read about how to develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills for ESL learners in your science lessons. Discover more.

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English Language Learners

An inclusive framework for finding gifted and talented students can ensure that English language learners don't slip through the cracks.

English language learners (ELLs) have historically been underrepresented and underserved in U.S. gifted and talented (GT) programs. To move the needle in a more promising direction, we can begin by asking ourselves how we can increase the visibility of diverse learners in GT screening. What does equity look like in identifying language learners for gifted services? And how can we actively improve culturally responsive supports for exceptional ELLs in our classrooms?

Traditional concepts of giftedness cast a narrow net-narrow enough, in fact, to silo giftedness into nearly homogeneous compartments. Outside of far-East Asian subsets, most of those boxes are reserved for white, English-speaking students.

Gifted screening protocols can reinforce these perceptions. Conventional markers for giftedness are rooted in assessment data and previous high academic achievement. This can be especially inequitable for ELLs, whose language output and cultural orientation may mask exceptional promise.

Reframing Conceptions of Giftedness to Support Inclusivity

A comprehensive definition of exceptional ability that encompasses a spectrum of cognitive, social and emotional, artistic, linguistic, and logical-reasoning capabilities,

Multiple avenues and entry points-such as student interviews, performance-based evaluations, or nonverbal instruments-that reach beyond standardized assessment data for GT identification, and

A system for mindfully growing the exceptional talents and gifts of all learners, including ELLs.

To change this, we've got to be uncomfortably honest about what our collective picture of giftedness looks like. What are our perceptions and expectations of exceptional students? Do we-as teachers and as schools-lean in to certain student types, ethnicities, or socioeconomic groups, or to one gender? How are we influenced by a child's parents or other educators?

Acquire the new language at a faster than typical rate,

Demonstrate an ability to code switch or translate at an advanced level,

Show aptitude for negotiating between cultures,

Display inventive leadership and/or imaginative qualities,

Read significantly beyond grade level in the heritage language,

Effectively assume adult responsibilities at a young age,

Exhibit notable street smarts and/or rapid integration into American culture, or

Problem-solve in creative, nonconforming ways.

At a minimum, a more inclusive framework should include three vital components:

Now we can critically evaluate the degree to which our definition is also culturally responsive. Map a full learning day for a new-to-English student. Where can we find expressions of gifted characteristics? Language learners can-and do!-demonstrate exceptional content-specific talents. Additionally or alternatively, the promising gifted ELL may:

A Culturally Responsive Process of GT Identification

Nominations or referrals from parents and school staff,

Summative data, including English language evaluations and nonverbal GT assessments,

Formative data, such as student work samples and problem- or project-based portfolios, and

Anecdotal data, including behavior and acculturation scales, classroom observations, home visits, and interviews with parents, teachers, and peers.

Even high-flying ELLs are not likely to be detected through traditional GT screening, as I mention above, because our screening protocols are not designed to detect them. Widening our net and moving toward a realistic representation of marginalized populations in gifted programming requires that we break with our dependence on convention.

One reasonable solution is to move beyond isolated quantitative data points and toward qualitative portfolios of potential. Inclusive GT portfolios of potential may include:

Ensure that curriculum is culturally responsive: Culturally responsive practice seeks to recognize, value, and authentically represent students' heritage virtues in the school setting. Wondering how to connect this pedagogy to GT programming? Begin learning units with background knowledge surveys or embed multicultural connections and community engagement as a means of enrichment.

Provide opportunities for self-directed learning: Self-directed learning is an effective tool for student engagement that supports higher-level thinking. By introducing the element of choice, we draw out a learner's natural curiosity through creative problem solving and experiential learning.

Start slowly as you navigate this territory. Begin with a maximum of three choices. Hold students accountable for rotating through stations, centers, or learning tasks, but place the onus of control on the student to choose the order in which the learning goals are completed.

Capitalize on student interest surveys, flexible seating, and kinesthetic learning. These are all low-prep, low-cost, high-yield means of promoting self-directed, student-invested learning.

And consider exploring multiple pathways of discovery. Try embedding social and emotional learning skills practice into a social studies lesson, or incorporate STEAM learning into a literature experience. These types of activities foster low-risk opportunities for expression and encourage students to demonstrate abilities in innovative ways.

Use assessments that allow for diverse expressions of understanding: Offer choice in how students demonstrate knowledge, skills and understanding. Project-based learning (PBL) works exceptionally well in this context. PBL "is a dynamic classroom approach in which students actively explore real-world problems and challenges and acquire a deeper knowledge." This type of open-ended learning allows ELLs to show what they know in ways that are less language dependent, such as tactile design, sketching, computer programming, or art.

Consistently work toward the elimination of educator bias: Teachers and parents play a critical role in the gifted identification process-they are most likely to nominate students for consideration and are directly involved in a child's day-to-day endeavors. We can better prepare both groups to advocate for ELLs who demonstrate exceptional gifts and talents.

Parents are often the first to note a child's gifted potential, even if it has not presented at school. This may be especially true of students who have not yet gained linguistic confidence or students from collectivist cultures, who typically avoid standing out in the classroom. Caretakers-especially those whose cultural experience with school involvement differs from Western norms-can be explicitly encouraged to recommend their child for GT screening and review. Educators, meanwhile, can benefit from training to reduce bias and spot latent talents in underrepresented populations.

Like all successful school programming, achieving effective and equitable GT services is a collaborative effort.

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An inclusive framework for finding gifted and talented students can ensure that English language learners don't slip through the cracks.

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What is the SAMR model?

The SAMR model is a framework that orders strategies for classroom technology implementation into four stages:

In each stage of the SAMR model, the use of educational technology (EdTech) becomes increasingly sophisticated.

Substitution and augmentation strategies use EdTech to enhance learning and add value, whereas modification and redefinition stages harness EdTech to transform learning and make new things possible.
The effectiveness of any of these four strategies depends on when and how it is used.
Here's how you can harness each stage for more powerful classroom learning:

Substitution

This is the simplest stage, where EdTech is used as a direct substitute for traditional practices.

Substitution strategies can save you time and space by cutting back on laborious pen and paper tasks. Instead of printing out twenty-plus paper resources that clog the cupboard, you can use technology to manage resources with just a few clicks.

Substitution also provides a much more accessible introduction to technological soft skills than modification and redefinition. It's the perfect opportunity for students to get comfortable with new technology before you start to transform their learning.

Examples of substitution

having students type their work instead of handwriting it

using online quizzes and programs instead of pen and paper

uploading a worksheet in PDF for student access, as opposed to photocopying

using a digital interactive whiteboard as opposed to a traditional whiteboard and saving the results as a document.

Remember: Substitution strategies do not change the learning process or outcome. Ask yourself what you and your students will gain from the technology before implementing it. If it adds nothing but hassle, stick to pen and paper.

Augmentation

At the augmentation stage, technology adds something to the learning process beyond just convenience. It might give your students a clearer understanding of a complex topic or making it engaging in a way that traditional methods can't.

It also allows for the introduction of more independent and student-centric learning. By using technology as a source of information, students can start actively learning without requiring constant teacher-led instruction.

Examples of augmentation

Students give more informative and engaging oral presentations accompanied by a PowerPoint or Prezi containing multimedia elements.

Students use the internet to independently research a topic, as opposed to relying on teacher input.

Students use an EdTech program that gamifies curriculum content for student engagement and allows students to track progress in an accessible way.

Teacher instruction is supplemented with a video that clarifies a particularly hard to explain concept.

Modification

At the modification stage, technology is used to design interactive and dynamic tasks that go beyond the limitations of a traditional classroom.

For example, students can collaborate on shared documents, or work in large groups, allowing for seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing. This peer-to-peer work nurtures a more cooperative and dynamic class culture.

Technologically modified tasks also allow students to generate inspired and innovative work that isn't confined to paper. Some students will jump at the opportunity to get in front of a camera, while others will do anything to make it onto the global Mathletics leaderboard.

Examples of modification

Students produce podcasts summarising a topic, which can then be accessed by other students as a revision resource.

Students create an informative video presentation in place of a standard oral presentation. They can use their voice alongside a broader variety of creative multimodal components.

Students use a technological tool that makes an abstract concept visible in a hands-on, responsive way (e.g. voyaging on Google Earth to better understand measurement and geography).

Redefinition

The most sophisticated stage of SAMR, redefinition sees you using technology to make entirely new learning opportunities possible.

Redefining learning has the potential to connect learning with the real world and produce authentic outcomes. It also gives students strong technological soft skills such as digital collaboration, communication, technological literacy, and the ability to adapt to new systems and processes.

Most importantly, using technology to redefine learning in your classroom translates to vibrant and engaged students who embrace a growth mindset.

Examples of redefinition

connecting your students with other people around the world as part of the learning journey

having students publish their work online where it can be viewed by peers and the broader community

recording students as they deliver a presentation or practice a physical skill, then using this recording to prompt student reflection

experimenting with tasks that use extensive multimodal elements (e.g. producing documentaries or short films, webpages, print documents with creative layouts).

Remember, redefinition isn't the same as 'high tech'. A learning experience is redefined when it integrates technology seamlessly and meaningfully to open new doors for student learning - regardless of how sophisticated that technology might be.

In an English classroom, this might involve learning how to critically assess online media during web-based research. In mathematics, students might look at data represented through amazing visuals and get inspired to create their own.

Find your purpose

Starting with a purpose avoids the 'technology for technology's sake' that sometimes infiltrates the classroom.

Ask yourself:

What am I hoping to achieve by using this technology?

How will it make a difference to my students' learning?

Why is it preferable to not using technology?

How equipped are my students and I to use this technology?

How much time do I have to invest in making it work?

These simple questions can make it simpler to determine which stage of the SAMR model suits your needs. Remember that you don't always have to redefine your students' learning. A few simple technological additions to an already effective teaching strategy might be all you need to make a difference.

Using technology in the classroom sends a clear message to students. It shows them that you're connecting learning to the rapidly changing world outside the classroom walls, and you aren't afraid to adapt to a new challenge. Get creative with technology and you'll inspire as well as teach.

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The SAMR Model Explained (With 15 Practical Examples)

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What is the SAMR model and how does it apply to learning? Here's how you can harness each stage for more powerful classroom learning.

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Creating a Plan of Action for ELL Family Engagement

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The following strategies provide a roadmap for building family engagement among the families of English language learners (ELLs) in your school community. Supporting immigrant families For related ideas, see the following: A. What you need to know A good place to begin developing a new approach to family engagement is by soliciting ideas from the school's ELL community - they know what they need.

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I began my teaching career in 1997 as a mainstream, 3rd grade teacher at a suburban public school near Houston, Texas. Our school had one teacher designated to serve English language learners (ELLs) through a pull-out setting. I understood my job as teaching students the general education curriculum while she taught my ELLs the English language. I never knew exactly what my students did when they were with the ESL teacher; nor was I sure whether she knew what they were doing when they were with me.

Fast forward to the present and my current activities-working with teachers across the U.S. to strengthen their knowledge and skillset for serving students who are learning English as an additional language. From this vantage point, I can see that my early years as a teacher did not provide a great structure for teaching content or language and that all educators need to know how to serve all students.

The problem is that English learning specialists may be preaching to the choir. We gather on Facebook groups, Instagram, or on Twitter to share information with one another. But we need to spread this mission to our educator friends-those who may not see themselves as ELL specialists yet need to know more about teaching students who are learning English as an additional language. We have to become advocates for English language learners. Here's how:

Learn all that you can about the laws and policies concerning ELLs in your state.

How we serve English language learners is mandated by federal law. From that, states build their own laws and policies. Knowing these laws will help you to serve students and teachers. Educators need to understand these important considerations:

Attend meetings that involve English language learners.

While attending PLCs, RTI meetings, etc. use your knowledge about laws and policies regarding ELLs to advocate for students' rights. Be a voice for students during such meetings and share these rights with families of ELLs. One way to connect with ELLs families when there is a language barrier in the messages you send home is through Talking Points , a free app that translates messages into senders home languages.

Volunteer to present strategies that support ELLs.

English language learners spend most of their day in classrooms with mainstream teachers who may or may not be certified to teach ELLs. Either way, ongoing professional development on strategies that support language and content acquisition will help teachers understand how to leverage language to maximize academic growth. Ask your administrator if you can present at a professional learning meeting. Select research-based strategies that are powerful for all students but necessary for ELLs. Even if you share an article or facilitate a book study, your teachers will benefit.

Plan with grade-level teachers.

Regular grade-level planning is the best way to make an impact on instruction. You can support mainstream teachers on the spot with accommodations and scaffolds that meet the needs of their students. If weekly planning is not possible, try long-term planning on a monthly basis. Virtual planning also becomes a feasible option when meeting in real time is impossible. Some teachers use shared lesson-planning templates on Google Drive or other sharable platforms. Planning together is a great opportunity to sneak in small bits of professional learning, too. It can provide a casual space for educators to share teaching techniques that improve student achievement.

Seek professional learning opportunities within and outside your district.

Several years ago, I worked as a professional development specialist in a suburban district with a large ELLs population. We offered to send ESL and content teachers to a Title III symposium for two days to learn about research-based information that would help them serve English language learners. Many coteachers attended together and were able to build relationships while learning as a team. When we only train EL specialists on strategies, we limit the potential for their use and for student gains. , , , your local TESOL affiliate, and ASCD offer opportunities for in-person PD.

For no-cost, virtual PD, access these resources:

<LINK URL="https://sites.google.com/view/virtuel/home?authuser=0" LINKTARGET="_blank">VirtuEL</LINK> (a free, online conference for teachers of English language learners)

Podcasts (<LINK URL="https://anchor.fm/highest-aspirations" LINKTARGET="_blank">Highest Aspirations</LINK> by Ellevation or <LINK URL="http://voiced.ca/the-boosting-achievement-esl-podcast-with-carol-salva/" LINKTARGET="_blank">Boosting Achievement</LINK> with Carol Salva)

Twitter (EL leaders to follow: <LINK URL="http://www.twitter.com/LarryFerlazzo" LINKTARGET="_blank">@LarryFerlazzo</LINK>, <LINK URL="http://www.twitter.com/TanELLclassroom" LINKTARGET="_blank">@TanELLclassroom</LINK>, <LINK URL="http://www.twitter.com/emilyfranESL" LINKTARGET="_blank">@emilyfranESL</LINK>, <LINK URL="http://www.twitter.com/MsSalvac" LINKTARGET="_blank">@MsSalvac</LINK>, <LINK URL="http://www.twitter.com/Toppel_ELD" LINKTARGET="_blank">@Toppel_ELD</LINK>)

Online Book Studies like #ELLChat_BkClub (to learn more about this, visit <LINK URL="http://ellchatbkclub.blogspot.com" LINKTARGET="_blank">ellchatbkclub.blogspot.com</LINK>)

Facebook Groups such as Advocating for ELLs, Leading ELLs, Colorin Colorado's ELL Educator Group

Consider sending out an email regularly to spotlight an instructional method that supports ELLs. One colleague created a Padlet with resources (all tied to ELLs instruction) that he's curated. He shares this with content teachers in his district. Another ELL specialist creates a Smore page where she regularly highlights three instructional strategies that teachers can access in either 1, 5, or 15 minutes.

Build a team and momentum.

No matter your role, you can gather a team to support ELL students. Every educator (along with the parents) that works with the students on your campus is a part of their success. The team has a higher success rate when each member recognizes that we can't do it alone. A team can also provide the structure to make this work ongoing. What is regularly discussed and revisited is remembered. We have to bring ELLs and the instructional methods that are most powerful to the forefront, not just at the beginning of the school year and then again at testing season, but all throughout the year.

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Be an Advocate for English Language Learners

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I began my teaching career in 1997 as a mainstream, 3rd grade teacher at a suburban public school near Houston, Texas. Our school had one teacher designated to serve English language learners (ELLs) through a pull-out setting. I understood my job as teaching students the general education curriculum while she taught my ELLs the English language.

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These court cases and legal documents give the historical background for esl education. There is another link that has the time line for these events. Knowing the laws and history of ESL education help us to be better ESL teachers.

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These resources help explain different ESL programs and how ESL education can differ depending on what kind of program a child is in. Knowing different programs can help with ESl placement and can help us know which resources would be most helpful to implement for each student.

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The different language acquisition theories help us to implement instruction that will actually help students acquire language skills more efficiently. These theories are fundamental to understanding how students have different stages they go through when they are learning a new language.

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The structures of language can help us understand how to teach it. Using cognates, breaking down words, and understanding that elements such as syntax and phonology can vary depending on language. This can also help us teach language by understanding the base units of it.

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Language instruction methods have evolved over time and understanding how they have developed over time can help us take the pieces from each method that worked the best and incorporate them into our own instruction for ELs.

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There is a difference between hearing and speaking language. Both aspects of language need to be practiced so students are able to speak and understand the language they are trying to learn.

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This list of strategies for reading and writing is helpful for incorporating methods of teaching both concepts to ELs. I have also compiled more resources for reading and writing. There are also activities for Els to help with this development.

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One of the most important parts of teaching ESl is making sure that students know both academic and social english. They vary greatly and can make it difficult for students to understand what teachers or friends are saying and when to use what kind of language. Additionally, the social english or slang can vary depending on the region someone is from as well.

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Having multicultural influences in the classroom helps all students feel welcome and like they are part of the class culture that we develop as teachers. These resources highlight the importance of being culturally aware of students' backgrounds and family heritage.

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This resource details the tiers of words and how to best teach each one to ELs. Academic language also involves all the content area specific terminology and all the tiers of language instruction. The CALPS scale also details this academic language and the progression that ELs make through learning academic language.

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Just as teachers write content objectives, they also must align their lesson plans to language objectives. These resources talk about how to write these objectives, where we get them from, and how to align them with content area objectives to best support ELs.

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Since different countries teach math differently, and language can make understanding all content areas difficult, it is most beneficial to use modeling and picture scaffolding to support the teaching of new math concepts to ELs.

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This resource details supports that ELs can receive for learning science and how we can support them as teachers in the area of science best. Scaffolds are extremely important in this area of knowledge as well.

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A great way to teach social studies to ELs is through incorporating every student's culture into the class and allowing them to take part in acting out history or art based projects to help them embrace the events they are studying.

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Summative assessments measure what students have learned from a whole unit of studying or throughout a year. Students who have an L1 other than english may need additional supports when taking assessments. It is also important to make sure ELs are getting a valid assessment that is practical, ethical, and fair to them.

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Formative assessments cover only what students have learned in a short period of time and can still be adapted to meet students' proficiency level, but can also be used to show where students are at and how the teacher can better reach them or support their learning going forward.

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It is important to know that a suspected learning disability must be present in both the home language and english for there to be a referal to SPED placement. there are often many cases where students are falsely identified as needing special education Services or referred to be tested for a learning disability because people overlook this fact.

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EL students are often underrepresented in GT programs. As teachers we can take steps to push all students to grow and be there best no matter what their first language is. In order to do this, we must believe in our students and give them opportunities to demonstrate their giftedness.

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The SAMR model shows how we can successfully incorporate technology into student learning and adapt the curriculum in the most efficient way to facilitate learning.

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Families know the most about their students so it is important for us to be on the same team as them. We must show families that we care and that we are a resource for them. We have the ability to connect them to many resources and help their students reach their goals and highest potential.

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As teachers we are also advocates for our students. We have the voice to make sure they are seen, valued, and given the opportunities to do and be they're best. We should especially advocate for EL students because they are often overlooked and do not receive the support they deserve.