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Early language learners benefit from rich tasks that provide them with ample opportunities to hear, see, use and manipulate language in contextualised, purposeful ways. In the traditional Language Experience Approach (LEA) teachers use a shared experience - often involving photographs/images of that experience - as a prompt to collectively write a text with the learners. This text - often a series of photographs/images with captions - becomes a text that the group reads, re-reads, revises and extends. In the process, the teacher can draw learners' attention to phonetic and semantic patterns in the co-constructed text.

Therefore, the language experience approach (LEA) is a whole language approach that promotes reading and writing through the use of personal experiences and oral language. It effectively helps develop learners' print awareness, since learners see the direct connection between images and words. It effectively connects known vocabulary and new vocabulary with print words, since the experience and image(s) correlate with words in the written caption(s). It helps teachers explain sentence structure as the image(s) can help the teacher unpack the logical structure of the sentence. It effectively scaffolds a written text by using images to sequence a text, including personal narrative, procedures, explanations and more. LEA also enhances reading comprehension and fluency, since the reading material is based on the learner's funds of knowledge (Gonzales, Moll & Amanti, 2006). And there are avenues to extend the experience by incorporating further reading, writing and learning tasks ( see below).

The video to the left/above provides a general overview of the LEA within an adult ESL context; whereas the videos to the lower right provide an example of the LEA approach as part of an integrated unit. In this latter case, multiple learnings are achieved when the language experience approach is based around a humble kitchen garden project for newly arrived refugee children at a primary school in an urban Australian community. The project illustrates the potential for deep learning when the learning develops from authentic, engaging experiences. The latter example is a much more involved application of the LEA, so it is important to note that the LEA can be completed in a single lesson rather than as a unit. The LEA is also suitable for both younger learners as well as adults.

In the videos, you should notice how language is reinforced through practical activity. It is also apparent that language should be reinforced with the help of visual aids in the classroom, and these visual aids also support student get their ideas onto the page.

The Language Experience Approach emphasises language learning through carefully scaffolded and reinforced language in context and through activity. Teachers and learners diligently document the experience, so the experience can be revisited and developed through further reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and representing in the classroom.

The following are a number of questions to consider when building language and literacy through authentic, mutual practices. These initial questions illustrate the significance of a number of essential practices in the LEA, such as scaffolded talk, documenting the experience, revisiting the experience in the classroom, pulling out rich vocabulary, expanding the experience through writing, and using the experience for further comprehension and [content] learning. In this system, the teacher must be adept at orchestrating, sequencing and extending a variety practices (often within a tight timetable).

Before and During the Experience

1. What is the experience? Is this an actual or virtual experience?

2. How is joint attention achieved and how is language being scaffolded?

3. How is vocabulary emphasised/reinforced/introduced/recorded during the experience

4. How is the experience being documented (digital cameras, information scaffolds, graphic organisers, scaffolded questions, etc)?

5. How do the instructional conversations that take place throughout the experience build a common discourse and assist learning?

After the Experience

1. Are word walls / glossaries / semantic maps / flow charts / storyboards developed from the experience? Are they prominent, accessible and rigorous?

2. How is the documentation used to help the class jointly and/or individually re-construct the experience? Is the sentence cycle used to generate rich, juicy sentences?

3. How is the joint construction phase used to refresh people's memory and knowledge of events?

4. Can the newly constructed text(s) be used as "familiar text(s)" that can be re-read as fluency practice?

5. Has the teacher selected a portion of words to use for further word study?

Extending the Experience

Can you link new readings to the shared experience? For instance, now that we have explored the world of the garden, can we explore:

poetry about gardens or which use gardens as a motif;

procedural/information texts about gardening;

stories and/or picture books which takes place in a garden; and

news articles about community gardens?

1. Can the writing be extended to the inclusion of the writing of recognised genres related to the experience? (procedural texts, brochures, etc)

2. How have non-verbal knowledge, expertise and attitudes been fostered through the activity?

Further Reading

Au, K. H. (1979). Using the Experience-Text Relationship Method with Minority Children. The Reading Teacher, (March), 677-679.

González, N., Moll, L. C., & Amanti, C. (Eds.). (2006). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Routledge.

Labbo, L. D., Eakle, A. J., & Montego, M. K. (2002). Digital Language Experience Approach: Using Digital Photographs and Software as a Language Experience Approach Innovation. Reading Online, 5(8), 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/labbo2/

Landis, D., Umolo, J., & Mancha, S. (2010). The power of language experience for cross-cultural reading and writing. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 580-589.

Mustafa, M. (2008). Exceeding the standards: a strategic approach to linking state standards to best practices in reading and writing instruction. New York: Scholastic.
(Click here for a list of recommended readings.)
Nestle, D. D., & Dixon, C. N. (2008). Using the language experience approach with English language learners: Strategies for engaging students and developing literacy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Burr, A. J. (2002). Language Experience Approach Revisited: The Use of Personal Narratives in Adult L2 Literacy Instruction. The Reading Matrix, 2(1), 1-8. Retrieved from http://www.readingmatrix.com/articles/wurr/?collection=col10460/1.

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Using the Language Experience Approach - The Literacy Bug

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Early language learners benefit from rich tasks that provide them with ample opportunities to hear, see, use and manipulate language in contextualised, purposeful ways. In the traditional Language Experience Approach (LEA) teachers use a shared experience - often involving photographs/images of that experience - as a prompt to collectively write a text with the learners.

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"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen."
John Steinbeck, US novelist (1902 - 1968)

Background

When I mentored student teachers I told them, "If I could offer one piece of advice for every teacher - it would be to do think-pair-shares in the class every day." The think-pair-share is a very simple, yet effective technique that allows ELL students time to process their thoughts - often in two languages - which takes more time.

To understand how this works, imagine you are an ELL student and the teacher has just asked the class a question such as, "Why did the ancient Egyptians create pyramids?" Immediately students around the room shoot up their hands and offer answers. As an ELL student, you are still searching your memory banks to translate the words "ancient" and "pyramids." You've finally got the meaning, now you are thinking about the possible answers - again searching your memory for what you've learned in class and read in the textbook. You think you have a viable answer, but you're not sure if it's right or exactly how to say it, and if you make a mistake others might laugh at you.

At this point you may decide to offer an answer, but the teacher has already moved on and asked two new questions. The average wait time for teacher questions is one second! For an ELL student it may become a habit to sit back and listen while others engage in class discussion. While listening to the discussion, the ELL student may or may not understand what is said, and the teacher may be hesitant to call on the student in order to avoid embarrassment.

Steps of a Think-Pair-Share

This kind of situation, where both the student and teacher are hesitating to increase interaction, is the reason why think-pair-share is so effective!

In a think-pair-share, students are given think time to reflect on a question silently, so that they have more time to process the question, the language, or think of the language needed to convey the answer. By then discussing their answer with a partner and the class, students have the opportunity for increased interaction, and teachers can monitor comprehension. In order to use this activity, follow these steps:

1. Ask a thought-provoking question of your class.

2. Give students some time to think about the question on their own, as well as the language they will need to respond.

3. Have students share their thoughts with a partner; this gives the students the opportunity to 'check out' their answer with another student or hear another possible answer. If confused, the students can ask their peers for help.

4. Finally, ask students to share thoughts with the whole group, which serves as a form of accountability for the students. In this discussion/explanation, the teacher gets feedback on what the students do or don't know though informal assessment.

In the example given above, the teacher asks the class,
"Why did the ancient Egyptians create pyramids? Let's do a "think-pair-share." Everyone take a moment and think about the question."
The room is silent for a minute while everyone reflects. At this time the ELL students may be putting together language and content concepts. Next the teacher instructs the students,
"Now turn to the person next to you and tell them what you are thinking."
The ELL student has an opportunity to offer his/her idea in a relatively comfortable setting - perhaps with grammatical errors - or to get more information from his/her partner. This can reinforce the student's confidence in his/her thinking and provide modeling for how to say the idea correctly in English. The teacher lets students share for a couple of minutes and then brings their attention back.
"Okay, I heard lots of good ideas. Who would like to share what you talked about?"
At this point, when students offer an answer, they have had some time to work with the concepts and also may feel that they are not offering the idea "on their own" but as part of a pair, which may not seem so intimidating.

Benefits

A benefit of the think-pair-share is that the teacher has an opportunity to hear from many students - including the "quiet" ones. I have seen some of my shyest students offer wonderful answers after they had an opportunity to do a think-pair-share. It also gives the teacher the opportunity to observe all the students as they interact in pairs and get an idea of whether all students understand the content or if there are areas that need to be reviewed.

Circle Chat

A "circle chat" is another activity for student-to-student interaction that is a little more involved, but always fun and informative. In this activity every student speaks with a variety of partners, which allows for greater exposure to other thoughts and students. I have often used this as a pre-writing exercise to really get my students' imaginations going. Here is a step-by-step guide to the activity. It may be a bit confusing the first time you try it, but once the students get the hang of it, you'll be able to start it easily. For younger students the teacher may want to ask simple questions and make the discussion time much shorter.

1. Clear a space in the room large enough for all the students to stand together in two concentric circles.

2. Take the total number of students in the room and divide it by half. This is the number of students you will call forward. Let's say in this example it is 10 students.

3. The 10 students stand in a circle.

4. Call the next 10 students to come forward and form a circle around the first circle of students.

5. Tell the students in the inside circle to turn around and face their new partner in the outside circle. Everyone should have a partner. (If there is an odd number of students the teacher may form one group with three students).

6. The students will have two minutes to talk to their partners about the question they are asked. The teacher will want to use a bell or another sign to get the students' attention when the two minutes are up.

7. At the two minute signal, the teacher asks student in the outside circle (make sure students understand that only the "outside" circle moves) to take one step to the left. Now each student has a new partner to talk to.

8. Continue this process - asking a new question each time new pairs are formed - until the students have worked their way around the circle.

This activity is quite noisy and usually generates energy and laughter. For some pairs - quieter students, emerging English speakers, or those without much to share on the question - the conversation may be short and teachers may observe them standing quietly waiting for the bell to signal a change to a new partner. This is okay, because new partners and new questions bring new opportunities to interact. Teachers may also enjoy circulating among pairs as they talk in order to hear what great ideas students are sharing.

Conclusion

Creating an interactive classroom environment is very important to the success of ELL students. Just as it would be difficult to become a good piano player by listening to someone play, with no opportunity of your own to practice, ELL students need more opportunities to practice language skills in an academic environment in order to become more successful students. When teachers create a variety of opportunities for students to interact and use English, language and content learning is accelerated.
Icebreakers for Students
On About.com's Secondary Education website, you can find many icebreaker ideas for starting the school year and new classes. Many activities can be used for the elementary level, as well.
National Geographic Photography
This site offers many intriguing photos, including a photo of the day, news photos, photo gallery, and short video clips. These can be useful for supporting content instruction, fostering dialogue with emerging English speakers, and creating writing prompts.
Interactive Classroom Activities
Provides ideas for a variety of interactive student activities, such as information gap, ordering and sorting, problem-solving, and conversation grids.

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Increase Student Interaction with "Think-Pair-Shares" and "Circle Chats"

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"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen." John Steinbeck, US novelist (1902 - 1968) When I mentored student teachers I told them, "If I could offer one piece of advice for every teacher - it would be to do think-pair-shares in the class every day."

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Language Arts

This planning checklist for a choral reading lesson uses the poem "One Sister for Sale" by Shel Silverstein. See example ›

This PDF includes dozens of poems for shared, choral, paired, and echo reading. See example ›

The website below offers teachers several poetry options conducive to the Choral Reading strategy along with some interesting tips on reading and language development. See example ›

The example of choral reading found on this site uses the children's book James and the Giant Peach. See example ›

Science

This lesson plan includes examples of choral reading activities that correspond to introductory science concepts. See example ›

Social Studies

This website includes a script for the choral reading of the children's book Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain. See example ›

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Choral reading is reading aloud in unison with a whole class or group of students. Choral reading helps build students' fluency, self-confidence, and motivation. Because students are reading aloud together, students who may ordinarily feel self-conscious or nervous about reading aloud have built-in support.

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Listening is a key component of learning English. A good piece of audio may increase student motivation as students will want to listen and follow along with the story. Listening activities help your students improve pronunciation, comprehension, and build vocabulary. No matter the level of English language proficiency, podcasts can be instrumental in supporting language learning. Podcasts can provide English Language Learners (ELLs) the opportunity to listen to authentic conversational.

Explore ideas for integrating audio into the classroom as well as some effective strategies from our SOS Instructional Strategies collection.
Note: The links below require a Discovery Education login. Please log in in a separate tab before clicking on any links.
Planning

It is important to preview the audio and plan for the language and content support ELLs might need. For example, a warm-up activity to the audio giving students a hint about what they are going to hear. Also, you should identify the complexity of the language in the audio and determine how appropriate the clip is to students based on their level of English language proficiency.

Vocabulary Development

It is important to pre-teach social and academic vocabulary students will need for interaction with the media and the associated tasks. Read My Mind encourages students to build a robust vocabulary through participation in a fun and engaging game, and it helps students focus on key words within the context of instructional media. This strategy stretches students to develop their vocabulary and, in turn, boost both their comprehension and communication skills. The level of competition can be dialed up or down, as appropriate for student learning. Video | PDF

Concept Circles is a strategy used to help students analyze the relationships between content words by using a circle organizer to determine the concept of study. Students identify and discuss vocabulary and its relationship to content and then represent their analysis in the organizer. Video | PDF | Graphic Organizer

Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt is a teaching strategy that introduces students to vocabulary related to a particular topic. Based on pre-selected words, students will clap during various activities whenever they hear any of the new vocabulary. Video | PDF

Use video clips and images to help students understand key academic vocabulary that students will encounter in the audiobook or podcast. Vocabulary Quadrants is a teaching strategy that follows Frayer's model for vocabulary acquisition and requires students to consider one word in several different areas. By completing a vocabulary map, students become familiar various angles of new vocabulary. Video | PDF | Graphic Organizer

Preview the audio, noting tier one, tier two, and tier three vocabulary words your ELLs will need to know to support their comprehension of the important content within the audio. Play the audio segment for your students from beginning to end. Then, play a second time, pausing when students encounter the notable vocabulary.

Background Knowledge

It is important, during planning, to identify any background knowledge that may need to be developed to support ELLs. By doing this, you can personalize learning by assigning students different pieces audio of based on their levels of English proficiency.

You can also introduce the audio piece by providing a brief description of the story or content prior to the student engaging with the audio. Pairing audio with a video related to the topic prior to listening to the audio is a popular strategy with Discovery Education resources.

Comprehension

In order to scaffold learning and support comprehension, provide ELLs with graphic organizers that will allow them make meaning of the audio.

When available, use the transcript to the audiobooks/podcast to allow ELLs to read along. This increases student's ability to comprehend the content as they can listen to the story and see the words at the same time.

Chunk the content of the audio by stopping and allowing students to discuss with a partner or small group what they have heard and learned. When combined with a strategy like Make It Concrete where students view a piece of media and create an image to represent the content and information they learned from the media, they have a creative way to take notes and process their learning. Video | PDF

It is considered best practice to have the students listen to same piece of audio twice. The first time they can listen to understand language structures and function and key vocabulary of the story. For example, how to use a word in a sentence, how the reader's tone of voice changes or looking up the words they do not know. The second time they can listen to the audio to learn the content by focusing on an essential question.

Pause the audio at strategic points to check for understanding. The Pick a Card strategy involves students as active participants in group discussion. The teacher uses prepared question cards and encourages students to discuss content, using evidence from the media to back up their claims and opinions. Video | PDF

Whenever combining audio and strategies, it is important to provide native language support as much as possible.

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Using Audio with English Language Learners

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Listening is a key component of learning English. A good piece of audio may increase student motivation as students will want to listen and follow along with the story. Listening activities help yo...

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Literature circles are group meetings in which students get together to read, recollect, reflect, and analyze the assigned reading/book. This concept works like a Book Club, in which people meet to discuss the book they have read, reflect on the themes, characters or plot, analyze them, and give their opinion based on their personal experiences (Harvey & Goudvis, 2000).

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Total Physical Response (TPR) is a method of teaching language or vocabulary concepts by using physical movement to react to verbal input. The process mimics the way that infants learn their first language, and it reduces student inhibitions and lowers stress.

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Understanding Book Format using Textbooks

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Understanding Book Format using Textbooks

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Knowing how to navigate a textbook effectively is an important part of a student's ability to access new content. Conversely, being unable to read and use a textbook is a major obstacle for students when presented with new material and concepts across the curriculum, especially if a class calls for extended independent reading and review of the textbook.

For English language learners (ELLs), learning how to use a textbook can be a powerful tool in increasing their comprehension of material in all of their academic work and particularly in the content areas. While it may seem to be a basic skill, ELLs may be students with:

no formal educational experience

extensive schooling in a different country

long-term experience in the U.S. system for many years but with limited exposure to a mainstream curriculum.

In each of these cases, it is quite possible that the students don't have experience with the kinds of textbooks they will be using in a U.S. classroom, or that they haven't learned how use textbooks as a toold to support their learning.

The good news is that many textbooks - especially those designed for ELLs or struggling readers - contain elements that can be used to help preview new material before starting a lesson. Once students learn what these elements are and how they can be used, students can begin to preview content and build background knowledge independently in their classes on a regular basis.

In order to help you get started building this skill, this article offers some strategies for teaching the parts of a textbook, the organization of a chapter within a textbook, as well as a strategy for previewing content with a "chapter walk."

Part I: Teach students textbook and chapter elements

Textbooks

At the beginning of the school year, introduce students to the elements of their textbooks and how they can be used, such as:

Show students examples of these elements in their own books, and ask them questions that check their comprehension of the differences between these tools, such as:

"I want to know which chapter is about whales. Where should I look for that information?"

"I want to learn about killer whales. How can I find the right page number for that information?"

"I want to know what 'spout' means. Where can I find that definition?"

In addition, be sure to point out the specific features of textbooks that your students are using (a bilingual glossary, for example), as well as content-related tools (the Periodic Table of Elements in a chemistry textbook). Provide students with examples of the ways those tools can be used.

Each time students begin using a new textbook, review the elements they have already learned and point out any different features or elements of the new book. You may wish to use an activity to review the different parts they have learned such as the worksheets in the Hotlinks.

Chapters

Once students have mastered the main parts of a textbook, they are ready to move on to the parts of the chapter that will aid their informational reading, such as:

Titles

Chapter objectives

Headings and subheadings

Vocabulary lists

Bold print (key vocabulary in context)

Captions

Side bars

Maps

Graphs (Circle, pie, bar, picto-gram, etc.)

Pictures

Bullets

Review questions

Quizzes

Show students examples of these elements and talk about their function. What is the difference between a graph and a picture? What is the difference between a bullet point and a bold heading? Help students understand how these elements are used to organize text and to highlight important information. One way to do so is by providing a blank outline that students can fill in with key headings and topics.

Review these elements before each chapter, and be sure to point out these elements in other expository texts, assessments, or articles that students encounter.

Part II: Use a "chapter walk"

Now that students know the basics, they can begin to preview content more and more independently as the school year progresses by using a "chapter walk."

Step 1: Have students look for:

the objectives of the chapter

key vocabulary

visual elements (pictures, maps, diagrams, and graphs)

headings and subheadings

captions.

Step 2: Based on what they find, ask students to predict what the chapter will be about.

Step 3: Guide students to some key concepts and vocabulary words by asking questions about their predictions (see example below).

Step 4: Ask students to share what they know about the chapter topics.

Step 5: As students get more practice with this technique, ask them to use the review questions at the end of the chapter to help them predict what they will learn before they begin to read.

An activity like this may take some time at first because it's time-consuming to teach. If you use it with regularity, however, it will become easier and quicker, and students will be able to do this on their own at the beginning of a new chapter.

As you move through these activities on a regular basis, students will become more confident with their ability to find information independently. Help student understand that this is a skill that they can use in all of their classes and that it will be very helpful to them throughout their academic career, especially as they get to more difficult courses and more difficult textbooks. They will appreciate the tools and skills you are giving them to learn and succeed!

Hot links
Teach-nology.com: Using Parts of a Book (worksheets)
These activities focus on the parts of a book such as the Table of Contents and Index.
Parts of a Book (Riddles)
These riddles from TeacherVision.com offer a good review for ELLs just learning new vocabulary words related to books.
Text Features: Non-Fiction Printed Page vs. Website Format
This chart from ReadWriteThink.org gives students a reference for comparing non-fiction textbook or printed material to website content features.
Expository Text Structures and Signal Words
This document originally posted by U-46 School District in Elgin, Illinois provides an overview of five expository text structures, associated signal words, and related graphic organizers.
Text-Mapping Project
Step-by-step lesson plan on how to map text with students.

Video: Chapter Walk with Me!

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Teaching ELLs to Navigate Textbooks Effectively

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Knowing how to navigate a textbook effectively is an important part of a student's ability to access new content. Conversely, being unable to read and use a textbook is a major obstacle for students when presented with new material and concepts across the curriculum, especially if a class calls for extended independent reading and review of the textbook.

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Conferencing is crucial for young writers, but there's only one teacher. Here's how to model peer conferences to help kids improve their writing skills.

In " Peer Conferences Keep the Writing Momentum Going, " Lynne R. Dorfman writes about the crucial role of continuous feedback during the writing process. While teacher-student writing conferences are valuable, there's a bottleneck issue: There is only one teacher, and often dozens of peers.

Dorfman says peer-to-peer conferences are a natural way to supplement teacher-led conferencing, but they have other benefits as well: peer-to-peer feedback exposes students to the struggles of other young writers and allows them to practice the "nomenclature of writers." Peers have "similar life experiences" and a common frame of reference, and students are more inclined to listen to constructive criticism from their peers because the power dynamic of their relationship is different than that of teacher-student.

Dorfman models conferencing before turning the process over to students to try independently. "Sometimes, I create brief video clips of successful conferences to share with small groups or even whole group during instructional time," she says. And she cautions that the goal of this collaborative process is not to create a litany of problems and fixes, but to help students "generate ideas, craft or process rather than corrections." Dorfman suggests several techniques for student conferences:

Ear Conference: In an ear conference, students sit side-by-side rather than face-to-face and listen to a reading of their work, or a portion of it. Without the distraction of looking at the written words, students are able to focus on the flow of the writing and offer critiques of the overall structure of a piece. They offer feedback to each other after hearing the work.

Praise/Question/Polish: This type of conference may be done in a large group or in pairs. Students offer specific praise of the writing, and then identify any holes or questions they have about the piece. Finally, students offer "one key suggestion to improve the piece." This quick strategy allows students to improve their writing while developing strong evaluative and assessment abilities.

Read-Retell-Respond: Students are divided into groups of three, and one student reads his writing to the group. A second student is tasked with providing a summary of what she heard. The writer may offer clarification or additional information in response, if needed. The third student gives specific praise of the work. The roles rotate until each student has had an opportunity to receive feedback on their work.

Whatever the format, encouraging collaboration, checking in, and remodeling your chosen process to keep everyone on track is key. Dorfman advises offering prompts students might use in the conversations, such as "Tell me more." Give students autonomy to decide when and how to confer with a fellow student, and encourage active listening and positive feedback.

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Leveraging Peer Power to Improve Writing

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Conferencing is crucial for young writers, but there's only one teacher. Here's how to model peer conferences to help kids improve their writing skills.

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Reading Comprehension Strategies for English Language Learners

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Note: This article originally appeared in ASCD Express: Vol. 5, Issue 11, “Reading to Learn.” Comprehension is the reason for reading, but it can be the most difficult skill to master — especially for English language learners (ELLs). ELLs often have problems learning science, math, or social studies concepts, for example, because they cannot comprehend the textbooks for these subjects.ELLs at all levels of English proficiency and literacy development will benefit from improved comprehension skills, which allow them to:read more accuratelyfollow a text or story more closelyidentify important events and concepts in a textmaster new concepts in their content-area classescomplete assignments and assessmentsfeel motivated to read in school and for pleasureThere are a number of ways to build ELLs’ comprehension skills. Often standard strategies that are used in mainstream classrooms are a good starting point — they just need to be tweaked with ELLs’ language and academic needs in mind! This article focuses on strategies that are part of three main approaches: building background knowledge, teaching vocabulary explicitly, and checking comprehension frequently.I. Build background knowledgeDraw on students’ existing knowledgeStudents may already possess content knowledge that they cannot yet demonstrate in English. Look for opportunities to make associations between students’ experiences and new content. Allow students to use their native language with peers for a quick brainstorm about what they know about a topic before presenting their ideas to the whole class.Related Videos Video bonus: See classroom videos and interviews about reading comprehension in our related resource section and classroom video library!Build students’ background knowledgeStudents with limited or interrupted schooling may not have that same level of knowledge as their peers, especially when it comes to historical or cultural topics. When starting a new lesson, look for references that may need to be explicitly explained.Take students on a “tour of the text”At the beginning of the year and each time you hand out a new textbook, take students on a “virtual tour.” Show them different elements of the text, such as the table of contents and the glossary, and discuss how these sections can be helpful. Explain how the text is organized, pointing out bold print, chapter headings, and chapter summaries. Once students learn how to recognize these elements, they will be able to preview the text independently. Remember that students need to know how to use a tool in order for it to be useful. Learn more about this strategy in Teaching ELLs to Navigate Textbooks Effectively.Use a “picture-walk”This strategy can be used for fiction or non-fiction books. “Walk through” the book with the students, pointing out pictures, illustrations, and other graphic elements. Ask them what they notice about the pictures and how they think those details may be related to the story or content.Use outlines to scaffold comprehensionProvide a brief, simple outline of a reading assignment or an oral discussion in advance of a new lesson. This will help ELLs pick out the important information as they listen or read.II. Teach vocabulary explicitlyFocus on key vocabularyChoose vocabulary that your students need to know in order to support their reading development and content-area learning. Provide student-friendly definitions for key vocabulary.Include signal and directional wordsRemember that students may also need explicit instruction in signal or directional words (“because” and “explain”), in addition to key content vocabulary (“photosynthesis” and “revolution”).Use a “picture-walk” for vocabularyOnce students know a new word’s definition, ask them connect those new words to the pictures they see in the text.Teach students to actively engage with vocabularyTeach students to underline, highlight, make notes, and list unknown vocabulary words as they read.Give student practice with new wordsEnsure that your students can:Define a wordRecognize when to use that wordUnderstand multiple meanings (such as the word “party”)Decode and spell that wordIncorporate new words into discussions and activitiesFor students to really know a word, they must use it — or they will lose it. Use new words in class discussions or outside of class in other contexts if appropriate, such as on field trips. Give the students as many opportunities to use and master the new vocabulary as possible.III. Check comprehension frequentlyUse informal comprehension checksTo test students’ ability to sequence material, for example, print sentences from a section of the text on paper strips, mix the strips, and have students put them in order.Test comprehension with student-friendly questionsAfter reading, test students’ comprehension with carefully crafted questions, using simple sentences and key vocabulary from the text. These questions can be at the:Literal level (Why do the leaves turn red and yellow in the fall?)Interpretive level (Why do you think it needs water?)Applied level (How much water are you going to give it? Why?)No matter what the proficiency level of the student, ask questions that require higher-level thinkingTo probe for true comprehension, ask questions that require students to analyze, interpret, or explain what they have read, such as:What ideas can you add to…?Do you agree? Why or why not?What might happen if…?How do you think she felt…?Use graphic organizersGraphic organizers allow ELLs to organize information and ideas efficiently without using a lot of language. Different types include Venn diagrams, K-W-L charts, story maps, cause-and-effect charts, and timelines.Provide students lots of different ways to “show what they know”Drawings, graphs, oral interviews, posters, and portfolios are just a few ways that students can demonstrate understanding as they are beginning to develop their reading and writing skills in English.SummarizeAsk students to use the following strategies to summarize what they have read (orally or in writing):Retell what you read, but keep it short.Include only important information.Leave out less important details.Use key words from the text.It may be challenging to get ELLs’ comprehension skills where you want them to be, but the extra effort it takes will be well worth it as you put them on the path to becoming successful readers.

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Word sorts are one way to help students learn spelling patterns and how to pronounce new vocabulary words. Students are able to focus on two or three patterns instead of trying to memorize a list of words. They are then better able to apply those spelling patterns to new words that follow a similar pattern. Students are also able to practice the correct pronunciation of words. Here are some ways to set up word sorts with ELLs.

Small-Group

The small group might be a word study group, where all of the students are at the same developmental spelling level. It could also be a guided reading group where you are including a word study component. It is especially helpful in guided reading groups to include word study activities that go along with words students will be reading in their book.

Whole Group

Using word study activities in a whole class setting is one way to expose all students to grade-level vocabulary. Not all students will end up spelling all of the word patterns they learn correctly. Exposing students to grade level word patterns will help students as they are reading and spelling. In a whole group setting, the teacher can provide a high level of support. The class can assist in sorting words.

Vocabulary Development

Matching pictures with words is one of the easiest ways to increase ELLs understanding of the words used in a sort. You can use pictures as you introduce the sort and then switch to words. Have students match the pictures and words as they are sorting, or have them use cards that have both the picture and the words together. It will depend on the level of the students, and what word sort they are completing, for how the word sort is set up.

Phonemic Awareness

Word study activities are one way to incorporate phonemic awareness into activities for older students. Pictures and sound sorts are two ways that require students to listen to the sounds in a word instead of looking at how the word is spelled.

Pronunciation

Especially for older students learning English, how to pronounce new vocabulary words can be challenging. One way to help students practice this skill is through sound sorts. Students can sort words based on how they are pronounced. This will also give them additional practice identifying new words. For example, have students sort the sounds of /ed/ a the end of words or voiced and unvoiced /th/ words.

Phonics

Word sorts allow students to learn about phonics concepts and apply those concepts to new groups of words. Instead of trying to memorize new phonics concepts, students are better able to conceptualize them when they are using word sorts. Word sorts are a type of puzzle, which makes them naturally engaging for children.

Learn more about sorting with ELLs

Word sorts are one way to use sorting activities with English Language Learners. There are many other ways to use the strategy of sorting with ELLs.

Word Study Resources

This set of word sorting and writing pages is a simple way to support ELLs with word study. All of the word sorts will have picture cards. There are three levels of word sorts. Set one has pictures, set two has pictures and words, and set three is only words. Many of the word sorts now come with a digital version.

Words Their Way for ELLs - An overview of using word sorts with ELLs along with specific strategies to support ELLs.

Words Their Way Word Sorts - Starting at the Letter Name level some of the sorts do not have pictures. As you introduce the sorts consider adding in the picture and/or explaining the meaning of new vocabulary words to ELLs.

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Word Sorts with ELLs - A World of Language Learners

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Word sorts are a great way to help students understand the spelling patterns of words. There are many ways to use word sorts...

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Word banks are a great way to teach sight words, especially for ELLs who are also working on building English vocabulary, and there are lots of ways to use word banks that are really fun for kids.

A word bank is a child's individual collection of known words, written on small cards and kept together in a bag or envelope so that the child can read them and play with them regularly. To collect word bank words, choose 6-10 words from each book a child reads and print them neatly on small cards. The words can represent the specific phonics features the child is studying, or they can be high frequency words, such as "what" or "then." The word cards for each book can be kept in a pocket that has been glued to the inside cover of the book so that the same cards can be used again and again with different children.

After a child has read the book at least two or three times, take out the word cards and see which ones the child can read automatically, that is, without having to spend time decoding. For each word that is read automatically, make a new word card, and add it to the child's personal word bank. As new books are read, repeat the process, adding new words to the word bank.

The word bank then becomes a source for familiar words that can be used in a variety of ways:

Play Concentration - make a duplicate set of cards. Take turns turning cards up two at a time to find matches.

Play Bingo - make cards with selected words from the word bank in the boxes. Call out words, and as each is read, have the child cover it with a token. Then switch places, and have the child call out the words as you cover them.

Play Pick-Up - lay out 6-10 words from the word bank. Have the child pick up the words you name or describe. For example, "Pick up the words that rhyme with 'bat.'" or "Pick up the words that start like 'top.'"

Do Word Sorts - find words in the child's word bank that have something in common, either related to meaning or to word features. Take out two or three groups of such words, and have the child sort them. For example, have the child sort words that refer to animals as compared to words that refer to plants, or words that start like "which" as compared to words that start like "that."

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What are some fun ways to teach sight words to K-2 ELLs?

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Word banks are a great way to teach sight words, especially for ELLs who are also working on building English vocabulary, and there are lots of ways to use word banks that are really fun for kids.

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We're in the dog days of summer. Not many questions coming in right now - normal for periods when schools aren't in session. But the following query came to me this week from Ireland via Twitter.
Teacher question: Any link to how the Repeated Reading strategy works? How long text can be repeated, how long can text be, depends on accuracy? Shanahan's response:
This is such a basic question that I was gobsmacked by it. These are just the kinds of queries that I love to respond to on this site: Topics that many teachers assume they know about, but that often turn out to be full of surprises.

The idea of repeated reading emerged in the late 1970s ... as a result of the writings of S. Jay Samuels (1979) and Carol Chomsky (1978). They found, in separate studies, that engaging kids in repeatedly reading texts aloud improved reading ability. It was kind of a no-brainer that such approaches were beneficial by the time the National Reading Panel (NICHD, 2000) concluded that they were (that portion of the report was written by Jay Samuels and me - and even he was a bit taken aback by how that work had proceeded since when he'd first written about it).

Multitasking is essential to good reading.

Scientific studies (e.g., LaBerge & Samuels, 1976) revealed the importance of "automaticity" to reading. Readers have to be able to decode without thinking about decoding. We only have so much thinking space available. The more cognitive space devoted to figuring out words, the less available to grasp the text's meaning.

Samuel's idea of repeated reading was that it could help readers to gain automaticity. He thought it would help readers to master the art of reading words accurately and with sufficient speed.

When children are learning to read, they initially struggle to read words accurately. That is very common in Grade 1. These students then often gain mastery over accuracy at the expense of speed - such accurate but slow reading tends to emerge in Grade 2 (Morris, 1999). Samuels' goal was to build accuracy and speed to a point where comprehension would be possible. The more efficient the reading of the words, the more that readers' attention could be turned to meaning.

Carol Chomsky (1978) had a similar notion of the problem. She thought there was a subgroup of poor readers who "knew" phonics - that is, they knew the letters and sounds and could decode words reasonably well. However, these strugglers couldn't apply these skills fluently during the reading of a text.

Chomsky believed that this special group of readers might benefit from reading texts aloud repeatedly since it would give them essential practice in applying those known skills.

Samuels and Chomsky both reported research studies that had positive results, as have many other researchers since that time.

What specifically is "Repeated Reading?"

Repeated Reading is a particular method proposed by S. Jay Samuels to develop decoding automaticity with struggling readers. In this approach, students are asked to read aloud short text passages (50-200 words) until they reach a criterion level of success (particular speed and accuracy goals).

However, research shows there are many ways that teachers can successfully exploit the idea of repeated oral reading, so I'll talk about "repeated reading" here (rather than Repeated Reading).

What are some of those other ways of doing repeated reading?

In Chomsky's scheme, the kids listened to audiotapes of a text and then worked on making their own tapes - trying to match the quality of the originals. Reading while listening or echo reading works too, as does Radio Reading (in which kids work with scripts - making the oral reading purposeful), and Neurological Impress (don't ask).

All of these schemes include oral reading. They also all include reading the texts multiple times (either to a particular quality criterion, such as a particular number of words correct per minute - or a set number of repetitions, usually 3).

What's the goal of such instruction, to get kids to read fast?

No, the goal is to get students to read the author's words accurately, to read texts at about the speed of oral language, and to make this reading sound like language (pausing in the right places so that ithe text makes sense).

What is the outcome of such practice?

Repeated reading usually leads to better reading performance. The biggest payoffs tend to be with word reading, but it also has been found to improve oral reading fluency and reading comprehension (the most frequently reported area of improvement). This comprehension finding surprised Jay Samuels. Remember the comprehension impact should be indirect - through word reading improvement. He was shocked that so many researchers failed to include word reading measures in their studies, even though they always tested reading comprehension. There was a very good chance that such studies would have found no differences in comprehension and would have, therefore, concluded that repeated reading didn't work. Fortunately, the comprehension payoffs were large enough and consistent enough that it didn't turn out to be a problem.

Were there special kids who needed repeated reading?

The research suggests that part of Chomsky's theory was wrong. Studies of repeated reading sometimes aimed at these special "average phonics skills but low reading" kids, and other times they just focused on all readers in regular classrooms. The results were exactly the same: repeated reading improved reading ability across the board.

How many re-readings should kids be doing?

The research suggests that three readings should be sufficient so I would limit it to that. Three readings and it is time to move on to another text.

How long should the passages be?

Samuels used passages of 50-200 words; with the shorter texts used with the students with the lowest reading abilities. That makes sense to me. In classroom reading practice, that would be like a page or two in a primary grade reader. It is important to keep the texts brief for this work so that when students reread, memory becomes a useful scaffold. The longer the text, the harder to carry over what was figured out on the first reading. (Joe Torgesen has emphasized the importance of using texts that share a lot of vocabulary. That way, when a student improves with one text, it is certain to immediately carry over to the next.)

How challenging should the texts be?

The texts used for fluency practice should be at students' so-called "frustration levels." If students don't make many mistakes with a text (say 10 or more per hundred words), then the repetition is unlikely to improve their reading very much.

What about integrating comprehension work into this kind of fluency practice?

Some of the repeated reading routines have included a comprehension component, such as asking students a different question at the conclusion of each reading or having the student complete some kind of comprehension task each time. Other approaches do not do this. The research says that repeated reading pays off, whether there is a comprehension step or not. I'd include one under the well-known scientific precept: "It couldn't hurt."

How can a teacher listen to a whole classroom full of kids?

I recommend paired reading. Have one youngster read to another. Then they switch. While this practice is going on, the teacher circulates among the students listening to several one-at-a-time and giving feedback.

What about silent reading?

Silent reading should also take place regularly - I try to provide both an oral reading fluency period and a reading comprehension period daily. In the latter, except with beginners, the reading is silent. There are also a couple of studies in which kids read silently while a computer monitored their reading that has led to fluency improvement (Rasinski, Samuels, Hiebert, Petcher, & Feller, 2011).

What about round robin reading? We do "popcorn" in my class?

Schemes in which one child reads aloud and the rest of the students wait their turn are lousy. They don't allow much oral reading; simply not enough practice to foster improvement. This is because only one child reads at a time. Second, repeated reading is very rare in round robin, making learning unlikely. Third, you may get pushback; kids who read poorly may refuse to read - something that never occurs when everyone is doing the reading.

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Everything You Wanted to Know about Repeated Reading

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We're in the dog days of summer. Not many questions coming in right now - normal for periods when schools aren't in session. But the following query came to me this week from Ireland via Twitter. Teacher question: Any link to how the Repeated Reading strategy works?