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This article gives good ideas on how to use research with ELL students and why it is beneficial.

The article states that some of the benefits of using research projects with ELL students are that they touch on reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

Reading Skills:

Students can find information in their own language and then translate it into English, this helps them make the connections to what they are reading and helps them be able to pull out the most important pieces of information. Having students find pictures that go along with the information helps them build the connection between what they are reading.

Writing Skills:

Students learn how to put the information they find into their own words and putting the information into full sentences for the assignment they are completing. For beginning students or students who are struggling you can give them sentence starters to help them.

Speaking Skills:

Having students present their assignment to the class will improve their speaking skills and they will get more comfortable with it the more they do it.

Listening Skills:

While other students are presenting students need to write down questions they have about the presentation and ask them at the end. The teacher can determine the amount of questions they will need to have by the end. This ensures that the students are actively listening and paying attention to the other students.

Research is a great way to help ELL students because they get to take control of their learning.

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One of my favorite things to do throughout the school year with my English Language Learners is research projects! Using research projects with ELLs has SO MANY benefits!

Project-based learning with your ESL students can make all the difference in their English language development. Bonus, they're super fun! So why would we not be coming up with research projects for ESL students?

Answer: we should be! Here's the why and how!

What are the benefits of using research projects with ELLs?

We all know that the keys skills our English language learners focus on are Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Did you know that research projects touch on all four of these language domains?!

While these projects really push students and some skills can be intimidating, with enough practice, your students can gain the confidence to do them well!

First, while students are doing research, they are able to practice their reading skills.

Often times, I even have my students to find information in Spanish (or their home language) and then put it into Google Translate™. This way, they are reading about it in their home language and in English. Then, they narrow down their findings and put the most important pieces of information in the presentation. Another benefit related to reading is that students are able to look up and add in pictures that relate to their information, further allowing them to make connections to what they're reading!

Students are also able to practice their Writing skills with research projects.

When they find information in their research, they have to practice putting it into their own words. Of course, we have to work on NOT copying and pasting, but they eventually get the hang of it! I have students to work on writing in complete sentences in their presentations. To help with newcomers, beginners, and lower intermediate students, I provide sentence stems to help with their writing skills.

Next, students are able to work on their Speaking skills when they present their findings to the class.

This can be very intimidating, but I am lucky enough to have small ESL class sizes, so with some help and motivation, they do a fantastic job of speaking in front of their peers! I allow them to simply read directly from their slides, but I have them to practice sounding confident and non-robotic.

Another benefit is that they can practice their Listening skills when others are presenting on their topics.

I require that students write down two questions during each presentation, and they have to ask those questions of the presenter at the end. This requires them to listen intently throughout!

Finally, a major benefit to using research projects with ELLs is that they acquire language with project-based learning!

When ELLs are conducting research, they are able to take ownership of their learning. This is a wonderful way for students to work on translating from their home languages into English. This helps with rich language use, and it encourages peer interaction both in home language and English!

Research project ideas for ESL students

Let's look at some ideas for using research projects with ELLs!

Here are some topic ideas:

When using research projects with ELLs, they are involved in their own learning! You can also give them the choice for what they would prefer to research!

If you are interested in a FREE "My Home Country Research Project" for your ESL students, be sure to sign up for my email list and download it!

Looking for more classroom tips and ideas? Check out the rest of the blog!

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Using Research Projects with ELLs - Hello Tennessee Teacher

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Using research projects with ELLs is amazing for language development! Look at how I use research project ideas for ESL students!

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This article, by Joy Sexton, explains different strategies for teaching the students how to do research as well as finding ways of enjoying it. The first strategy that the articles talks about is having the students practice paraphrasing the information that they’re going to put on their research. This way they feel comfortable because it’s letting them express their thoughts the way they would say it. The first have to pick a topic they’re interested in, then use techniques such as highlighting, annotating and/or ‘taking notes’ of the text to help them collect the information they would like to use. They could take these notes as bullet points to later help them put this information into sentences, helping the students organize their thoughts and ideas making it easier to get them started on their research. The second strategy to use is to find surprising facts. This activity can be done by having the students work in partners or class discussion to share the things they found most interesting from the article/passage they had read. They can take these notes on a different bullet point list so that it adds more details to their research. The next strategy to help students enjoy their research is helping the student know how to cite their work. This is important because sometimes it can be stressful for students to cite their research if they don’t know how to. We can help them by showing a demonstration or using resources to help them cite their work. It is also important to have the student practice before their final work is turned in so they feel comfortable with it. The next strategy the article talks about is the fact of letting the students share their opinions, but these opinions should be backed up with supporting facts. We should tell them to find at least 2 to 3 important facts or sentences in a passage that helps them support their opinion for their research. Then the article explains how having good questions can help them elaborate more on their research. Having open-ended questions can help them clarify their confusion on what to write about in their research. We should also allow them to let me come up with their own questions so that they can show they understand the concept. This can be done at a group activity so they can be able to share their ideas and thoughts. And lastly, the last strategy explained is the way they share their research. The author explains how having the student show their research by having them as google slides or powerpoints. This would get the students to be more engaged with the research making it easier to set up their ideas. Powerpoints are not the only format the students can share their research, they can also poster but with paragraphs and images. To summarize this the important things I have learned from this article is so show demonstrations on how to use graphic organizers as well as resources to cite their work, have mini-lessons to help the students have a visualize on how to do it, and letting them have some type of freedom to have them more engaged with their work.

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Middle-schoolers need practice with research skills. Discover 6 ideas for teaching research skills with activities that will help your students! TeachingELAwithJoy.com

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This article discusses an overview of the Essential Action Handbook which gives strategies to help ELL students with research-based practices. One of the first aspects that this article discusses is the 15 different actions. The first 11 of the actions are based around instruction and then 12 through 15 are effective teacher collaboration. All of these actions are related to WIDA Matrix and are used to help with planning.

ACTION 1
Capitalize on the resources
and experiences that ELLs
bring to school to build
and enrich their academic
language.

ACTION 2
Analyze the academic
language demands involved
in grade-level teaching and
learning.

ACTION 3
Apply the background
knowledge of ELLs,
including their language
proficiency profiles, in
planning differentiated
language teaching.

ACTION 4
Connect language and
content to make learning
relevant and meaningful for
ELLs.

ACTION 5
Focus on the developmental
nature of language
learning within grade-level
curriculum.

ACTION 6
Reference content standards
and language development
standards in planning for
language learning.

ACTION 7
Design language teaching
and learning with attention
to the sociocultural context.

ACTION 8
Provide opportunities for all
ELLs to engage in higher-order
thinking.

ACTION 9
Create language-rich
classroom environments
with ample time for
language practice and use.

ACTION 10
Identify the language
needed for functional use in
teaching and learning.

ACTION 11
Plan for language teaching
and learning around
discipline-specific topics.

ACTION 12
Use instructional supports
to help scaffold language
learning.

ACTION 13
Integrate language domains
to provide rich, authentic
instruction.

ACTION 14
Coordinate and collaborate
in planning for language
and content teaching and
learning.

ACTION 15
Share responsibility so that
all teachers are language
teachers and support one
another within communities
of practice.

The next part of this article that I was able to take away from is professional learning communities or PLC. These are groups that are put together in order to help an ELL student. ELL students have their own unique language score meaning each student has their own strengths and challenges. There are 3 questions that each PLC should focus on when they work together is

What do we want each student to learn?

How will we know when each student has learned it?

How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

Another part that the article talks about is how the PLC team should review the ELL student's assessment scores to better help the student. Some of the items that a team could look at are

Students' state reading scores

School-wide assessments that provide scores for vocabulary and comprehension

English Language Proficiency scores from the ACCESS for ELLs test

The team then team has to rate the actions that were previously mentioned using a scale from 0-5 to help the student with the instructional goal. The PLC team then meets and share their 3 actions that they have identified. They will then find one to two actions to work with for the next 6-8 weeks. The next step was to create goals for ELL students. A teacher will now figure out what success means with some goals. Some of the ways to determine success is

Know students' language domain proficiency levels

Use language domain information to provide differentiated options for classroom and pull-out instruction and tasks

Assess reading comprehension using language proficiency accommodated tasks

The next piece that the article discusses is creating strategies for achieving these goals. The first step is knowing the ELL student's domain language proficiency levels. This is used to know what strategies could be used to help the student based on their levels. Then there is a formative assessment that is created based around common vocabulary and sentence structure. Another point that I have learned from the article was collecting evidence. This evidence could be successfully modifying material or grouping students based on scores. Some examples of evidence that a teacher may use as evidence for ELL students are assignments, notes, rubrics, student's questions and audio clips. Teachers can then share and discuss ideas to assess students based on their content-based language levels. The final part of this article discusses how at the end of the PLC cycle the team will reflect on the student's success and evidence of students learning. They will review the three action reflection questions and then try to provide as much evidence as possible to support these claims. Teachers also look at the student's ability to complete work at their language proficiency level.

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Bright Ideas author Kristina Robertson offers an overview of WIDA's new Essential Actions handbook and shares a step-by-step process for using this tool as part of a professional learning community focused on meeting ELLs' academic language needs.

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. - Helen Keller

The first time I tried to collaborate with a mainstream teacher, I spent my time listening to her read stories to students and helping them with worksheets. It wasn't her fault that it was such a dreadful attempt at collaboration or that there were many problems, which included lack of planning time, lack of understanding of collaboration, and my poor placement in her specialist classroom focused on "character education."

Probably the biggest problem, however, was that we didn't have a way to communicate effectively about English Language Learners (ELLs). She didn't have background knowledge of their language proficiency levels and there were no English Language Development standards at the time, so even if we had wanted to be very intentional about language instruction, we didn't really know where to start.

Thankfully, now there are many more ELL resources readily available, and general knowledge about ELLs' academic language needs have increased. In addition, the WIDA consortia (World-class Instructional Design and Assessment) recently published a very useful collaborative resource for teachers called Essential Actions: A Handbook for Implementing WIDA's Framework for English Language Development Standards by Margo Gottlieb.

This guide is designed to help individual teachers, teaching teams, and district-teams evaluate and improve their EL instructional practices according to research principles that are the underpinnings of WIDA's English Language Development Standards.

I want to give you an overview of the Essential Actions Handbook components and examine it through the lens of how it might be used for collaboration within a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to increase research-based practices for ELLs. I will also provide some possible extension ideas using digital tools to share evidence of the Essential Actions.

Essential Actions Handbook Overview

Purpose

The Essential Actions Handbook states:

This handbook is designed to be a resource to share among educators who work directly with or are impacted by ELLs. It is a guide that describes and illustrates the standards-referenced components and elements of language learning within WIDA's standards framework.

The overall purpose of this handbook is to promote collaboration, mutual understanding, and use of language development standards among all educators who work with ELLs. The Essential Actions, derived from current theory and research, provide a rationale for each component and element of WIDA's standards framework.

In other words, this handbook is designed to provide research-based rationale for the WIDA English Language Development (ELD) standards framework; however, the components are also broad-based quality indicators for working with ELLs. Therefore, one of the main goals is to use it to increase evidence-based practices collaboration among teachers who work with ELLs.

Organization and content

As you can see in the table below, there are 15 Essential Actions (also available in this PDF online, found on pg. 11 of the handbook). The first 12 Actions are directly related to instruction and Actions 13 - 15 are related to effective teacher collaboration. The Actions are designed to stimulate professional conversation about meeting the academic language needs of ELLs and do not need to be followed in order. There is also a self-assessment tool that can be used to determine the highest priority actions and where to start - more on that later.

ACTION 1
Capitalize on the resources
and experiences that ELLs
bring to school to build
and enrich their academic
language.

ACTION 3
Apply the background
knowledge of ELLs,
including their language
proficiency profiles, in
planning differentiated
language teaching.

ACTION 15
Share responsibility so that
all teachers are language
teachers and support one
another within communities
of practice.

Each Action is related to the WIDA matrix and is designed to give more detailed information to assist in effectively using the matrix for planning. In the Essential Actions Handbook, each Action has its own section that follows the same format:

Explanation of the Essential Action

Research to support the Action

A description of how it relates to the WIDA standards framework for English language development

Examples from the field (written by educators) regarding the Action and guiding questions for discussing locally how to apply the Action to practice in your context

How to Use the Handbook with a PLC

There are many ways to use this Essential Actions Handbook and I have chosen to highlight one use that I believe many of the teachers I have worked with would find effective in working together to meet the needs of ELLs. Many educators are receiving professional development through job-embedded learning opportunities such as Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). They may be called different things - Teacher Learning Communities or Professional Communities, but their purpose is to bring educators together in teams to define their own learning in regards to individual or school goals.

One well-known leader in this area is Richard DuFour and if you'd like more detailed information on PLCs, please view this article, " What is a Professional Learning Community?" DuFour highlights three questions that each PLC team needs to answer as they focus on their work together.

What do we want each student to learn?

How will we know when each student has learned it?

How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

PLC work, by it's very nature, is collaborative and constructs the learning based on what teachers experience daily in their classrooms. In the discussion below, I will use the Essential Actions Handbook as a guide for the process of meeting the academic language needs of ELLs.

For the purposes of this article, I'll describe our PLC team as a third-grade teaching team: two classroom teachers, an ESL teacher, and a Title I reading and math support teacher. The ESL and Title I teachers are in the third-grade classrooms and also pull out some students for special support up to an hour each day.

There are approximately 15 ELL students out of 50 third-graders and the majority have composite English Language Proficiency (ELP) levels of 3-5 according to ACCESS for ELLs or another annual assessment; however there are three new students who are at ELP level 1 and one student who is at ELP level 2. (See WIDA's Performance Definitions for reference.)

Individually, each ELL student has unique language domain scores, meaning that they all have unique areas of strength and challenge. For example, some are still in earlier stages of developing reading and writing skills in English, while their oral English skills are more advanced and others have a different mix of skills in the language domains.

Needs assessment

The PLC team has been given the task to align their professional learning with the school goal of "Increasing ELL student state reading scores by 6% by May 2014." The team starts by analyzing the detailed assessment scores of their ELLs in order to get a better sense of what they need instructionally. The PLC team looks at:

Students' state reading scores

School-wide assessments that provide scores for vocabulary and comprehension

English Language Proficiency scores from the ACCESS for ELLs test

They can see a pattern forming: the ELL students are weak and need to expand their comprehension and vocabulary - although in general they read fluently.

Next, the PLC team members individually complete the Needs Assessment, Column A from the Essential Actions Handbook (Gottlieb, pg. 68). Using a scale of 0-5, they rate how important each Action is according to their instructional goal. They may have quite a few that come out as their top priority. On their own they may want to read the Essential Action sections they rated most highly in order to familiarize themselves with the research or they may want to write their thoughts in the "comments" box to facilitate discussion with the group.

When the PLC team meets, they each share their top three Actions they've identified as most important to reaching their ELL reading goal. They will look for overlap in their priorities and select one or two as their instructional focus for their PLC work over the next six-eight weeks.

Create goal

Let's say that our PLC team decides to focus on Essential Action 3: "Apply the background knowledge of ELLs, including their language proficiency profiles, in planning differentiated language teaching." The Essential Action Handbook research states, "Information about the backgrounds of the students, including their linguistic and content abilities, is key to plan and deliver differentiated instruction to optimize opportunities for learning (Tomlinson, 2003;Fairbairn & Jones-Vo, 2010)." (Gottlieb, pg. 20)

The teachers feel that planning targeted instruction based on the students' language proficiency levels will make good use of their ESL and Title I individualized support, in addition to the scaffolded content instruction the classroom teachers will provide. In order to crystalize their background knowledge on Action Three, the teachers read the section and discuss the following reflection questions (Gottlieb, pg. 24)

1. How might you use the Performance Definitions to help formulate instructional strategies (e.g., in grouping students or differentiating language objectives)?

2. How might you use the Performance Definitions to help scaffold content instruction for ELLs?

3. When might educators use a student's overall composite language proficiency level (from ACCESS for ELLs) versus the language proficiency level for each language domain?

The teachers write their collective answers to these reflection questions. It's okay if their answers are tentative at first and begin with, "We're not sure but we think..." They will return to these questions as part of the reflection process in the PLC.

The PLC teams sets their goal to "Increase ELLs reading comprehension by providing differentiated language instruction based on student language proficiency levels."

To begin their work towards their goal, the teachers discuss, "What will success look like?" In other words, how will they know when they are implementing Action Three successfully? They decide on three success indicators:

Teachers will:

Know students' language domain proficiency levels

Use language domain information to provide differentiated options for classroom and pull-out instruction and tasks

Assess reading comprehension using language proficiency accommodated tasks

Implement strategies

Over the next two meetings, the PLC team organizes their work around the three success indicators they identified. They determine they need to continue their learning in a few different ways.

First, they need to know their students' language domain proficiency levels and have them easily available for instructional planning. They download the " Can Do Name Charts" from the WIDA website and work together to complete the charts and make copies to share. They also need more information about what educators can expect from students at different language proficiency levels according to the WIDA Performance Definitions (Gottlieb, pgs. 22 & 23).

The ESL teacher is able to provide further guidance in this area and the group also accesses some online resources from their state website about strategies for different language proficiency levels. Finally they have a conversation about what formative comprehension assessment looks like connected with content instruction. They study some resources about common formative assessments and use the Academic Language Framework as a guide as they determine some common vocabulary, sentence structures, and discourse needed for an upcoming unit on geographic landmarks. (This fits DuFour's first question, "1. What do we want them to learn?")

Collect evidence

At each PLC meeting the teachers provide evidence of student learning and discuss DuFour's other two questions:

How will we know when each student has learned it?

How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?

The teachers share insights on how to differentiate according to different language levels - how they've successfully modified materials or grouped students, examples of student learning using language related to content, and what works to help students who are still developing the academic language they need to communicate what they know. The types of evidence teachers might share are student assignments, notes or rubrics on student language production, student questions, and audio or video clips of student interaction.

Share and discuss

Throughout the process, teachers assist each other in brainstorming ways to model, instruct, and assess the students using content-based language at their proficiency levels. They may need to discover more resources to help them in certain areas and they may find items in the WIDA download library, online video clips or other research resources that will provide further guidance.

During this phase of PLC work teachers will often say things such as, "Tell me more about that?", "How exciting!", "I can hear your frustration, I'm wondering if..." or "One thought I had was..." The sharing is open, supportive, and focused on listening while also providing ideas. At the end of the PLC, each teacher should have a clear action step in mind for implementing with the students and will report back to the PLC in the next meeting.

Reflect

Finally at the end of the PLC cycle (usually six-eight weeks), the teachers will revisit the Action Three reflection questions, their identified success indicators, and evidence of student learning. They review their initial responses to the Action Three reflection questions and add further information based on their learning experiences, adding their own evidence as much as possible. They discuss the evidence they have around their success indicators. Are all teachers aware of the student language proficiency levels and using them to differentiate instruction? Again, they provide as much evidence as possible to support their claims.

Finally, they look for evidence of student learning. When language was presented at a proficiency level that allowed the student to use the discourse, sentence structure and vocabulary required to demonstrate content knowledge - could they do it?

Teachers share evidence of student language production and content learning. Then they have a group hug, go home feeling great about their teaching career and all week people keep asking them if they've lost weight or done something with their hair... Okay, I may be exaggerating a bit there at the end, but really, a PLC team that works well together with a mission to become better for the students they love will feel very empowered and see positive results - both in student learning and in developing stronger collaborative partnerships with other educators.

Extension-Digital Tools

If the PLC team members have a positive experience and feel strongly that others will benefit from what they've learned, it's a great idea to seek ways to share their new knowledge with other educators. This could be with another grade-level PLC team, at a school-wide staff meeting or ELL focus data day, or at a district professional development forum where other teachers are gathering to focus on the needs of ELLs. It's also possible that they may want to share their findings digitally so others can access it according to their own schedules. If the PLC members want to explore digital sharing, they may want to experiment with some digital tools throughout the process so they have something to share electronically.

Here are a few (mostly free) tools I've been enjoying lately and they lend themselves nicely to connecting through digital media:

is an online video response system that allows a teacher to pose a question and send the link to a group. Respondents each record a 90-second video response, and the responses are visible to all with the link. I like this system because it's quick, easy, allows you to view on your own time, and it's fun to hear your colleagues' responses rather than reading it on a bulletin post. Flipgrid has a free trial period and then there is an annual subscription fee. (Try it out with the example below!)

Teaching Channel is a great online video resource website that has professional classroom video clips, study guides, and teacher discussion posts. It is a website designed for teachers who want to "get into other peoples' classrooms" and see instructional strategies. The other tool they've created that I'm excited about is the Tch Recorder app (for iPad and iPhone). This is a video recording app that allows you to easily record your own instruction or student interaction with the tap of a button and then easily upload it to your "workspace" on the Teaching Channel. The videos can be kept private for your own review, or if your school or district decides to use this system for team sharing, there is a "Teaching Channel Teams" component that allows you to interact in a coaching manner with the videos to make comments and share resources. Teaching Channel resources and workspace is free, but the Teaching Channel Teams cost money for site or district-level use.

Wikispaces is an online content management system that allows for sharing of resources, photos, video clips and much more. This is a great "virtual desktop" that allows many users to create the content and have online discussions. It is free for educators.

There are many tools a PLC team can use for their own learning and for ultimately sharing with others. These are just a few ideas that educators might enjoy playing with to gain new insights into their own learning and an opportunity to share meaningfully with others.

Conclusion

In the current climate of finger pointing and blaming about how bad education is, I actually see improvement in the use of collaboration, especially around meeting the needs of traditionally underserved populations such as ELLs. With more research and tools to guide conversations between educators, ELL academic achievement will continue to climb. If I had had ELD standards, support for effective collaboration, and a useful resource such as the Essential Actions Handbook long ago, I believe I would have done more than listen to stories and help with worksheets. Together we would have been an educational team focused on the identified language needs of ELLs and providing differentiated support to help them achieve.

As Helen Keller said, "Together we can do so much." These days, I see many educators teaming up, working hard to learn new instructional strategies for diverse learners and giving their best every day to ensure the achievement of all students. I would love to hear from educators who use the Essential Actions Handbook for their own learning or as part of a PLC or professional learning environment. Please click on the Flipgrid question below and tell us in 90 seconds or less how you've used the Essential Actions Handbook to take action in your classroom, school, or district!

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Essential Actions: 15 Research-based Practices to Increase ELL Student Achievement

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Bright Ideas author Kristina Robertson offers an overview of WIDA's new Essential Actions handbook and shares a step-by-step process for using this tool as part of a professional learning community focused on meeting ELLs' academic language needs. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.

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This article gives some tips on how to help your ELL students come up with questions for research projects. It advises that you do not jump directly into informational text with them. You should first have them develop questions using topics that they are familiar with using fictional texts to help them develop a theme for their research. Only after they develop this connection do you have them find informational text that falls into that theme. It goes on to say that you should teach them the language they are going to be using to formulate these questions. After that has been done you should teach them how to structure the question. Teach them that the question cannot be too specific or too broad. It mentions that “A "just right" research question should be specific enough to find evidence but general enough to elicit more than a single response.” You should have them practice this on their fictional text in reading groups. You can have the students sort questions they came up with based on their text into one of three groups: too general, too specific, or just right. They would then justify why they placed the questions in the categories they did. It discusses having them write research questions as a class using sentence frames that you provide for them to practice. After all this you can then have the students begin to pick topics and start writing their questions using the frames you provided or if they feel they are ready create their own. It mentions giving the students the opportunity to refine their questions if they want after they start their research. I found this article relevant especially with us currently working on our integrated research projects. It is something to consider when we begin to actual create a research project for your class and is relevant for both ELLs and students in general especially at lower grade levels.

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In my first post in this series about the Common Core and writing, I looked at some general considerations for English language learners (ELLs), including an overview of how the the writing standards are organized in English Language Arts/Literacy. In my second post, I focused on how ELLs' culture might impact their writing and shared some examples from Arabic-speaking students.

In this final post, I'll now turn to some instructional strategies to support ELLs at the middle school level as they work with an element of one of the CCSS writing anchor stan dards. I'll conclude with some resources on writing for ELLs.

Of the ten anchor standards for writing, I chose anchor standard 7 to highlight for this blog post. It reads, "Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation." I selected this anchor standard because ELLs may approach research projects from a different perspective than non-ELLs.

One aspect of the anchor standard has to do with creating "focused questions" that generate students' research projects, and in this post I'll focus on supporting ELLs to help them create appropriate research questions. I know from my own dissertation study and subsequent research that crafting the right questions was key to conducting a high quality study, but it takes a lot of practice to be able to formulate solid research questions. In the case of ELLs, teachers will need to pay special attention to supporting their academic language acquisition while helping them write their own questions to guide their written work.
Creating Research Questions at the Middle School Level: Step by Step
The strategies I will highlight are based on a chapter I co-authored with Darina Walsh, ESOL Coordinator in Fairfax County Public Schools, VA and a former middle school ESOL teacher. This chapter will be included in Margo Gottlieb and Gisela Ernst-Slavit's upcoming Academic Language in Diverse Classroom: English Language Arts, Grades 6-8, to be published in October 2013 by Corwin Press.

The research questions are part of a six-week-long unit, titled "Diving into the Depths of Research." The unit is taught by a teacher named Karen in a seventh grade English class of 28 students that contains 14 ELLs at different levels of English language proficiency. In the complete unit, Karen's students use reference materials to produce a research product. For many middle school students (both ELLs and non-ELLs), learning the academic register of research is a new skill. This register of research found in the CCSS is of great value to all students and ELLs in particular.
Step #1: Practice Writing Questions with Literature
To help transition students into generating research questions that will inform their research projects based on their reading informational text, they first create research questions using more familiar topics. Their questions arise from themes found in fiction texts they read in literature circles. (As you may recall, there is still a place for literature in the CCSS - it's not all informational text.) The novels they read inform their crafting of a research question through the connections they make with the text. After they build upon their connection to the themes from their literature circles to generate the research questions, they will then bring in informational texts that support these same themes to conduct their research.

The first part of the unit revolves around teaching students how to formulate research questions that use language forms such as cohesive structures to frame their final research product. The following content and language targets guide this part of the unit:

Content Target: Students will formulate an effective research question that will guide their academic research on a chosen topic.

Language Target: Students will utilize language of cause and effect and problem/solution to create an interrogative research question.

At the students' different levels of English language proficiency, here is what the expectations are for their language use:

English Language Proficiency Level 1-2 (Beginner) English Language Proficiency Level 3-4 (Intermediate) All students, including recently exited ELLs

Students reproduce patterned questions.

Students use question frames to produce "just right" questions. Students identify questions as general or specific.

Students pose "just right" research questions using cause/effect, problem/solution and process language.

Step #2: Defining a "Just Right" Question
The next step is to ensure that students understand what kinds of questions they are trying to write. Karen defines "just right" questions to her class by making the analogy to trials in the story Goldilocks and the Three Bears. To familiarize all the students with the fairy tale and build their background knowledge, she does a quick read aloud to illustrate that Goldilocks always tries three different fits before she finds just the right one. She explains that, much like Goldilocks' "just right" bowl of porridge that is neither too hot nor too cold, "just right" questions are neither too general nor too specific. Also, Karen adds that students may need to pose several questions before finding one that is "just right."
Step #3: Choosing Their Own "Just Right" Question
Since the students have been writing questions all along about the novels they read in their literature circles, jotting the questions down on sticky notes and affixing them to the appropriate pages in their novels, they can use their own questions to practice finding "just right" questions. They self-select their own questions posed throughout their literature circle reading, identifying:

One question that is too general

One question that is too specific

One question that is "just right"

Students then sort the questions into these three categories on their desks. Each student then justifies his or her selections using the vocabulary terms "general" and "specific" in the sentence frames below.

Then, with a partner, students examine the similarities and differences of the questions they identified in each of the categories in order to build a common understanding together of "just right" questions.

In order to illustrate this process, let's follow an ELL named Sergio, who has read the first chapter of Andy Mulligan's novel Trash in his literature circle. The questions he generates are:

1. Why do people throw away trash in Behala (the setting of the story?) (too general)
2. Where did the main character (Raphael) get his jeans and T-shirt that he wears? (too specific)
3. How did Raphael become a "trash boy?" (just right)
Step #4: Identifying "Just Right" Research Questions
Karen then explains that the same concepts used with their literature-based questions can be applied to research questions. A "just right" research question should be specific enough to find evidence but general enough to elicit more than a single response. To practice this skill, Karen writes several broad topics on chart paper - one topic per chart. She includes topics and themes that are connected to the students' literature circle novels, such as rights and responsibility, the environment, immigration, and friendship.

Karen then posts the topic charts around the room. As a link to their prior learning, students use a carousel structure to move from chart to chart and write a question about the topic on the chart. They use the research question frames found below to formulate their questions:

What was the significance of _______________________?

What is the impact of _____________ on _____________?

How was _________________________ (problem) solved?

How did _______________________develop?

Karen purposefully plans opportunities for students to engage in dialogue and question each other about their learning. After students have completed the question carousel, they are given three different color sticky dots to use on the carousel charts to identify if a question is "too general", "too specific," or "just right". In small groups, they then use index cards with sentence frames to discuss and justify why the questions they identified were "just right".

Sergio's group identified a question under the "environment" theme that they deemed "just right." It reads: "What is the impact of poverty on the environment?" This theme connects with the novel Sergio is reading and resonates with him on a personal level.
Step #5: Students Writing Their Own "Just Right" Research Questions
Now students are ready to move on to finesse their research questions and begin conducting their own research projects as well as writing up their findings. They may select one of the "just right" questions generated by the class to frame their projects. They may also choose to create their own research question on a topic of their choice using the research questions they just wrote during the carousel activity.

Karen fin ds that after students begin to research their question, what they find may spark new interests. Students have the opportunity to refine their question or to create a new question based on their early research. Sergio began researching the question "How did recycling develop?" His question then became, "What is the impact of throwing away old televisions?" after he began researching about recycling using informational texts that linked to the theme of the novel Trash.
Final Thoughts
Although the strategies showcased here for supporting ELLs only address the early stages of this process, the strategies illustrate the kind of extra support needed for teaching ELLs how to tackle complex academic content. In order to create the kinds of research projects called for by the Common Core, teachers will need to help ELLs create the focused questions that will drive their research, while being cognizant of ELLs' need for linguistic support.
Resources on Writing Instruction for ELLs
Image credit: http://emusdebuts.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/goldilocks.jpg

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Writing "Just Right" Research Questions: Strategies for ELLs

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In this final post on CCSS writing and ELLs, I'll now turn to some instructional strategies to support ELLs at the middle school level as they work with an element of one of the CCSS writing anchor standards. I'll conclude with some resources on writing for ELLs.

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The article I chose, titled “ Building Research Skills for ESL Students” goes into detail about how the University of Bridgeport has made research writing a cornerstone of their program. This article stood out to me because the University took matters into their own hands in trying to discover how research based practices affect ELL and ESL students, amalgamating into this article. While short, the article offers three core skills that will help “transfer to graduates’ future careers”. These skills include building vocabulary via research, grammar structures, and critical thinking.

Paragraph two of the article describes how this research process works. The students are educating about American-style academic writing via the university's library and its databases, showcasing various lexile levels for the students. This is coupled with a heavy focus on citation in the APA format, further cementing this teaching style for these students. The article also describes how it does not want students to continue their habits of just google searching answers, and it is shown by the article's statement that “students quickly discover the advantages of using the library databases, especially the correct APA or MLA citations displayed at the bottom of the article”.

The article ties these academic research skills to the business world, describing how it helps with requests for proposals, feasibility studies, analysis, and copyright protection for new ideas and innovations. The author ends the article by saying that students should be focusing on both research skills as well as academic writing. He states that this program and method of research helps prepare students to help themselves transform a language background weakness into acknowledged strength. By researching and reading and categorizing these various articles. Students can build a strong background with the English language and form relationships with bigger words and phrases that they might not have been comfortable with before.

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Developing ESL Student Research Skills | University of Bridgeport

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Learn how the English Language Institute at UB is helping to build ESL students’ research skills, an essential ability for college students and beyond.

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This article describes how a teacher uses and incorporates research projects to ELL students. She describes how many positive benefits there are from doing so. She also describes how project based assignments can be fun and very engaging for ell students.

The first major benefit she describes is that it gives these students time to practice their reading skills. Reading skills are very crucial for ell students to practice, which research projects allow for. This teacher asks the students to find information in their native language and then google translate it into English.

Ell students are also practicing their writing skills while they are doing research projects. Students are not allowed to copy and paste information, so this requires them to paraphrase. She provide sentence stems to help beginner ell students n her classroom.

Speaking skills are also built while students are conducting research. Her students present their research on a presentation in front of her small class. Here, the students have the opportunity and coaching from their teacher as well as their peers which makes it easier for them. Peer support is very important for ell learners. This also helps students with their listening skills.

This article was very good in address benefits to ELL students as they make their way through school. It also provides some research topic ideas such as animals, careers, US cities, colleges, cultures, etc... you can incorporate into your classroom!

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One of my favorite things to do throughout the school year with my English Language Learners is research projects! Using research projects with ELLs has SO MANY benefits!

Project-based learning with your ESL students can make all the difference in their English language development. Bonus, they're super fun! So why would we not be coming up with research projects for ESL students?

Answer: we should be! Here's the why and how!

What are the benefits of using research projects with ELLs?

We all know that the keys skills our English language learners focus on are Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. Did you know that research projects touch on all four of these language domains?!

While these projects really push students and some skills can be intimidating, with enough practice, your students can gain the confidence to do them well!

First, while students are doing research, they are able to practice their reading skills.

Often times, I even have my students to find information in Spanish (or their home language) and then put it into Google Translate™. This way, they are reading about it in their home language and in English. Then, they narrow down their findings and put the most important pieces of information in the presentation. Another benefit related to reading is that students are able to look up and add in pictures that relate to their information, further allowing them to make connections to what they're reading!

Students are also able to practice their Writing skills with research projects.

When they find information in their research, they have to practice putting it into their own words. Of course, we have to work on NOT copying and pasting, but they eventually get the hang of it! I have students to work on writing in complete sentences in their presentations. To help with newcomers, beginners, and lower intermediate students, I provide sentence stems to help with their writing skills.

Next, students are able to work on their Speaking skills when they present their findings to the class.

This can be very intimidating, but I am lucky enough to have small ESL class sizes, so with some help and motivation, they do a fantastic job of speaking in front of their peers! I allow them to simply read directly from their slides, but I have them to practice sounding confident and non-robotic.

Another benefit is that they can practice their Listening skills when others are presenting on their topics.

I require that students write down two questions during each presentation, and they have to ask those questions of the presenter at the end. This requires them to listen intently throughout!

Finally, a major benefit to using research projects with ELLs is that they acquire language with project-based learning!

When ELLs are conducting research, they are able to take ownership of their learning. This is a wonderful way for students to work on translating from their home languages into English. This helps with rich language use, and it encourages peer interaction both in home language and English!

Research project ideas for ESL students

Let's look at some ideas for using research projects with ELLs!

Here are some topic ideas:

When using research projects with ELLs, they are involved in their own learning! You can also give them the choice for what they would prefer to research!

If you are interested in a FREE "My Home Country Research Project" for your ESL students, be sure to sign up for my email list and download it!

Looking for more classroom tips and ideas? Check out the rest of the blog!

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Using Research Projects with ELLs - Hello Tennessee Teacher

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Using research projects with ELLs is amazing for language development! Look at how I use research project ideas for ESL students!

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I found this article to be very informative when it comes to comprehension for ELLs in the classroom. This article explains how these students have a very difficult time in the classroom when it comes to comprehension. It also tells us different strategies a teacher can use to make sure the the student is included in the classroom and not be put at a disadvantage compared to the other students. There are four strategies to make sure that the student can comprehend informational text. These four strategies are:

1.) Create vocabulary lists: Ask the students to skim through the article. While they are doing this this, ask them to pick out any words they see that they are having a difficult time understanding. Once they have done this, the teacher can define these words in a list and give it to the student.

2.) Discuss Title: This strategy call for the teacher to ask guiding questions to the student while reading the title. Articles and other text may have confusing titles, so this will help the student get a general feel for the text they are going to read.

3.) Understand Topic sentences: Topic sentences usually hold the most information in paragraphs. As a reading, being able to comprehend this is very important. As a teacher with ELL students, asking the student" What is the man idea of this topic sentence? "What is it describing top the reader? and other questions can help the student understand better.

4.) Summarizing the conclusion: In the conclusion, the summary of the thesis is almost always included. Getting the student to compare this sentence to the topic sentence can reinforce what the text is informing.

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Being an English Language Learner in a mainstream classroom can be a very overwhelming experience for the student. Often, my English Language Learners need extra help when it comes to reading non-fiction articles in the class. Modifying the reading assignment is the first step, but there are times when it's hard to modify an assignment that relates to an article/theme/topic. They need to be familiarized with the structure of non-fiction writings in order for them to feel comfortable reading, summarizing and analyzing.

I like to do reading "walk-throughs": before we read the article we familiarize ourselves with its elements:

Create a vocabulary list: ask the students to briefly skim the article and try to locate a few vocabulary words that are difficult to understand. When they are done skimming, make sure to populate these words somewhere (board/google doc) where students can have access to them later.

Discuss Title: The title of the article often says a lot about the topic. However, some articles, especially if you're working with newspaper articles, the title might contain vocabulary that students are not familiar with, especially ELLs. Ask the students about the title: "what do you think it means?" "what is it trying to tell the reader?" and "are there any unfamiliar words that we should discuss?"

Understand Topic Sentences: The purpose of the topic sentence is to introduce the topic of the paragraph to the reader, and it should relate to the overall point (thesis) of the article. Create guiding questions based on the topic sentences in the article that allows students to analyze: "What is the main idea of the topic sentence?" "what is it describing to the reader?" "what is the main topic that will be discussed in this paragraph?" "Does the topic sentence clearly explain the main idea?"

Summarize the Conclusion: Conclusions always contain a sentence that is a summary of the thesis. Get students to identify this sentence and compare it with the thesis. This helps them to look for language patterns and indicators for a thesis and conclusion statement next time they read an article. A summary can be one sentence.

To guide students to understand and identify these different elements easily on their own, consider asking them to highlight the text when the area is being discussed. Another helpful way to engage them is to get them to write their own elements (title, topic sentence, etc) to an article that they would fully write out later, about a topic they feel passionate about.
Group activity:
Have students create headlines to news articles that they'd like to see. You can assign them the topic, but it's probably more engaging for them to choose a topic based on their interest. Consider including sample topics for students that need help in selecting a topic. Bonus if students get to create a graphic for their headline using fun apps like Canva, Glogster, Google Draw or Vanilla Pen.

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Strategies for Reading Non-Fiction with ELL | Edutopia

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Being an English Language Learner in a mainstream classroom can be a very overwhelming experience for the student. Often, my English Language Learners need extra help when it comes to reading non-fiction articles in the class. Modifying the reading assignment is the first step, but there are times when it's hard to modify an assignment that relates to an article/theme/topic.

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This article expresses the need to make ELL students feel safe and supported. Often these students feel left out overlooked and misunderstood. BY creating a welcoming environment we can provide a foundation for learning, and once we have established that environment, we can support these students in their language acquisition. The article lists 4 strategies to to support ELL students as they read and comprehend new text.

1. A picture is worth a thousand words.

By using picture representation of new key terms students are able to pair the picture and word which can clarify meaning and encourage understanding.

2. Check for comprehension frequently.

Often ELL students will not ask question out of fear of peers knowing they don't understand. The article uses a strategy called turn and talk. In this strategy students are encouraged to write their answers using a sentence prompt before sharing ideas with a partner. This alleviates the stress of a possible room answer in front of their peers.

3. Use sentence frames.

For example, if students are asked to give evidence, you can use the sentence frame “I know this because the text says _____.”

4. Chunk texts: Reading academic texts is a challenge for ELs because of the complex vocabulary, complicated syntax, and density of text. One strategy is to chunk passages into short, manageable sections.

This article contained very useful strategies for not only ELL students but any struggling reader.

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English Language Learners

Simple strategies-like providing visual cues-that teachers can use to help English learners improve their understanding in any class.

When facing challenges working with English learners (ELs), start with an empathetic approach. These students often feel overlooked, left out, and confused in school situations. Body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice can let them know that you care. Creating a welcoming environment provides a foundation for learning, and the once you've established that environment, you can support these students in their language acquisition with a few simple strategies.

4 Strategies for Supporting English Learners

1. A picture is worth a thousand words: A picture is understandable in any language. For English learners who may not comprehend everything a teacher says, an image will help clarify meaning and encourage understanding.

Whenever you introduce new vocabulary, couple a picture with each important word. For example, when I taught Romeo and Juliet, I gave my ELs a handout of five to six vocabulary words they would encounter in each scene we were studying. The handout had the word in English, a picture, and a place for students to write the translation of the word in their own language. I also projected the words and pictures on the board and explained each one. After we read the scene, I posted printouts of each word with its picture and added them to a word wall.

Long or dense texts may be overwhelming to ELs. Including images can boost comprehension and stamina. Consider adding images to assessments or any printed directions for activities.

2. Check for comprehension frequently: Often ELs will not tell you when they don't understand something because they don't want their classmates to know. Using quick formative assessments can help determine where more instruction is needed.

Turn and Talk is a useful strategy because it reduces the anxiety that ELs often feel when asked to speak in front of the entire class. Turn and Talk may be modified for ELs by providing a sentence starter or asking them to write down their answer before sharing it with a friend. Observing students during a Turn and Talk activity is useful for evaluating student understanding.

Exit tickets are short written activities usually given at the end of a lesson to check student comprehension. Including a sentence starter or picture support on an exit ticket is an easy way to scaffold learning for ELs.

In assessing student comprehension, it's important to check in frequently. After giving directions for an activity, check in with ELs and restate the expectations if needed. Model the task if it appears the directions were not sufficient. Checking for comprehension and providing clarification provides repeated language practice for students who are still developing proficiency with English.

3. Use sentence and paragraph frames: Many ELs in my classroom, especially less proficient learners, are shy about speaking in front of the class. In addition, they struggle to form grammatically correct responses to questions. To address this, I provide sentence frames during class discussion.

For example, if students are asked to give evidence, you can use the sentence frame "I know this because the text says _____."

If you want students to talk about causes of a historical event, a sentence frame could be:
"One cause of (the event) is _____" or (Event) happened because _____."

Sentence frames can also be helpful in writing activities. English learners often find writing activities daunting because of the high linguistic expectations of academic writing. Providing a syntactical model may lower anxiety.

For example, if you're asking your students to compare and contrast two characters or events, you might use a paragraph frame like this one:

I recently used a paragraph frame of cause-and-effect with fifth-grade ELs. Students had to use the signal words to infer whether to write a cause or an effect. We underlined signal words as a scaffold, but students needed to correctly identify causes and effects of a destroyed house. For students who can't write a cause-and-effect paragraph independently, this paragraph frame gave them the support they needed to communicate causes and effects.

4. Chunk texts: Reading academic texts is a challenge for ELs because of the complex academic vocabulary, complicated syntax, and density of text. One strategy is to chunk passages into short, manageable sections.

For each passage, choose two to three key vocabulary words and provide pictures of those items. Allow ELs to translate the words into their native language if they're unfamiliar with the terms. After each chunk of text, ask ELs to write a one-sentence summary of the section using the vocabulary words in their sentence. Then move on to the next section of text.

When I taught Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech to high school ELs, they found it challenging. I broke up the speech into five sections, and we spent one class period on each section, focusing on vocabulary and message. Each day, we worked together to find the most important quote from that section, rewrote the quote in simpler language, and illustrated it.

After five days, I gave the students a card sort with our five quotes, five paraphrased quotes, and five images and asked them to match the items. Then they had to write a summary of the entire speech. Breaking down the larger text made it easier for the ELs to build content knowledge.

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4 Simple Ways to Support English Learners' Comprehension

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Simple strategies-like providing visual cues-that teachers can use to help English learners improve their understanding in any class.

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This article discusses how important textbooks are to ELL students to help them increase comprehension skills. The ELL students who have limited exposure to the curriculum or no formal education may struggle with navigating a textbook. A positive that I learned about is how textbooks are set up to help ELL students navigate. An example of this is that they have material that helps students preview the content. ELL students are able to utilize the cover, table of contents, glossary, and index. The teacher can then demonstrate how these different parts of the textbook and answer different questions from students. An example of a question that a student could ask is "I want to know about spout means. Where can I find that definition?" It is important to show these features to ELL students when using a new textbook and included tools such as periodic table. The next piece of information that I learned is the different parts of the chapter to help ELL students comprehend the information within the textbook. Some of these parts include headings, subheadings, maps and chapter titles. These elements of the textbook can then be explained to ELL students and have them decipher different aspects of the textbook. An example could be having them find the difference between a graph and picture and a heading and subheading. A blank outline could be used for this to help the students as they would only have to fill in the headings and the potential topics. The final piece of information that I learned from this article was the chapter walk. A chapter walk is when the ELL students scan the chapter and look for different parts such as the objectives, key vocabulary, visual elements, and headings. The next step is based on the student's findings they will then predict what the chapter is about and guide the students with questions for key concepts and the vocabulary. The final steps are asking students to share what they learned from the chapter. As the students get more practice with chapter walks, they can predict what they will read from the chapter questions. There is also a variety of different links to help ELL students with activities such as learning parts of a textbook and the vocabulary within it.

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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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The article talks about the struggles of teaching ELLs reading comprehension of informational text through close reading. The article starts by giving a breakdown of what close reading consists of. Close reading involves taking the focus away from reading strategies and skills and putting it solely on understanding the text. It involves understanding the text itself by doing a deep and thorough analysis of a text to understand its meaning, structure, and significance without focusing on personal connections or reading strategies. It article states that according to Tim Shanahan this is done in three stages. These stages take place during multiple readings. Stage one takes place during the first reading. It is done to understand what the text says. Stage two is during the second reading is done to understand how the text works. The third stage takes place during the third reading and is done to evaluate the quality and value of the text. The article then goes on to discuss that this is a problem for ELL students. It says that while teaching background information might not be needed for native English speakers it is a must for ELL students. As an educator you need to find out how much background information your ELL students have about a text's topic and provide background knowledge whenever it is necessary. After you are sure they have the necessary background knowledge then you focus the rest of your instruction on having students begin close reading the text so that they can determine its meaning and significance.

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This post is my second of two about how the shifts of the English Language Arts CCSS are playing out in classrooms with ELLs. My first post was about teaching informational text to ELLs, and this post will focus on close reading for ELLs. The concept of close reading has not been without debate, and so I will first provide an overview of what close reading is and could mean for ELLs, including some definitions of close reading. Then I'll present the role of background knowledge, which is a major consideration with teaching ELLs close reading, and share some recommended resources.

Definitions of Close Reading

There are several prominent voices that have emerged when it comes to defining the concept of close reading as it pertains to the Common Core. One is Tim Shanahan, Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago and expert on ELL literacy. He describes close reading on his website as "an old, widely known and specific concept that indicates where meaning resides (in the text) and what readers must to do gain access to this meaning (read the text closely, weighing the author's words and ideas, and relying heavily on the evidence in the text)." Shanahan stresses that close reading is not a teaching technique per se, but rather a way to place emphasis on readers figuring out a high quality text and grapple with it.

He states that close reading plays out in the classroom by shifting instruction off of strategies and skills and onto the texts themselves and ideas presented in texts. Instead of having students focus on their own personal connection to a text (e.g., How did the story remind you of a similar time from your childhood?), instruction instead focuses students' attention on reading, interpreting, and evaluating text. So, close reading becomes an intensive analysis of a text in order to comprehend what it says, how it says it, and what it means. By engaging in close reading throughout their education, Shanahan says students are poised to develop a rich body of knowledge about the world, and their reading practices will become ingrained "habits of mind."

The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) offers their own definition of close reading:
Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole. (PARCC, 2011, p. 7)
A third view comes from a recent brief authored by the Aspen Institute titled " A Primer on 'Close Reading' of Text" (whose authors are featured in this webinar hosted by the Alliance for Excellent Education) which points out that the ten anchor standards for reading in the English Language Arts CCSS are bookended by a focus on the close reading of complex text:

Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently

While Shanahan disputes some claims made by the Aspen institute in his blog (e.g., all texts read must be brief), both Shanahan and the Aspen Institute agree that students need to read complex texts multiple times to unlock their multilayered meaning. Shanahan suggests a particular close reading sequence in which:

(1) The first reading allows the reader to determine what a text says,

(2) The second reading allows the reader to determine how a text works, and

(3) The third reading allows the reader to evaluate the quality and value of the text (and to connect the text to other texts).

One Consideration in ELLs' Close Reading of Texts: The Role of Background Knowledge

Although there are multiple challenges for ELLs at all levels of English proficiency in effectively partaking in the close reading of complex texts (e.g., academic language needed, unlocking the meaning of complex texts), I will focus here on the role of background knowledge. There has been some debate about whether to pre-teach elements of a text before students read it using a close reading framework. For ELLs, however, the role of background knowledge cannot be ignored. As part of doing a close reading of text, teachers of ELLs need to find out how much background their students have about a text's given topic and build background where necessary.

One of the many hats we wear as educators of ELLs is to set up our students so they can achieve academic success. While more attention is now being paid to the question of ELL rigor and finding the right balance between scaffolding and independent learning, the CCSS now call for us to be more cognizant of how we approach building ELLs' background knowledge as part of close reading. So, while building ELLs' background knowledge definitely has its place in the Common Core, it is only one piece of the close reading puzzle. After we build ELLs' background knowledge as necessary, we must then focus the majority of our instruction on having students working with the text itself so that they can unlock its meaning.
An Example
To better illustrate how ELLs' background knowledge comes into play during close reading, let's take a look at a sample text. An Appendix to the CCSS provides text exemplars with sample texts of different genres suggested - but not prescribed - for each grade level. For example, Erinn Banting's England the Land (2004) is listed as a suggested informational text for close reading in grades 4-5. Take a look at two paragraphs of this text, and think about what kinds of background knowledge students would need to fully access this text:
As they gained control of sections of land, they protected their property with walls made from wooden stakes and spiny plants. Dead hedgerows, as these fences were called, were eventually replaced by fences made from live bushes and trees. Recently, people building large farms and homes in the countryside have destroyed many live hedgerows. Other people are working to save the hedgerows, which are home to a variety of wildlife, including birds, butterflies, hedgehogs, and hares. Low fences, some of which are thousands of years old, divide much of England's countryside. These fences, called hedgerows, were fist built by the Anglo-Saxons, a group of warriors from Germany and Scandinavia who arrived in England around 410 A.D.
For more information on planting hedgerows, see this related blog post.

My Think Aloud in Building ELLs' Background to Access This Text

The history of the Anglo-Saxons

What was happening during the time period described in the text (410 A.D.)

Low fences or hedgerows

The importance of protecting one's property in the time period described and today

How large farms and homes in the English countryside look today

The wildlife described in the text

If I were using Banting's text to teach fourth grade ELLs at varying levels of English proficiency, I would want to first find out their knowledge of:

As a teacher preparing to do a close read of this text with my ELLs, I would not spend the majority of my instruction on building my ELLs' background knowledge, like I might have done before the CCSS. However, I would recognize that my ELLs would likely have very little background knowledge on the many topics contained in this text, let alone be familiar with all the terms and language structures used in the text.

I would therefore want to carve out some - but not a majority of - my instructional time to provide my ELLs images, videos, and resources in both English and their first languages that would help position them to be better prepared to work with this text. I would also prioritize which topics from the list above would warrant my time and attention during instruction. Some students might only need the image I included here of a hedgerow (which also helped my comprehension of the text.) In essence, I would want to help provide them a comparable frame of reference that their native English speaking peers might already have developed in terms of background knowledge.

I can also use this brief text as an example to note how background knowledge might differ from a personal connection to a text. For example, a student may have some knowledge about what the English countryside looks like from a documentary he or she has seen about England. On the other hand, a student's personal connection to this text might be in the form of an event in the student's life that took place in the countryside. Where background knowledge will most likely support the student's understanding of the text, the student's personal connection might not accomplish the same goal. For ideas on ways to determine what kinds of background knowledge students have or need, take a look at these strategies from Colorín Colorado.

Final Thoughts on Close Reading

Using close reading of texts with ELLs presents more challenges beyond balancing building background knowledge with working with the actual text. Such challenges for educators of ELLs include choosing appropriate grade level texts, supplying supplementary texts at different reading levels, scaffolding instruction, and creating text depending questions that ELLs can access - topics I intend to write about in future posts. Successful close reading with ELLs requires a more defined skill set and targeted training for all educators of ELLs.

Additional Resources

The American Federation of Teachers' free resource Sharemylesson.com has several teacher-created lessons that incorporate the close reading of texts.

Tim Shanahan has a presentation on planning for close reading here.

The Teaching Channel has a video about using Thinking Notes to encourage close reading and also houses many other videos such as these of real classrooms doing close readings of text and targeted pre-reading activities.

Literacy Professors Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey also have housed multiple resources on close reading on their website.

Nancy Boyle has a blog entry about close reading that provides some suggestions for classroom instruction.

Four myths about the ELA CCSS touches on aspects of the ELA CCSS (including close reading) that have been debated.

Here are some resources on close reading for all students to help you build your arsenal of materials:

As always, please post your comments or share some authentic examples of your experiences with close reading with your ELLs.

Image Source: http://restoringmayberry.blogspot.com/2011/04/laying-hedgerows.html

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Background Knowledge: A Key to Close Reading with ELLs

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Part II of the series on informational text will first provide an overview of what close reading is and could mean for ELLs, including some definitions of close reading. Then I'll present the role of background knowledge, which is a major consideration with teaching ELLs close reading, and share some recommended resources.

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While reading this article, I learned more about the diverse strategies to increase ELL Student’s Reading Comprehension with Nonfiction Text. It first explained the differences between fiction and nonfiction and why it is important for the students to know the differences. It also talks about how important it is for teachers to be able to provide their students with explicit instructions. To help the student's progress they have to  be able to identify the structures of texts. This will help the students be more organized and prepared for the future as they can use these skills in later years. The article also discussed a few more strategies to help the students become more familiar with any text such as chapter walking, which is the technique of looking over the chapter headings, pictures, and key information before going into the lesson. This will help the students be more comfortable with what they are reading no matter if it's nonfiction or fiction. This exercise can also be used to preview content for future lessons and activate background knowledge which is important to know from ELL students to help us guide our lesson with what they already know. Providing opportunities for students to participate and interact with the text can offer many learning opportunities. The article offers many strategies including making predictions, word splash, as well as practicing highlighting into the text to build their comprehension of the text. It is also wise to model what good readers do to set the expectations to the students before they do it. The article points out how easy it is for teachers to read and comprehend a text but is not the same for students especially in middle level grades. Things can improve if teachers model what to do when approaching expository text, ELL students  will become more successful readers. Providing them with some strategies of what good readers do would help them exponentially. Strategies such as ‘Think aloud’, model “fix up" strategies and using a graphic organizer. These strategies will help them understand more information from the text. Increasing peer interaction with discussions about the text is also very key to develop their comprehension of the text. Exposing students to these strategies will have huge benefits now and in the future as they learn the language and the other subjects.

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Kids need to be able to learn to read text for meaning ... (and ask themselves) "Do I know why I'm reading this? Do I know what information I'm looking for?" ... We're always delivering the curriculum in a way that draws on language and reading skills.
- Dr. Nonie Lesaux

Do you remember buying used textbooks in college? If you were lucky, you got one that was highlighted by a skilled student, giving you clues to key information from the book that you needed for your coursework. If you weren't lucky, you got a textbook that had practically all words highlighted on each page and you were looking at a sea of neon pink, yellow, or blue, which could be very distracting. My guess is that a lot of high school students head to college without ever having learned to interact effectively with non-fiction texts. Since books are a precious resource in K-12 education systems, students aren't allowed to highlight or mark in them, and may rely more heavily on the classroom instruction and peer interaction than their reading material to grasp the main idea of a lesson.

Reading Non-fiction with ELLs

See more great ideas in our related resource section on reading non-fiction with ELLs!

Of course it's not just a question of highlighting important information - it's a question of learning key concepts and vocabulary by becoming familiar with different kinds of text, by learning to use a textbook's tools and structure, and by monitoring one's own comprehension of non-fiction text. Without ever having developed these skills, students will have a tough time when it comes time for them to learn information independently in more advanced coursework and in college.

This is especially true for English language learners, who are challenged by learning a new language and new content in that language at the same time. Teachers can help prepare ELL students to successfully work with non-fiction, (or expository) text, however, in many ways - and the earlier the better. Starting early is important because if elementary school classrooms have a predisposition towards fictional stories and literature, students may struggle when they get to fourth grade and need to engage effectively with non-fiction texts in order to learn new content.

In Colorín Colorado's Reading to Learn: ELLs in Grades 4-6 webcast, featured panelist Dr. Nonie Lesaux addresses this transition:

There probably is a fourth-grade slump, but the question is whether we're just picking something up in fourth grade that's already been there for a lot of years for a number of kids, and/or whether, in fact, there are differences in the comprehension demands of the curriculum, and certainly that's a question ...(because by fourth grade) we have reading that cuts across a number of areas of instruction, so reading is not just relegated to reading instruction but rather we need to have good reading comprehension skills for math, for science, for other areas of the curriculum.

While some of those challenges relate to reading instruction in content areas, they also relate to improving the instruction non-fiction texts for ELLs so that students can work successfully with content-area material. In this article I will highlight components of non-fiction texts and effective strategies to help ELLs gain the skills needed to not only understand the content, but understand how the text structure works so they will be able to access content effectively throughout their education.

Introducing text

First, let's look at definitions of types of text:

Narrative: The main purpose of narrative text is to tell a story. Narrative text has beginning, middle and end, characters, plot or conflict, and setting. Usually, narrative texts are written from the author's imagination.

Expository: The main purpose of expository text is to inform or describe. Authors who write expository texts research the topic to gain information. The information is organized in a logical and interesting manner using various expository text structures.

To increase ELLs comprehension of non-fiction expository text, teachers need to provide:

1. explicit instruction on how expository text is structured.

2. models of "what good readers do" to get information from expository text.

3. opportunities for practice so that ELLs can identify and interact with the text

4. opportunities for peer interaction with the content of the text in order to increase comprehension.

Let's look at these steps in more detail:

1. Provide explicit instruction on how expository text is structured.

Teachers need to spend some time introducing students to the format of expository text. This is a lesson intended to teach students how to get information from non-fiction text rather than on the actual content of the text. That instruction can be done once students are familiar with the text format and structure.

Help students recognize the structure of expository text. Introduce the various parts of the text, such as the table of contents and the glossary. Discuss how these different parts are used for informational reading, how the text is organized, where different parts will be found in a textbook, and how they compare with one another.

For example, have students compare the index and the glossary, and discuss what they would use each section for. You might try asking a question such as, "If I want to know the definition of a word, will I look in the index or glossary?"

Elements that are important to introduce include:

Although it may seem very obvious to teachers, something as simple as finding bold words and identifying their definition in surrounding text may be new concepts to developing readers. As students are instructed to find different components of the text, ask questions such as, "What does this graphic tell us? Why do you think the author wanted to put that there?" Make it a thinking exercise so the students will internalize the knowledge.

Chapter walk

One way to help students become familiar with new kinds of books is through a chapter walk, which can be used with fiction or non-fiction text. Students preview the chapter before starting their first lesson in a new unit, looking for headings, graphics, pictures, important words, and key information. Students can discuss what they've noticed and what they think will be covered in pairs, groups, or with the entire class. Once students have become comfortable with a new resource, this exercise can be used to preview content for future lessons and activate background knowledge.

This strategy can also be used with fiction books by using illustrations and chapter headings or important words in the text.

Types of text

For older students, teachers can spend some time helping them understand the different types of text they will encounter, such as descriptive, sequence, and cause and effect. (See examples in this document and the graphics from the U-46 School District in Elgin, Illinois, featured on Reading Rockets.)

2. Provide opportunity for ELLs to practice interacting with the text and identifying key components of the text.

Giving the students to practice these skills will build confidence and offer many learning opportunities. Practice activities can be done to demonstrate how to get information from the expository text. For example, ask students to look for the main idea of a text, and then to explain what "clues" they saw that supported their answer. Students might say things such as, "The main idea is usually in the first paragraph." Or, "I saw the summary written on the side of the page." Engaging the class in discussion about these key components will give all students a chance to demonstrate learning.

Other strategies include:

Making predictions: One method is the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA), which encourages students to be active readers. DR-TA is a process where the students listen to a brief summary of the text, review a few key words or pictures, and then make a prediction about the content of the text. As they begin to read the text, the teacher asks more questions about how their predictions match what they're reading.

Word splash: Students receive handouts with key words and phrases from the text "splashed" randomly across the page. The students spend some time making clusters of information that goes together. They can do this by circling groups of words, highlighting them in different colors, or drawing lines. The class discusses what they've learned from their clusters and what they predict they will learn from the text. Once again, when they begin to read the text they should make note of which parts of their prediction were correct and how they know that based on "evidence" in the text.

Practice highlighting: Students can practice highlighting text on worksheets or by using this method: Give each student a clear plastic overhead sheet and a "write-on/wipe-off" marker. Have the student paperclip the plastic sheet to a page in the textbook and work together to circle new vocabulary words and underline key points. The plastic sheets can be wiped off and used again.

Margin bookmark: One way to allow students to practice making notes is by using margin bookmarks. Prepare scratch paper "bookmark" strips that fit in the crease of the textbook and within the margin of the print, or that can be attached to the outside margin using a paperclip. Students can use these bookmarks to make notes in the margin. Give them specific tasks such as, "Write the definition of one of the bold words in your own words," or "Write one fact, one question, and one thing that is important for you to remember." Provide examples so that students see how they can interact effectively with expository text.

Define the important information: As evidenced by those textbooks full of highlighting I mentioned at the beginning of the article, if a student doesn't know what's important, then everything is important. I like to have the students do an activity I call "Pack the Suitcase" so that they can start identifying the most important information in the text. In order to do this activity, give the students a short text (no more than two paragraphs) and a small envelope with a picture of a suitcase drawn or glued on it. Pass out pieces of scrap paper and tell students that they need to:

1. review the text

2. write "an important point" on each piece of paper

3. "pack" them in their suitcase.

Students can use as many or as few pieces of paper as they want. When the students are finished, tell them they are going on a trip but that they packed too much - they must look in their suitcase and take out half of their items. Students will really have to decide which items (points) are most important to bring on the trip. Finally, have students "travel" to the other side of the room and sit with a partner and "unpack" the suitcases. See if they have the same points, and discuss any differences and how they identified what was important in the article.

3. Model "what good readers do" to get information from expository text.

As good readers, teachers sometimes forget how mystifying and overwhelming text can be for students. I can recall many years of math classes where I looked around at my classmates in puzzlement and wondered how they figured all the answers out! Looking at the textbook didn't help me because I didn't understand what I was looking for. I believe ELLs ofent have a similar experience, but if teachers model "what to do" when approaching expository text, ELLs will become more successful readers.

Here are some strategies to try:

Think aloud*: Read an introductory portion of the text to the class. Pause to model what you are thinking out loud, such as by describing what you know about the text. For example, a teacher may look at a chapter with a picture of a volcano and bold words in the text such as lava, magma, and geothermic. The teacher could say, "Hmmm ... I see this picture of a volcano and I notice bold vocabulary words. The words look very scientific and technical. I bet this will be a reading about science. I think I will learn facts about volcanoes and how they work."

Demonstrate how to figure out vocabulary: As you come to new vocabulary words, pause and think about how you can figure out what that word means. Show how you look for clues such as commas after the word that contain a definition, or show how the word is related to something else you know such as a root word or cognate in another language. Finally the teacher may want to demonstrate how to ask someone next to you for help with the word, or refer to your personal dictionary of new words that you've created for the unit.

Use a graphic organizer: Determine what you need to know in the text and show how to complete a graphic organizer. Talk about how the graphic organizer will help you remember the important information in the text. For example, if students need to determine the characteristics of an active volcano vs. an inactive volcano, the graphic organizer can follow a comparison outline and students fill in the correct information as related to the topic. Be sure to emphasize that this kind of activity can be used in any classroom and with any content. The student just needs to determine what they want to know and make an "organized picture" of the information so they will remember.

Model "fix up" strategies*: Proficient readers know when they "missed" something or what they are reading doesn't make sense. Developing readers tend to "just keep going" hoping that eventually it will all make sense. Of course, this makes it much more difficult to comprehend the content and it leads to frustration. Show students how you "double check" information when you don't understand it or it doesn't make sense. Read a section of the text aloud - especially a complicated portion - and stop to reflect. Say out loud, "What did I just read? That didn't make sense. Let me go back and read it again." If it still seems confusing, ask the students for ideas about how you could "check" your understanding of this information.

Determine if it's "In the Book" or "In my Head": In the Question Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy students are taught to identify if information is in the book (literal) or in their head (inferential). Teachers can demonstrate this by using questions to model how they figure that out. For example, a literal question might be, "What are three characteristics of an active volcano?" An example of an inferential question is, "Are volcanoes dangerous?" This can be a very important skill to develop because many developing readers spend a lot of time scouring the text looking for an answer that is not defined literally in the text.

*Strategies from, "7 Keys to Comprehension: How to help your kids read it and get it!" by Susan Zimmerman and Chryse Hutchins. See Hotlinks for further information.

4. Increase peer interaction with the content of the text in order to increase comprehension.

Giving students the chance to interact with their peers about new content will engage them and offer more opportunities to practice talking, writing, and thinking about what they have learned. You can do this with the following strategies:

Develop study guides to guide ELLs through content area textbook reading. Study guides will focus student attention on the major ideas presented, and can include graphic organizers as described above, key vocabulary, and guiding questions. These study guides can be very helpful in preparing for final exams and students can use them to "quiz" each other. More advanced students can develop their own study guides in partners or in groups.

Assign reading partners. Pair ELLs with friendly fluent readers. Ask partners to read aloud to each other, alternating sentences or pages. After the first student reads, the other student summarizes what they heard. Then the two partners switch roles.

Encourage student engagement. One strategy is the "Say Something" activity. Students take turns reading aloud, and following the reading, each student 'says something,' such as asking a question, making a comment, making a connection to something already read, or responding personally to the text. The exercise also engages students as readers and gets them thinking about the text. For ELLs, teachers may want to have a "phrase wall" displayed so they have a sentence structure to begin their comments. Examples such as, "That reminds me of..." Or "Do you know..." or "That's interesting because..."

Have students re-tell what they have learned. After students read a section of text, have them re-tell it to a partner or write a few summary notes in their notebook and switch notes with a partner. The partner can add notes, questions or comments to the author's notes.

For more tips on supporting reading instruction in the ELL classroom, take a look at our reading tips for teachers, as well as some reading comprehension strategies. You may also find some helpful tips from the AdLit.org Strategy Library.

Closing Thoughts

Spending time working with text structure and guiding ELLs in how to access expository content effectively will have huge benefits for your students now and in the future. Textbooks are like other classroom tools, such as microscopes or computers. Without the proper introduction and practice, the student will only get a fraction of the information the teacher hopes they will gain. As teachers work with students to discover the secrets to using expository text for learning, they will be rewarded by deeper discussions and learning in the classroom. Most importantly, having learned these strategies, your students will be equipped to interact with a multitude of academic texts throughout the rest of their education.
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.
Colorín Colorado Webcast: Reading to Learn in Grades 4-6
This Colorín Colorado webcast features Dr. Nonie Lesaux, and addresses the challenges facing English language learners - and their teachers - in grades 4-6.
Colorín Colorado Webcast: ELL Comprehension
This webcast featuring Dr. Cynthia Lundgren and Kristina Robertson discusses effective reading comprehension strategies for teaching English language learner students.
Colorín Colorado: How to Help ELL Students Leap to Success
This article offers suggestions for helping teachers guide ELLs through the critical transition between third and fourth grade.
AdLit.org: Strategy Library
This resource offers comprehensive list of strategies for each phase of the comprehension lesson - before, during, and after reading.
West Ed: Reading Apprenticeship Framework
Website for the Reading Apprenticeship Framework that describes the elements of the framework and includes links to articles.
Text-Mapping Project
Step-by-step lesson plan on how to map text with students.
What's Special About Non-fiction?
This lesson plan from Scholastic offers ideas about ways to introduce students to nonfiction texts.
Time for Kids
Time for Kids offers a great range of informational text for different grade levels and related activities.
Education Oasis: Graphic Organizers for Vocabulary Development
Links to vocabulary development graphic organizers.
Vocabulary Activity: Prediction and Confirmation
An activity for vocabulary prediction and confirmation featured on the Florida Center for Instructional Technology website.

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Increasing ELL Student Reading Comprehension with Non-fiction Text

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Kids need to be able to learn to read text for meaning … (and ask themselves) “Do I know why I’m reading this? Do I know what information I’m looking for?” … We’re always delivering the curriculum in a way that draws on language and reading skills. — Dr. Nonie LesauxDo you remember buying used textb…

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This article is great because it gives steps that teachers should provide to students to help the students with their comprehension. These steps are:

1. Provide explicit instruction on how expository text is structured.

Teachers need to explain to students the structure of an expository text such as the table of contents, glossary, index, titles and headings, and bold words. For new readers they might not have seen these elements in a book before, it is important to point these out and explain there use so that students are able to get the full use out of the text they are reading.

2. Provide opportunity for ELLs to practice interacting with the text and identifying key components of the text.

This builds students confidence and offers new learning opportunities. Some strategies for this include: asking students to look for a certain part of the text and having them tell you what clues they found to get them to their answer, making predictions about the text, and practice highlighting give students a plastic sheet to put over their page and give the students dry erase markers and have them underline or circle key points in the text so they can practice finding key points and not highlighting the whole thing while it also isn't permanent.

3. Model "what good readers do" to get information from expository text.

Some strategies to help with this are, think aloud, demonstrate how to figure out vocabulary show students how to use context clues to figure out a definition, use the glossary, or sometimes some books have the definition of of vocabulary on the page where the word is used, and use a graphic organizer.

4. Increase peer interaction with the content of the text in order to increase comprehension.

Some strategies for this are, assign reading partners have ELL students and fluent students work together and have them alternate reading paragraphs or pages the student who is not reading is paying attention and is to give a short summary before it is their turn to read, encourage student engagement this is good for all things and all students as well, and have students re-tell what they have learned.

There are many other strategies that can be used but I think this article did a great job naming a few really good ones.

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You are welcome to print copies or republish materials for non-commercial use as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact info@readingrockets.org.

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Increasing ELL Student Reading Comprehension with Nonfiction Text

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Getting information from a nonfiction text can be especially challenging for ELLs, who may not have had much experience working independently with expository texts. This article offers ways that teachers can help ELLs work effectively with nonfiction texts and includes strategies for introducing components, structure, and purpose of expository texts.

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This article provided great insight on how to deliver instruction to English language learners in the classroom, specific to informational comprehension skills and strategies. The author, Diane Fenner provided hyperlinks to other resources referred to within the article. This is great to explore and expand your knowledge outside of this article. The author first talks about the transition to using more informational texts being tricky for all students particularly ell students. This is because of the lack of background knowledge, and more complex academic language. She also explains that there will be this shift because at a high school and higher education level, people use informational texts than fiction. These types of texts can include research briefs and reports.

First Fenner provides a basic foundation about informational text for all students, and then narrows her focus to include a few specific strategies about teaching informational text to ELLs. She explains how the texts used as a common standard were selected by using three criteria: (1) text complexity, (2) quality, and (3) range. Using this criteria as an aid, teachers should modify and adapt certain informational texts for the particular needs of each student, especially Ell students.

Some strategies highlighted to help ELL students build their informational comprehension skills first include building background knowledge. Second, teachers can provide a selected glossary of the text's vocabulary, answer scaffolded text-dependent questions, and use sentence frames grounded in the text that are adapted for different levels of students' language proficiency(Fenner). Another strategy is direct instruction with high frequency vocabulary. Lastly, Fenner explains to engage the students to fill out a who, what, when, where, why outline to help them understand the text better.

This article was easy to follow and understand. I would recommend reading this article for yourself to help build your knowledge on how to deliver instruction to help ELL students with informational comprehension skills.

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As you transition to using the CCSS for your instruction of ELLs, you are probably hearing quite a bit about the importance of teaching "informational" or nonfiction text to your students. This shift to using more informational text is tricky enough for all students, but it becomes especially challenging for ELLs due to its distinct features such as assumption of background knowledge and use of complex academic language.

This two-part post will focus on some aspects of teaching informational text to ELLs. This week I will share background considerations and strategies regarding informational text, first providing a basic foundation about informational text for all students and then narrowing my focus to include a few specific strategies about teaching informational text to ELLs. Next week, I will highlight the " close reading" of informational text for ELLs.

What the CCSS Tell Us About the Use of Informational Text

The CCSS guiding documents lay out the balance of fiction to nonfiction text, and suggest the use of 50 percent informational text/50 percent fiction in the elementary school years. This percentage increases to 70 percent informational text/30 percent fiction for students by high school. The reason behind this shift to include more informational text at the K-12 level is because college students and individuals in careers are more likely to work with informational text such as research briefs and reports than fictional texts. Due in part to their emphasis on using complex, informational text, the CCSS are said to better prepare students to meet the demands of college and the modern workplace.

However, this mix of informational texts and fiction is meant to occur across English Language Arts (ELA), science, social studies, and the arts - not in ELA alone. That is, ELA teachers can still teach fiction but must collaborate with teachers of other subjects to ensure that all students are reading the recommended balance of informational and literary texts. CCSS guidance documents suggest that informational text can include such genres as essays, speeches, memoirs, and biographies.

If you're interested in reading more about how some teachers are including informational text in their instruction, a recent Education Week article explores a sampling of teachers' and districts' interpretations of how they are infusing informational text into their instruction. You can also find out about Reading Rockets blogger Emily Stewart's experience implementing the CCSS ELA standards in her diverse third grade Washington, DC classroom here. She has been writing about her experiences working with informational text and includes some authentic strategies for doing so.

Which Informational Texts to Use?

The ELA Common Core standards include Text Exemplars and Sample Performance Tasks which provide examples of the level of complexity that the CCSS require of all students at each grade band. The texts were selected by using three criteria: (1) text complexity, (2) quality, and (3) range. This guidance also provides a snapshot of the breadth of texts that students should engage with to meet the standards. The texts listed are not meant to be prescriptive but rather serve as a guide for helping teachers select texts of similar complexity, quality, and range for their own students. In addition, brief performance tasks supplement the text exemplars by providing examples of sample applications of the CCSS to texts of suggested complexity, quality, and range.

What Teaching Informational Text Means for Teachers of ELLs

Knowing what informational text is and how to choose, adapt, and supplement appropriate texts for ELLs will require a certain knowledge base. Judging by the attendance of any CCSS-related presentation at last week's National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE) conference (including standing room only at the American Federation of Teachers' introductory presentation on the CCSS), I am not the only educator trying to gather information on how the CCSS apply to our heterogeneous population of ELLs.

NABE 2013 Keynote: Dr. Diane August

Dr. Diane August, Managing Researcher at the American Institutes for Research, gave a keynote presentation at NABE that focused in part on infusing the use of informational text into instruction for ELLs. You can find her full presentation here. She shared that text is "at the heart of the new standards" and that, under the CCSS, texts will now be categorized at higher grade levels than before the implementation of the CCSS. For example, A Secret Garden is now said to be appropriate for the fourth grade while Tom Sawyer is suggested for the middle grades. In order for ELLs to meet the CCSS, including accessing informational text, Dr. August says these students will need additional instructional support.

Dr. August shared some reasons that make text challenging for all students, including ELLs. Citing Fisher, Frey, and Lapp (2012), she described how text can be especially challenging due to assumed content knowledge, limited use of text features and graphics, distortions in the text's organization such as unexpected time sequences, and multiple levels of meaning. In addition, certain language features can provide a roadblock to students accessing complex text, such as sophisticated figurative language, use of variations of standard English (think Tom Sawyer), archaic language, and unfamiliar vocabulary. Using only the first sentence from the Gettysburg Address as an example, Dr. August highlighted seven (!) ways in which that sentence alone is challenging for ELLs.

Example of How to Scaffold Informational Text for ELLs

Going beyond pointing out challenges of informational text, Dr. August then offered some strategies for how teachers of ELLs at different levels of English language proficiency could work with the Gettysburg Address, an informational text. Naturally, teachers could also apply the strategies she exemplified to instruction using different informational texts. She first gave examples of how to build ELLs' background knowledge about the Gettysburg Address prior to reading it, such as by having students watch a brief video clip of an actor delivering the Gettysburg Address, watching a video clip about Abraham Lincoln, doing an interactive reading about the Civil War, and doing an interactive reading about the Declaration of Independence.

Next, she demonstrated how teachers could provide a selected glossary of the text's vocabulary, answer scaffolded text-dependent questions, and use sentence frames grounded in the text that are adapted for different levels of students' language proficiency. She also provided examples of giving direct instruction in key as well as high frequency vocabulary found in the text (such as the word "conceive") to help unlock the nuanced meaning of the complex text.

She then showed how teachers could have students engage in a functional analysis of the text to help them unpack complex sentences by having students outline the who, what, where, and when of the text, citing the text for evidence.

Drawing Upon ELLs' First Languages

Finally, Dr. August focused on ways in which teachers could draw upon the richness of ELLs' first languages to help them unpack the meaning of the text. For example, she showed how students could read the Gettysburg Address (either in English or in a Spanish translated version) with a partner, noting one thing they learned and one thing they would like to understand better. She also shared a Spanish resource that describes what the Gettysburg Address is and places it into the events of that period in history for ELLs unfamiliar with US history:
El Discurso de Gettysburg es un discurso pronunciado por el Presidente Abraham Lincoln y es de los más conocidos en la historia de los Estados Unidos. Fue pronunciado durante la Guerra Civil Norteamericana, en la tarde del jueves 19 de noviembre de 1863. Lincoln pronunció su discurso en el conmemorativo Cementerio Nacional de los Soldados en Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, en honor a los hombres que murieron durante la Batalla de Gettysburg.
Dr. August also shared how teachers can help ELLs use their knowledge of cognates to increase their comprehension of the Gettysburg Address, pointing out such cognates as "continent," "nation," and "liberty." I encourage you to look through her full presentation to find out more strategies for making informational text accessible to ELLs.

Next Week

Please stay tuned for next week's post, in which I will focus on the close reading of informational text for ELLs.

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This two-part post will focus on some aspects of teaching informational text to ELLs. Part I will share background considerations and strategies regarding informational text, first providing a basic foundation about informational text for all students and then narrowing my focus to include a few specific strategies about teaching informational text to ELLs.

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Erin McArdle: 4 Quick Steps to Differentiate for Reading Comprehension with ELLs 

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Erin McArdle: 4 Quick Steps to Differentiate for Reading Comprehension with ELLs 

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This article gives a lot of great ideas to help students with their comprehension skills. I am going to jump around a little in my summary because I think there are some important things to talk about before the 4 steps.

Reading comprehension involves a lot of factors such as: background knowledge, decoding skills, vocabulary knowledge, grammar understanding, and interest. It is important that a student has these skills before teaching comprehension. Background can be given to students in their native language. Students should understand 90% of the vocabulary in a text to be able to understand what the text is about.

If a student is struggling with comprehension you need to find out what area they are struggling with so you can improve this skill, not every student is going to struggle with the same skill. A good assessment can help determine what the students are struggling with the most.

4 Quick Steps:

1. Build on background knowledge

Tell students what they are going to be reading about and ask the students what they already know about this topic. If they do not know much make sure to give them the information they will need to be able to understand.

2. Break up a text into more manageable chunks

Break the text into smaller parts instead of a whole article or chapter. Try to find important paragraphs and focus on those the most rather than the whole thing.

3. Read to decode the words first

Read the passage first as a whole class and then have the students read the passage individually. Make sure to go around to the students you know have difficulty with this and provide them with more support.

4. Sort the students by ability

Have the students answer a few comprehension questions, when the students are done put different marks on the students papers depending on how they did answering the questions, usually two or three different groups.

5. Give each group and activity

Give the different groups that the students were separated into for step 4 different activities depending on their skill level. The group that did good answering the questions can read the rest of the chapter, write a short summary, or answer some more difficult comprehension questions. The group that struggled can re-read the passage and underline things they don't understand, play vocab games in pairs, or review phonics that are in the passage.

Overall I think this article is helpful and gives some good ideas for how to help your students who are struggling and how to keep the students who aren't struggling as much active in the class and continuing to work.

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Better Reading Can Mean a Better Future
The better an ELL student reads, the better that student generally does in school.
That's great for the students who read well, and not great for the ones who don't.

Teaching English language learners who struggle with reading how to read can be very difficult.

Considering many teachers have students at varying levels of reading proficiency in the same class, the challenge can feel overwhelming at times.

We need to differentiate for our different students abilities, but how?

Guidelines for Reading with ELLs
If we want to be successful, there are a couple of guidelines we need to follow:

1. All students need to be busy all of the time. Weak students aren't sitting around while stronger students do all of the work. Stronger students aren't falling asleep while weaker students struggle to catch up.

2. Students have practices that are appropriate to their level. The closer we can get to Goldilocks declaration about the last bowl of soup she tasted, the better. Students are much more likely to improve when they are feeling neither overwhelmed, in the case of weaker students, nor bored, in the case of stronger students.

4 Quick Steps for Differentiating Reading with ELLs

Here are 4 quick steps to help you differentiate when teaching reading comprehension to English language learners.

1. Build on background knowledge

Give the students a quick outline of what they are going to read and ask students what they already know about the topic.

Note: You don't have to spend much time on this. It helps to give students some context, but you will want to spend most of your limited time on the actual reading.

2. Break up a text into more manageable chunks

Focus comprehension on summary paragraphs, or paragraphs of particular importance, rather than an entire passage.

Note: Trying to understand an entire chapter is often quite daunting for ELL students, especially if it is a subject like science or math, and most ELL teachers don't have an enormous amount of time with their pull-out students. Focus on the quality of the exercises, not the quantity. Also, students who have a good understanding of key passages will have an easier time with the rest.

3. Read to decode the words first

Have the students read the passage once through as a class and then once through individually. Get down next to students who you know struggle in order to provide some extra help.

Many ELL students have trouble just figuring out how to sound out the words, especially those coming from countries with completely different alphabets. It is difficult to focus on the meaning of a word when you can't even sound it out. This is where phonics and phonemic awareness become incredibly important.

4. Sort the students by ability

Give the students a quick comprehension quiz. Ask three easy comprehension questions that require the students to write only a one-word answer on a scrap sheet of paper. Keep the pace up. Don't worry about spelling. Don't slow down for slower students. They are slow because they are struggling, and we will let them take their time with it in a minute.

Go around and put a circle (🔵) on the students' papers who get all of the answers correct and a heart (❤️) on the students' papers who get them wrong or who don't have anything written. You can consider making a third group out of those students who are unable to write anything, but for now, let's focus on two groups.

Some students will be able to read and comprehend the text much more easily than others. Varying the required tasks based on ability will make your time much more efficient. If they ask, just tell them that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and if this is hard for you, that's OK. We will practice it so that you can get better.

5. Give each group an activity
a. Ask students with 🔵 s on their papers to do an activity that is a bit more of a challenge.

Read the rest of the chapter. (If you were only reading a smaller portion of it.)

Write a short summary of the material, putting it in their own words.

Get in pairs and time each other using an analog clock or watch; then try to beat their first score on a second try to increase reading speed.

Answer some more difficult comprehension questions.

b. Students with ❤️s on their papers should have easier challenges.

Re-read the passage, underlining words they don't understand and creating a picture dictionary of the words on a separate blank sheet of paper.

Play vocabulary games in pairs to practice the words they don't know before going at the passage again.

Review phonics sounds found in the words from the reading passage.

Try answering the three basic questions from earlier after working on the passage some more. Most likely, the answers will come much more easily now and you can give them high fives, good jobs, and pats on the back. They will be feeling much more confident.

There are a lot of skills needed for reading comprehension.

Reading comprehension involves a combination of factors including:

Students need to have some background knowledge of the topic they are reading in order to understand. That background knowledge can be in their native language; It does not need to be in English.

Students need to be able to decode the words on the page. The faster students can decode words, the easier it is for them to focus on what the words mean.

Students need to understand over 90% of the vocabulary words in order to understand a text. Once they are over 90% of the words, they can usually guess the meanings of the other words they don't know from context.

Students need to understand the sentence structures used. They need to understand the meaning carried in the grammar of each sentence and how the sentences fit together.

Students also need to be interested. They need to care about what the text means. If they don't, they are unlikely to pull any meaning at all from the text.

English Learners Struggling with Reading

If a student is struggling with reading comprehension, you will need to find out what area (or areas) that student is struggling in order to help them. A student struggling with background or vocabulary knowledge is going to need a different approach than a student struggling to decode the words on the page.

As ELL teachers, we need to get a clear picture of what the problem is for different students and provide activities that help them improve in those areas.

A good assessment can help you get a clear picture of what students need to work on. If you don't have one, you can download the Kid-Inspired ELL Assessment and Guide here . It will help you get a good understanding of a child's reading ability, vocabulary, and grammar, among other things.

You can grab a set of free fluency readers for your students here.

You can sign up for the Kid-Inspired ESL Curriculum Membership here in order to get access to 1000s of resources that will help you engage your ELLs, save time, and close the gap.

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4 Quick Steps to Differentiate for Reading Comprehension with ELLs

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The better an ELL student reads, the better that student generally does in school. That's great for the students who read well, and not great for the ones who don't. Teaching English language learners who struggle with reading how to read can be very difficult.

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This article discusses the importance of teaching reading comprehension skills to ELLs. It mentions it helps them get a better grasp in subjects like science, math, and social studies. The article gives a list of necessary reading comprehension skills that can help the student during any reading they do. These skills include things like summarizing, comparing and contrasting, finding the main idea and supporting details, along with some other skills.

The focus of this article is on strategies you can use to help ELLs develop their reading comprehension skills. It first talks about general use strategies you can use with all students. It states you should fully explain how, when, where, and why any comprehension skill or strategy you are teaching is used. Define, model and explain the strategy you are teaching them. You should also allow the students several opportunities to practice the skills with small groups and the entire class. It then goes on to explain how you can add on to this for ELLs. When you group students, you should pair the ELL student with strong English speakers and have them take turns reading and thinking aloud with short passages. It also says to make sure you identify words the student might struggle with and provide easily understandable definitions for them. It mentions that you can also provide a checklist of skills that the students should be doing while they are reading. The article also mentions that you should also verify that the student understood what they read by questioning them using simply worded questions that contain key terms they read in text.

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English language learners (ELLs) often have problems mastering science, math, or social studies concepts because they cannot comprehend the textbooks for these subjects. ELLs at all levels of English proficiency, and literacy, will benefit from explicit instruction of comprehension skills along with other skills.

Examples of comprehension skills that can be taught and applied to all reading situations include:

Summarizing

Sequencing

Inferencing

Comparing and contrasting

Drawing conclusions

Self-questioning

Problem-solving

Relating background knowledge

Distinguishing between fact and opinion

Finding the main idea, important facts, and supporting details

These skills are particularly important for comprehending what is generally known as information reading or expository reading.

For more information, see our related articles and classroom videos:

Why reading comprehension skills are particularly important for ELLs

ELL students will still need a lot of vocabulary development and teaching of comprehension strategies even if they:

have been mainstreamed after some bilingual instruction;

are being pulled out for English as a Second Language or Sheltered English instruction; and/or

have been assessed as English proficient but you know that they still need additional help with language, reading, and writing.

Here is a way of thinking about the support your ELLs will need:

Classroom strategies: Steps for explicitly teaching comprehension skills

The following steps are useful for all students. However, these need to be complemented with the additional steps below to ensure comprehension for ELLs.

Introduce the comprehension strategy or skill (see above list) through examples. Discuss how, when, where, and why the strategy or skills are used. For example: contrast main idea with details, fact with opinion, good summaries with poor summaries.

Have students volunteer additional examples to contrast and discuss.

Label, define, model, and explain the strategy or skill. For example, after listing four facts about a healthy diet and four opinions about what is good to eat, label one list as facts and the other list as opinions.

Give students opportunities to practice using the strategy with a peer as they apply it to a short, simple paragraph from a science text or any expository text.

Debrief with the whole class to ask students to share how they applied the strategy or skill.

Additional steps for ELLs

Identify vocabulary words that you think might be difficult for students to understand when they read the text. Write ELL-friendly definitions for each - that is, simple, brief definitions ELLs can easily understand.

Model think-alouds. For example: verbalize a confusing point or show how you use a strategy to comprehend something. "This sounds very confusing to me. I better read this sentence again."

Demonstrate fix-up strategies. For example: I need to think about this. Let me rethink what was happening. Maybe I'll reread this. I'll read ahead for a moment.

Partner ELLs with more dominant English speakers and ask each student to take a turn reading and thinking aloud with short passages.

After working with partners successfully, ask ELLs to practice independently by using a checklist such as the following. Be sure to explain all the terms and model each.
While I was reading, how did I do?

Celebrate each ELLs' progress with recognition notes, praise, and/or class applause.

For advanced ELLs

When students' English proficiency and basic reading skills have increased, you can teach the following steps not just to ELLs, but to all students - because everyone will benefit.

In pairs, have students survey the text and use an idea map to record the main idea and details.

Ask partners to read the text.

Have partners restate the main idea and supporting details. At this point, they can add to their idea map or make necessary corrections.

Then ask students to reread the text and either develop their own questions (pretending to prepare a test for their partner) or write a short summary of what they just read.

After that, have partners check each other's work.

Finally, partners can share their questions or summaries with other teams.

Other ideas

For building ELL comprehension

Teach students how to use these tools for informational or expository reading:

Ask students to use the following strategies to summarize (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.

Questioning ELLs after reading

After the ELLs and/or whole class have completed the reading comprehension activities above, you can anchor or test their comprehension with carefully crafted questions, taking care to use simple sentences and key vocabulary from the text they just read.

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?)

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Reading Comprehension Skills for English Language Learners

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English language learners (ELLs) often have problems mastering science, math, or social studies concepts because they cannot comprehend the textbooks for these subjects. ELLs at all levels of English proficiency, and literacy, will benefit from explicit instruction of comprehension skills along with other skills.

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This article goes into great detail on how to support and build comprehension skills for English language learners. Explicit instruction is a great way to teach ELL students. The author of this article defines comprehension as "understanding the meaning of text by reading actively and with purpose (for learning, understanding, or enjoyment)." I agree with definition because in order to comprehend something, one must be engaged and active wile reading. There are many times when I read but do not pay attention. Afterwards, I have no idea what i just read! The author also gives skills that can be taught in reading scenarios. Some of my favorite include, self-questioning, problem solving, finding the main idea and details, and inferencing.

The article also discusses how challenging it is for ELL students to comprehend what they learn in all subjects including math, science, history, etc. It says in order for ELL students to build their comprehension skills, they must strengthen their vocabulary. There is a reason why vocabulary comes up in almost everything related to reading. Vocabulary skills are needed to perform many tasks associated with reading, in this case, comprehension.

There is also a a section where it gives the steps in order to explicitly teach comprehension skills to ELL students. This section is very useful because it shows steps that you can use when you are in your classroom. Additionally, their is a section for advanced ELL's. In this section, it talked about how when ELL's increase their skills, you can teach these skills to the whole class because it can benefit everyone. An example is having students read an expository text in pairs and shar main ideas from it.

Overall, this was a very useful and beneficial article to read and learn more about how to explicitly teach comprehension skills to ELL students.

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Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (2004). Expediting Comprehension for English Language Learners (ExC-ELL): Teachers Manual. Baltimore, MD: Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University.

Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (in press). Teaching Reading, Oral Language and Content to English Language Learners - How ELLs Keep Pace With Mainstream Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. J. (2000). Making content comprehensible for English language learners: The SIOP model. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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Reading Comprehension Strategies for English Language Learners

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Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (2004). Expediting Comprehension for English Language Learners (ExC-ELL): Teachers Manual. Baltimore, MD: Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University. Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (in press). Teaching Reading, Oral Language and Content to English Language Learners - How ELLs Keep Pace With Mainstream Students.

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The article I chose goes into extreme detail about supporting comprehension strategies with ELL students. It states, “the development of and access to useful background knowledge is crucial for their comprehension of texts in their second language”. This essentially means that in order for a student to develop language skills in the new language they are trying to learn, it is integral for them to form background knowledge in order to make sure the students are fully comprehending the subject matter that they are learning. The article provides evidence in the form of three links. The first link shows the basis of research, exemplifying the idea that this is a tried and true method that has been tested in the past. The second link is to show the strategy in practice, giving further credit to the method and demonstrating how useful it is in the classroom. The final link shows related resources, which are just articles and links to different activities that lend themselves well to helping ELL students improve their comprehension. The “strategy in practice” tab describes the importance of modelling and think alouds, along with how these coalesce into making research-supported comprehension strategies. It even shows you the progression of complication that the student will go along with, moving from short films with no dialogue to comprehensible texts like short stories or adolescent novels. The final tab holds information like lesson plans for grades nine through twelve. It also has multiple lesson plans for students in grades three and four all the way up until grade twelve, with a variety of different topics and subjects in it as well. What makes this link stand out to me is the fact that all of the practices are directly supported by evidence used in other schools. They have tested these methods in countries like Iran and Japan, being given a plethora of positive results to show for it. The fact that these practices have been tested in multiple various countries with astounding results exemplifies the idea that these methods work and they work extremely well.

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Supporting Comprehension Strategies for English Language Learners | Read Write Think

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This article talks about how to better teach ELL students comprehension through 6 strategies that an educator could implement in the classroom. One of the first aspects of the article that I found interesting was using a warmup activity such as using large flash cards, power point, and a verbal game. This helps prepare students prepare for words that they may encounter when reading. When doing this warmup with ELL students you want to make sure the words are relatable to the students. An example some words could be cat and shoe. Then the next step was turning these words into simple sentences and then slowly progressing to harder words. The next piece of information that I learned about this article was different pre reading activities. One of the first steps I learned about was making sure to find literature that students are interested in to make sure they stay engaged. An activity to warmup ELL students is having ELL students look at different pictures of different books that the author writes or different genres to create a discussion. Another activity is having ELL students skim the text. This has the students going over the text and seeing what stands out to them such as colors, pictures, and vocabulary. The final piece of the article was the 6 different strategies for reading comprehension for ELL students.

1)Scanning

Scanning is good strategy to do after the students do skimming. Skimming involves looking a little more in depth at material compared to skimming. The idea is for the students to connect what they read skimming to what they read scanning. A good idea for this strategy is to set a timer for the students so they do not get too caught up within the text.

2)Predicting

This strategy has the students read a paragraph and then predict what will happen in the next one. It helps students build on their English skills and they can ask questions if they did not understand or missed something.

3)Summarizing

Summarizing involves ELL students telling the main idea of the passage that they read. This can either be done in groups or individually and have the students present in front of the class.

4) Discussing

The strategy of discussing is asking students easy questions after the reading and having them answer. Multiple choice questions work the best because then the students will debate what the best answer is. The idea is to create conversation within the classroom.

5)Extracting

This strategy involves using flyers or brochures on vacation destinations. These pieces of information can introduce ELL students to new words and learn about new areas.

6) Diving In

This strategy uses advertisements and flyers to have ELL students try to negotiate on the product by writing a small paragraph. Students can either work in groups or present in front of the class. This helps with students read subtitles and improve their English skills. Whenever there is a difficult word the add can be paused to give students time to write it down and explain the word.

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Reading is knowledge and knowledge is power.
Reading is your students' bridge to language and culture in the English-speaking world.

It's perhaps the most essential skill for beginning language learners to develop.

Once you've chosen the perfect reading material for your ESL students, where do you go from there?

If taught properly, reading comprehension skills will help students do far more than just read. Reading enhances other essential ESL skills like speaking, listening and writing.

Putting reading comprehension to use at the beginner level will also allow your students to build vocabulary, practice pronunciation and develop grammar knowledge subconsciously. Yes, subconsciously- the best way for students to develop those boring grammar skills is when they don't even notice.

Once your students begin improving by reading, their thirst for more reading material will grow. They'll most definitely turn to reading for education and entertainment.

They may want to read local news, learn more about places they'll travel or become enthusiastic about the best selling English novels they hear about. Reading comprehension opens the door to infinite knowledge and your students will come to appreciate the time they spend in class honing their reading skills.

Reading comprehension is also a key component to almost all formal ESL tests worldwide. These are tests they may be required to pass in order to attend school abroad or get their dream job with an international company.

So, all that being said, how can we help our ESL students develop these crucial skills in the right way?

Here are a few helpful tips to give your students the key to reading comprehension success.

Where Do I Start?

When discussing reading comprehension at the beginner level, it's crucial for students to have some basic ESL skills to begin their reading journey.

Starting with the ABCs is the most obvious first step. You'll then continue with basic vocabulary. After a foundation has been built, you can start tossing in more complex components like prepositions and articles.

Let's see how this might look in a typical reading comprehension lesson plan. You're ready to practice reading one day. Here's how you get started.

For a class full of newbies, a quick ABC warm-up activity can be very beneficial before you start practicing reading together. Refreshing their ABC knowledge will allow the flow of the class to continue without much interruption during the practice section of the lesson.

Once the alphabet soup is out of the way, jump into words. Help your students pronounce and develop a quick thinking approach to saying words as they appear before them. Most native English speakers learned to read this way, and creating a firm foundation from the get-go will make your lesson more effective in the long run. Oversized flashcards, a powerpoint presentation or a verbal game can all be good vocabulary warm-up options.

One important side note: Choose to warm up with words that are relatable to your students, something they may have at home or take an interest in. The word "dog" is, of course, relatable to almost everyone in the world and can easily be used in a sentence.

Our example word "dog" can be magically implanted into the sentence, "Tom has a dog." You can easily transform the words your students spent a few minutes pronouncing and discussing with their classmates into sentences.

Remember to build your lesson material like you would build a rock wall, brick by brick. This will allow your students to maintain a base knowledge of the material. Formulate sentences using the words previously discussed, adding context to them as you continue on.

Preparing ESL Students to Read Longer English Texts

Before unleashing your eager students into a literary garden of new words and sentences, you must first find material suitable for your class.

Know your students, their goals, needs and interests. Most children won't be interested in articles on self-improvement, just as adults won't always appreciate bedtime-style stories. Finding the best, most appropriate material for your students to read will keep them engaged and will ensure that they'll want to read more.

Once you've passed around the day's reading material, guide your students through some enticing pre-reading tasks. For example, create a short list of 5 to 7 key vocabulary words that are essential to the concept of the reading material. Your students will inevitably discover new words as they read, but taking a little legwork out of it will give them more confidence when they see and understand a word they just learned in the text.

Some other great pre-reading exercises include class or group discussions about the author of the reading material. You can use pictures and let your students discuss the genre the author writes about as well as where he or she is from, what he or she enjoys doing and so on.

You can also share important concepts within the reading material and discuss them briefly, giving your students a base knowledge of what's to come. You may even want your students to try skimming the text. Skimming involves seeking out certain types of words and information in the text without reading. What jumps right off the pages? Numbers, colors, familiar vocabulary, places and names are often things that are picked out of texts at a first glance.

Set up the reading and success will follow.

Now, when it comes to actively interacting with English reading material, you'll need to give your students additional direction. Here are some great strategies for helping your ESL students get the most out of classroom reading practice.

1. Scanning

This is a great follow-up activity after skimming, enhancing your students' comprehension of the reading even further.

Scanning is much like skimming, allowing your students more time to review the reading material, but without letting them stew or converse over every word. The goal behind scanning is to give your students the ability to deconstruct the material and take a closer look, picking up the specific details and combining them with the general information they discovered while skimming.

Basically, it's just a quick read-through. You may want to set a timer for this activity to be extra effective.

2. Predicting

Yet another great method for ESL reading comprehension practice- giving your students more creative freedom.

Choose an individual paragraph and allow your students to discuss what will happen in the next one. This will open up discussion and get them really thinking in English. In order for them to discuss their predictions with their classmates, they'll have to have a basic level of comprehension and they'll practice their speaking skills. Saying new words and phrases from the text out loud will reinforce this language in their minds.

Plus, they can ask questions to clarify what's going on if they missed something. They'll likely even pick up a few textual details they may have missed from their classmates during conversations. As we've previously discussed, it's always great when ESL students can learn from each other.

3. Summarizing

This is some next level stuff in reading comprehension, giving the students the opportunity to show off their new reading comprehension skills.

When a student can summarize a given piece of reading material in their own words, they've definitely developed an excellent understanding of the material's main concept and message.

You can have students discuss their summaries with one another in groups. You could also give each student a different section of the text to read and have them present their summaries in front of the class.

4. Discussing

The exceptional reading comprehension methods above can all be combined with discussion-based activities that'll allow students time to develop other sub-skills in ESL development.

Let your students communicate and explore their own unique styles for optimal reading. Prepare easy questions to ask them as a class after reading and, if you're up to the challenge, think up a couple of controversial questions that'll really get students fired up.

Multiple choice questions will let them think through what you've said and choose best possible answers. They'll invariably give different answers. Students can then discuss, as a class, why they'd choose one particular answer as opposed to another.

5. Extracting

This sounds surgical, but it's actually one of the most fun methods here! Take a vacation with your students by using tourist board information or travel agent brochures.

Most ESL students share a few things in common-the desire to explore new things is usually one of them. Utilizing tourist information or vacation brochures can allow your students to visualize the words in the text as they try to understand it more clearly. Pictures in these kinds of materials really make for a fun experience too!

6. Diving in

Using classified ads from newspapers or online websites is useful and fun.

Your students must negotiate what the advertisement is selling or offering in a short paragraph containing a few sentences. Most classifieds are descriptive and enjoyable to students. They can also give class or group presentations on the classified ads they read. They'll really need to fully commit to diving into these authentic materials.

Whatever the material, it's important to make sure it's relevant to your students' ages, English levels, interests and English goals and needs. Keep in mind that just reading can be boring for some, so keep an interactive dialogue going before and after each reading period.

Don't let reading go too long-just long enough for your students to grasp the general and specific concepts in the text. Make it fun and enjoyable to harbor more enthusiastic and confident beginner students!

Stephen Seifert is a writer, editor, professor of English and adventurer. With over 7 years of teaching experience to students worldwide, he enjoys the many aspects of culture and traditions different from his own. A world traveler and adventurer, Stephen continues his search for the next challenge to inspire him and his writing, boldly enjoying life to the fullest.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to teach English with real-world videos.
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6 Super Strategies for Improving ESL Reading Comprehension for Beginners

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Reading is knowledge and knowledge is power.Reading is your students' bridge to language and culture in the English-speaking world.It's perhaps the most essential skill for beginning language learners to develop.Once you've chosen the perfect reading material for your ESL students, where

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This article seemed to fit with this week's module on supporting ELLs students with their comprehension of literature. This article explains about the different ways to help a student feel comfortable and being part of the learning environment while they are learning a new language. It is important to keep in mind that a big major impact of the students’ learning comes from being comfortable in the classroom with the other students and teacher. This is because if the student doesn't have the comfort of a classroom environment, they will not gain the knowledge or motivation to learn the concept on top of learning a new language.

The article goes over 4 strategies to help the ELL students comprehend a text while supporting their learning. The strategies are providing pictures, checking their comprehension often, using frames for sentences and paragraphs, and dividing a text into chunks. Students may see a word with a definition or a passage they need to read and get overwhelmed because they might not understand or have the vocabulary to comprehend it. To help them we have to provide pictures so they can connect the text with the image making it easier for them to understand. Some of the students may not be as familiar with the culture/background as other students which is why a picture might give the information they need. Some ELL students may not feel comfortable expressing the teacher they don’t understand so it is important to have different ways to know this information. By assessing them exit tickets or having them turn and talk to a partner they feel comfortable gives us the information needed to see if they comprehend their learning. We must do this frequently so the student can be at the same pace as the other students before progressing with our teaching. It is also important to provide the students with sentence/paragraph frames so they have an expectation on what their teacher is asking them to write. They might struggle on how to write a sentence which would make them feel stuck but by allowing them to use this tool, they may feel more at ease and engage more with the content. For reading a text, the students may be frustrated on seeing a bunch of words together they might not be familiar with. To avoid this problem, we must break it down into smaller chunks so this way it would be easier for them to revise the sentences and their comprehension of the passage. By doing this, we allowed them to look up the words they are not familiar with which makes them have a better understanding of the passage.

There are multiple ways of helping an ELL student learn the concept and the new language. By putting in practice these techniques, we might see an improvement on the student’s performance as well seeing them more comfortable in the classroom. I can say that these techniques do help a student comprehend better a concept due to the fact that some of these techniques are ones that I used while working with my ELL students. Even being an ELL student myself, I sometimes use these techniques to help me improve my comprehension while learning on becoming a teacher, making a stronger understanding on how the students may feel in a classroom environment.

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English Language Learners

Simple strategies-like providing visual cues-that teachers can use to help English learners improve their understanding in any class.

When facing challenges working with English learners (ELs), start with an empathetic approach. These students often feel overlooked, left out, and confused in school situations. Body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice can let them know that you care. Creating a welcoming environment provides a foundation for learning, and the once you've established that environment, you can support these students in their language acquisition with a few simple strategies.

4 Strategies for Supporting English Learners

1. A picture is worth a thousand words: A picture is understandable in any language. For English learners who may not comprehend everything a teacher says, an image will help clarify meaning and encourage understanding.

Whenever you introduce new vocabulary, couple a picture with each important word. For example, when I taught Romeo and Juliet, I gave my ELs a handout of five to six vocabulary words they would encounter in each scene we were studying. The handout had the word in English, a picture, and a place for students to write the translation of the word in their own language. I also projected the words and pictures on the board and explained each one. After we read the scene, I posted printouts of each word with its picture and added them to a word wall.

Long or dense texts may be overwhelming to ELs. Including images can boost comprehension and stamina. Consider adding images to assessments or any printed directions for activities.

2. Check for comprehension frequently: Often ELs will not tell you when they don't understand something because they don't want their classmates to know. Using quick formative assessments can help determine where more instruction is needed.

Turn and Talk is a useful strategy because it reduces the anxiety that ELs often feel when asked to speak in front of the entire class. Turn and Talk may be modified for ELs by providing a sentence starter or asking them to write down their answer before sharing it with a friend. Observing students during a Turn and Talk activity is useful for evaluating student understanding.

Exit tickets are short written activities usually given at the end of a lesson to check student comprehension. Including a sentence starter or picture support on an exit ticket is an easy way to scaffold learning for ELs.

In assessing student comprehension, it's important to check in frequently. After giving directions for an activity, check in with ELs and restate the expectations if needed. Model the task if it appears the directions were not sufficient. Checking for comprehension and providing clarification provides repeated language practice for students who are still developing proficiency with English.

3. Use sentence and paragraph frames: Many ELs in my classroom, especially less proficient learners, are shy about speaking in front of the class. In addition, they struggle to form grammatically correct responses to questions. To address this, I provide sentence frames during class discussion.

For example, if students are asked to give evidence, you can use the sentence frame "I know this because the text says _____."

If you want students to talk about causes of a historical event, a sentence frame could be:
"One cause of (the event) is _____" or (Event) happened because _____."

Sentence frames can also be helpful in writing activities. English learners often find writing activities daunting because of the high linguistic expectations of academic writing. Providing a syntactical model may lower anxiety.

For example, if you're asking your students to compare and contrast two characters or events, you might use a paragraph frame like this one:

I recently used a paragraph frame of cause-and-effect with fifth-grade ELs. Students had to use the signal words to infer whether to write a cause or an effect. We underlined signal words as a scaffold, but students needed to correctly identify causes and effects of a destroyed house. For students who can't write a cause-and-effect paragraph independently, this paragraph frame gave them the support they needed to communicate causes and effects.

4. Chunk texts: Reading academic texts is a challenge for ELs because of the complex academic vocabulary, complicated syntax, and density of text. One strategy is to chunk passages into short, manageable sections.

For each passage, choose two to three key vocabulary words and provide pictures of those items. Allow ELs to translate the words into their native language if they're unfamiliar with the terms. After each chunk of text, ask ELs to write a one-sentence summary of the section using the vocabulary words in their sentence. Then move on to the next section of text.

When I taught Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech to high school ELs, they found it challenging. I broke up the speech into five sections, and we spent one class period on each section, focusing on vocabulary and message. Each day, we worked together to find the most important quote from that section, rewrote the quote in simpler language, and illustrated it.

After five days, I gave the students a card sort with our five quotes, five paraphrased quotes, and five images and asked them to match the items. Then they had to write a summary of the entire speech. Breaking down the larger text made it easier for the ELs to build content knowledge.

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4 Simple Ways to Support English Learners' Comprehension

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Simple strategies-like providing visual cues-that teachers can use to help English learners improve their understanding in any class.

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This article focuses on five strategies that will help not only ELL students but any struggling reader. The use of these strategies the author states, " work like a charm".

1) Scaffolding

Combine reading passages with scaffolding activities such as fill in the blanks, concept maps or cluster webs to help your students find main idea and supporting ideas when reading text.

2) Scanning

Pair reading passages with questions to teach students to look for key words that will help them decipher given text.

3) Skimming

Skimming a text or taking a picture walk through a text gives students base knowledge before they read the text on their own. This gives students confidence when they read the passage own their own.

4) context cues

Teaching students to use context cues when they come across unknown vocabulary is a great way for them to make an educated guess based on words in the sentence that they do understand.

5) Summarizing

By having students summarize what they have read will give teachers a good idea of if students have comprehended the given text. This can be done as a journal prompt or as an oral retelling.

Through the use of these given strategies both ELL and mainstream students will have a greater chance of comprehending the text they read.

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5 ESL Reading Comprehension Strategies That Work Like a Charm

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Want your ESL students to become fully independent readers? With these 5 amazing strategies, you’ll give them reading comprehension survival skills for life!

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When reading this article, I tried to think of the connection it had with this previous module. In the article, it explains how NELP, National Early Literacy Panel, did research on supporting kids’ language and literacy development and can help them become better readers and writers in their future. It discusses the critical role of the oral language skills in their development between the ages of zero to five. The NELP’s research that was conducted for six years, emphasizes the importance of oral language skills which are the phonological awareness of letters, vocabulary, and the alphabet knowledge. The article explains that while basic vocabulary and grammar are essential for comprehension, more complex aspects of oral language, such as syntax and listening comprehension, are strongly related to later reading comprehension which would help them in their future grades. It also discusses the challenges faced by children with poor word-reading abilities or language comprehension and how these difficulties can affect their reading comprehension skills as they progress through school. In summary, the article underscores the significance of early oral language development in shaping children's literacy skills and highlights the importance of effective teaching practices in supporting language and literacy development from an early age.

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Supporting young children's language and literacy development has long been considered a practice that yields strong readers and writers later in life. The results of the National Early Literacy Panel's (NELP) six years of scientific research synthesis supports the practice and its role in language development among children ages zero to five.

The NELP was brought together in 2002 to compile research that would contribute to educational policy and practice decisions that impact early literacy development. It was also charged with determining how teachers and families could support young children's language and literacy development. Outcomes found in the panel's report (2008) would be used in the creation of literacy-specific materials for parents, teachers, and staff development for early childhood educators and family-literacy practitioners.

Through its work, the NELP uncovered a set of abilities such as alphabet knowledge, oral language, or phonological awareness present in the preschool years that provides the basis for later reading success. It also found that measures of complex and discourse-level skills are particularly strong predictors of reading success - a finding that is consistent with the fact that language is a complex, multidimensional system that supports decoding and comprehension as children learn to read.

In our book Early Childhood Literacy: The National Early Literacy Panel and Beyond,, we explore the NELP report, as well as newer research findings and the effectiveness of specific approaches to teaching early oral language development to establish a solid foundation for later reading comprehension. Below we expand on concepts to help educators understand how oral language relates to reading comprehension, word reading, and language development; where Common Core State Standards factor into the equation; and what teachers can do to foster literacy development.

Laying Down the Building Blocks
Through its research, the NELP discovered that the more complex aspects of oral language, including syntax or grammar, complex measures of vocabulary (such as those in which children actually define or explain word meanings), and listening comprehension were clearly related to later reading comprehension, but that simpler measures of oral language (e.g., the widely used Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) had very limited associations with reading comprehension.
Put simply, readers must translate print to language and then, much as in listening, they must interpret the meaning of that language. Numerous studies support this approach by showing that word reading and language comprehension are relatively independent skills, but that each contributes significantly to reading comprehension.

Simple measures of vocabulary in which children simply point to the picture of a word or name a picture are not strongly connected with later reading comprehension. Nevertheless, many studies have shown that vocabulary plays an important role in fostering reading development in the years before and during formal reading instruction. The role of vocabulary is likely two-fold. The words, and the concepts that they represent, are obviously of functional importance in comprehension, and vocabulary might also support decoding or the translation of text into language. The NELP established phonological awareness as a key contributor to children's ability to learn to read. Of course, phonological representations are part of the linguistic system and the ability to gain access to these representations may in part be a by-product of early vocabulary development (Metsala & Walley, 1998).

Reading comprehension depends on language abilities that have been developing since birth. Basic vocabulary and grammar are clearly essential to comprehension because each enables understanding of words and their interrelationships in and across individual sentences in a text (Kintsch & Kintsch, 2005).

However, children who comprehend well go beyond word and sentence comprehension to construct a representation of the situation or state of affairs described by the text. In some theories, this is referred to as a "mental model" (Kintsch & Kintsch, 2005) and it involves organizing a text's multiple ideas into an integrated whole, using both information from the text and the reader's own world knowledge. To do this, successful comprehenders draw upon a set of higher-level cognitive and linguistic skills, including inferencing, monitoring comprehension, and using text structure knowledge.
Take the following story for example: "Johnny carried a jug of water. He tripped on a step. Mom grabbed the mop." The literal representation of the individual words and sentences does not enable the reader to integrate their meanings and construct a mental model. Successful comprehenders understand narrative structure and couple it with their knowledge to infer that Johnny spilled the water. They then understand why Mom grabbed a mop. They also monitor their comprehension of stories-either written or spoken-and realize the need to make an inference (that Johnny spilled the water) to make sense of Mom's response.

High-level language skills used to create mental models of text are not exclusive to reading. In fact, children begin developing these language skills well before formal reading instruction in a range of language comprehension situations. For example, young children rely on knowledge of narrative structure to do things like follow a set of instructions, share their daily activities around the dinner table, or understand spoken stories, cartoons, and movies.

Assessing Early-Stage Development
The skills needed for reading comprehension come into play as students progress. In the early grades, for example, reading comprehension depends heavily on emerging word-reading skills. As children accomplish the ability to automatically and fluently read printed words, language comprehension begins to contribute more to individual differences in reading comprehension. Most children who score poorly on reading comprehension tests have difficulty decoding words and understanding language.

Those with poor word-reading abilities (i.e., poor decoders) lag behind their typically developing peers on reading comprehension measures in the early grades, even if they have good language development. However, those with poor language comprehension, in spite of relatively proficient word-reading ability, usually do not lag behind their typically developing peers on reading comprehension tests until they have had one or two years of reading instruction (Catts et al., 2005).

It's important to point out that what appears to be a decline in reading comprehension for poor comprehenders is not the result of declining language skills. In fact, these students' language skills were already poor compared with their typically developing peers at the onset of schooling. A recent report found that poor comprehenders in fifth grade (i.e., those with poor reading comprehension despite good word-reading abilities) evidenced weak language skills as early as 15 months of age (Justice, Mashburn, & Petscher, in press) compared with their age-matched peers who went on to become good comprehenders and poor decoders, and NELP found that early language skills were predictive of later reading comprehension development, but much less so with early decoding skills.

Subsequently, many students who are labeled as "clinically language impaired" prior to, or just beginning, formal education in preschool or kindergarten, do not necessarily have problems learning to read initially (Catts, Fey, Tomblin, & Zhang) Their later "decline" in reading comprehension is thought to be related to the changing nature of reading comprehension assessments: the texts used to assess reading comprehension in the early grades require less complex mental models and very limited language processing, allowing those with weak language skills to answer basic comprehension questions as accurately as their typically developing peers.

In the later grades, however, reading comprehension assessments contain more difficult passages that require more complex mental models. Poor comprehenders lack the language skills needed to construct these complex mental models and begin to score more poorly on reading comprehension assessments when compared to their typically developing peers.
Poor decoders with good language comprehension abilities may be able to compensate to some degree for their weak word-reading abilities in the later grades. That's because even though they might struggle to decode all of the words, their language skills allow them to bootstrap their way to the text's meaning, using their good language skills and rich knowledge of the world to help construct sufficient mental models to correctly answer comprehension questions (Stanovich, 1980).

Helping Children "Crack the Code"
According to our book, a key challenge facing the beginning reader is the ability to "crack the code" or, learning how written language maps onto spoken language. This is because better decoders devote greater cognitive resources to the processes involved in comprehending text. Children's oral language skills serve as the foundation for both aspects of reading ability-word reading and language comprehension.

Because few preschool children can yet read words, we must look at precursor skills that develop into word recognition or decoding ability. Knowledge of the alphabet and phonological awareness are both strong predictors of later decoding and comprehension, and it is evident that teaching these in combination has a consistently positive impact on improving students' later decoding and reading comprehension abilities. Rapid naming, knowledge about print conventions and concepts, the ability to write letters or names, and oral language skills were also good predictors, but teaching these has not consistently led to gains in reading success.

How the Common Core Factors into Literacy Development
With 46 states now working to implement the Common Core State Standards which include grade-specific K-12 standards in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, educators may be required to adjust their lessons to align with the standards and assessments used to determine student progress.

But what if the road to success with those standards begins when the student was an infant, toddler, or preschooler? This question was clearly answered through the NELP's extensive research, which emphasized the importance of print knowledge, phonological processing abilities and oral language skills as important predictors of later literacy skills, and with evidence that teaching these early on can have long-term benefits.

Additionally, assessment of these early literacy skills is important for identifying children who are likely to need more intensive instruction to achieve success with literacy. By identifying and working with students across all literacy levels at a very early age, today's educators can take a proactive role in ensuring that students meet or exceed standards across the board.

Making a Difference: The Teacher's Role in Literacy Development
Interventions focused on fostering language aren't easy to develop or implement. The interconnected and complex nature of language comes with a long developmental history and draws on a broad range of linguistic and cognitive capacities.
Furthermore, interventions occur within a social context where motivational, behavioral, and social factors can impact the learning climate. Children's attention to language input and their willingness to respond to it are affected by a host of factors, including their interest in the topic of the conversation, their relationship to the speaker, the number and identities of other conversational participants, and the setting.

Even more vexing is the fact that teachers - the most important source of language input in preschool classrooms - have a history of using language in ways that may not be consistent with the interactions found by research to be conducive to language learning. Teacher's interactions that best encourage language learning include having conversations that stay on a single topic, providing children opportunities to talk, encouraging analytical thinking, and giving information about the meanings of words.

For teachers, key considerations for instruction include the fidelity of the implementation (an extremely important aspect); teaching children letter names and sounds by performing phonological awareness tasks; and understanding that there is no link between curricula with a systematic and explicit focus (i.e. teacher-directed) and negative social-emotional outcomes for children.

Response to intervention in preschool holds promise for successful early language development but several key issues must be considered. For one, preschools often serve disproportionate numbers of children who need Tier 2 or Tier 3 services, which causes staffing concerns. Also, more research is needed on the effect of interventions for children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English language learners, and children from underrepresented ethnic groups.
The NELP report, along with other studies of children's early language development, suggests that early oral language has a growing contribution to later reading comprehension - a contribution that is separate from the important role played by the alphabetic code. As such, improving young children's oral language development should be a central goal during the preschool and kindergarten years.

In the end, making strides in this area of a child's educational development can begin with a very simple exercise-shared book reading. Although various approaches have been found to improve young children's language, the approach of shared book reading has gained the greatest research support thus far, particularly when such reading is carried out dialogically, that is, with much language interaction between the reader and the child. Combining shared book reading along with other language activities with explicit decoding instruction in the context of a supportive and responsive classroom, can make the difference between a child whose literacy development is at or above standards or one who struggles with reading, writing, and literacy throughout his or her K-12 education.

References
Catts, H.W., Fey, M.E., Tomblin, B.J., & Zhang, X. (2002). "A longitudinal investigation
of reading outcomes in children with language impairments." Journal
of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 45, 1142-1157.
Catts, H.W., Hogan, T.P., & Adlof, S.M. (2005). "Developmental changes in reading
and reading disabilities." In H.W. Catts & A.G. Kamhi (Eds.), The connections
between language and reading disabilities(pp. 25-40). Mahwah,
NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Justice, L.M., Mashburn, A., & Petscher, Y. (in press). "Very early language skills
of fifth-grade poor comprehenders." Journal of Research in Reading.
Kintsch, W., & Kintsch, E. (2005). "Comprehension." In S.G. Paris & S.A. Stahl
(Eds.), Current issues in reading comprehension and assessment (pp. 71-92). New York, Routledge.
Metsala, J. L., & Walley, A. C. (1998). "Spoken vocabulary growth and the segmental restructuring of lexical representations: Precursors to phonemic awareness and early reading ability." In J. L. Metsala & L. C. Ehri (Eds.), Word recognition in beginning literacy (pp. 89-120). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Perfetti, C.A. (1985). Reading ability. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Stanovich, K.E. (1980). "Toward an interactive-compensatory model of individual differences in the development of reading fluency." Reading Research Quarterly, 16, 32-71.

Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D., and Christopher J. Lonigan, Ph.D., are the editors of Early Childhood Literacy: The National Early Literacy Panel and Beyond, available from Brookes Publishing Co. They are two of the nation's top childhood literacy experts and served on the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP).

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The Role of Early Oral Language in Literacy Development - Language Magazine

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Timothy Shanahan and Christopher Lonigan explore the connection between early oral language development and later reading comprehension success Supporting young children's language and literacy development has long been considered a practice that yields strong readers and writers later in life. The results of the National Early Literacy Panel's (NELP) six years of scientific research synthesis [...]

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This article is not only a good instructional plan for those teaching ELL students but also when teaching any struggling student. The article gives many different strategies and tips on how to assist students with reading barriers.

Some examples were:

1) Use Visuals- It's much easier to show a picture of the real item when teaching new vocabulary to a student. This helps the student make connections and picture what you are trying to explain.

2)Use the student's native language whenever possible. This helps the student pair the two words to make connections.

3)Teach vocabulary in context. Students are more apt to remember the meaning of a word when it is tied to familiar text.

4)Never underestimate the value of context clues

and finally

remember you can use games when teaching vocabulary to keep learning fresh and engaging for students.

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How to teach vocabulary to ELLs can be one of the biggest concerns for teachers that are new to working with English Language Learners. How do you teach a lesson when some of your students are unfamiliar with the words that you are using. Which words are the most important one in a story? Which words are worth the time it will take to find visuals or preteach them? Here are some strategies to help you support your ELL's vocabulary development.

Teach Vocabulary Words in Context

There will be exceptions, but in general, students learn new words faster and retain them longer if they are taught in the context of a story or lesson. There are many words and concepts that are not easy to visualize. Teaching these ideas in the context of a story or the students own writing will help them understand how the words or phrases work.

Thinking back to some of my own foreign language lessons, I remember how difficult it was to learn the long lists of vocabulary words we were supposed to memorize. I didn't have any real context to use the words and quickly forgot them. I lived in Jordan after college. During my daily activities, I had to navigate the city buses, purchase food, and talk with other women. Most of the words that I still remember in Arabic have to do with directions or cooking. I had a real reason to learn these words.

There are many strategies for teaching academic language. One way that I helped my students practice academic vocabulary words was to use the words in the context of sentences with everyday topics. This not only helps students focus on the new vocabulary words, but also gives them the context of a sentence to help build meaning.

Teach About Context Clues

It is impossible to preteach all the new words an ELL will encounter as he/she is reading. Start teaching students how to use clues that are in sentences and books to help them learn new words. Simply making students aware that context clues exist, and then pointing them out as you are reading, is a powerful strategy to teach vocabulary to ELLs.

I also came up with sets of task cards with simple sentences for students to practice using context clues.

Use Visuals

It is much easier to show a picture or use realia (a real object) when teaching new vocabulary. This helps students make connections and picture what you are trying to explain. When students are writing, it can be helpful to have visuals available to help them with spelling and vocabulary. I created a set of illustrated vocabulary folders that I would use with my ELLs. Learn how I set up the Vocabulary Folders HERE.

Play Vocabulary Games

Sometimes it is necessary to teach a list of vocabulary words. When this is the case a vocabulary game is a great way to help students remember them. They are having fun as they play the game and do not always realize that they are practicing vocabulary at the same time. I have collected a list of games to use to help ELLs practice vocabulary and must have games for ELLs.

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Teaching Vocabulary to ELLs - A World of Language Learners

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How to teach vocabulary to ELLs can be one of the biggest concerns for teachers that are new to working with English Language Learners. How do you teach a lesson when some of your students are unfamiliar with the words that you are using. Which words are the most important one in a story?

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This article, you will learn more about the three dimensions of reading as well as how to make assessments and teach the students more about reading fluency. The first dimension is known as the ‘accuracy in word decoding’. In this dimension, the focus is more on the phonics of the words with the least amount of errors. The second dimension is called automatic processing and this is when the students would spend a small amount of time to understand the deeper meaning of the passage. The third dimension is the prosodic reading and during this process the students can interpret what they just read and understand it using their own words to paraphrase it.

We can help students increase their reading fluency by assessing them during our teaching. In the article, it talks about the different ways of assessing as well as grading the student in their reading fluency. The first one is expressing and volume, next is the phrasing of the text, then is the smoothness of how they read, and lastly is the pace of their reading. This comes with their individual rubric that can help us identify their areas of need before teaching them. This can give us a better idea on how to help the student each day to improve their fluency little by little.

Depending on what area the students need more help with their fluency, we might need to adjust our lessons to meet those needs. Sometimes the way that the student may need help might be by having one and one reading where you can help assist their mistake. By having to listen to them read and later to assist them may make a big difference in their learning. We can also have the student participate with other students that are more advanced and can be able to assist their needs. They also explained about having a routine to meet in the classroom environment for meeting the goals of reading fluency to help the students improve. The teachers can keep a score on their accuracy for the reading rate and help them reach the goals needed for their future classes.

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Fifth grade has turned into a difficult year for Jonah. He is a bright student, but he has difficulty reading. Although he can accurately sound out the words he encounters, he plods along word-by-word, often hesitating at challenging vocabulary. His oral reading shows little attention to punctuation and phrasing, and it lacks expression and enthusiasm. Jonah can, however, understand material read to him. His difficulty seems to lie somewhere on the path from decoding to comprehension-in reading fluency.

Since the publication of the National Reading Panel report (2000) and other recent scholarly reviews of scientific research (Chard, Vaughn, & Tyler, 2002; Kuhn & Stahl, 2000; Rasinski & Hoffman, 2003), reading fluency has taken a front seat in discussions about student reading success and effective instruction in reading. Yet programs and materials addressing reading instruction and teacher training seldom tackle reading fluency (Rasinski & Zutell, 1996). This lack may be due to the fact that fluency has long been associated with oral reading, a form of reading traditionally viewed as having little importance in learning to read (Gibson & Levin, 1975; Smith, 2002).

Three Dimensions of Reading Fluency

Defining reading fluency may help clarify the issue. Successful reading requires readers to process the text (the surface level of reading) and comprehend the text (the deeper meaning). Reading fluency refers to the reader's ability to develop control over surface-level text processing so that he or she can focus on understanding the deeper levels of meaning embedded in the text.

Reading fluency has three important dimensions that build a bridge to comprehension. The first dimension is accuracy in word decoding. Readers must be able to sound out the words in a text with minimal errors. In terms of skills, this dimension refers to phonics and other strategies for decoding words. The second dimension is automatic processing. Readers need to expend as little mental effort as possible in the decoding aspect of reading so that they can use their finite cognitive resources for meaning making (LaBerge & Samuels, 1974). The third dimension is what linguists call prosodic reading (Schreiber, 1980, 1991; Schreiber & Read, 1980). The reader must parse the text into syntactically and semantically appropriate units. If readers read quickly and accurately but with no expression in their voices, if they place equal emphasis on every word and have no sense of phrasing, and if they ignore most punctuation, blowing through periods and other markers that indicate pauses, then it is unlikely that they will fully understand the text.

Assessing Reading Fluency

Teachers can easily assess each of the three dimensions of reading fluency. To determine proficiency in decoding connected text, calculate the percentage of words a reader can accurately decode on grade-level material. An accuracy level of 90-95 percent is usually considered adequate. Thus, a 3rd grader who is progressing normally in decoding accuracy should be able to read a 100-word text written at a 3rd grade level with no more than 10 uncorrected decoding errors. More than 10 uncorrected errors per 100 words indicates that decoding is a concern, one that requires additional instruction and practice.

Teachers can normally assess automaticity in decoding by looking at the student's reading rate. Reading rates increase as students mature, so the target reading rate increases as students move through school. An easy method for determining reading rate, and thus automaticity, involves having students orally read a grade-level passage for 60 seconds and then calculating the number of words read correctly (corrected errors count as words read correctly) (Deno, 1985). Compare students' scores with target rates (oral fluency norms) for each grade level (Rasinski, 2003). Readers who fall 20-30 percent below the target rate will normally require additional instruction.

The best way to assess prosodic reading is to listen to a student read a grade-level passage and to then judge the quality of the reading using a rubric that scores a student on the elements of expression and volume, phrasing, smoothness, and pace (see fig. 1, p. 49). Students who score poorly may be considered at risk in this dimension of reading fluency.

Figure 1. Multidimensional Fluency Scale

Figure 1. Multidimensional Fluency Scale

Use the following rubric (1-4) to rate reader fluency in the areas of expression and volume, phrasing, smoothness, and pace.

Scores range 4-16. Generally, scores below 8 indicate that fluency may be a concern. Scores of 8 or above indicate that the students is making good progress in fluency.

Adapted from Zutell & Rasinski, 1991. Used with permission.

By having students read one or two grade-level passages for one minute each, teachers can get a quick sense of their students' level of decoding accuracy, automaticity, and prosodic reading. Although such quick assessments may not be definitive, they do provide teachers and school administrators with a method for screening new students, tracking students' ongoing progress in the various dimensions of reading fluency, and identifying the students who may require additional assessment and instruction.

Teaching Reading Fluency

Instruction in reading fluency depends on the area in which students require the most help. Students with difficulties in accuracy require instruction in learning how to decode words. Although teachers are familiar with this kind of instruction, which develops skills in phonics and decoding, they may not be as familiar with methods for developing students' strength in automaticity and prosodic reading.

In my own instructional efforts to develop automaticity and prosodic reading, I use assisted readings and repeated readings, two methods that research has shown to improve reading fluency (Kuhn & Stahl, 2000; National Reading Panel, 2000; Rasinski & Hoffman, 2003). Students need to hear what fluent reading sounds like and how fluent readers interpret text with their voices.

Hearing fluent reading, however, is not the same as being a fluent reader. Fortunately, assisted readings can help. After reading a passage aloud to students, I ask them to follow along with me, first silently and then aloud, as a group. Sometimes I ask students to orally read a passage with a partner who is at the same reading level. At other times, I ask more fluent readers to read with students who are having difficulty with reading (Eldredge & Quinn, 1988; Topping, 1987a, 1987b, 1995) or I have students silently read while listening to a fluent rendering of the passage on tape (Carbo, 1978; Pluck, 1995). Such practices constitute a powerful strategy for improving fluency and comprehension.

Developing fluency in reading requires practice; this is where the method of repeated readings comes in (Samuels, 1979). Research indicates that repeated readings lead not only to improvement in reading the passage but also to improvement in decoding, reading rate, prosodic reading, and comprehension of passages that the reader has not previously seen (Dowhower, 1994; Koskinen & Blum, 1986; Kuhn & Stahl, 2000; National Reading Panel, 2000).

Passages meant to be read aloud as a performance-poetry, for example, or scripts, speeches, monologues, dialogues, jokes, and riddles-are perfect texts for developing fluency. I see many teachers converting their classrooms into poetry cafés and readers' theater festivals on Friday afternoons to give students the opportunity to perform the assigned texts that they have diligently practiced during the week.

The teacher plays a key role in developing prosodic reading skills by modeling prosodic reading in classroom read-aloud sessions and then discussing the specific oral interpretation that he or she chose. Coaching provides another opportunity for developing these skills by making students aware of their own interpretation of the text and moving readers toward deeper levels of interpretation and meaning.

Here are some comments I have heard teachers make while coaching students in oral interpretation.

"You got all the words right, Thomas, but you read too fast. It was hard for me to follow what you were trying to tell me."

"Eliza, the way you made each character sound different in this dialogue was fantastic. It was easy and fun to listen to these characters arguing."

"I really like how you paused between sentences. This gave me a chance to think about the author's message. Now think about finding places to pause for just a second more inside longer sentences."

"I loved how you made your voice strong and loud in this section. It really told me that this section of the passage was important."

"Try slowing down here and making your voice a bit softer. Remember, you're trying to tell me about something mysterious. Tell the story with your voice as well as with the words."

As assisted and repeated reading, coupled with coaching, become part of the classroom routine, teachers can track changes in students' accuracy, reading rate, and prosodic reading. Jonah, our struggling 5th grade reader, originally read a 4th grade-level passage at 60 words correct per minute and a 5th grade-level passage at 52 words correct per minute. A 5th grader, however, should be reading approximately 100-125 words correct per minute during the first half of the school year. After just two months of working in small groups with a reading teacher for three 40-minute sessions each week, Jonah's reading rate on 5th grade-level passages increased to 84 words correct per minute. His accuracy, prosodic reading, and comprehension improved as well.

Several instructional routines for developing reading fluency show promise for improving reading in all readers. Fluency-Oriented Reading Instruction (Stahl & Heubach, in press) has students engage in modeled, repeated, and assisted reading of passages from basal readers. The Fluency Development Lesson (Rasinski, Padak, Linek, & Sturtevant, 1994) uses poetry, monologues, dialogues, speeches, and other performance texts to promote reading fluency. Fast Start (Rasinski, 1995; Stevenson, 2002) promotes early reading fluency through parental involvement.

Confusing Fast with Fluent

The new focus on reading fluency has great potential for improving the reading achievement of all students, particularly those who have not met with great success in reading. I am, however, concerned about how some schools define reading fluency and how some teachers teach it. In some schools, where improvement of the reading rate has become the chief goal of fluency instruction, teachers admonish students to "pick up the pace," regularly time them on their reading to encourage them to beat their previous scores, and engage students in daily reading exercises that emphasize speed over meaning.

This is a corruption of the concept of reading fluency. If we emphasize speed at the expense of prosodic and meaningful reading, we will end up with fast readers who understand little of what they have read. Fluency instruction leads to impressive gains when it provides regular opportunities for expressive reading through assisted and repeated readings coupled with coaching; it doesn't require explicit reference to reading for speed. Students' reading rates will improve as they become naturally more efficient and confident in their ability to decode words.

Fluency Into the Future

Research (Pinnell et al., 1995) suggests that reading fluency is a crucial factor among 4th grade students, but it can also be an important issue beyond the elementary grades. I recently worked with a group of colleagues from Kent State University to examine the fluency of high school students in an urban setting. We found that variations in the reading fluency of these students accounted for approximately 30 percent of the variance in their performance on Ohio's High School Graduation Test. Clearly, this finding suggests that fluency may be an issue that goes well into the high school years, especially among students from less advantaged backgrounds.

If teachers and school leaders are truly committed to leaving no child behind in reading, then they must actively pursue the goal of reading fluency in elementary and middle school classrooms. Existing scientific research on reading fluency indicates that it is an important factor in reading education and thus should be part of any comprehensive and effective reading curriculum.

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A growing body of evidence points to reading fluency as an important factor in student reading success.

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This article talks about the importance of vocabulary for our comprehension of what we are reading. Without vocabulary some sentences and/or passages may be hard to understand because we are not familiar with that certain word which then would throw off our understanding of the reading. This article shows that by showing students as much vocabulary as possible during the school year, their levels of comprehension and understanding will increase with their knowledge of new words. The students might be learning new words in every subject but it is our responsibility as teachers to have them understand what it means. If this information is not given to a student, the chances of the student not being engaged with the classroom and their learning of the subject are pretty high. Everyday, kids learn new vocabulary formally and informally without realizing it. We just have to give them the tool to be able to use them as they’re learning. Timothy wrote, “Despite the fact that many words are learned simply through life’s experience, the need for intentional school-based vocabulary instruction is more important than ever” implies that the teachers should be able have the students learning the importance on why they’re learning the vocabulary as well as let them show their knowledge in the classroom environment.

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Ryan Norton: Vocabulary Development with ELLs

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Ryan Norton: Vocabulary Development with ELLs

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This article talks about strategies that a teacher can use to help develop vocabulary when dealing with ELL students. Using pictures and pointing to objects in the classroom in a way to pre teach vocab. What this means is to get the student familiarized with the word in real life scenarios before teaching it. Cognates are words in different languages that are derived form the same word. Focusing on these words and encouraging students to use previous knowledge to decipher it greatly develops vocabulary.

Scaffolding from old vocab words makes it easier for students to learn new ones. The use of graphic organizers, labels, drawings and pictures make it clear to understand what these words mean. Using technology can increase interests and create a non threating environment for ELL students. A teacher can use audio books and get the same effect. By hearing and seeing the word the student gains prosody and oral fluency.

Asking students to bring in words that they hear at home or the television and have them use one ow two in a discussion is a great way to expand vocabulary. This technique is called a wizard box. Academic language is only going to be learned from the teacher. So, the use of oral language is extremely important. Encouraging them to speak in the class and having them talk in discussions increases their knowledge. Also, instead of telling them their pronunciation is wrong, reaffirm it and them correct it.

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August, D., Calderón M., & Carlo M. (2002) The Transfer of Skills from Spanish to English: A Study of Young Learners. Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.

Biemiller, A. (2001). "Teaching Vocabulary: Early, direct, and sequential." American Educator. Spring 2001.(25)(1): 24-28, 47.

Calderón, M., August, D., R. Slavin, A. Cheung, D. Durán & N. Madden (2005). Bringing words to life in classrooms with English language learners. In Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) (2005) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Knowing vocabulary words is key to reading comprehension. The more words a child knows, the better he or she will understand the text. Using a variety of effective teaching methods will increase the student's ability to learn new words.

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Ryan Norton: Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions  

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Ryan Norton: Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions  

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This article goes through five of the most common problems when teaching ELL students as well as what to do when you encounter these challenges.

1.) The first scenario is "What if the student does not know any English?". First, the teacher has to diagnose what level of language proficiency. Level 1 is starting and Level 2 is emerging. In the scenario the teacher read everything aloud and waited for the student to come out of his shell rather than cold calling on him. After a couple of week , the teacher placed him in a discussion group where he can work on social and academic language.

2,)How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English? Three strategies is that the teacher can modify texts, create grouping structures that set students set up for success and target the amount and nature of student support.

3.) This student knows English — I hear him talking to his friends and on the playground. He just doesn't want to try in class.

This is not because the student is not trying in class, but needs assistances. ELLs develop social language before they develop academic language. This is because of the amount of time spent on each. School is only six hours whereas a student is in a social setting before, during and after school hours. Schools also cause anxiety for students. ELL students may become anxious and scared because they do not know the language which in turn hinders their learning.

4.)How is the child ever going to learn English if they don't speak it at home?

Research has proven that development of a students first language can facilitate development in second language they are trying to learn. Also , the student could feel more comfortable completing homework once in their own language and then again in their second language

5.)What kinds of activities should I be doing to help the student develop their oral language and oral reading?

There are four types of activities that this article suggests. The first is to have a low anxiety environment that nurtures students taking risks and feeling comfortable . The second is repeated practice. Thirdly, is making everything in the classroom more comprehensible and easy understand. Finally, having an exciting and intriguing classroom.

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges.

Dr. Moses Guccione is the co-author of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels ( Heinemann, 2009).

Getting Started

As a former elementary teacher in a bilingual school, I developed a love and passion for finding effective ways to support oral language and oral reading development of emerging English language learners (ELLs). I discovered this passion when I began my first year of teaching in a second-grade classroom, where I encountered a handful of challenges related to my students' oral language development.

Many students were transitioning from a classroom with Spanish instruction into my classroom with instruction provided in English. I had students ranging from monolingual English speakers to students who had just recently moved to the U.S. from a Spanish-speaking country. The range of language proficiency levels crossed the entire spectrum. Having minimal experience with this range of diverse students and needs, I began reading, researching, and implementing new instructional ideas into my classroom. With each challenge I encountered, I gained new information about my students and their parents. I also began learning more about my own methods of instruction, and I learned a great deal each year about new challenges and successes.

Currently, I am fortunate to work with many teachers who have the opportunity to impact the lives of children and families who speak more than one language. As I work with these teachers and families, I have found five common and reoccurring challenges that they seem to face in the area of oral language development that parallel my own experiences. I detail these challenges and questions below, as well as suggestions for addressing each challenges based on strategies I used in my classroom.

Questions and Classroom Scenarios

1. What do I do if they don't know ANY English?

Understanding the characteristics of language learners at different proficiency levels helps to think about how we can best support students in their oral language and reading development. Below is a chart that gives a description of the first two levels of language proficiency as well as implications for using oral reading. This is a nice place to start when thinking about how to interact with and support our Starting and Emerging English speakers.

Levels of Language Proficiency

Description

Implications For Using Oral Reading

Level 1: Starting
Students are in a silent period in which they listen, but do not speak in English. They may respond using nonverbal cues in attempt to communicate basic needs.

The teacher and other more advanced students should model oral reading. Students in the silent period should not be forced to speak, but should be given the opportunity to participate in a group activity where they won't be singled out.

Level 2: Emerging
Students are beginning to understand more oral language. They respond using one- or two-word phrases and start to produce simple sentences for basic social interactions and to meet basic needs.

Teacher and students should continue to model oral reading. Students should be encouraged to begin taking risks with simple, rehearsed oral reading in non-threatening situations.

Opitz & Guccione (2009). Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels.

2. How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English?

Differentiation is the key to effective instruction for all students. Students of varying proficiency levels can learn the same content when the teacher provides a wide range of learning opportunities for students with different academic and linguistic needs. Three key strategies for this approach include differentiating or modifying the texts, creating grouping structures, and targeting the amount and nature of support based on students' needs (Opitz & Ford, 2008).

Modifying the text: Teachers can differentiate the text by selecting various levels of text difficulty on similar content, or they can also divide the text up into smaller portions appropriate for certain groups/individuals for a jigsaw activity. Another idea is to summarize text that might be too difficult and provide ways to make the text more accessible (such as vocabulary support, visual support, connecting to background knowledge, etc.).

Creating grouping structures that set students up for success: While some grouping structures can be established according to language or literacy skill levels and needs, it is also important to think about providing students exposure to interact with peers who demonstrate a wide range of different language and literacy skills. Additionally, teachers can improve engagement and motivation by creating choice/interest groups where students gather, read, discuss and work together on topics of common interest.

Targeting the amount and nature of student support: It is important to think about scaffolding the experience and using comprehensible input to make it accessible for all students. Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the gist of what is being said or presented. There are many ways to do this, such as selecting key vocabulary, using context or visual cues, building background knowledge, building on experiences the students have had, using consistent language, and providing images or visual representations to support vocabulary and content. Teachers can support their students by embedding comprehensible input into their whole-group instruction, but this also becomes particularly effective when used in the different grouping structures. Teachers can also modify the amount of support and interaction between teachers and students depending on their individual and group needs.

3. This student knows English - I hear him talking to his friends and on the playground. He just doesn't want to try in class.

I have heard many teachers discussing variations of this same idea. However, I would caution teachers and parents about jumping to this conclusion. Academic language (or the language specifically related to school and/or academic content) can be complicated to acquire. Students often first develop social language and demonstrate near proficiency or proficiency in English in social settings. A student may be demonstrating sophisticated use of social language, but they may have difficulty using language in more formal settings such as school.

Much of the academic language required to be successful in school - everything from instructions to expectations to content-specific vocabulary - requires assistance in acquiring. Students hear and use their social language in various settings from home, community, and school, but academic language is often only used in the school setting. These students need specific instruction and support surrounding their language development in this area.

The same children who appear to be functioning at a high level of English proficiency in social settings may actually be functioning at a beginning stage in other settings, depending on how they are called on to use language. The students need to feel safe and in a low-anxiety environment in order to begin to feel comfortable taking risks with their oral language. When they have less exposure and instruction related to academic language, this can often cause students to feel intimidated and less likely to be willing to share in class.

One idea for reducing anxiety and encouraging students to experiment with language might include allowing students to read, practice, and discuss their responses in partners and small groups before sharing out to the entire group. This allows students an opportunity to hear language modeled by peers, practice what they want to say, and possibly revise their original thought and/or language before sharing it in a public way. As students find more success with their language production and classroom participation, they will be more likely to share and take risks, and in turn continue building their confidence.

4. How is the child ever going to learn English if they don't speak it at home?

It is important to celebrate being bilingual and biliterate. Research has shown that development of a students' first language can facilitate development in the second language (Genessee, Geva, Dressler, and Kamil, 2007). Understanding this helps parents, teachers, and children to encourage the use and development of the students' home language while they are at home. All of the home literacy activities that we recommend for English speakers, such as reading aloud, making lists, discussing books, reading environmental print, etc., should also be encouraged for the English language learners in their home language. Students can begin to use more English as they feel comfortable in different settings, but it is important to note that speaking two languages will not hinder their English development.

Another important idea to remember is that we want to invite parents to feel confident in their interactions with their children regardless of their English proficiency level. As they begin to read or retell stories and discuss them at home, they are developing vital oral language and comprehension skills, and these skills will transfer over into their school language.

5. What kinds of activities should I be doing to help the student develop their oral language and oral reading?

McCauley and McCauley (1992) report four factors as necessary for acquiring a second language: a low-anxiety environment, repeated practice, comprehensible input, and drama. These are all important components of setting children up for success and language development.

A low-anxiety environment includes a setting where students feel nurtured and supported by their teacher and peers, and in turn, they feel safe to take risks without the fear of being laughed at or made fun of.

Repeated practice is just like what it sounds! Students need repeated practice hearing and using a new language. They need multiple opportunities to comprehend and express their ideas in a new language. Like with anything new that we learn, practice helps us get better.

Comprehensible input, as explained above, means finding different ways to make what is being said comprehensible and easier to understand. Things to consider with comprehensible input might include using speech that is appropriate for students' language proficiency, providing a clear, step-by-step explanation of tasks, and using a variety of techniques to support their understanding.

Drama, or a sense of excitement and engagement, can be found in activities like Reader's Theatre, dramatic play, puppetry, narrating wordless picture books, etc. All of these activities also have the other three factors embedded within them. These activities assist in the development of oral language in addition to introducing students to oral reading and rich literacy experiences and responses in a classroom setting.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see from these questions and examples, there are a lot of different approaches to helping ELLs build their oral language development skills, and you may have to try different activities until you find what works for your students. The most important thing, however, is to build your students' confidence while giving them new words and phrases to practice. Don't be afraid to try something new - and most of all, don't be afraid to have fun doing it!

About the Author

Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione is a coauthor of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels. She is an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado and teaches courses in Early Childhood Education, Literacy, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. She is a former elementary teacher of English language learners and is currently researching how ELLs make sense of texts.

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Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges. Dr. Moses Guccione is the co-author of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels ( Heinemann, 2009).

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This article quickly described the positives of having your ELLs do research projects while also providing readers with tons of ideas for research projects to be done with ELLs.

The article states that the selected research topics should be "relevant topics that interest them" but also "appropriate for the ESL student's proficiency". In other words, the topic should be one that students are interested in, but one that they can find resources and content on their level. The research project should also align with the curriculum.

The article explained how project-based learning (which requires research) is "an excellent means of acquiring and developing new language skills". The teacher can develop research projects that help students focus on areas like spelling, speaking practice, grammar, team communication, etc.

My two favorite possible topics for research projects for ELLs that the article spoke about were...

1. Research your Family Tree- I believe this is an excellent project to start with because it does not require students to have any background knowledge. This is a topic many ELLs would be comfortable and excited to share. This could also help build a sense of community in the classroom and make ELLs more comfortable and likely to participate/share in the future.

2. Dramatization- This is a fun activity for students to get together and have lots of discussion with their gen-ed peers, where they will hopefully observe good communication skills and be exposed to a lot of oral language. Additionally, whatever dialogue the ELL performs to the class would most likely be rehearsed, and the student would therefore be very confident and comfortable speaking in front of the class.

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19 Interesting Research Projects For ESL Students | ESL Freeway

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Project-based learning is an excellent means of acquiring and developing new language skills. Teachers of ESL students can use research projects to make lessons fun,…

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While this article focuses solely on teaching ELLs how to effectively navigate textbooks, I think it is a valuable resource. In middle school, high school, and especially college, many teachers use textbooks as their sole resource for the class. Therefore, it is essential for ELLs to know how to effectively use a textbook and take advantage of all its tools in order for them to be successful. The article describes two co-dependent strategies to help ELLS gain familiarity with textbooks and learn how to access them like their gen-ed peers.

#1: Teach Students Textbook and Chapter Elements

At the beginning of the students' school year, introduce them to all the elements of a textbook and how they are used. Students should do activities to help them learn how to use each feature in the textbook. For example, using the glossary to define a set of words or finding what page ______ is talked about by using the index. Students should also be regularly asked questions to "check their comprehension on the differences between these tools". Each time a new textbook is introduced, make sure students have the opportunity to look through it and be sure to review all the features of the textbook while also introducing any new features they may not be familiar with. After students master the larger parts of the textbook such as the index, glossary, and table of contents, it is important to further break down the text and examine individual chapters. It is here where students will learn about those smaller text features such as headings, bold print, graphs/charts, maps, and more. It is essential students can do more than just identify the feature. They must understand its function.

#2: Use a Chapter Walk

Once students have learned about all the features of their textbook, they should be given the opportunity to do their own "chapter walk".

"Have students look for:

the objectives of the chapter

key vocabulary

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

headings and subheadings

captions."

Based on what students pull from their preview of the text, students should be asked to make predictions about what they will be reading and identify and discuss new vocabulary words defined in the text. This discussion will help draw out student's existing knowledge and build extra background knowledge, setting up students for success when reading their textbook and being exposed to new material they might have otherwise struggled with.

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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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This article gives suggestions and provides activity ideas for educators with ELL students who need help with literature comprehension. The three overarching ideas to help strengthen ELLs comprehension skills are to build background knowledge, teach vocabulary explicitly, and check comprehension frequently. The article provides multiple activities under each area that could be useful to a teacher of ELLs.

How to Build Background Knowledge

1. Use Outlines to Scaffold Comprehension

Provide ELLs with a "brief, simple outline of a reading assignment or oral discussion" ahead of teaching the new lesson. This resource will give ELLs the opportunity to pick out and organize key ideas and details as they read.

2. Take Students on a "Tour of the Text"

Show students how to effectively navigate a text. Explain to them how their text is organized, including the name and function of each text feature. Once students understand these concepts, they will be able to preview texts on their own. For more information on how to actually instruct ELLs on how to navigate a text, check out this other article from Colorin Colorado.

Teach Vocabulary Explicitly:

1. Incorporate New Words into Discussions and Activities: In order for students to really master a word, they must use it themselves. Appropriate use of new vocabulary words across various settings will help students add those new words to their working vocabulary.

2. Use a "Picture Walk" for vocabulary. Before reading a text, give students the definitions to their new vocabulary words. Then, have students "walk through" the text without reading and look at the pictures. Ask students to connect their newly learned vocabulary words to the pictures.

Check Comprehension Frequently:

1. Provide Students Lots of Different Ways to "Show What They Know": "Drawings, graphs, oral interviews, posters, and portfolios" among other things are great ways to give students the opportunity to display their learning to us in the way they feel they can best express it.

2. Use Informal Comprehension Checks": Do not wait for formal assessments to assess how much a student's comprehension skills have grown. Informal comprehension checks such as in-class activities or questioning students as they are reading can give teachers a good idea of how well a student is comprehending what they are reading at that point and if other actions need to be taken to help that student.

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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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This article from Teaching Channel describes what they believe to be the "top 5" strategies for building ELLs vocabulary skills. These 5 strategies include previewing unfamiliar vocabulary, using visuals, providing student friendly fill-in-the-blank definitions, highlighting vocabulary words in context, and practicing with graphic organizers.

Previewing Unfamiliar Vocabulary: The article suggests teachers look at the text to identify unfamiliar words that could slow down a student and cause them to struggle with comprehending a text. However, teachers should select no more than five total words per chapter. According to the article, "research has shown that students acquire new vocabulary faster if teachers focus in on five to ten words a week instead of overwhelming students with lengthy lists."

Using Visuals: According to the article, visuals play two key roles in promoting vocabulary development among ELLs. Visuals help clarify the definitions of words if the definition of the word is confusing or contains other unfamiliar words. Visuals can also be used in the place of students writing sentences or definitions. Many ELLs struggle to express their thoughts in words. Allowing them to draw a picture gives the students the opportunity to still demonstrate they understand the word.

Providing Student Friendly Fill-In-The-Blank Definitions: Fill-in-the-blank allows for teachers to provide student-friendly definitions rather than having them find their own definitions that may have a lot of challenging or unfamiliar vocabulary. This also ensures students are obtaining the desired definition for multiple meaning words so they will understand the vocabulary word in context. According to the article, this strategy especially benefits ELLs because students aren't writing the full definition, they are able to listen and think more about the words they are learning in class. Additionally, it allows the teacher to call students' attention to key words and phrases in each definition.

Highlighting Vocabulary Words in Context: The article claims that more exposure to these vocabulary words is better and it is especially important for students to see these vocabulary words in context as it provides them with multiple examples of how each word can be used. Only then can they truly memorize the words and make them a part of their "working vocabularies".

Practicing with Graphic Organizers: Graphic Organizers provide students with a way to "organize information and ideas" about newly learned vocabulary words which allows them to "visualize and make connections to new material". The article suggests the KIM strategy. This organizer allows for students to make their own connections to each word to help them remember it.

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That's the challenge English Language Learners (ELLs) face if they want to catch up to their native English-speaking classmates. That's almost 4,000 new words a year if a student begins school as a kindergartner!

But what about the English Language Learners who don't enroll until middle school or high school? For these students, the vocabulary challenge is even more demanding. To meet it, teachers must learn and use the most effective strategies. Over the years, I've tried many different approaches and techniques and compiled the following list of my top five favorite vocabulary strategies for ELLs.

Previewing Unfamiliar Vocabulary

In preparation for my lessons, I scan the chapters we'll be reading together as a class to identify words that might slow down student comprehension of the text. I limit myself to no more than five words per chapter since research has shown that students acquire new vocabulary faster if teachers focus in on five to ten words a week instead of overwhelming students with lengthy lists. Before adding a word to my list, I ask myself how important the word is to the overall comprehension of the chapter and whether it will be difficult for the students to figure out the meaning of the word using context clues. Then, before we read each chapter in class I preview the new vocabulary words I've selected and discuss their meanings and uses.

In Preparing Students to Read: Word and Inference Walls, Cathy Farrell previews words that are essential for students to make meaning from the story they're reading. She adds a visual element by posting important words on a word wall and extends student comprehension by creating an inference wall of images, artifacts, and evidence to help them make predictions based on prior knowledge and context.

VIDEO: Preparing Students to Read: Word and Inference Walls
Using Visuals

Remember the old saying, a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, for English Language Learners this expression is especially true. Visual Cues in the classroom can be an important tool for language development. In my classroom, visuals play two important roles in helping ELLs comprehend and internalize new vocabulary.

First, I use visuals when introducing new terms to the class. These visuals help to clarify the meaning of new vocabulary if the written definition for the word is confusing or contains unfamiliar words. For example, we recently discussed the following definition for the word "hand" - "a person who engages in manual labor." Since I knew some of my students might be unfamiliar with the term "manual labor," I included a picture of a man working in a field to help explain the meaning.

So how do I find visuals to use in the classroom? The internet provides educators with access to dozens of free, searchable databases of images. Pixabay, Morguefile, Flickr, Classroom Clipart, and Openclipart are some of my favorites for locating great visuals.

In addition to the visuals, I also require students to draw their own picture to help them remember the meaning of new words. Since ELLs sometimes have difficulty expressing their thoughts in words, drawing a picture is an alternative that allows them to demonstrate their understanding and apply their knowledge of the new vocabulary. For a fun twist, students can even trade pictures with a classmate to see whether or not they can identify the vocabulary term they have drawn.

Providing Student-Friendly, Fill-in-the-Blank Definitions

Instead of asking students to look up vocabulary words in the dictionary, I provide them with fill-in-the-blank definitions to ensure they all have accurate and comprehensible information for new terms. I do this because in the past, students were in such a hurry to complete their assignments they wrote down the first definition they came across. And since many words have multiple meanings, they would often write down the incorrect variation of the word when asked to look it up on their own. For example, if students were asked to look up the word "table" in the dictionary, they would find many different meanings for the word, including a piece of furniture, a type of chart, and to put off discussing something until a later time.

Not all online dictionaries have been designed with the student learner in mind and contain definitions filled with college-level academic vocabulary that are inaccessible to the younger learner. In order to avoid this problem, I use Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary as my primary resource for locating student-friendly definitions. It contains simple, clear definitions specially written for K-12 students.

I've also found that it's equally important to use the fill-in-the-blank format rather than requiring my students to copy down the entire definition I provide them. This format is especially beneficial for English Language Learners for a couple of reasons.

First, the fill-in-the-blank format allows my students to listen and think about the new vocabulary as we discuss it in class, without being sidetracked by trying to quickly copy down every word.

Second, it allows me to call attention to keywords in the definitions that will help them to remember the meanings. I intentionally leave a couple of the most important keywords as blanks so the students will pay careful attention to them as we're discussing the definitions. Below is an example of a recent vocabulary word we discussed.

Highlighting Vocabulary Words in Context

It's not only important to preview unfamiliar vocabulary before reading a text, but also to draw students' attention to the vocabulary as the text is read aloud or discussed in class. Whenever I come across a vocabulary word that's being used in a textbook, article, novel, or short story we're reading, I pause, point out the word to students, and ask them to recall its meaning. If possible, I also encourage them to mark it with a highlighter. It's critical for ELLs to see multiple examples of how new words are used in context - rather than just studying them in isolation - to be able to commit the words to long-term memory and add them to their working vocabularies. The more repeated exposures students have to new words, the more likely they will be to define them, comprehend them, and remember them.

As a teacher, you can even turn finding words in context into a game by challenging your students to find examples of their vocabulary words on their own in other books they're reading, internet articles, advertisements, etc. You can reward students for every example they locate, turn it into a class competition, or even set a class goal.

Practicing With Graphic Organizers

In addition to having repeated exposures to new words, English learners must also be given the opportunity to organize information and ideas about the new vocabulary. Graphic organizers are a tool that allow students to visualize and make connections with new material.

One of the my favorite graphic organizers for vocabulary instruction is called the KIM Strategy. KIM is an acronym that represents the three columns of the graphic organizer.

"K" stands for key idea or the vocabulary word the students are studying.

"I" stands for information or the student explanation of what the vocabulary words means.

"M" stands for memory clue or the drawing or example of the word that will help the student remember the meaning.

I used the KIM Strategy as inspiration for the graphic organizer I created to better fit the needs of my students. I added a page number reference for the vocabulary word so that students can see it in context while working through the meaning. I also added a fill-in-the-blank definition of the word to ensure they had access to an accurate and student-friendly definition. Below is an example of the graphic organizer I made for my students:

Nichole Niebur uses a similar strategy in Learning Difficult Vocabulary, in which she asks students to restate or paraphrase the definition of a vocabulary term and connects the vocabulary to students' everyday lives.
VIDEO: Preparing Students to Read: Word and Inference Walls

VIDEO: Vocabulary Paint Chips
Although I've listed my top five favorite vocabulary strategies for English learners, there are many other excellent approaches out there that work equally well. The internet gives educators the ability to connect with other teachers from all over the world and share strategies, especially when we start to feel like we've run out of fresh ideas. Teaching Channel has a number of useful strategies for teaching vocabulary. Check out Sarah Brown Wessling's Vocabulary Paint Chips.

In this video, students use paint chips as a fun and interesting medium to help them explore new vocabulary and relationships between words. How might you adapt or modify this strategy for your ELLs?

When it comes to vocabulary, don't be afraid to try something new. You may discover an approach that's just the right fit for the students in your classroom.

What strategies do you use with English Language Learners?

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Top Five Vocabulary Strategies for English Language Learners

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Read the top five favorite vocabulary strategies for ELLs who don't enroll until middle school or high school.

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In the article I chose, it details how to teach new vocabulary words to students who are learning English as a second language. As stated in the article written by author Lorena Siegel, “ without adequate words, it’s difficult to relate thoughts, ideas, and feelings about who we are and how we interpret the world around us”. Keeping this in mind is important because it builds a picture for us mentally about how these students access language and vocabulary. The article breaks itself into various parts, being “What is the best way to teach ESL vocabulary”,”What are techniques for introducing and teaching new vocabulary”, “How can I make vocabulary fun”, “What are ways ESL students can improve their vocabulary”, and finally “What should I keep in mind when teaching my ESL students vocabulary”. Each of these sections goes into great detail about different aspects of teaching vocabulary that teachers both new and experienced might not be well versed in. In the first section, the article specifies that teaching relevant vocabulary as well as creating context to the words you teach are two of the best ways to teach ESL vocabulary. These ideas create relationships between the students and the words that will in turn assist students with remembering both the word and its meaning/use for longer. It also mentions a method I have learned here at ESU, which is to make a list of 10-12 words before we read a story and as we discover them in the story, we stop and give them meaning within the context of the story. We also go over the words both before reading the story and when we see them, as well as after. One of the most notable things that the article mentioned was students keeping a small pocket sized notebook with them at all times. With this notebook, students can write down new words they learn even outside of school and keep them with them as long as they need to until they have fully learned the words. This not only promotes learning outside of school but gives the student autonomy as well, which is an important aspect of language acquisition for any student. In summary, this article is a great starting point for any teacher struggling with teaching their classes how to learn vocabulary words. While it is geared towards ELL’s, I feel like this can be used in a variety of different academic settings with relative levels of success in all of them.

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BridgeUniverse - TEFL Blog, News, Tips & Resources

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By Lorena Siegel
November 25, 2022

Teaching vocabulary in ESL is crucial to a student's language development and communication skills. After all, without adequate words, it's difficult to relate thoughts, ideas, and feelings about who we are and how we interpret the world around us. But how do we achieve this goal without making students memorize lists of ESL vocabulary that will be forgotten after the next pop quiz? Check out these teaching strategies for how to teach vocabulary to ESL students - whether you're giving in-person lessons or teaching English online.

What is the best way to teach ESL vocabulary?

Create context around words you teach

It's a good idea to think about how students will recall a word when sitting for an exam and use this as your starting point to determine how you want your students to remember what you have taught them. In other words, don't teach new words in a vacuum. You want to create a contextual experience (an interesting story, a series of images, a dialogue) that leaves a deep impression so that when the time comes for your class to recall a particular list of words, they'll be able to access these words with little trouble, building their ESL vocabularies throughout each class!

Teach relevant ESL vocabulary

Be aware that if you focus on vocabulary that can't be put to immediate and repetitive use in your students' day-to-day lives, it will be relegated to the quicksand of short-term memory and soon forgotten, thus rendering all your hard work useless. Teaching vocabulary in ESL is of vital importance to long-term use of classroom lessons. Be sure to choose vocabulary that is connected to your students' lives and can be easily applied to their world outside of the classroom.
Learn the ins and outs of teaching English conversation.
Consider your students' age

Young learners are innately curious and love to learn the names of things that surround them. Hands-on activities, songs, or colorful visuals work well for kids.

Teens, on the other hand, need vocabulary to help them understand the music they listen to and the shows or movies they watch, as well as words that can help them communicate with others and express their feelings.

Adults need the appropriate English vocabulary to help them relate to others on both a personal and business level, and they rely on you to give them the best and most common words and phrases that will help them improve their communication skills.

Learn more about the differences between teaching young learners and adults.
What are the techniques for introducing and teaching new ESL vocabulary?

Show images or drawings

Because drawings and photos are fairly universal and understood by most people, this is perhaps the best way to present new vocabulary. The internet is chock-full of photos and pictures, and there are a variety of stock photo websites to choose from.

If you have a knack for drawing, you can make your own pictures or create your own characters, but make sure that these are large enough for everyone to see clearly if you don't have access to a SMART board. Keep the composition of your photos or drawings simple, as too many things happening at once can confuse students.

If you are teaching online, you can make use of Skype or Zoom's screen share function to show the images. These platforms also have whiteboard features and annotation tools, which you can use for making simple drawings on-screen

Pro Tip: If you like, you can also create a couple of characters that your students can relate to and use them throughout your course to present new ideas. When used consistently, students form attachments to the characters and will rely on them when learning new concepts.

Present vocabulary with realia

Realia is essential to the learning of ESL vocabulary. For a lesson on how to describe the flavors of different foods, for example, there is nothing better than to have students taste a variety of foods, condiments, herbs, and spices. As you give your class a taste of each ingredient, announce what it is, and give them the accompanying statement that incorporates the vocabulary you are teaching. Examples: This is sugar. Sugar is sweet. These are potato chips. Potato chips are salty. This is mustard. Mustard is sour.

Even if you're teaching virtually, you can use traditional and digital realia in your online classroom. For example, you can use an online map to review English directions or the PDF version of a restaurant menu to practice phrases for ordering food. You can learn more about using realia in the virtual classroom by watching a past BridgeUniverse Expert Series webinar on the topic.

Introduce new words in the context of a story or article students read

ESL readings are of great value because they expose students to vocabulary they might not encounter in their day-to-day lives but that is useful, nonetheless. To pre-teach vocabulary from the reading you've chosen, follow this structure:

Make a list of 10 to 12 words that will be found in the reading and go over these verbally with students prior to starting the lesson.

As you go through the list, ask your students if any of them know the meaning of each word. Give them time to discuss words and guess the meanings if they're not sure. (It's a good idea to have two or three words that students already know, as this gives them familiar ground to stand on.)

As students call out the definitions they know, write these on the board, but leave a blank space next to the words they don't know.

Try to teach these words by drawing a simple picture or acting them out, if possible. If you are still unable to get your point across, let your students know that they'll be able to figure out the meaning when they've read the text, and remind them that you will make sure everyone understands the vocabulary by the time the lesson is over.

Pro Tip: Tell your students to not copy the definitions in their notebooks until you've finished the first part of the activity. The reason behind this is to make sure that your students are focusing on the lesson, listening to one another, and exchanging ideas instead of getting hung up on copying words from the board.

As you continue the lesson:

Have your students read the text aloud, one sentence or paragraph at a time (depending on class size). Don't interrupt as they read unless they're having great difficulty with a word.

Once everyone has had the opportunity to read out loud, go over the words they don't understand, including those that are not on your initial vocabulary list. Remind students to underline words they have difficulty pronouncing or do not yet understand.

Readings should always be followed by questions, first verbal and then written, to give students the opportunity to test their newly acquired vocabulary words and commit what they've learned to long-term memory.

Homework that involves students writing their own sentences or answering predetermined questions will also help to reinforce the vocab they've learned in class. (Be sure not to use multiple choice questions or short answers, as these do not aid in the reinforcement of either writing or speaking in the target language.)

Learn more about the importance of storytelling in the ESL classroom.
Use translation from the students' first language (yes, sometimes it's okay!)

If you speak the students' language or you have a teaching assistant who can help you translate, ask students what words they would like to learn. I call this " How do you say? " day.

During these sessions, students are encouraged to ask questions about things that interest them or help them to communicate in school or at work. Be sure to stay away from taboo topics as well as topics that are too personal.

These lessons are usually short and can be complemented with role-playing or ESL games that encourage students to put their new vocabulary to immediate use. Always be sure to ask the appropriate questions that promote verbal repetition.

Use antonyms and synonyms to teach and review ESL vocabulary

In order to build vocabulary, it's a good idea to not only use the words from your chosen vocabulary list but to also incorporate their synonyms and antonyms. Using opposites to teach new vocabulary gives students the opportunity to learn twice as many words. To make a bigger impact on your students' learning process, use pictures to illustrate sentences, or put words into short sentences that tell a story.

The following is an example of how to use opposites that can be used with beginner-level students:

Vocabulary: day/night, sun/moon, open/close, on/off

Put the following sentences on the board. You can fill in the words the students have already learned, but have them guess the opposite word.

The sun is in the sky during the day. We can see the ____ at _____.

I turn the lights off during the day, and I turn them ____ at night.

I open the windows during the day, and I ____ them at night.

Then, fill the words in as the students say them.

The sun is in the sky during the day. We can see the moon at night.

I turn the lights off during the day, and I turn them on at night.

I open the windows during the day, and I close them at night.

Next, ask questions that relate to your story.

Do you see the sun during the day or at night?

When do you see the moon?

When do you turn on the lights?

When do you turn them off?

Do you close your windows during the day or at night?

Pro Tip: When answering yes/no questions, students should use complete sentences. Short answers do not help in the acquisition of new vocabulary and sentence structure nor do they motivate students to practice their language skills.

Another way to incorporate antonyms into a lesson is by asking simple questions in which students get to choose the answer that suits their needs. Make up questions that incorporate new phraseology and that students can ask one another.
Examples:

Do you like staying at home on your day off, or do you like going out with your friends?

What do you save your money for, and what do you spend your money on?

When do you feel happy, and when do you feel sad?

(The repetition of phrases within the same question helps students commit them to memory.)

How can I make vocabulary fun with ESL vocabulary games?

Games are an essential tool in the TEFL/TESOL classroom. They allow students to think outside the box, put what they've learned to immediate use, create experiences with their classmates, and break away from lessons that could otherwise be tedious.

There are many simple games and activities that can be used to teach ESL vocabulary. For example, in the video below, a teacher plays a game called "Missing Object" with his online students.

This interactive game from the Bridge Micro-credential course: Games and Activities for the Online Classroom (Very Young Learners) is a fun way to teach vocabulary for ESL students in online or in-person classes. These games are also great for reviewing previously addressed material.

Show the student a collection of real items (realia) on a tray. Items could include a phone, a pair of glasses, a book, a watch, etc. You can include items that review vocabulary you've recently taught or items along a certain theme, such as foods.

Ask the student what each item on the tray is. Practice the pronunciation and ask follow-up questions (ex: "What do you use a phone for?").

After you've reviewed the tray of items with the student and discussed them, move the tray out of his or her sight, and remove one item. Then, show the tray again and ask the student, "What's missing?"

If the student cannot figure out what's missing, provide a clue (ex: "You put these on to help you see better").

Check out more fun ESL games and activities for young learners and teens.
What are other ways ESL students can improve their vocabulary?

If you ask students who are self-taught what methods they used to learn English on their own, they will invariably tell you the following:

They listen to and learn their favorite English songs and watch movies and TV shows with subtitles in either English or Spanish (some students swear by English subtitles, saying that it helps with their pronunciation).

They read English books and magazines that are of interest to them.

Many students also download language learning apps, such as Babbel and Duolingo, to their smartphones, so encourage them to use these tools to help develop their language skills on their own time.

Another way to improve students' vocabulary is to have them keep a notebook that is small enough to fit in their pockets. This is a great way for them to have a real-time record of the words and short phrases they use in their daily lives. When students keep a list of the words that are of interest to them, they are effectively writing their own little dictionaries that can be filled with pictures, synonyms, antonyms, and sentences that are useful to them.

Need a quick refresher on how to teach ESL vocabulary? Download this Bridge infographic for strategies for teaching vocabulary to English language learners

What should I keep in mind for how to teach vocabulary to ESL students?

Here are some more tips for helping your students learn vocabulary better:

Whether you are teaching vocabulary, grammar, phraseology, or pronunciation in a physical classroom or online, do your best to make sure your students can relate to each lesson and are almost immediately able to use what they've learned.

Follow a logical and organic order when teaching new vocabulary, and put words into useful phrases as often as possible.

Look for every opportunity to review what you've taught from one lesson to the next, and engage your students by focusing on topics that interest them the most.

Always encourage your students to ask you about the meanings of words and how these can be applied to their lives outside of the classroom.

There are myriad methods of teaching vocabulary - get creative, have fun, and do what works best for your students.

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How to Teach ESL Vocabulary: Top Methods for Introducing New Words

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By Lorena Siegel November 25, 2022 Teaching vocabulary in ESL is crucial to a student's language development and communication skills. After all, without adequate words, it's difficult to relate thoughts, ideas, and feelings about who we are and how we interpret the world around us.

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The article states that teaching vocabulary to ELLs is essentially teaching them how to read. It says that most reading programs do not include enough vocabulary instruction for English learners. The first practice the article talks about is using an evidence-based approach You should provide your English learner students with rigorous daily vocabulary instruction. For vocabulary instruction to be effective s incents should be exposed to the vocabulary words being taught over several days. They should be exposed to these words across reading, writing, and speaking opportunities. These words should always be provided in student friendly language that engages students in a way that helps them develop an understanding of the meaning so they can use it for communication and to further develop their learning.

The second practice discussed is developing districtwide lists of essential words for vocabulary instruction. The words in these vocabulary lists should be pulled from the core reading program and from the textbooks used in content areas, such as science, history and math. This list can be added to if additional problem words come up. The article mentions that when making this list you should focus on definitions not decoding. It states that for content area vocabulary you should only teach 2-8 words a week to avoid overload.

The third practice they talk about is including vocabulary for everyday life not normally included in academia. Teaching English learners simple words and conversational words can help them to better understand texts being read. It mentions that most textbooks assume that the student knows and understands these words, so they do not include definitions or ways to teach these words. You can emphasize the meanings of common phrases and expressions during this also.

It discusses that most teachers might struggle to pull off these practices. You should seek help if needed. It mentions forming teacher study groups and coaching programs can help you to develop the necessary skills to pull this off. It also mentions that you should not assume the student understands the topic in their native language especially in content areas like science, geography and history. If the student does not know the concept being taught in their native language focus purely on teaching them it English. The article also states that as the teacher you should also try to develop some understanding of the students primary language because this can help you better provide instruction to the student for more difficult concepts being taught that might not directly translate in their native language.

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August, D., Carlo, M., Dressler, C., & Snow, C. (2005). The critical role of vocabulary development for English language learners. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 20, 50-57.

Beck, I. L., Perfetti, C. A., & McKeown, M. G. (1982). Effects of long-term vocabulary instruction on lexical access and reading comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 506-521.

Biemiller, A. (1999). Language and reading success. Newton Upper Falls, MA: Brookline Books.

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

Carlo, M. S., August, D., McLaughlin, B., Snow, C. E., Dressler, C., Lippman, D., et al. (2004). Closing the gap: Addressing the vocabulary needs for English language learners in bilingual and mainstream classrooms. Reading Research Quarterly, 39, 188-215.

Gersten, R., Dimino, J., Jayanthi, M., Kim, J., & Santoro, L. (2007). Teacher study groups as a means to improve reading comprehension and vocabulary instruction for English learners: Results of randomized controlled trials. Signal Hill, CA: Instructional Research Group.

Gersten, R., Dimino, J., & Jayanthi, M. (in press). Development of a classroom observational system. In B. Taylor & J. Ysseldyke (Eds.), Reading instruction for English language learners: The Bond symposium. New York: Teachers College.

Hiebert, E. H. (2005). State reform policies and the task textbooks pose for first-grade readers. Elementary School Journal, 105, 245-266.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

Perez, E. (1981). Oral language competence improves reading skills of Mexican American third graders. Reading Teacher, 35, 24-27.

Rousseau, M. K., Tam, B. K. Y., & Ramnarain, R. (1993). Increasing reading proficiency of language-minority students with speech and language impairments. Education and Treatment of Children, 16, 254-271.

Umbel, V. M., Pearson, B. Z., Fernandez, M. C., & Oller, D. K. (1992). Measuring bilingual children's receptive vocabularies. Child Development, 63, 1012-1020.

Verhallen, M., & Schoonen, R. (1993). Lexical knowledge of monolingual and bilingual children. Applied Linguistics, 14, 344-363.

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Best Practice for ELLs: Vocabulary Instruction

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One way to create effective literacy instruction for English learners in the elementary grades is to provide extensive and varied vocabulary instruction.

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Erin McArdle: Vocabulary Development with ELLs 

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Erin McArdle: Vocabulary Development with ELLs 

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This article gave lots of good examples for how to help ELL students learn vocabulary.

1. The first strategy that they give is to Pre-teach vocabulary. They also gave a few examples on how to do this.

Using gestures

Showing real objects

Pointing to pictures

and using the Spanish equivalent and then asking students to say the word in English.

2. Focus on cognates, these are words that sound the similar in Spanish and English such as: family and familia, and conversation and conversación. You need to be cautious of false cognates though, these are words that sound similar in Spanish and English but mean different things such as: Mano does not mean man it means hand.

3. Using scaffolds for students the article had examples of these as well.

graphic organizers

the 6 ESL steps (I will list later)

having word walls and reviewing them daily

and labeling pictures

4. Using computers and televisions. students feel comfortable using a computer or watching television, they can listen to shows or books in English and they can work on their reading and writing skills.

5. Use audio books, audio books are good for all students because they are able to hear the words being said while also looking at them.

6. Use a word wizard box. This is a box where students are encouraged to write down a word they have heard at home, on TV, or anywhere else. At the end of class the teacher pulls out a word and asks the student who wrote it and how the word was used.

7. Encourage oral language use. This is one that is encouraged for a lot different things for ELLs to learn. Encourage the students to speak as much as possible, ask questions that are interactive and meaningful.

8. Model correct usage. reaffirm the student's ideas by saying the word correctly and in the correct context.

The article also had 6 steps to follow to help ESL students.

1. Pre-Select a word from an upcoming text

2. Explain the meaning with student-friendly definitions

3. Provide examples of how it is used

4. Ask students to repeat the word three times

5. Engage students in activities to develop mastery

6. Ask students to say the word again

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August, D., Calderón M., & Carlo M. (2002) The Transfer of Skills from Spanish to English: A Study of Young Learners. Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, D.C.

Biemiller, A. (2001). "Teaching Vocabulary: Early, direct, and sequential." American Educator. Spring 2001.(25)(1): 24-28, 47.

Calderón, M., August, D., R. Slavin, A. Cheung, D. Durán & N. Madden (2005). Bringing words to life in classrooms with English language learners. In Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Hiebert, A & M. Kamil (eds.) (2005) Research and development on vocabulary. Nahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

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Knowing vocabulary words is key to reading comprehension. The more words a child knows, the better he or she will understand the text. Using a variety of effective teaching methods will increase the student's ability to learn new words.

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This article discusses a variety of different strategies to teach ELL students vocabulary words. One of the first points that I found interesting was how reading comprehension and vocabulary was connected. The article states how 70-80% of reading comprehension is based on one's vocabulary knowledge. Teaching vocabulary to ELL students can help prepare them for standardize tests and possibly even college. A strategy that I found is the use of pop culture icons. ELL students can bring their favorite icon into the classroom and hang it on the wall. They then present their icon with a movie or video to go along with it. The teacher can then hang up vocabulary words associated with the student's icon to help them learn. This repeated exposure will help boost the students understanding. Another strategy that I found was the use of weekly word charts. It is used to introduce a few new words at a time and has the student fill out part of speech, example sentence and a picture. Students can also use a word ladder which builds on old words and has students create new sentences. The final strategy that I learned about was having labels on everything. This allows for more exposure for different words and locations. An example could be labeling the bathroom or cafeteria to help acclimate an ELL student to the different areas of the school. The same can be done with objects in the classroom to help build up an ELL student associate words with objects.

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Instructional Strategies for ELL Students

Strategy 1: Label Objects

As a classroom teacher, building leader or district administrator, you should first ensure that the spaces ELL students inhabit most frequently have many object labels. Whether these are classrooms or cafeterias, having signs that label each physical item in a room forces concrete connections through repeated exposure to the most basic of school concepts that native speakers often take for granted. You can use a template such as this one to create the labels.

One of my favorite strategies for ELL students are word walls. Teachers and specialists should ensure that word walls are current and visible in all classrooms that ELL students' attend. A bonus would be to include a related graphic image next to each word that can help explain the word, as repeated reading and visual connections lead to a more developed word knowledge. Read my article about word walls to learn more.

Strategy 3: Pop Culture Iconography

Third, as I have noted before, ELL students are eager to bring their own pop culture iconography to school. When they do, ask students to label their images with connected English words and then permit them to hang up their images in the classroom. Additionally, have them present their icons to the class with an associated song, movie clip, or possibly even a YouTube video.

Of all my strategies for teaching ELL students, linking students' pop culture interests to learning has the most impact. By sharing their icons with their class and hanging them up in the classroom, ELL students gain a sense of ownership in the classroom that allows them feel connected to their classes and to their learning. Repeated exposure to these labeled objects also drives home new vocabulary.

Many more basic and nuanced concepts can be taught by including pop culture ideas in the classroom. Students can create skits and plays based on popular culture concepts, since having engaging ideas on which to "hook" new knowledge always deepens their learning.

Strategy 4: Weekly Word Charts

I strongly encourage the systematic teaching of new words, and as a few new words are introduced and worked with each day, ELL students should fill out the Vocabulary Sheet of the Week or a Vocabulary Ladder Chart to solidify each word in relation to something they enjoy.

The Vocabulary Ladder Chart is also designed to help students learn two new vocabulary words from their unit each day. What makes this handout different from the Vocabulary Sheet of the Week is that this Vocabulary Ladder Chart is designed so that it repeats previous words and adds on the new words each day. This repetition requires that students write new sentences for older vocabulary words after they've recorded and learned the two new words for the day.

Strategy 5: Context Clues

Next, ELL students should learn to identify various types of context clues and how to use them effectively. The more students recognize these context clues and can understand the basic words being used, the more they can build on their knowledge in order to scaffold to more difficult words.

Strategy 6: Vocabulary Improv

A favorite strategy for teaching ELL students of many teachers is to make learning fun by playing a simple word and motion game. And example is included here, in the Vocabulary Improv game. Many ELL and traditional students alike find that making kinesthetic motions in connection with saying a vocabulary word deepens their word understanding significantly.

Strategy 7: Vocabulary Games

More vocabulary-building games to play in your classroom include , Oranges to Oranges, Guess That Word and other games that involve a great deal of speaking and understanding, but that are also fun and colorful, as well as being less intimidating than a blank worksheet.

Students can play and replay these games, using an increasingly difficult set of vocabulary words each time as they scaffold their learning. Bonus points are awarded when they can use a previous vocabulary word to help describe a current vocabulary word.

Strategy 8: Vocabulary Activities

When in doubt, do an activity! My favorites include Create a Car, Color Your Vocabulary, Build Your Own Sundae, and Puzzle Together Your Vocabulary. Each one allows for fun and interactive engagement with whatever words each student is learning.

Color Your Vocabulary

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8 Strategies for Teaching ELL Students Vocabulary Words

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ELL students need help in developing their vocabularies. Here are 8 instructional strategies for ELL students that can maximize their involvement in class! In this article you'll find free worksheets, professional development resources, games, and more!

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This is a video that can be accessed through YouTube. Viewers will learn that fluency is composed of three parts.

Speed

Accuracy

Expression

Speed

The video states that reading to fast or to slow will have a negative affect on fluency. A reader must read at a "just right speed".

By doing this the reader will have a better understanding of the material they just read.

Accuracy

Accuracy is the ability to read what is written correctly. Now that we have the speed of reading just right now we focus on reading and sounding out the words to make our reading have flow. According to the video using your finger to track the words you are reading is a good strategy for a beginning reader to improve their accuracy.

Expression

Adding feeling to your reading and paying attention to punctuation.

Without the use of emotion or punctuation readers will not get the same meaning for the written text or the text may not make sense.

This video is a great resource for a student who may need extra help with their reading fluency.

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Reading Fluency: Speed, Accuracy, and Expression

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"Oral language is one of the most important skills your students can master—both for social and academic success. Learners use this skill throughout the day to process and deliver instructions, make requests, ask questions, receive new information, and interact with peers." (Brookes Blog)

In this article strategies are given on ways to support students in developing strong language skills.

Some examples from the article include:

1) Encourage conversation

The more we encourage our students to engage in conversations the more opportunities they have to practice their oral language skills.

2) Have students summarize things they have heard

The use of this skill helps students put their thought into words and allows for further conversation to be discussed.

3)Explain subtleties of tone

Remind students to be mindful that tone can change the meaning of what a speaker is saying. Choose your tone carefully.

4) Attend to listening skills

5) Model syntactive structure

"When students use fragmented syntax, model complete syntax back to them. This builds oral language skills and gives students practice in a skill necessary for mastering written language."

This article also provides a resource called

Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, OWL LD, and Dyscalculia

By Virginia W. Berninger, Ph.D., & Beverly J. Wolf, M.Ed.

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Oral language is one of the most important skills your students can master-both for social and academic success. Learners use this skill throughout the day to process and deliver instructions, make requests, ask questions, receive new information, and interact with peers.

As a teacher, there's a lot you can do during your everyday lessons to support the development of strong oral language skills in your students. Today's post, excerpted and adapted from Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, OWL LD, and Dyscalculia , by Berninger & Wolf, gives you 14 ideas for supporting oral language development in your students who are verbal. These teaching strategies can help students with specific language disabilities (including dyslexia), and they can boost the language skills of your other learners, too. Try these and see which ones work best for your students!

Encourage conversation.

Every social interaction gives students a new opportunity to practice language. Some of your students might need a little guidance from you to engage in conversations, so spark interactions whenever you can. Ask questions, rephrase the student's answers, and give prompts that encourage oral conversations to continue.

Model syntactic structure.

Your students may not use complete oral syntax in informal speech, but encourage them to do so when they're in the classroom. When a student uses fragmented syntax, model complete syntax back to them. This builds oral language skills and gives students practice in a skill necessary for mastering written language.

Engage in eye contact with students during instruction and encourage them to do the same. Maintaining eye contact will help learners gauge their audience's attention and adjust their language, their volume, or the organization of their speech. This will help them be better understood, communicate more clearly, and successfully interpret nonverbal cues about their clarity.

Remind students to speak loudly and articulate clearly.

Ask students to feel the muscles used for speech while they're talking and monitor their volume and articulation. Remind them that clear and loud-enough speech is essential for holding the attention of the group and communicating their information and opinions effectively.

Have students summarize heard information.

Encourage students to verbally summarize or otherwise discuss the information they hear. This should begin in kindergarten and continue with increasingly difficult questions as students grow older. Teach students to ask for clarification when they don't understand something, and emphasize that they can ask you directly or query fellow students.

Model and guide sentence construction.

Some students have trouble getting started with the wording of a sentence. Saying the beginning word or phrase for the student can help the student structure their response. Give students time for thinking and formulating an oral or written response. Students' explicit experience in both producing their own oral language and processing others' language will help facilitate their comprehension of reading material.

Explain the subtleties of tone.

Your students have probably experienced playground arguments related to tone; misunderstandings are common when students are using loud outdoor voices. Remind your students how tone of voice-which includes pitch, volume, speed, and rhythm-can change the meaning of what a speaker says. Often, it's not what they say, it's how they say it that can lead to misunderstanding of motives and attitudes. Ask your students to be mindful of tone when they're trying to get a message across, and adjust their volume and pitch accordingly.

Attend to listening skills.

Ensure that your students are listening by using consistent cues to get their attention. You might use a phrase like "It's listening time" to give students a reminder. Some students might also benefit from written reminders posted prominently on your wall.

Incorporate a "question of the day."

During each school day's opening activities, ask a question to encourage talk. (You can even write one on the board so your students can read it and start thinking about their answer as soon as they come in.) Start with simple one-part questions like "What is your favorite animal?" If a student doesn't answer in a complete sentence, model a complete sentence and ask the student to repeat your model. Once your students are successfully answering these simple questions in complete sentences, move to two-part questions that require more complex answers: "What is your favorite animal? Why?"

Compile a class booklet of students' phrases.

Give your students a sentence to finish, such as "When my dog got lost I looked..." Have each student contribute a prepositional phrase to complete the sentence (e.g., at the grocery store, in the park, under the bed). Then have your students create a class booklet by writing and illustrating their phrases. When all the phrase pages are assembled into a booklet, students can practice reading the very long sentence with all the places they looked for the dog. Encourage them to come up with a conclusion to the story.

Some students may have difficulty with abstract concepts such as before, after, or following, and with sequences such as days of the week or months of the year. To help students learn and retain these concepts, you may need to present and review them many times and in multiple ways. For example:

You might ask students to identify which holiday comes in each month and then review holidays for other months in sequence: "Groundhog Day is in February. What holiday is in March? In April?"

Have students identify the month before or after a given month. "May is before June and after April." "May is between April and June."

Question to boost comprehension.

Asking questions before and after a reading assignment not only helps sharpen oral language skills, it also helps students think about what they're reading and absorb information from the words. You might try the following strategies to facilitate reading comprehension:

If there's an introduction to the story or passage, ask students to read it and answer purpose-setting questions: "Where does the story begin? "What kind of story or article is this? Why do you think so?"

Ask students to predict outcomes: "What will happen? How do you know?"

After the reading, ask students to reveal whether their predictions were correct and identify where the ending or conclusion begins.

Have students summarize the passage: "Who were the characters?" "What was the plot?" "What was the outcome?" "What was the main idea?" "What were the supporting details?"

Teach for oral reading fluency.

Oral reading fluency refers to how rapidly, smoothly, effortlessly, and automatically students read text. The goal is accurate and fluid reading with adequate speed, appropriate phrasing, and correct intonation. Here are a few activities that aid fluency:

Sentence completion: Read a phrase and signal for a student to complete the sentence. Then read another phrase and signal another student to complete the next sentence. This activity provides good modeling of rhythm and inflection and builds reading group skills.

Round-robin repeated reading: Each student reads a sentence, paragraph, or page, and then the next student gets a turn. Prompt each student to read with rhythm and fluency.

Partner reading: Paired readers choose a quiet, cozy spot to practice reading to one another. This activity provides additional practice after reading in small groups.

Monitored reading: Ask an aide or parent volunteer to listen to a student's oral reading and watch for good phrasing and rhythm.

Repeated reading: Parents may assist with repeated reading at home by asking students to read orally the same 150- to 200-word passage repeatedly over several days. Students do not have to spend more than 10 minutes rereading each night.

Never assume students understood your instructional talk.

You use oral language every day to teach-but some students may not be getting your message. In this chart from Berninger & Wolf's book, Beverly Wolf shares some examples of how students in her classroom misinterpreted sentences delivered orally:

Be aware of the potential disconnect between what you say and what your students hear. Go over your message and present it in multiple ways to be sure all students understand.

***

Oral language is one of the foundational building blocks of learning. Try the suggestions in today's post with your students, and give them the boost they need for future academic and social success.
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, OWL LD, and Dyscalculia
By Virginia W. Berninger, Ph.D., & Beverly J. Wolf, M.Ed.

Learn how to provide effective instruction for students with learning disabilities while meeting the needs of all students! The first teacher training text to cover all four learning disabilities that require differentiated instruction, this book prepares educators to deliver explicit and engaging instruction customized to the needs of their students. Critical insights from diverse fields blend with lessons learned from actual teaching experience.

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Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills, Fourth Edition
Edited by Judith R. Birsh, Ed.D., CALT-QI, & Suzanne Carreker, Ph.D., CALT-QI

The most comprehensive text available on multisensory teaching, this book prepares today's educators to use specific evidence-based approaches that improve struggling students' language skills and academic outcomes in elementary through high school.
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45 Strategies That Support Young Dual Language Learners
By Shauna L. Tominey, Ph.D., & Elisabeth C. O'Bryon, Ph.D., NCSP

Discover 45 of today's best strategies for teaching young dual language learners and supporting their families. Includes practical guidance on how to apply each strategy in real-world classrooms!

Quick Interactive Language Screener™ (QUILS™)
A Measure of Vocabulary, Syntax, and Language Acquisition Skills in Young Children
By Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D., Jill de Villiers, Ph.D., Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., Aquiles Iglesias, Ph.D., and Mary Sweig Wilson, Ph.D.

Early identification is the first step to helping children with language delays improve their skills. Find the children who might need help with QUILS, a one-of-a-kind tool that helps you evaluate whether children are making language progress appropriate for their age group.

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14 Ways to Improve Your Students' Oral Language Skills - Brookes Blog

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UPDATED: 3/23/22 Oral language is one of the most important skills your students can master-both for social and academic success. Learners use this skill throughout the day to process and deliver instructions, make requests, ask questions, receive new information, and interact with peers. As a teacher, there's a lot you can do during your everyday [...]

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This article details how oral language development for ELL beginners can be streamlined in the classroom and how it works. It walks the reader through the entire process, beginning with the student entering the school and how we as educators can ease that transition process. The article also goes into detail about "TPR" or "Total Physical Response"". This essentially multiplies the language input and output that can be managed by the ELL student. The article mainly focuses on how to work with and elicit a TPR. It walks us through the seven different methods, including demonstration, group action, and student demonstration. The main idea of this article is that students learn better when they are actively doing things with the lesson, which will improve the rate of oral language acquired. The article looks to combine language acquisition with physical action to reinforce language acquisition. It brings up ideas like having students select action words before reading a story and acting them out as they see them. When concluding this activity, you would ask the students to act out the words we have demonstrated in the story in summary of said story. Another major aspect of the article is the focus on partner work. It details, "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". All of these techniques coalesce into various ways that we can increase oral language in the classroom by promoting physical and active play and combining it with literacy.

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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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This article looks at five different strategies geared to help improve ELL's fluency. I thought it was a good resource because many of the article's suggestions are things that be easily implemented and do not require a lot of planning or preparation. Some of the strategies are entirely student centered and they are a part of creating the resources for the ELLs learners while also practicing their reading skills.

Listen to Fluent Reading

Listening to fluent reading gives students a model for them to base their reading off of. Students can hear and see what fluent reading looks like. This can be done through listening to teachers, peers, or audiobooks. Students can even create their own audiobooks for other students to follow along with. Teachers can have a student-made audiobook library that allows ELLs to listen to their peers read grade level texts they follow along to.

Reread Familiar Texts

Rereading helps students gain fluency because they have already had the opportunity to practice decoding some of the more difficult words. Therefore, they will be able to focus on their fluency rather than other skills.

Read Short Texts

Short texts allow students to practice fluent reading in small chunks, rather than have to attempt to reread an entire paragraph or passage.

Opportunities to Read Aloud

Since ELLs are often afraid to read aloud to the whole class and are often given less opportunities to read aloud, the article suggested that teachers use alternative strategies for read aloud opportunities. Those strategies included partner reading, reader's theatre, choral reading, and echo reading.

Oral Language Development

Many reading programs operate under the assumption that students are proficient in their oral language skills. That is often not the case for ELLs. Teachers can use resources such as oral language task cards, songs, nursery rhymes, or poems to help develop ELLs oral language skills.

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Reading Fluency for ELLs - A World of Language Learners

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Learn strategies for helping ELLs improve their reading fluency. This includes simple activities such as having students listen…

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This article discusses the challenges that English language learners face in their education journey. The population of ELLs in the classroom have continued to increase over the years so that at least 75% of all classes have at least one ELL student. However, only one-third of these students reach proficiency level of reading on national exams. Their dropout rate is also double than non ELL students. This could be corrected, though, when teachers have an effective curriculum.

1.) Teachers need to be using content rich instruction to accelerate comprehension. ELL students have a hard time understanding words using direct translation and retain information better through context. These could be text, audios or videos Also using prior knowledge of words and scaffolding off of it is an individualized way of helping fluency

2.)ELL students reach comprehension and fluency mastery levels when they are able to understand the material. To enhance comprehension. teachers need to have careful attention to vocabulary, have context rich instruction, and use specific literary scaffolds.

3.)The third way is leveraging direct instruction for academic vocabulary. Having one definition for each word will not get the ELL student to a mastery level. The teacher needs to have multiple definitions, visual aids, uses of it in a sentence and many more strategies.

4.)Having students practice all the time is extremely important in order to increase fluency. It facilitates syntactic processing, productive experimentation, and automatization of skills. Feed back for the student is also crucial to this.

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Incorporating high-quality resources to support ELL students can have a stark impact on whether they succeed. At High School of World Cultures, we have been able to pinpoint four best practices for evaluating ELL resources.

Editor’s note: District Administration welcomes the insights and opinions of educators and administrators on all topics. If you would like to contribute a guest column, please contact Tim Goral at tgoral@promediagrp.com.

Without question, the fastest-growing student population in the United States is English language learners. Nearly 3 out of 4 classrooms include at least one English language learner and just one-third of these students reach basic proficiency on national exams in math and reading. That’s half the rate of their non-ELL peers.

Further, the dropout rate for ELL students is double the national average and the achievement gap with non-ELL students has remained constant for nearly two decades.

This challenge is evident within our school, the High School of World Cultures in the South Bronx in New York City. We have students arriving from 30 different countries who speak up to 13 different languages and who have been in the United States for less than six months.

It is particularly difficult to address their individual language needs while also providing them with the tools and resources they need to graduate.

ELL students often develop conversational English skills quickly but it can take up to seven years to develop full academic proficiency.

Compounding the issue is that many districts are unprepared to provide ELL students the support required to achieve proficiency. And most teachers feel that they lack the high-quality instructional materials they need to address students’ language and academic needs, particularly within secondary education.

These challenges are amplified when serving highly mobile families, as schools may enroll students for only a few months or years of their academic journey. Yet, the stakes are high.

Incorporating high-quality resources to support ELL students can have a stark impact on whether they succeed. At High School of World Cultures, we have been able to pinpoint four best practices for evaluating ELL resources.

With an effective curriculum, ELL students can achieve the dual goals of establishing language fluency while reaching grade-level mastery across each subject. When the curriculum addresses the needs of these students, English language fluency and grade-level mastery across each subject is achievable.

Using content-rich instruction to accelerate comprehension

In high school, English language learners absorb the vast majority of new words through context, and only a relatively small number through direct translation instruction.

Consequently, context-rich instruction can dramatically accelerate the development of fluency. Context-rich instruction—which might include visualizations, text, audio and active learning opportunities—offers multiple ways of demonstrating the meaning of an unfamiliar word or concept.

This can also include leveraging familiar examples to activate prior knowledge by connecting the new word to a familiar concept. The power of context is strengthened through personalization, such as by offering tailored support and individualized feedback throughout the learning experience.

These approaches give students with multiple chances of assigning meaning to words, understanding the material and expanding their vocabulary.

Unlock subject-level success through comprehensible input

English language learners develop language and subject-area mastery when the content is comprehensible—when they understand what they are seeing, hearing or reading. We have found three effective ways to maximize the comprehensibility of instructional content.

1. Attention to vocabulary. With both text and speech, content is comprehensible when students can understand at least 85 to 90 percent of the words used. This requires careful attention to the vocabulary used as well as to the supports students have available.

2. Context-rich instruction. Context-rich instruction broadens comprehensibility by offering multiple ways to understand the meaning of a word or concept. If text initially proves incomprehensible, an image can provide the context essential to understanding it.

If an image still isn’t enough, a relevant example, interactive simulation or alternative explanation can all increase a student’s understanding of the word or concept.

3. Literary scaffolds. Specific literary scaffolds are essential to closing the comprehensibility gap. This means including structured reading activities, guided notes, audio support, dictionaries, native language translations and active reading strategies, among others.

These supports are particularly important for emerging language learners, who more frequently recognize fewer than 85 percent of the words used during instruction.

Leverage direct instruction for academic vocabulary

Direct instruction is essential to learning academic vocabulary as definitions are often too technical or abstract to learn through context alone.

For English language learners, effective direct instruction requires something more than a dictionary. A combination of accessible definitions, contextualized reinforcement and explicit review provides English language learners with the clarity and exposure they need to retain academic vocabulary.

With that in mind, effective interactive instruction strategies include:

coming up with student-friendly definitions

visual aids

examples of using the words in a familiar context

asking questions to help students think critically about the meaning of the words

opportunities to compare and contrast words and repetition to reinforce the target words.

Cement mastery through output

Practicing vocabulary words is just as important—if not more so—as learning them, and English language learners cement mastery through regular, varied usage. This output is most effective when it includes matching exercises, short answers, essays and discussions.

A balance of output facilitates syntactic processing, productive experimentation and the automatization of skills. Output also provides the opportunity for important feedback, which creates a natural mechanism for English language learners to validate, revise and reinforce their understanding through trial and error.

Many English language learners require additional support to generate grade-level responses—particularly for short answers, discussions, essays, reports and other open responses. These supports can include controlled release, guided examples and scaffolded writing assignments, among others.

Seizing the opportunity

These strategies outline the path to highly effective ELL instruction. Given the diverse backgrounds of our students, it often takes many of them more than four years to graduate from high school. But, ultimately, about 85 percent of our students do eventually graduate.

This can be a challenging, time-consuming task, but we believe that other districts, by combining these best practices, have an opportunity to build English language learners’ fluency and subject-level mastery simultaneously.

Doing this well provides these new English language learners with the foundation they need to excel both in school and beyond, while also increasing district performance and community standing.

Ramon Namnun is principal of the High School of World Cultures, one of three schools housed in the James Monroe Educational Complex in the Bronx, offering instruction for new arrival students within New York City Public Schools.

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4 steps to fluency and mastery in education for ELLs

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Incorporating high-quality resources to support ELL students can have a stark impact on whether they succeed. At High School of World Cultures, we have been able to pinpoint four best practices for ev

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This article discusses how to improve ELL students social and academic interactions within the classroom. It discusses how an ELL student may be unable to respond due to a lack of understanding of the question and different cultural differences. These instances can cause a student to become shy or timid in the classroom. These students need practice with academic language as it is a question-and-answer and conversational format. Typically, in a classroom a teacher does 76% of the speaking. This academic language is referred to as cognitive academic language proficiency or CALP. It includes improving on grammar, vocabulary and figurative language. ELL students are able to learn conversational language quickly while it takes 5 to 7 years to develop academic language. Another item that I learned from this article is helping ELL students engage in more speaking in the classroom. Educators must stress to the classroom how there is accountability, and everyone deserves respect to create a sense of community. A teacher can ask an ELL student what their idea is to make them feel included. Then the teacher can help broaden the student's vocabulary and word choices to help build their knowledge. This could be done in small groups to make the student feel more comfortable with their peers. As a teacher you would want to use yes or no questions, so it is easier for the student to answer while showing their knowledge. Accepting partial answers and phrases can help a student build full sentences and improve in their English writing. The final aspect is keeping ELL students participating to help them build their language skills and knowledge.

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Extending English Language Learners' Classroom Interactions Using the Response Protocol

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Despite the need to use and develop their English-language proficiency, English-language learners (ELLs) are often quiet during classroom discussions. The Response Protocol was developed to help teachers elicit and support the oral interactions of ELL students.

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Matthew Muniz Helping ELLS develop prosody

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Matthew Muniz Helping ELLS develop prosody

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This article discusses the importance of teaching ELLSs prosody. It talks about how reading with prosody can help the reader get a better understanding of the text. The students has to have a good understanding of the text to read with rhythm and timing. It can also help them to better understand the message the author is trying to send if they are able to gauge their tone. It mentions that teaching ELL students prosody should be the second step in teaching fluency. This should be done of the student has no issues with decoding text automatically.

The article discusses four methods you can use help teach your students.

1. Using a prosody pyramid to help your students understand the concepts of thought groups, focus words, stressed syllables, and peak vowels.

2. Demonstrating reading with prosody to help your students to better understand how changing your tone and timing of a sentence can change the meaning of the reading.

3. Practicing reading aloud using various different methods like partnered reading and echo reading.

4. Assessing the students understanding of prosody by listening to them read and asking them questions like" Why did you read that line louder?" or "Why did put emphasis on that specific word?"

I found this article very interesting because I personally never really put much consideration into how I read when it come s to tone and timing. I never really considered the struggles a student that is not a native English speaker or struggling learner might have grasping this concept.

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When it comes to reading comprehension, it's not enough for your students to be able to decode and understand words correctly. To gain the full meaning that an author wants to convey, they must also know how to read with prosody.

As one of the three major components of fluency, prosody plays a key role in language and literacy development. But learning how to read with prosody can be quite a challenge, particularly for non-native English speakers.

So as a teacher, how can you get your English language learners (ELLs) to master this critical reading skill? Below, we've highlighted four effective strategies for helping ELLs develop prosody while they read. But before we get to that, let's take a deeper look at what it means to be a prosodic reader.

What is the Definition of Prosody?

Reading with prosody simply means to read with expression. It involves using the appropriate rhythm, emphasis, pitch, tone, and timing to breathe life into the words you're reading and convey meaning. In other words, it's reading with feeling.

Without prosody, we'd sound like robots as we read-completely devoid of emotion. But, like the English learners (ELs) in your class, we all begin our literacy journey as robotic readers who decode words with no regard for our delivery. Prosodic reading doesn't come any more naturally than decoding does, which is why teaching prosody in reading is so crucial.

Why is Teaching Prosody in Reading Important for ELLs?

Reading with expression is far more enjoyable and engaging than robot reading, but prosody actually benefits the reader more than their listeners.

Over the years, researchers have discovered a strong link between reading prosody and overall literacy achievement. In fact, students who exhibit good oral reading prosody typically have higher comprehension scores in silent reading.

For a student to read expressively with the appropriate intonation and timing, they have to understand what's happening in the text. But on the flip side, reading with prosody helps the reader process information and better understand what the author wants to convey.

Teaching prosody in reading also helps students become better communicators by understanding how to convey meaning through written and spoken prosodic cues. This is especially significant for ELs who are trying to adapt to the new rhythms and expressive elements of the English language.

Additionally, failing to support your EL's prosody development can result in serious setbacks. English learners who struggle with reading fluency and don't receive adequate support are at higher risk of being mislabeled with a learning disability and wrongfully placed in special education services.

Therefore, it's important to ensure that you're explicitly teaching your English language learners how to read with prosody and providing ample opportunities for them to practice.

When and How to Teach Prosody in Reading to ELLs

Before they're able to read with prosody, your ELs must be able to decode words with automaticity.

If a student isn't able to decode effortlessly and accurately, then they likely won't fully understand what's going on in the text. And if they don't comprehend what they're reading, then they certainly won't be able to read with proper expression.

Once decoding becomes automatic, ELs can focus their energy on understanding what they're reading. Otherwise, their pace is slowed down by sounding out words, and they struggle to see the big picture. If your English learners can decode accurately with speed and ease, then you can move on to teaching prosody in reading.

Helping ELLs Develop Prosody

Wondering how to help your English learners become prosodic readers? Here are four steps that you should take.

1. Teaching Pronunciation Using the Prosody Pyramid

The prosody pyramid is a great tool to help English learners understand the melody of the English language. It's split into four parts: thought groups, focus words, stress, and peak.

By teaching each level of the prosody pyramid in order, your ELs will learn how to use the appropriate intonation and rhythm as they read a sentence aloud. Now, let's go over each level in more detail.

Thought Groups

All sentences in the English language can be broken down into thought groups, which are small groups of words that are separated by a short pause for easier listening. A comma often signifies a separation between thought groups, but not always.

Thought groups have a unique rhythm. While reading a sentence aloud, you'll typically drop your pitch at the end of one and draw out the last syllable before briefly pausing. For example, read the following sentence aloud.
"That shirt is mine, not yours."
This sentence has two thought groups: That shirt is mine, not yours.

When you read that sentence, you should notice that the pitch falls slightly on the words mine and yours, and the comma causes you to pause momentarily between the thought groups. These characteristics contribute to the overall rhythm of the sentence.

By helping your students identify thought groups within a sentence, they'll become much better at learning how to use proper pitch and timing as they read.

Focus Word

Every thought group has a focus word, or a word that's emphasized most, because it conveys the most pertinent information. Typically, the focus word is the last important content word within a thought group.
"That shirt is mine, not yours."
The focus word in the first thought group is the word mine because it's emphasized the most. Once your ELs can recognize focus words in a sentence, they'll have a better idea of how to adjust their intonation while they read aloud.

Stress

Now that your ELs have determined which word is emphasized most in the thought group, it's time to determine which syllable is stressed most within that focus word.

This is easy when the focus word contains only one syllable, like in our example sentence above. But let's take it a step further with the following example:
"The yellow one is yours."
The focus word in this thought group is the word yellow, which has two syllables ( yel · low). As is the case with most two-syllable words, the first syllable ( yel) receives the stress, while the second syllable is de-emphasized.

Peak

The final level of the prosody pyramid is fittingly named the peak. The peak refers to the emphasized vowel within the stressed syllable. This vowel is significant because it influences pitch.

Let's look again at our focus word yellow from the previous example. Because the stressed syllable is " yel," the peak vowel is the e, which produces a short e sound (/ɛ/).

Because the e is stressed in the first syllable and the o is de-emphasized in the second, this causes a slight drop in pitch when read aloud.

When teaching pronunciation using the prosody pyramid, be sure to take it slow and give your ELs plenty of time to practice identifying each level. Using visual aids, such as a fill-in graphic organizer of the prosody pyramid, or interactive activities are great ways to help students practice. In time, they'll understand how to pronounce focus words correctly and use the appropriate pitch, emphasis, and intonation as they read.

2. Demonstrating Reading with Prosody

The key to helping ELLs develop prosody while reading is to model good prosodic reading for them.

Start by reading a short excerpt from a text without prosody. Then, read it again with prosody. When you're finished, ask your ELs which they preferred and why. Most will say the second one because it was more entertaining.

From there, explain to them that reading more expressively helps them comprehend better, too.

Go back to the excerpt and explain your prosodic choices for different parts so that your students understand why you read it that way. Discuss how changing your tone and timing can demonstrate how a character is feeling and add to the mood or atmosphere of a setting. Point out how punctuation can affect your volume and timing, and what meaning that conveys.

Be sure to show your ELs how you can change the tone of a sentence simply by stressing different words and phrases. For example:

"I didn't steal your wallet." - This implies that I stole someone else's wallet.

"I didn't steal your wallet." - This implies that I stole something else of yours, but not your wallet.

"I didn't steal your wallet." - This implies that I didn't steal your wallet, but I might know who did.

You can also show your students how punctuation can change meaning, such as in the case of "Let's eat, grandma!" and "Let's eat grandma!"

Again, take your time to demonstrate how to read with prosody before expecting them to do it. You can also use audiobooks to help with modeling good oral reading expression, just make sure that your students have the text on hand to read along silently.

3. Practicing Reading Aloud

Now that you've done a sufficient amount of modeling for your ELs, it's time for them to practice prosodic reading! Here are five different strategies that you can use in your classroom for helping ELLs develop prosody.

1. Echo Reading

Echo reading is a strategy in which teachers read one thought group, sentence, or paragraph at a time and have their students imitate (echo) their intonation. This is a great first step for teaching ELs to read with expression, as mimicking helps children develop new speech habits.

Check out this video to see an example of echo reading in action.

2. Choral Reading

Choral reading is when an entire class reads aloud in unison. This strategy is especially ideal for ELs who are too shy or intimidated by reading aloud in public by themselves. When using the choral reading technique in your class, be sure to select short texts that are on your students' reading level.

3. Reader's Theater

Reader's theater is a highly-effective strategy for teaching prosody in reading. It combines fluency practice with performing-giving students a purpose for reading aloud with expression.

There are no costumes or props in reader's theater, so your students will have to entertain their "audience" and convey meaning solely by being a prosodic reader.

Short, simple scripts work best for this strategy. Also, when choosing your text, try to find one that features a lot of fun dialogue between multiple characters.

4. Partner Reading

Partner reading is when two students work together to read an assigned text, like a poem or short story. Students can take turns reading with feeling. While one student reads, the other can take note of what they did well and offer suggestions for improvement.

When using this strategy, consider pairing students who are struggling with stronger prosodic readers. Partner reading works best with ELs when they feel comfortable with their partner. If possible, try to pair students together who don't have the same native language. It's often easier to hear differences in pronunciation and emphasis from those with a different linguistic background.

5. Voice Recordings

You can even have your ELs record themselves as they practice reading with prosody. Then, they can listen to it to hear places in their reading that lack the appropriate timing and inflection.

Take time to discuss their findings with your students, and allow them to record themselves again and again. Over time, they will be able to hear their progress.

4. Assessing for Prosody

A key aspect of helping ELLs develop prosody is to assess their progress. As you're teaching prosody in reading, take time to sit with each of your students and listen while they read aloud. That way, you can identify their strengths and struggles when it comes to expressive reading and adjust your instruction accordingly.

Use questioning to check that they understand prosodic cues. For example, ask, "Why did you emphasize this word?" or "Why did you get louder here?" Your students should be able to explain their reasons. Perhaps they wanted to convey a character's emotions or create tension.

By checking in with your students along the way, you'll help them become stronger prosodic readers, which in turn will improve their comprehension.

Looking for instructional resources to help your English learners develop critical literacy skills? Explore our collection of K-12 books for reading and language arts!
Thank you to Ellen Richardson, an ELL teacher at Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Lancaster, PA for consulting on this blog post.

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Reading with Feeling: 4 Simple Strategies for Helping ELLs Develop Prosody | Continental Educational Publisher

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When it comes to reading comprehension, it's not enough for your students to be able to decode and understand words correctly. To gain the full meaning that an author wants to convey, they must also know how to read with prosody.

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This article details researched information regarding teaching fluency to English language learners. My main take away is the plethora of facts we are given as educators from the article that is meant to help us promote fluency. It mentions that the biggest issue for an ELL student is decoding, which is important for teachers to be aware of. It also details instructional suggestions that teachers will find useful to use in the classroom, like echo reading or reader's theatre. I feel like this article is important for educators to read as it sets the foundation for a lot of teachers who might not have experience teaching fluency in ELL students. The first half of the article introduces what fluency is, and adds 5 key elements of fluency instruction for ELLs. The second half of the article provides instructional suggestions which are essentially tips and guidelines for teachers to follow when teaching fluency. Something I also find interesting is that the article is written by an ELL instructional coach, who might be able to offer more insight and perspective into this specific topic considering their background.

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English is one of the most challenging languages to decode, so it comes as no surprise that many ELLs may struggle to read fluently. Fortunately, there are some instructional techniques that teachers can use to help ELLs improve their accuracy, rate, and prosody while reading in English.
Key Elements of Fluency Instruction for ELLs:
1. Provide an explicit model of fluent reading.

2. Provide multiple opportunities to read the same text.

3. Establish performance criteria for rate, accuracy, and prosody.

4. Provide background knowledge and vocabulary support as necessary before and during reading.

5. Set students up for success by avoiding passages that are too difficult or putting them in the spotlight in front of peers when confidence is lacking.

Instructional Suggestions:

1. Provide opportunities for students to listen to texts recorded by native English speakers and/or have students record and listen to their own repeated readings.

2. Create sentence strips from a previously read text or section of text. Have students sequence and reread the text on the sentence strips.

3. Provide opportunities for students to reread previously read passages. Several examples are below.

Read with a model reader like a teacher, adult volunteer, or older student. Discuss key words prior to reading. Model reader reads first, then student reads. Student rereads passage a second time as fluently as possible.

Set up a regular routine for repeated readings. First, pair students with similar independent reading levels. Provide a text to be read throughout the week. Consider having a specific element of fluency for students as a focus for practice (e.g., rate, prosody, accuracy).

1. Day 1: Pairs read text aloud together and circle unknown words. In the first few minutes of guided group, clarify unknown words.

2. Day 2: Pairs take turns reading text aloud to one another and provide a score on a rubric focused on the fluency skill of that week.

3. Days 3 and 4: Individuals read their texts aloud using a recording tool (e.g., an iPad app like Audionote, a website like Voicethread, or onPhotobooth). They listen to the recording and score themselves on the rubric.

4. Day 5: Pairs do a final read with their partners using the rubric to score one another.

Use echo reading. First, provide background to familiarize students with key vocabulary and concepts. Second, read a section of the text aloud while students follow along. Next, reread the same text while students read along with you trying to mimic your rate and expression. For ELLs, it is a good idea to chunk the text into small units and increase the amount over time as students build their skills.

Use Reader's Theater or poetry performance. Students practice a script or poem at their instructional level (if working with an adult) or at an independent level (if working on their own or with peers). After numerous repeated readings, students perform for the class.

Bibliography:

Linan-Thompson, S., & Vaughn, S. (2007). Research-based methods of reading instruction for English language learners, grades K-4. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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English is one of the most challenging languages to decode, so it comes as no surprise that many ELLs may struggle to read fluently. Fortunately, there are some instructional techniques that teach...

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This article is great for understanding and defining fluency. It provides insight on instructional guidelines and instructional strategies.

Under the guidelines for instruction heading, the author provides multiple suggestions for ELL students to increase their fluency while reading. An example includes, reading and re-reading the same passages. This is very important in my eyes, as repetition is good to build any skills, including fluency. If a student continues to practice with the same reading, they will increase how fluently they can read it. Other examples include, introducing ELLs to more vocabulary, modeling fluent reading, and provide opportunities for Ells to hear a wide range of texts.

The article then discusses what students should read while practicing fluency skills. The texts should be at the students’ independent reading level. A text is at students’ independent reading level if they can read it with about 95% accuracy (ReadingRockets). This is important because if a student cannot read the text, they will not be able to read it fluently.

Lastly, activities for students to increase their fluency is discussed. Student adult reading is one activity that can be beneficial. This is where an adult reads 1 on 1 with a student. The adult reads first to model. Then the student reads while the adult provides encouragement. I like this strategy because it creates a connection or relationship which can make it easier for the student to learn fluency.

Some others listed are choral reading, tape-assisted reading, partner reading, and readers' theatre which is where students act out or perform. That can be a very fun way for ELLs to learn fluency.

Overall, this was a good article to read to better my understanding of fluency and some ways to help student's with fluency struggles.

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Guidelines for instruction

Provide children with opportunities to read and reread a range of stories and informational texts by reading on their own, partner reading, or choral reading.

Introduce new or difficult words to children, and provide practice reading these words before they read on their own.

Include opportunities for children to hear a range of texts read fluently and with expression.

Suggest ideas for building home-school connections that encourage families to become involved actively in children's reading development.

Encourage periodic timing of children's oral reading and recording of information about individual children's reading rate and accuracy.

Model fluent reading, then have students reread the text on their own.

What students should read

Fluency develops as a result of many opportunities to practice reading with a high degree of success. Therefore, your students should practice rereading aloud texts that are reasonably easy for them – that is, texts containing mostly words that they know or can decode easily. In other words, the texts should be at the students' independent reading level.

A text is at students' independent reading level if they can read it with about 95% accuracy. If the text is more difficult, students will focus on word recognition and will not have an opportunity to develop fluency.

The text your students practice rereading orally should also be relatively short – probably 50-200 words, depending on the age of the students. You should also use a variety of reading materials, including stories, nonfiction, and poetry. Poetry is especially well suited to fluency practice because poems for children are often short and they contain rhythm, rhyme, and meaning, making practice easy, fun, and rewarding.

Model fluent reading

By listening to good models of fluent reading, students learn how a reader's voice can help written text make sense. Read aloud daily to your students. By reading effortlessly and with expression, you are modeling for your students how a fluent reader sounds during reading.

Repeated reading

After you model how to read the text, you must have the students reread it. By doing this, the students are engaging in repeated reading. Usually, having students read a text four times is sufficient to improve fluency. Remember, however, that instructional time is limited, and it is the actual time that students are actively engaged in reading that produces reading gains.

Have other adults read aloud to students. Encourage parents or other family members to read aloud to their children at home. The more models of fluent reading the children hear, the better. Of course, hearing a model of fluent reading is not the only benefit of reading aloud to children. Reading to children also increases their knowledge of the world, their vocabulary, their familiarity with written language ("book language"), and their interest in reading.

Activities for students to increase fluency

There are several ways that your students can practice orally rereading text, including student-adult reading, choral (or unison) reading, tape-assisted reading, partner reading, and readers' theatre.

Student-adult reading

In student-adult reading, the student reads one-on-one with an adult. The adult can be you, a parent, a classroom aide, or a tutor. The adult reads the text first, providing the students with a model of fluent reading. Then the student reads the same passage to the adult with the adult providing assistance and encouragement. The student rereads the passage until the reading is quite fluent. This should take approximately three to four rereadings.

Choral reading

In choral, or unison, reading, students read along as a group with you (or another fluent adult reader). Of course, to do so, students must be able to see the same text that you are reading. They might follow along as you read from a big book, or they might read from their own copy of the book you are reading. For choral reading, choose a book that is not too long and that you think is at the independent reading level of most students. Patterned or predictable books are particularly useful for choral reading, because their repetitious style invites students to join in. Begin by reading the book aloud as you model fluent reading.

Then reread the book and invite students to join in as they recognize the words you are reading. Continue rereading the book, encouraging students to read along as they are able. Students should read the book with you three to five times total (though not necessarily on the same day). At this time, students should be able to read the text independently.

Tape-assisted reading

In tape-assisted reading, students read along in their books as they hear a fluent reader read the book on an audiotape. For tape-assisted reading, you need a book at a student's independent reading level and a tape recording of the book read by a fluent reader at about 80-100 words per minute. The tape should not have sound effects or music. For the first reading, the student should follow along with the tape, pointing to each word in her or his book as the reader reads it. Next, the student should try to read aloud along with the tape. Reading along with the tape should continue until the student is able to read the book independently, without the support of the tape.

Partner reading

In partner reading, paired students take turns reading aloud to each other. For partner reading, more fluent readers can be paired with less fluent readers. The stronger reader reads a paragraph or page first, providing a model of fluent reading. Then the less fluent reader reads the same text aloud. The stronger student gives help with word recognition and provides feedback and encouragement to the less fluent partner. The less fluent partner rereads the passage until he or she can read it independently. Partner reading need not be done with a more and less fluent reader. In another form of partner reading, children who read at the same level are paired to reread a story that they have received instruction on during a teacher-guided part of the lesson. Two readers of equal ability can practice rereading after hearing the teacher read the passage.

Readers' theatre

In readers' theatre, students rehearse and perform a play for peers or others. They read from scripts that have been derived from books that are rich in dialogue. Students play characters who speak lines or a narrator who shares necessary background information. Readers' theatre provides readers with a legitimate reason to reread text and to practice fluency. Readers' theatre also promotes cooperative interaction with peers and makes the reading task appealing.

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Fluency: Instructional Guidelines and Student Activities

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The best strategy for developing reading fluency is to provide your students with many opportunities to read the same passage orally several times. To do this, you should first know what to have your students read. Second, you should know how to have your students read aloud repeatedly.

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This article gives a brief description of what fluency is and then gives 5 strategies to help improve reading fluency.

The article defines fluency as the ability to read words accurately, with appropriate speed, and with expression. Fluency is also one of the 5 components that are necessary when a child is learning how to read. Reading fluency can often be confused with a students accent but they are not the same.

The 5 strategies they list to help students' fluency are:

1. Listen to Fluent Reading: this is basically modeling for the student. This strategy has proven to be helpful for more than just fluency, as incoming teachers we are told to model things for the students all the time. Another thing that is helpful is to have the students listen to audio books and read the text at the same time. This is helpful because students get to see the text and hear it and they get to make the connections between the sound and the word.

2. Reread Familiar Texts: This is helpful to students because after they decode words that are harder for them they can reread the text and focus on their fluency.

3. Read Short Text: This gives students an opportunity to reread the text faster.

4. Opportunities to Read Out Loud: This benefits ELL students greatly but unfortunately they are not given many opportunities to do this.

5. Oral Language Development: Not all students are proficient in their oral language development so their fluency is not very high. Once students improve their oral language their fluency will improve as well. Vocabulary development is very helpful in this.

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Reading Fluency for ELLs - A World of Language Learners

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Learn strategies for helping ELLs improve their reading fluency. This includes simple activities such as having students listen…

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This article addresses common misconceptions in ELL oral language development by presenting guidelines supported by both research and classroom practice. The first way to support ELL students is by creating a trusting, positive, classroom environment. This is very crucial for students because if they do not feel heard or feel connected to others, they will not thrive academically. Teachers must allow ELL students to feel comfortable speaking in their native language. Additionally, the teacher should never compare them to peers.

As teachers plan to engage students in oral interactions, they must first ensure the ELL students knows explicitly the purpose of what is being asked of them. Next, Second, teachers need to make sure students have ideas upon which they will elaborate. This is important so that the student knows they can build upon their ideas. Next, teachers need to help students organize their thoughts and ensure their language follows specific patterns correctly. After that, the teacher should help the student combine and make more complex sentences by using connector words such as and. This goes along with teaching synonyms. Lastly, the teacher should focus on helping the student verbal say words and sentences with correct pronunciation.

Teachers must find ways to provide students learning opportunities that engage them in productive talk. While the ELL student is talking, they must listen carefully to the language they use in order to support their continued growth. This is really important for supporting students with oral language. The article shared a statistic that "ELLs spend less than 2 percent of their school day in oral interaction" (WestEd). The teacher must reduce the amount of time they are speaking to the class to allow time for interactions between the students. This can be working with a partner or in groups. The teacher could also have small group work so they can work with at risk students.

This article was very useful and I would recommend reading it! It gave insight on how to support ELL students and specific do's and don'ts. It also gave dialogue of conversations with examples. Lastly it gives common misconceptions when it comes to ELL students. One example I liked was to correct students so they the mistakes do not fossilized. This is not true however. It is shown that students have plenty of time to correct themselves which is better for them than being corrected by a teacher.

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Consider this interaction between a teacher and his students, most of them English language learners, in a ninth-grade English language arts class:

Teacher: Who wrote The Pearl, Carmen?

Carmen: Steinbeck wrote The Pearl.

Teacher: Very good. And Rosa, who is the main character in this novella?

Rosa: I guess the main character is Kino, although his wife, Juana, is also important.

Teacher: That's right. And why do we say The Pearl is a novella? Jim?

Now contrast it with the interaction other ninth-graders had in their English language arts/English language development class:

Teacher: As we begin to explore this short story, "The Necklace," written by a French author from the 19th century, Guy de Maupassant, I am inviting you to read the first four paragraphs with your partner using types of "Question-Answer Relationships."* We have practiced this process several times, so unless we require some explanation-[students signal they do not]-then, please get started. As you engage in reading and discussing, I would like you to focus on the character Mathilde and think about what kind of person she is. We will then focus on the problem she faces.

Rodrigo (after reading the first paragraph of "The Necklace" aloud to his partner, Martha): OK, I am going to ask you a "think and search" question. Did Mathilde grow up in a rich family?

Martha: I am not sure. I think no, because the paragraph says she could not marry a "rich and distinguished man" and had to marry a little clerk. Is that an employee? [Rodrigo nods his assent.] I guess it is because she is not rich. But she was very pretty and charming, right?

So now I am going to read the second paragraph. [She proceeds to read aloud to Rodrigo, then pauses and thinks.] I am confused, so I guess I will ask you a think and search question. The text says "with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth." Is the author saying that for women, money does not matter? Why did she marry a clerk then?

Rodrigo: Yeah, I agree. I don't fully understand. You said she was pretty but not rich. Now the second paragraph says that's in place of family and birth, so does that mean richness? Does it not matter if women are pretty? Does it matter or doesn't it matter? [Both students decide to raise these questions later during the whole-class discussion. Then Rodrigo proceeds to read the third paragraph to Martha.]

We have all observed classes resembling the first example, where the teacher already knows the answers to the questions being asked, as do most students. The exchange is just an exercise in reiterating the known using complete sentences. In contrast, students in the second example must actively consider the possibilities related to the text, by asking and responding to questions that reveal their understanding.

How do we ensure that all English learners have opportunities to productively use oral language in academic settings? And how do we ensure that teachers leverage the power of classroom interactions to simultaneously foster language development, content knowledge, and analytical practices? In this article, we offer answers to these questions-and clarify common misconceptions-by presenting guidelines supported by both research and classroom practice.

A Framework for Oral Language

If English language learners (ELLs) are going to productively engage in classroom discourse and express their thinking related to content learning goals, teachers must create a trusting classroom culture in which students feel that whatever level of language they can produce, their contributions will be valued by their teacher and peers and will never be subject to ridicule, sanctions, or negative comparisons. ² Establishing classroom norms such as close listening to understand the ideas ELLs are conveying and showing respect to each other during their interactions (learning, of course, from the models their teachers provide) is essential for successful oral language use. Students need to know that interrupting their peers as they are formulating ideas and finishing their sentences for them are not desirable classroom norms.

As teachers plan to engage students in oral interactions, the framework shown in Figure 1 below can help guide their support for their students' work and language development. The framework comprises six interconnected levels.

First, teachers need to ensure that students clearly understand the purpose of the interaction they are being asked to undertake. For example, are they supposed to read a text and elaborate their thinking, highlighting what they understand and what they don't? Are they engaged in describing a scene to somebody who has not seen it? Are they being asked to make a prediction after observing phenomena they will later investigate?

Second, teachers need to make sure students have ideas upon which they will elaborate. For example, have they noticed the most important aspects of the scene (the background, main character(s) presented, what they are doing, other relevant details) on which they will center their description?

Third, teachers need to help students organize their thoughts and ensure their language follows specific patterns. For example, descriptions of a scene from a text cannot begin with sentences such as, "He kicks it, it breaks." Students need to first indicate the setting of the scene, then introduce the characters, describe them, and explain what they are doing. This sequence is essential to help participants engaged in a conversation paint pictures in their minds. Organization is marked by phrases that can be provided to students as formulaic expressions (which we discuss later in this article) to use: ³ "The picture we have shows a..." "We can see a..." "Our scene takes place in a..." "Based on my observation..." "The two historical contexts are..."

Fourth, teachers need to consider the types of sentences students produce and judiciously highlight how they may be combined and expanded to produce more complex language. Increasing complexity can be accomplished with the use of connectors and conjunctions, such as "besides," "furthermore," "additionally," "however," etc.

Fifth, teachers must pay attention to the words students use. Is one word repeated several times in an interaction? If so, teachers can take the opportunity to introduce a synonym. Do students incorrectly or imprecisely use a term? Teachers can take a moment to clarify usage and meaning.

Finally, when students are ready to present their work to others, teachers can focus on the pronunciation of carefully selected elements-only those that interrupt understanding. Traditionally, many educators have been taught to focus on correcting student utterances by zeroing in on form and not on meaning. As a result, our framework may initially feel counterintuitive, but the more educators rely on it, the more it will assist them in supporting students' language growth.

Productive Talk

As a general pattern, we educators often talk too much, no doubt influenced by our "apprenticeship of observation" that began when we were students ourselves. ⁴ However, given the centrality of talk in learning, this pattern needs to change. By some estimates, ELLs spend less than 2 percent of their school day in oral interaction. ⁵ Teachers must find ways to provide students learning opportunities that engage them in productive talk and then listen carefully to the language they use in order to support their continued growth.

By productive talk, we mean speech that has the following characteristics:

Has depth: the specific idea being discussed is central to the theme of the lesson, is presented in interconnected ways, and engages students' analytical thinking.

Is sustained: one student's statement is followed by another student's response, which extends, refutes, or questions what was first said.

Is student controlled: students control what they say, not the teacher. But teachers set up parameters for the interactions, sometimes framing questions that start the conversation. These questions are intended to communicate new related ideas, propose counter ideas or examples, and in general enhance the theme at work.⁶

Now consider these characteristics in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class, which comprises students with varied levels of English competence. ⁷ "Language" is the theme of the students' exploration, and this was the third class on the topic. Table 1 below shows the deliberate moves of the teacher, Mr. DeFazio, during the lesson and the students' interactions. The text in the table indicates the multiple instances of productive talk that he promotes with his directions and actions.

Let us look more closely at a specific interaction that occurred in the lesson after a student, Lavinia, reads the beginning of a letter she wrote about animal communication, and another student, Julio, reacts to one of her statements that animals do not have language.

Julio: Animal communication is not a language? It is a language-that's what I think-because they are communicating with each other.

Lavinia: But they don't speak.

Class: [Many students agree with Julio, saying "Yes, they do," or nodding.]

Julio: You said a language can have words, sounds, gestures, and everything.

Class: [Many students are in agreement with Julio's ideas once again.]

Lavinia: But they don't have words. They don't say "mama."

Julio: They don't need to. They have other characteristics. In animal language, some of the characteristics that you said are present-sound, pitch, gestures-so it is a language.

Mr. DeFazio: Julio is arguing very strongly that animal communication is language. Lavinia is saying that it's not. What do you think would be a way to help them resolve that argument in their writing?

Class: [The discussion continues and a resolution emerges. Then Julio reads a section of his letter.]

Mr. DeFazio: A lot is going to depend on how you define language, OK? You can define it in such a way as to exclude what animals do; you can define it in a very broad way, as a system of communication that includes everything. You are going to find linguists and zoologists who disagree, and if you are interested, I can give you some readings that were in the journal Science last year, people arguing back and forth.

Julio (reading his letter): First of all, I think that language is a way to inform others around you, your feelings, or just a simple thing that you want to let people know what is the deal. And it can be expressed by saying it, looking at a picture, or hearing it, you know what I'm saying? I don't know if you have heard about the kangaroo rat that stamps its feet to communicate with other rats. It's really funny 'cause we humans have more characteristics to communicate to each other, but we still have problems to understand other people. Characteristics like sound, grammar, pictures, and body language are some of them, while the rat only uses the foot. [Julio stamps the ground.]

Mr. DeFazio: Excellent! [The class applauds.] I never even heard about the kangaroo rat. Nice job, nice job. [Mr. DeFazio shakes Julio's hand.]

Applying the framework illustrated in Figure 1 to this interaction, we notice that students are clearly aware that the purpose of this exercise is to compare diverse positions on communication and to debate whether animals have language or not, providing evidence for their positions. They have ideas, and they choose which ones to debate based on a diversity of opinions. Mr. DeFazio's opportunity to correct student work, suggest changes, ask for elaboration, and so forth comes in the letters he is asking his students to construct. This written product is intimately tied to oral production. Oral activity feeds into writing, and writing produces oral activity.

In terms of productive talk, in Mr. DeFazio's class, students' analytic thinking is engaged, their interaction is sustained, and they control what they say. Mr. DeFazio has chosen a theme for the lesson that appeals to the students, and he has deliberately planned their active engagement throughout. As a result, the interaction engages students in deep thinking as they compare views on language.

Now that we have seen the characteristics of quality interactions for ELLs in practice, in the next section, we provide guidelines for promoting quality interactions during content lessons.

Six Guidelines for Promoting Quality Interactions

1. Design lessons that involve ELLs' participation in subject-specific and substantive oral practice to accomplish clearly defined lesson goals: Planning a lesson always begins with establishing the destination: Where do teachers need to lead students? Teachers should ask: Are my goals closely related to content standards? What is the knowledge that will be constructed? Which analytic practice will be promoted? What is the language (beyond isolated words or sentences) that will need to be developed? Unless teachers themselves are clear about the goals of a lesson, they will not be able to plan the tasks and activities that support students' language and conceptual development.

2. Construct tasks that appropriately scaffold student participation and growth: Tasks need to be deliberately constructed to engage students in working beyond their current competence. Such tasks should promote worthwhile interactions for students to acquire new conceptual understandings and analytical skills and language. They should also have appropriate scaffolds, which entail teachers closely observing students to ascertain whether the support is working, whether it is still needed, or whether it needs to be modified or replaced.

3. Make sure the task is designed to meet its purposes and the materials used are appropriate to support students working at the edge of their competence successfully: Learning is most effective when tasks are designed to match students' current competencies and also challenge them to move forward, with support.

4. Make sure that activities or tasks follow and precede others logically to build coherent lessons: Leading students to increasingly more complex demands is essential if teachers want their lessons to flow smoothly and to incrementally build ELLs' understanding.

5. Integrate reading and writing into oral development activities: Oral interaction while reading texts not only allows ELLs to understand the text more deeply but also helps them develop awareness of what they understand as they read and what they can do to solve problems in reading.

6. Be selective in addressing errors and intentional in providing feedback: When ELLs use English to develop their understanding of content and their use of analytical practices, often their language will be neither accurate nor fully formed, although the intent of their communication will be apparent. Imagine, for a moment, the impact on ELLs' motivation and self-esteem if teacher responses to inaccuracies constituted a constant flow of error correction. Instead, consider formative feedback to students as invitations to understand how they are progressing in language development and to provide a resource for how they can advance. When feedback is given to students about language while they are learning discipline-specific content, the feedback should focus on language so that students can make sense of the academic content, rather than on correcting errors of language production. As such, feedback can increase the students' awareness and help them troubleshoot their own performance and eventually correct their own language.⁸

There is no hard and fast rule about how much feedback students should receive or how often it should be provided; this is a decision teachers will need to make for themselves, given their knowledge of their students, their language and content goals, and the students' current language use. However, because of the powerful impact that feedback can have on learning, ⁹ we advise teachers to make providing feedback a regular and routine part of their classroom practice.

Common Misconceptions

Designing and facilitating meaningful classroom talk is essential for ELLs-indeed for all students-to develop more extended and sophisticated language use while simultaneously learning subject matter. Yet in too many U.S. classrooms, we find ELLs sitting silently, watching their teachers do all the work, and waiting for opportunities to fully engage cognitively and linguistically.

By way of concluding thoughts, we outline five pitfalls to avoid in thinking about language learning, and we provide suggestions for how teachers can engage students in sustained, high-quality classroom talk.
Misconception 1: Sentence frames that provide students with a way of expressing their ideas about specific situations are helpful to them.
A sentence frame is basically a fill-in-the-blank type of activity that invites only one correct answer. Sometimes it can be open and provide starters for students (also called sentence starters for this reason) to be filled in any way. However, these starters may not provide students with phrases they can use time and time again in academic situations. ¹⁰ For example: "The main character in The Pearl is a modest and loving man, furthermore..." "His wife, Juana, loves Kino and Coyotito, their baby, and because of that..."

In addition to using sentence frames, we suggest teachers use formulaic expressions, which are phrases that help start or link ideas and can be used in many situations. Initially, students learn them as unanalyzed chunks, almost as if they were one word. Later on, as students learn more English, they begin to realize the formulaic expressions are formed by several words. Formulaic expressions are extremely useful in students' development of English and in making their interaction with peers possible and more effective. Examples of formulaic expressions are: "I agree with you, and I can add that..." "May I suggest a couple of other ideas? One example I can offer..."
Misconception 2: Correct mistakes students make as they talk or they will "fossilize."
Historically, correctness has been regarded as paramount in second language learners' use of English. More recently, however, researchers' attention has shifted to the larger components of communication, as discussed before: purpose, ideas, organization, types of sentences, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Fossilization, a concept popular in the 1980s, refers to the inability of second language learners to learn the correct forms of language if they continually misuse them. Our perspective, consistent with that of multiple applied linguists, is that language keeps evolving as a result of continuous practice. It may fossilize if it is no longer used productively or receptively. However, in their schooling, students will be invited to engage in uses of language continuously, and thus, they will have ample opportunities to correct themselves or be corrected by others.
Misconception 3: Rather than correcting students' ungrammatical oral language, it is better to provide them with recasts, which model correct English in response to students' mistakes.
It is common for teachers to believe that rather than correcting a student's mistakes-and putting him or her on the spot-it is better to repeat what a student has said, this time changing the student's utterance into grammatical English. They think that recasting saves a student's face and that it is a less authoritarian approach.

Research, however, shows that these implicit corrections may not be productive. ¹¹ Students do not take teachers' recasts as corrections, but rather as reiterations of the idea and as acceptance of students' comments as being right. When the time is appropriate to focus on selected language forms to study and correct, the correction and expansion activity needs to be made explicit.
Misconception 4: Sustained, focused interactions are possible starting in fourth or fifth grade, but lower elementary students are not mature enough to carry them out because they get too impatient with the task and with each other.
Recently, during an open house at an elementary school in Portland, Oregon, one of us (Aída) had the opportunity to visit three classes. The first one was a kindergarten class. The teacher, Mr. Andanen, was preparing students to read and discuss Julius, the Baby of the World, a book by Kevin Henkes, an author the students were already familiar with because they had enjoyed reading three of his other books in class.

To introduce the book, Mr. Andanen set up nine stations around the room and invited students to walk through them. At each station, a picture illustrating a scene from the book was prominently displayed. Students were asked to rotate around the stations every three minutes. At each station, students needed to stop, look at the picture, and explain what they noticed. The teacher had asked students to use a "talking stick" so that the turns to speak were democratically divided within the group at each station. Peers had to listen attentively to the speaker and agree with, disagree with, or expand on what the student said. Formulaic expressions such as "In this picture, I notice..." and "I noticed that, too, and I want to add..." were familiar to the group. At one station, Aída heard the following exchange:

Student 1: I notice a woman holding a big baby. Her mouth is open. I think she is crying.

Student 2: I also noticed she had her mouth open, but I don't think she is crying. I think she is singing.

Student 3: I also noticed the woman with the big baby, and I want to add that he is very heavy. Perhaps that is why she is screaming.

The exchange shows that Mr. Andanen has created an environment that enables young children to notice and use language in purposeful ways. Although the students were only in kindergarten, they clearly articulated their ideas and listened to others. They showed they will soon be ready to start exploring the book more deeply so that they can eventually write an opinion piece based on evidence from the text about which Henkes book was their favorite.
Misconception 5: All students in a class need to master the same levels of oral development as a result of participating in lessons.
Because not all students in a class will be at the same starting point, a robust activity provides multiple entry points for all students to engage as they learn. The important idea is that they should all be gaining-not that all of them will arrive at the same point, in exactly the same way, developing at exactly the same level. This would only be possible if what is learned is limited, and if the learning demands recall. This is not necessarily what we want in education. Rather, we want to produce individuals who are thoughtful, engaged, and conscious of their own development.

English language learners bring valuable assets and immense potential to school. The role of educators is to realize that potential in deep and accelerated ways. Each classroom teacher must ensure the path to that development is paved with meaningful interactions to help students develop language skills, gain conceptual understanding, and learn academic content. Our students deserve no less.

--
Aída Walqui is the director of the teacher professional development program at WestEd. Previously, she taught in the Division of Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Margaret Heritage is a senior advisor at WestEd and was previously an assistant director at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles.
*Taffy Raphael's Question-Answer Relationships framework ¹ is intended to call students' attention to the kinds of questions that may be asked about a text. In this class, students work in pairs, announcing first the type of question he or she will ask to increase the other student's awareness of the types of meaningful connections the question seeks.
Endnotes

1. Taffy E. Raphael, "Teaching Question Answer Relationships, Revisited," The Reading Teacher 39 (1986): 516-522.

2. Alison L. Bailey and Margaret Heritage, Progressing Students' Language Day by Day (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2018).

3. See Rod Ellis, Instructed Second Language Acquisition: A Literature Review (Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education, 2005).

4. Dan C. Lortie, Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975).

5. Diane August, referenced in Ivannia Soto-Hinman, "Increasing Academic Oral Language Development: Using English Language Learner Shadowing in Classrooms," Multicultural Education 18, no. 2 (Winter 2011): 21-23.

6. Aída Walqui and Leo van Lier, Scaffolding the Academic Success of Adolescent English Language Learners: A Pedagogy of Promise (San Francisco: WestEd, 2010).

7. Anthony DeFazio and Aída Walqui, Where Do You Want to Go Next? (San Francisco: WestEd, 2001), DVD.

8. David J. Nicol and Debra Macfarlane‐Dick, "Formative Assessment and Self‐Regulated Learning: A Model and Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice," Studies in Higher Education 31 (2006): 199-218.

9. See, for example, John Hattie and Helen Timperley, "The Power of Feedback," Review of Educational Research 77 (2007): 81-112.

10. For more on sentence frames, see Ellis, Instructed Second Language Acquisition.

11. Ahlem Ammar and Nina Spada, "One Size Fits All? Recasts, Prompts, and L2 Learning," Studies in Second Language Acquisition 28 (2006): 543-574; Ellis, Instructed Second Language Acquisition; and Roy Lyster, "Differential Effects of Prompts and Recasts in Form-Focused Instruction," Studies in Second Language Acquisition 26 (2004): 399-432.

Originally published in American Educator, Fall 2018.

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Meaningful Classroom Talk: Supporting English Learners' Oral Language Development

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In this article, Aida Walqui and Margaret Heritage present six guidelines for promoting quality interactions for English learners and clarify common misconceptions in thinking about language learning.

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This article was extremely useful as it identified multiple areas in which ELL student can need help in when it comes to comprehension. It breaks comprehension in reading down into multiple categories in which we can teach it. It breaks it down into summarizing, sequencing, inferencing, comparing and contrasting, compare/contrasting, drawing conclusions, self questioning, problem solving, background knowledge (which is integral in a lot of student's knowledge building), and finding the main idea/supporting details. Not only this, but it emphasizes just why these skills are important for ELL's in particular. It helps teacher's categorize what skills the students will need to learn based off of where they are in their academic career. On top of this, it provides classroom stratiges for explicit instruction like giving students opportunities to practice using the taught strategy with a peer and apply it in short simple paragraphs. These, and a multitude of other methods mentioned in this article all help ELL's work towards their goal of increasing their comprehension skills. Linked in the article are beginner videos made for teachers who might just be getting into the field and need some extra help. It also links articles that speak on cultural relevancy in the classrooms, which is another important aspect of teaching ELL's.

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English language learners (ELLs) often have problems mastering science, math, or social studies concepts because they cannot comprehend the textbooks for these subjects. ELLs at all levels of English proficiency, and literacy, will benefit from explicit instruction of comprehension skills along with other skills.

Examples of comprehension skills that can be taught and applied to all reading situations include:

Summarizing

Sequencing

Inferencing

Comparing and contrasting

Drawing conclusions

Self-questioning

Problem-solving

Relating background knowledge

Distinguishing between fact and opinion

Finding the main idea, important facts, and supporting details

These skills are particularly important for comprehending what is generally known as information reading or expository reading.

For more information, see our related articles and classroom videos:

Why reading comprehension skills are particularly important for ELLs

ELL students will still need a lot of vocabulary development and teaching of comprehension strategies even if they:

have been mainstreamed after some bilingual instruction;

are being pulled out for English as a Second Language or Sheltered English instruction; and/or

have been assessed as English proficient but you know that they still need additional help with language, reading, and writing.

Here is a way of thinking about the support your ELLs will need:

Classroom strategies: Steps for explicitly teaching comprehension skills

The following steps are useful for all students. However, these need to be complemented with the additional steps below to ensure comprehension for ELLs.

Introduce the comprehension strategy or skill (see above list) through examples. Discuss how, when, where, and why the strategy or skills are used. For example: contrast main idea with details, fact with opinion, good summaries with poor summaries.

Have students volunteer additional examples to contrast and discuss.

Label, define, model, and explain the strategy or skill. For example, after listing four facts about a healthy diet and four opinions about what is good to eat, label one list as facts and the other list as opinions.

Give students opportunities to practice using the strategy with a peer as they apply it to a short, simple paragraph from a science text or any expository text.

Debrief with the whole class to ask students to share how they applied the strategy or skill.

Additional steps for ELLs

Identify vocabulary words that you think might be difficult for students to understand when they read the text. Write ELL-friendly definitions for each - that is, simple, brief definitions ELLs can easily understand.

Model think-alouds. For example: verbalize a confusing point or show how you use a strategy to comprehend something. "This sounds very confusing to me. I better read this sentence again."

Demonstrate fix-up strategies. For example: I need to think about this. Let me rethink what was happening. Maybe I'll reread this. I'll read ahead for a moment.

Partner ELLs with more dominant English speakers and ask each student to take a turn reading and thinking aloud with short passages.

After working with partners successfully, ask ELLs to practice independently by using a checklist such as the following. Be sure to explain all the terms and model each.
While I was reading, how did I do?

Celebrate each ELLs' progress with recognition notes, praise, and/or class applause.

For advanced ELLs

When students' English proficiency and basic reading skills have increased, you can teach the following steps not just to ELLs, but to all students - because everyone will benefit.

In pairs, have students survey the text and use an idea map to record the main idea and details.

Ask partners to read the text.

Have partners restate the main idea and supporting details. At this point, they can add to their idea map or make necessary corrections.

Then ask students to reread the text and either develop their own questions (pretending to prepare a test for their partner) or write a short summary of what they just read.

After that, have partners check each other's work.

Finally, partners can share their questions or summaries with other teams.

Other ideas

For building ELL comprehension

Teach students how to use these tools for informational or expository reading:

Ask students to use the following strategies to summarize (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.

Questioning ELLs after reading

After the ELLs and/or whole class have completed the reading comprehension activities above, you can anchor or test their comprehension with carefully crafted questions, taking care to use simple sentences and key vocabulary from the text they just read.

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?)

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Reading Comprehension Skills for English Language Learners

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English language learners (ELLs) often have problems mastering science, math, or social studies concepts because they cannot comprehend the textbooks for these subjects. ELLs at all levels of English proficiency, and literacy, will benefit from explicit instruction of comprehension skills along with other skills.

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Erin McArdle: 6 Ways to Enhance English Learners' Academic Oral Language 

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Erin McArdle: 6 Ways to Enhance English Learners' Academic Oral Language 

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In this article the author talks about how how important oral language is to students academic careers. The author gives 6 ways to help enhance ELL students oral language.

1. Create a positive, respectful and supportive classroom environment.

This is very important for students because if they do not feel comfortable in the classroom they won't feel comfortable trying to speak in English if their language skills are not very high yet. It is also important for teachers to use valuing and validating words while students are talking.

2. Select interesting topics for discussion.

This is helpful to all students.

3. Encourage active listening.

One good way to have students work on this skill is note taking, the students have to pick out key important things that are discussed. Some keys teachers can use to show students important things is to emphasize a word or phrase, repetition, and saying things such as "this is important", or "Be sure to remember this".

4. Provide Scaffolds for expressing ideas.

Sentence starters, or sentence frames are good examples to use in the classroom. One that the author uses is "In the text_____ is arguing_____, but I think______. and, if _______ then_____." This is great for students it gives them a good scaffold to start out and as the student progresses you can take some phrases away till the student is writing the sentences on their own.

5. Plan for multiple opportunities to practice using English.

It is important to have time planned for students to work in groups and talk about what is being discussed in class using vocabulary and specific grammatical structures.

6. Reduce teacher talk

It is helpful to students if teachers encourage them to talk more, if a student is answering a question ask them to explain more and making sure to pause so that students have time to work out their thoughts.

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Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

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I came across an interview with the author of the book, Tell Me More, who was discussing the value of simply listening. It occurred to me that much of what was being discussed also applies to teaching. Students, like any individual, want to be heard, understood, listened to. How often do we as teachers (or administrators) quickly move to "fix it" mode without really listening to what a student is trying to convey? In these situations, oral expression is hampered.

Why is that an issue? Because developing oral language skills is a big deal.

Research shows that oral language has a significant impact on students' success throughout their academic careers. In particular, oral language is closely tied to reading achievement. English learners have a knowledge gap in oral language because these students didn't grow up speaking and listening to words in English about the world around them. Specific time in class must be dedicated to developing their oral language skills, especially use of academic language.

Here are six ways to enhance academic oral language for English learners. These ideas are drawn from our book, Developing Academic Language.

1. Create a positive, respectful and supportive classroom environment. English learners are more likely to talk to the teacher and peers, and to participate in academic discussions when they are comfortable doing so. The teacher sets the tone in the classroom and for oral language to be enhanced, the right tone is one of acceptance, encouragement, respect for differences of opinion or perspectives, and welcoming of all attempts to use the new language. Students benefit from teachers' use of relationship-building language such as, "I'm listening, go on..." and "I'd like to hear what else you have to say about ____________."Valuing and validating student contributions goes a long way in creating a positive learning environment and reducing the risk involved when using a new language in front of others.

2. Select interesting topics for discussion. One of the best ways to engage students - or anyone for that matter - is to discuss a topic of interest. Topics need to be appropriate for their age and related to the curriculum so that English learners are exposed to key topics covered at their grade level. Think of ways to tie students' personal experiences and background to the topic so that they make personal connections. Show a picture or video clip to generate discussion and ask, Does this remind you of anything? What do you recognize? How does this relate to our topic? Also, be sure to encourage students to express their own opinions using techniques such as Take a Stand where students move to a corner of the classroom marked with a sign that reflects their view on a given topic: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree. Small groups at each corner discuss a plan for presenting their ideas to the group, then each group shares their position.

3. Encourage active listening. English learners need instruction in developing strong listening comprehension skills such as learning how to filter out some of the "English noise" they hear by focusing in on specific information and listening with a purpose. One way to develop active listening is through note-taking. Show students that as they listen for the purpose of taking notes, they can pick up teachers' speech cues that reveal important information. Cues that signal key information include change in intonation, emphasizing a word or phrase, and repetition. Also, teach students common phrases teachers say to help them home in on important information such as, "Ok, this is important," "Be sure to remember this," "Make a note of what I'm saying," "Here's something important." Knowing what to listen for encourages active listening.

4. Provide scaffolds for expressing ideas. Sentence starters, language frames, sentence frames and/or scripts have become commonly used scaffolds to support English learners' oral expression. They provide a model of correct English grammar as well as giving a boost to oral participation since some of the words are provided. For example, the frames, In the text ________________ is arguing _______________ , but I think ________________. and, If ________________ then ________________ provide authentic language for English learners to use as they express their own ideas and draw conclusions. Remember to provide scaffolds that match students' English proficiency levels and to remove scaffolds as needed. As I discussed in a previous post, advanced speakers should not be asked to use frames designed for those at the beginning stages of English proficiency. Some English learners may not require much scaffolding at all as their fluency increases.

5. Plan for multiple opportunities to practice using English. To improve oral proficiency, English learners need to engage in lots of meaningful practice activities that link to content and language objectives. But high-quality practice is unlikely to happen unless it is part of lesson planning. On-the-fly "turn and talk" about a topic is less effective than planned activities with small groups or partners discussing content topics using targeted vocabulary and/or specific grammatical structures. There are innumerable resources online and in books where teachers will find fun, interesting, and meaningful activities for developing academic oral language. Make sure that lessons have sufficient time devoted to such instructional activities.

6. Reduce teacher talk. The best way to get someone to talk is to listen. Teachers of English learners need to reign in their instincts to talk - to share more and more information, and to go into "fix it" mode when students have questions. Prompting ("Ok, what else?" "And so....") and pausing (remaining quiet and allowing students to finish their thoughts) are much more effective for encouraging extended oral expression. Consistently using techniques such as prompting and pausing creates a classroom environment that has a balance of teacher talk and student talk, one in which students feel comfortable expressing themselves. English learners are apt to use English more when they are confident that they won't be cut off and when the teacher genuinely wants to hear their ideas.

From: Short, D. & Echevarria, J. (2016). Developing Academic Language Using the SIOP Model. Boston: Pearson.

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6 Ways to Enhance English Learners' Academic Oral Language

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I came across an interview with the author of the book, Tell Me More, who was discussing the value of simply listening. It occurred to me that much of what was being discussed also applies to teach...

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Nate Carpenter- This article discusses how fluency is an important aspect to ELL learners. One of the aspects that this article discusses is how comprehension and recognition is linked to students having good fluency skills. This due to the student not having to slow down when they are reading to decode words and having a higher level of understanding. Something else that I took away from the article was the term prosody. Prosody is when there is proper intonations and phrasing in reading. This term is often heard when discussing fluency. The final takeaway I had from this article was assessing reading accuracy. I learned how there are 3 levels of reading accuracy, and they are frustrated, instructional, independent. If a student gets 98%-100% accuracy in a passage, then they are in the independent level 90%-97% is instructional level and below 90% is frustration level. This relates to our past class on the variety of different tests to give students and how to score them in literacy. I learned how you need to give the student an interest inventory to find out what their interests are and give that student a passage that matches their reading level. Then you subtract the number of words wrong from the total number of words. The total number that was subtracted is then divided by the word total. I found the score sheets helpful as a reference to help score my student in the future. This article was really helpful because before this class I had limited prior knowledge on how to help ELL students with literacy. I found this article helpful to add my knowledge from last class on literacy assessments and how to better help ELL students.

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Fluency is the ability to read words accurately and automatically with expression. Because fluent readers do not have to slow down in order to concentrate on decoding the individual words in a text, they can focus their attention on the text's meaning. In this way, fluency acts as a bridge between word recognition and comprehension, and this relationship is reciprocal. That is, when a student understands the meaning of the text he/she is reading, it is much easier to read that text with expression.

Prosody is a term that is frequently heard in discussions of fluency. Prosody refers to the appropriate use of intonation and phrasing in reading. Prosodic reading involves paying attention to punctuation signs like commas and periods, assigning appropriate stress to individual words within a sentence, and raising or lowering voice intonation to match the meaning of the text (e.g., raising the voice at the end of a question). Paying attention to the elements of prosody allows us to quantify and measure what we refer to as "reading with expression."

How fluency relates to ELLs

Instruction in fluency can be particularly beneficial for English language learners because activities designed to enhance fluency in reading can also contribute to oral language development in English. As students practice reading English text accurately, automatically, and prosodically, they are gaining valuable information about the sounds and cadences of spoken English, and they are also developing vocabulary skills that can contribute to oral language fluency, as well as reading and listening comprehension.

Assessing reading fluency

As with any type of instruction, fluency instruction depends upon ongoing assessment to identify individual students' strengths and needs. Effective fluency assessment must include measures of all three components of fluency: reading accuracy, automaticity, and prosody. It is important to note that the accuracy percentages and the reading rate ranges described in this article are based on research conducted in English and should not be applied to reading in other languages. Even languages that use the same alphabet differ in such characteristics as phonetic regularity, syntactical complexity, and even average word length, all of which can affect reading accuracy and rate. Additional research is needed to determine appropriate accuracy and rate ranges for other languages.

Assessing reading accuracy

Accuracy refers to the percentage of words a reader can read correctly in a given text. Measuring accuracy allows teachers to choose texts at an appropriate difficulty level for each student. In order to improve their reading, students need texts that are difficult enough to require them to practice using the reading strategies they are learning without being so difficult that the student is overwhelmed.

In talking about text difficulty, reading teachers often refer to three functional reading levels, which represent the amount of difficulty that a particular level of text presents for a student. Text that is at a student's independent reading level is text that he/she can read with 98-100% accuracy. That is, the student misses no more than two words out of every 100 words of text. At this level, the student can read independently with no support from the teacher. Text that is at a student's instructional reading level is text that the student can read and comprehend, but only with some assistance from the teacher. The accuracy range for instructional-level text is 90-97% for Primer-level text and above and 85-97% for Preprimer-level text. Text that is at a student's frustrational reading level is text that he/she can read with less than 90% accuracy (less than 85% at Preprimer level). At this level, the student would have difficulty reading and comprehending the text, even with the support of the teacher.

Teachers should target a student's instructional reading level for classroom reading instruction. When students read text that they can read with 90-97% accuracy, they encounter enough challenges to require them to practice the strategies they are learning, but the text is not so difficult that students are overwhelmed. Independent-level text can be used for independent reading and for practicing reading speed and prosody, and frustration-level text is great for comprehension instruction during teacher read-alouds.

Here is a quick way to measure reading accuracy:

Find a short reading passage, and ask the student to read it aloud to you.

Make note of any errors the student makes while reading. Errors include: substitutions (substituting an incorrect word or a nonsense word for a word in the text), reversals (reversing the order of two words in the text), omissions (leaving out a word), or words you have to provide to the student. If the student self-corrects after making a mistake, count the word correct.

Divide the number of words the student read correctly by the total number of words in the passage. This number will be a percentage.

Example: The student read a 200-word passage and missed 14 words.
200 - 14 = 186 words read correctly
186 Â Ã· 200 = .93
The student read the passage with 93% accuracy, which is within his/her instructional reading range.

Assessing automaticity

Automaticity is usually measured as reading rate, or the number of words a student reads per minute (WPM). You can measure rate at the same time that you assess a student's reading accuracy. Here's what you do (you'll need a stopwatch):

Select a short reading passage, and have the student read it aloud. Begin timing as soon as the student reads the first word of the passage, and stop the stopwatch as soon as he/she reads the last word. (To measure silent reading rate, let the student know that you will begin timing as soon as he/she looks down at the passage, and you will stop when he/she looks up at the end. Students should not be expected to read silently until they are reading at second-grade level).

Convert the time on the stopwatch to seconds by multiplying the total number of minutes the student read by 60 and adding the number of additional seconds.

Multiply the total number of words in the passage by 60, and divide by the student's reading time in seconds:

Example: The student read a 200-word passage in 2 minutes and 32 seconds (2:32 on stopwatch).
2 minutes x 60 seconds each = 120 seconds
120 + the remaining 32 seconds = 152 seconds
(200 x 60) Ã· 152 seconds = 79 words per minute (wpm)

Many different researchers have suggested guidelines for how many words per minute students should be reading at particular stages of their reading development. Although there is no one accepted scale, the following ranges, developed by Dr. Darrell Morris at Appalachian State University, can be used as guidelines:

Average End-of-Year Reading Rate Ranges (Grades 1-8)

Grade

Oral rates (wpm)

Silent rates (wpm)

Source: Morris, D. (2008). Diagnosis and correction of reading problems. New York: Guilford.

Note: Reading rate is not assessed until students are reading in Primer-level text and above. Students reading below primer level are still reading word-by-word, focusing all of their attention on decoding the text.

Assessing prosody

Teachers often use rubrics to assess whether students are reading with appropriate pitch variation, intonation, phrasing, and expression. One such rubric is the Oral Reading Fluency Scale created for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). To use this rubric, simply have a student read a short passage of text, and assign a score of 1-4, based on the descriptions below.

NAEP Oral Reading Fluency Scale

Level 3

Reads primarily in three- or four-word phrase groups. Some small groupings may be present. However, the majority of phrasing seems appropriate and preserves the syntax of the author. Little or no expressive interpretation is present.

Level 1

Reads primarily word-by-word. Occasional two-word or three-word phrases may occur - but these are infrequent and/or they do not preserve meaningful syntax.

SOURCE: U.D. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2002 Oral Reading Study.

Comprehension caveat

Even though fluency instruction is important, teachers must remember that many ELLs can be deceptively fast and accurate while reading in English without fully comprehending the meaning of the text they are reading. That is because reading comprehension depends upon a variety of complex skills that are not as important to word reading. These include deep vocabulary knowledge, syntactical knowledge, and background knowledge of the subject discussed in the text. For this reason, it is always important to pair fluency instruction with good instruction in comprehension.

For some great ideas on both fluency and comprehension instruction with ELLs, see Reading 101 for English Language Learners.

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Fluency is the ability to read words accurately and automatically with expression. Because fluent readers do not have to slow down in order to concentrate on decoding the individual words in a text, they can focus their attention on the text's meaning.

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I found this article very helpful in learning about comprehension literature. In this article it talks about a parent’s point of view, a teachers point of view and how to help in the classroom.

In the beginning of the article it explains what comprehension is. In the article it defines comprehension as the understanding and interpretation of what is read. Decoding what is read, making connections and thinking deeply is what student need to do in order to fully understand the topics that are being taught to them. To know when a student is having trouble understanding comprehension they ask simple questions as in “ I don’t understand what is happening in the book”. Parents can also recognize this at home when their child is frustrated when doing homework. In the classroom the student may be focusing on the wrong topic or not paying attention at all. To help these students as a teacher, using graphic organizer reading to the student one on one or, when the reading is over, explicitly instruct what happens in the reading and modeling what the student should be doing and the connections they should be making. Overall this article has greatly increased my knowledge on this topic. It taught me key signals on to when the student is having a hard time comprehending the material and what do when this happens.

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Comprehension is the understanding and interpretation of what is read. To be able to accurately understand written material, children need to be able to (1) decode what they read; (2) make connections between what they read and what they already know; and (3) think deeply about what they have read.

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Vocabulary skills in grades 4-12. Particularly, it gave tips for teachers with English language learners in their classrooms. It is also a current article so it is up to date with new information. In the introduction section of the article, I saw that vocabulary development is one of the most important skills students need to acquire to become English-proficient. I remembered talking about this in class. There were a couple tips that stood out to me. The first tip the author discusses is something I learned a lot about in my classes at ESU so far, it is explicit instruction. This is a systematic way of directly teaching vocabulary that the students most need to know. This is in order to support their reading and content development. The next tip is to pre-teach background essential vocabulary that is needed to understand the new content. This is very important because the struggling student could really benefit by being taught background information and pre-existing vocabulary. Another great tip to help an ELL student learn vocabulary is by teaching signal words and directional words. For my ELA class, I did a presentation on text structure where I learned a lot about signal words. If a student can start to recognize signal words in a text, not only will they understand more words, but it also strengthens their comprehension of the text. Overall, this article really dives deep into many tips for teaching vocabulary skills to students with language barriers. It is definitely worth the time to read as a pre-service teacher!

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Tips for Educators of ELLs: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12

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Research shows that vocabulary development is one of the most important skills students need to acquire to become English-proficient. Here are some strategies to help you get started! These strategies are geared towards grades 4-12 but can be adapted for younger students. These tips are available as a one-page handout to download and print.

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Joe Halus: Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions

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Joe Halus: Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions

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This article, written by a former elementary school teacher at a bilingual school, uses the author's experiences to pull out what she believes to be five common challenges teachers of ELLs face in the classroom while also offering solutions to them. There were two scenarios I found particularly interesting (#2 & #3).

2. How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English?

The author highlights the importance of differentiation in this section. She cites how teachers can modify the text by selecting additional, easier texts or adding vocabulary or visual supports to help students understand the original text. She also mentions how teachers can create their groups strategically to support their ELLs by placing them with peers they will engage with and support them by modeling appropriate language skills and helping them through the learning process.

3. This student knows English — I hear him talking to his friends and on the playground. He just doesn't want to try in class.

The author mentions that it is very common to see ELLs seem very fluent in social situations and very comfortable with social language, but see their language skills in the classroom still emerging. Students need assistance in acquiring content-specific vocabulary as social language is used across various settings and is easier for students to acquire. The author emphasized the importance of a welcoming, low stress environment in order for students to feel comfortable taking risks and attempting to use and learn unfamiliar language. Additionally, allowing students to practice with a partner or in small groups before sharing out gives them the opportunity to see other students model appropriate and accurate responses while also gaining confidence in their own response.

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges.

Dr. Moses Guccione is the co-author of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels ( Heinemann, 2009).

Getting Started

As a former elementary teacher in a bilingual school, I developed a love and passion for finding effective ways to support oral language and oral reading development of emerging English language learners (ELLs). I discovered this passion when I began my first year of teaching in a second-grade classroom, where I encountered a handful of challenges related to my students' oral language development.

Many students were transitioning from a classroom with Spanish instruction into my classroom with instruction provided in English. I had students ranging from monolingual English speakers to students who had just recently moved to the U.S. from a Spanish-speaking country. The range of language proficiency levels crossed the entire spectrum. Having minimal experience with this range of diverse students and needs, I began reading, researching, and implementing new instructional ideas into my classroom. With each challenge I encountered, I gained new information about my students and their parents. I also began learning more about my own methods of instruction, and I learned a great deal each year about new challenges and successes.

Currently, I am fortunate to work with many teachers who have the opportunity to impact the lives of children and families who speak more than one language. As I work with these teachers and families, I have found five common and reoccurring challenges that they seem to face in the area of oral language development that parallel my own experiences. I detail these challenges and questions below, as well as suggestions for addressing each challenges based on strategies I used in my classroom.

Questions and Classroom Scenarios

1. What do I do if they don't know ANY English?

Understanding the characteristics of language learners at different proficiency levels helps to think about how we can best support students in their oral language and reading development. Below is a chart that gives a description of the first two levels of language proficiency as well as implications for using oral reading. This is a nice place to start when thinking about how to interact with and support our Starting and Emerging English speakers.

Levels of Language Proficiency

Description

Implications For Using Oral Reading

Level 1: Starting
Students are in a silent period in which they listen, but do not speak in English. They may respond using nonverbal cues in attempt to communicate basic needs.

The teacher and other more advanced students should model oral reading. Students in the silent period should not be forced to speak, but should be given the opportunity to participate in a group activity where they won't be singled out.

Level 2: Emerging
Students are beginning to understand more oral language. They respond using one- or two-word phrases and start to produce simple sentences for basic social interactions and to meet basic needs.

Teacher and students should continue to model oral reading. Students should be encouraged to begin taking risks with simple, rehearsed oral reading in non-threatening situations.

Opitz & Guccione (2009). Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels.

2. How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English?

Differentiation is the key to effective instruction for all students. Students of varying proficiency levels can learn the same content when the teacher provides a wide range of learning opportunities for students with different academic and linguistic needs. Three key strategies for this approach include differentiating or modifying the texts, creating grouping structures, and targeting the amount and nature of support based on students' needs (Opitz & Ford, 2008).

Modifying the text: Teachers can differentiate the text by selecting various levels of text difficulty on similar content, or they can also divide the text up into smaller portions appropriate for certain groups/individuals for a jigsaw activity. Another idea is to summarize text that might be too difficult and provide ways to make the text more accessible (such as vocabulary support, visual support, connecting to background knowledge, etc.).

Creating grouping structures that set students up for success: While some grouping structures can be established according to language or literacy skill levels and needs, it is also important to think about providing students exposure to interact with peers who demonstrate a wide range of different language and literacy skills. Additionally, teachers can improve engagement and motivation by creating choice/interest groups where students gather, read, discuss and work together on topics of common interest.

Targeting the amount and nature of student support: It is important to think about scaffolding the experience and using comprehensible input to make it accessible for all students. Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the gist of what is being said or presented. There are many ways to do this, such as selecting key vocabulary, using context or visual cues, building background knowledge, building on experiences the students have had, using consistent language, and providing images or visual representations to support vocabulary and content. Teachers can support their students by embedding comprehensible input into their whole-group instruction, but this also becomes particularly effective when used in the different grouping structures. Teachers can also modify the amount of support and interaction between teachers and students depending on their individual and group needs.

3. This student knows English - I hear him talking to his friends and on the playground. He just doesn't want to try in class.

I have heard many teachers discussing variations of this same idea. However, I would caution teachers and parents about jumping to this conclusion. Academic language (or the language specifically related to school and/or academic content) can be complicated to acquire. Students often first develop social language and demonstrate near proficiency or proficiency in English in social settings. A student may be demonstrating sophisticated use of social language, but they may have difficulty using language in more formal settings such as school.

Much of the academic language required to be successful in school - everything from instructions to expectations to content-specific vocabulary - requires assistance in acquiring. Students hear and use their social language in various settings from home, community, and school, but academic language is often only used in the school setting. These students need specific instruction and support surrounding their language development in this area.

The same children who appear to be functioning at a high level of English proficiency in social settings may actually be functioning at a beginning stage in other settings, depending on how they are called on to use language. The students need to feel safe and in a low-anxiety environment in order to begin to feel comfortable taking risks with their oral language. When they have less exposure and instruction related to academic language, this can often cause students to feel intimidated and less likely to be willing to share in class.

One idea for reducing anxiety and encouraging students to experiment with language might include allowing students to read, practice, and discuss their responses in partners and small groups before sharing out to the entire group. This allows students an opportunity to hear language modeled by peers, practice what they want to say, and possibly revise their original thought and/or language before sharing it in a public way. As students find more success with their language production and classroom participation, they will be more likely to share and take risks, and in turn continue building their confidence.

4. How is the child ever going to learn English if they don't speak it at home?

It is important to celebrate being bilingual and biliterate. Research has shown that development of a students' first language can facilitate development in the second language (Genessee, Geva, Dressler, and Kamil, 2007). Understanding this helps parents, teachers, and children to encourage the use and development of the students' home language while they are at home. All of the home literacy activities that we recommend for English speakers, such as reading aloud, making lists, discussing books, reading environmental print, etc., should also be encouraged for the English language learners in their home language. Students can begin to use more English as they feel comfortable in different settings, but it is important to note that speaking two languages will not hinder their English development.

Another important idea to remember is that we want to invite parents to feel confident in their interactions with their children regardless of their English proficiency level. As they begin to read or retell stories and discuss them at home, they are developing vital oral language and comprehension skills, and these skills will transfer over into their school language.

5. What kinds of activities should I be doing to help the student develop their oral language and oral reading?

McCauley and McCauley (1992) report four factors as necessary for acquiring a second language: a low-anxiety environment, repeated practice, comprehensible input, and drama. These are all important components of setting children up for success and language development.

A low-anxiety environment includes a setting where students feel nurtured and supported by their teacher and peers, and in turn, they feel safe to take risks without the fear of being laughed at or made fun of.

Repeated practice is just like what it sounds! Students need repeated practice hearing and using a new language. They need multiple opportunities to comprehend and express their ideas in a new language. Like with anything new that we learn, practice helps us get better.

Comprehensible input, as explained above, means finding different ways to make what is being said comprehensible and easier to understand. Things to consider with comprehensible input might include using speech that is appropriate for students' language proficiency, providing a clear, step-by-step explanation of tasks, and using a variety of techniques to support their understanding.

Drama, or a sense of excitement and engagement, can be found in activities like Reader's Theatre, dramatic play, puppetry, narrating wordless picture books, etc. All of these activities also have the other three factors embedded within them. These activities assist in the development of oral language in addition to introducing students to oral reading and rich literacy experiences and responses in a classroom setting.

Closing Thoughts

As you can see from these questions and examples, there are a lot of different approaches to helping ELLs build their oral language development skills, and you may have to try different activities until you find what works for your students. The most important thing, however, is to build your students' confidence while giving them new words and phrases to practice. Don't be afraid to try something new - and most of all, don't be afraid to have fun doing it!

About the Author

Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione is a coauthor of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels. She is an assistant professor at the University of Northern Colorado and teaches courses in Early Childhood Education, Literacy, and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education. She is a former elementary teacher of English language learners and is currently researching how ELLs make sense of texts.

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Oral Language Development and ELLs: 5 Challenges and Solutions

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In this article written for Colorín Colorado, Dr. Lindsey Moses Guccione shares five key challenges related to the oral language development of ELLs, as well as tips for addressing each of the challenges. Dr. Moses Guccione is the co-author of Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies That Cross Proficiency Levels ( Heinemann, 2009).

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Sample #2 | Meaningful Classroom Talk: Supporting English Learners' Oral Language Development | WestEd 

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Sample #2 | Meaningful Classroom Talk: Supporting English Learners' Oral Language Development | WestEd 

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This article begins by having the reader consider two scenarios; the first highlighting the common, one-dimensional questions asked to students about a given text, vs. the second scenario which showcases the usage of critical thinking skills to analyze a given text; both in the context of providing oral answers. These examples are given to then ask the reader "How do we ensure that all English learners have opportunities to productively use oral language in academic settings?" The article continues to answer this question, beginning with a framework for oral language. This includes "six interconnected levels" that help ESL/ELL students go from understanding that their contributions are purposeful to detailed instruction of oral production, specifically pronunciation.

The article then proceeds to define and explain "productive talk." Giving a list of important characteristics of productive talk (has depth, is sustained, and is student controlled), followed by examples of, and not of productive talk, to assist in clarifying what productive talk is and looks like in academic settings.

Oral communication is an interaction between people, thus the article progresses to promoting quality interactions for ESL/ELL students next by laying out six guidelines for promoting quality interactions. The guidelines discuss how to create appropriate lessons, activities, tasks, and feedback, as well as how to scaffold students, integrate reading and writing, and determine appropriate materials to use in instruction.

The article concludes by rectifying five common misconceptions about language learning. I found this part of the article particularly helpful because embarrassingly, some of the misconceptions were my own, such as "Sentence frames that provide students with a way of expressing their ideas about specific situations are helpful to them." It was nice to learn not only that these misconceptions were in fact false, but how to correct these behaviors/opinions and instead actually help my future ESL/ELL students.

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Meaningful Classroom Talk: Supporting English Learners' Oral Language Development
This post was written by WestEd's Aída Walqui, Director of Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) and Margaret Heritage, WestEd Senior Scientist.
Consider this interaction between a teacher and his students, most of them English language learners, in a ninth-grade English language arts class:

Teacher: Who wrote The Pearl, Carmen?

Carmen: Steinbeck wrote The Pearl.

Teacher: Very good. And Rosa, who is the main character in this novella?

Rosa: I guess the main character is Kino, although his wife, Juana, is also important.

Teacher: That's right. And why do we say The Pearl is a novella? Jim?

Now contrast it with the interaction other ninth-graders had in their English language arts/English language development class:

Teacher: As we begin to explore this short story, "The Necklace," written by a French author from the 19th century, Guy de Maupassant, I am inviting you to read the first four paragraphs with your partner using types of "Question-Answer Relationships."* We have practiced this process several times, so unless we require some explanation-[students signal they do not]-then, please get started. As you engage in reading and discussing, I would like you to focus on the character Mathilde and think about what kind of person she is. We will then focus on the problem she faces.

Rodrigo (after reading the first paragraph of "The Necklace" aloud to his partner, Martha): OK, I am going to ask you a "think and search" question. Did Mathilde grow up in a rich family?

Martha: I am not sure. I think no, because the paragraph says she could not marry a "rich and distinguished man" and had to marry a little clerk. Is that an employee? [Rodrigo nods his assent.] I guess it is because she is not rich. But she was very pretty and charming, right?

So now I am going to read the second paragraph. [She proceeds to read aloud to Rodrigo, then pauses and thinks.] I am confused, so I guess I will ask you a think and search question. The text says "with women there is neither caste nor rank, for beauty, grace and charm take the place of family and birth." Is the author saying that for women, money does not matter? Why did she marry a clerk then?

Rodrigo: Yeah, I agree. I don't fully understand. You said she was pretty but not rich. Now the second paragraph says that's in place of family and birth, so does that mean richness? Does it not matter if women are pretty? Does it matter or doesn't it matter? [Both students decide to raise these questions later during the whole-class discussion. Then Rodrigo proceeds to read the third paragraph to Martha.]

We have all observed classes resembling the first example, where the teacher already knows the answers to the questions being asked, as do most students. The exchange is just an exercise in reiterating the known using complete sentences. In contrast, students in the second example must actively consider the possibilities related to the text, by asking and responding to questions that reveal their understanding.

How do we ensure that all English learners have opportunities to productively use oral language in academic settings? And how do we ensure that teachers leverage the power of classroom interactions to simultaneously foster language development, content knowledge, and analytical practices? In this article, we offer answers to these questions-and clarify common misconceptions-by presenting guidelines supported by both research and classroom practice.

A Framework for Oral Language

If English language learners (ELLs) are going to productively engage in classroom discourse and express their thinking related to content learning goals, teachers must create a trusting classroom culture in which students feel that whatever level of language they can produce, their contributions will be valued by their teacher and peers and will never be subject to ridicule, sanctions, or negative comparisons. ² Establishing classroom norms such as close listening to understand the ideas ELLs are conveying and showing respect to each other during their interactions (learning, of course, from the models their teachers provide) is essential for successful oral language use. Students need to know that interrupting their peers as they are formulating ideas and finishing their sentences for them are not desirable classroom norms.

As teachers plan to engage students in oral interactions, the framework shown in Figure 1 below can help guide their support for their students' work and language development. The framework comprises six interconnected levels.

(click image for larger view)

First, teachers need to ensure that students clearly understand the purpose of the interaction they are being asked to undertake. For example, are they supposed to read a text and elaborate their thinking, highlighting what they understand and what they don't? Are they engaged in describing a scene to somebody who has not seen it? Are they being asked to make a prediction after observing phenomena they will later investigate?

Second, teachers need to make sure students have ideas upon which they will elaborate. For example, have they noticed the most important aspects of the scene (the background, main character(s) presented, what they are doing, other relevant details) on which they will center their description?

Third, teachers need to help students organize their thoughts and ensure their language follows specific patterns. For example, descriptions of a scene from a text cannot begin with sentences such as, "He kicks it, it breaks." Students need to first indicate the setting of the scene, then introduce the characters, describe them, and explain what they are doing. This sequence is essential to help participants engaged in a conversation paint pictures in their minds. Organization is marked by phrases that can be provided to students as formulaic expressions (which we discuss later in this article) to use: ³ "The picture we have shows a..." "We can see a..." "Our scene takes place in a..." "Based on my observation..." "The two historical contexts are..."

Fourth, teachers need to consider the types of sentences students produce and judiciously highlight how they may be combined and expanded to produce more complex language. Increasing complexity can be accomplished with the use of connectors and conjunctions, such as "besides," "furthermore," "additionally," "however," etc.

Fifth, teachers must pay attention to the words students use. Is one word repeated several times in an interaction? If so, teachers can take the opportunity to introduce a synonym. Do students incorrectly or imprecisely use a term? Teachers can take a moment to clarify usage and meaning.

Finally, when students are ready to present their work to others, teachers can focus on the pronunciation of carefully selected elements-only those that interrupt understanding. Traditionally, many educators have been taught to focus on correcting student utterances by zeroing in on form and not on meaning. As a result, our framework may initially feel counterintuitive, but the more educators rely on it, the more it will assist them in supporting students' language growth.

Productive Talk

As a general pattern, we educators often talk too much, no doubt influenced by our "apprenticeship of observation" that began when we were students ourselves. ⁴ However, given the centrality of talk in learning, this pattern needs to change. By some estimates, ELLs spend less than 2 percent of their school day in oral interaction. ⁵ Teachers must find ways to provide students learning opportunities that engage them in productive talk and then listen carefully to the language they use in order to support their continued growth.

By productive talk, we mean speech that has the following characteristics:

Has depth: the specific idea being discussed is central to the theme of the lesson, is presented in interconnected ways, and engages students' analytical thinking.

Is sustained: one student's statement is followed by another student's response, which extends, refutes, or questions what was first said.

Is student controlled: students control what they say, not the teacher. But teachers set up parameters for the interactions, sometimes framing questions that start the conversation. These questions are intended to communicate new related ideas, propose counter ideas or examples, and in general enhance the theme at work.⁶

Now consider these characteristics in an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) class, which comprises students with varied levels of English competence. ⁷ "Language" is the theme of the students' exploration, and this was the third class on the topic. Table 1 below shows the deliberate moves of the teacher, Mr. DeFazio, during the lesson and the students' interactions. The text in the table indicates the multiple instances of productive talk that he promotes with his directions and actions.

(click image for larger view)

Let us look more closely at a specific interaction that occurred in the lesson after a student, Lavinia, reads the beginning of a letter she wrote about animal communication, and another student, Julio, reacts to one of her statements that animals do not have language.

Julio: Animal communication is not a language? It is a language-that's what I think-because they are communicating with each other.

Lavinia: But they don't speak.

Class: [Many students agree with Julio, saying "Yes, they do," or nodding.]

Julio: You said a language can have words, sounds, gestures, and everything.

Class: [Many students are in agreement with Julio's ideas once again.]

Lavinia: But they don't have words. They don't say "mama."

Julio: They don't need to. They have other characteristics. In animal language, some of the characteristics that you said are present-sound, pitch, gestures-so it is a language.

Mr. DeFazio: Julio is arguing very strongly that animal communication is language. Lavinia is saying that it's not. What do you think would be a way to help them resolve that argument in their writing?

Class: [The discussion continues and a resolution emerges. Then Julio reads a section of his letter.]

Mr. DeFazio: A lot is going to depend on how you define language, OK? You can define it in such a way as to exclude what animals do; you can define it in a very broad way, as a system of communication that includes everything. You are going to find linguists and zoologists who disagree, and if you are interested, I can give you some readings that were in the journal Science last year, people arguing back and forth.

Julio (reading his letter): First of all, I think that language is a way to inform others around you, your feelings, or just a simple thing that you want to let people know what is the deal. And it can be expressed by saying it, looking at a picture, or hearing it, you know what I'm saying? I don't know if you have heard about the kangaroo rat that stamps its feet to communicate with other rats. It's really funny 'cause we humans have more characteristics to communicate to each other, but we still have problems to understand other people. Characteristics like sound, grammar, pictures, and body language are some of them, while the rat only uses the foot. [Julio stamps the ground.]

Mr. DeFazio: Excellent! [The class applauds.] I never even heard about the kangaroo rat. Nice job, nice job. [Mr. DeFazio shakes Julio's hand.]

Applying the framework illustrated in Figure 1 to this interaction, we notice that students are clearly aware that the purpose of this exercise is to compare diverse positions on communication and to debate whether animals have language or not, providing evidence for their positions. They have ideas, and they choose which ones to debate based on a diversity of opinions. Mr. DeFazio's opportunity to correct student work, suggest changes, ask for elaboration, and so forth comes in the letters he is asking his students to construct. This written product is intimately tied to oral production. Oral activity feeds into writing, and writing produces oral activity.

In terms of productive talk, in Mr. DeFazio's class, students' analytic thinking is engaged, their interaction is sustained, and they control what they say. Mr. DeFazio has chosen a theme for the lesson that appeals to the students, and he has deliberately planned their active engagement throughout. As a result, the interaction engages students in deep thinking as they compare views on language.

Now that we have seen the characteristics of quality interactions for ELLs in practice, in the next section, we provide guidelines for promoting quality interactions during content lessons.

Six Guidelines for Promoting Quality Interactions

1. Design lessons that involve ELLs' participation in subject-specific and substantive oral practice to accomplish clearly defined lesson goals: Planning a lesson always begins with establishing the destination: Where do teachers need to lead students? Teachers should ask: Are my goals closely related to content standards? What is the knowledge that will be constructed? Which analytic practice will be promoted? What is the language (beyond isolated words or sentences) that will need to be developed? Unless teachers themselves are clear about the goals of a lesson, they will not be able to plan the tasks and activities that support students' language and conceptual development.

2. Construct tasks that appropriately scaffold student participation and growth: Tasks need to be deliberately constructed to engage students in working beyond their current competence. Such tasks should promote worthwhile interactions for students to acquire new conceptual understandings and analytical skills and language. They should also have appropriate scaffolds, which entail teachers closely observing students to ascertain whether the support is working, whether it is still needed, or whether it needs to be modified or replaced.

3. Make sure the task is designed to meet its purposes and the materials used are appropriate to support students working at the edge of their competence successfully: Learning is most effective when tasks are designed to match students' current competencies and also challenge them to move forward, with support.

4. Make sure that activities or tasks follow and precede others logically to build coherent lessons: Leading students to increasingly more complex demands is essential if teachers want their lessons to flow smoothly and to incrementally build ELLs' understanding.

5. Integrate reading and writing into oral development activities: Oral interaction while reading texts not only allows ELLs to understand the text more deeply but also helps them develop awareness of what they understand as they read and what they can do to solve problems in reading.

6. Be selective in addressing errors and intentional in providing feedback: When ELLs use English to develop their understanding of content and their use of analytical practices, often their language will be neither accurate nor fully formed, although the intent of their communication will be apparent. Imagine, for a moment, the impact on ELLs' motivation and self-esteem if teacher responses to inaccuracies constituted a constant flow of error correction. Instead, consider formative feedback to students as invitations to understand how they are progressing in language development and to provide a resource for how they can advance. When feedback is given to students about language while they are learning discipline-specific content, the feedback should focus on language so that students can make sense of the academic content, rather than on correcting errors of language production. As such, feedback can increase the students' awareness and help them troubleshoot their own performance and eventually correct their own language.⁸

There is no hard and fast rule about how much feedback students should receive or how often it should be provided; this is a decision teachers will need to make for themselves, given their knowledge of their students, their language and content goals, and the students' current language use. However, because of the powerful impact that feedback can have on learning, ⁹ we advise teachers to make providing feedback a regular and routine part of their classroom practice.

Common Misconceptions

Designing and facilitating meaningful classroom talk is essential for ELLs-indeed for all students-to develop more extended and sophisticated language use while simultaneously learning subject matter. Yet in too many U.S. classrooms, we find ELLs sitting silently, watching their teachers do all the work, and waiting for opportunities to fully engage cognitively and linguistically.

By way of concluding thoughts, we outline five pitfalls to avoid in thinking about language learning, and we provide suggestions for how teachers can engage students in sustained, high-quality classroom talk.
Misconception 1: Sentence frames that provide students with a way of expressing their ideas about specific situations are helpful to them.
A sentence frame is basically a fill-in-the-blank type of activity that invites only one correct answer. Sometimes it can be open and provide starters for students (also called sentence starters for this reason) to be filled in any way. However, these starters may not provide students with phrases they can use time and time again in academic situations. ¹⁰ For example: "The main character in The Pearl is a modest and loving man, furthermore..." "His wife, Juana, loves Kino and Coyotito, their baby, and because of that..."

In addition to using sentence frames, we suggest teachers use formulaic expressions, which are phrases that help start or link ideas and can be used in many situations. Initially, students learn them as unanalyzed chunks, almost as if they were one word. Later on, as students learn more English, they begin to realize the formulaic expressions are formed by several words. Formulaic expressions are extremely useful in students' development of English and in making their interaction with peers possible and more effective. Examples of formulaic expressions are: "I agree with you, and I can add that..." "May I suggest a couple of other ideas? One example I can offer..."
Misconception 2: Correct mistakes students make as they talk or they will "fossilize."
Historically, correctness has been regarded as paramount in second language learners' use of English. More recently, however, researchers' attention has shifted to the larger components of communication, as discussed before: purpose, ideas, organization, types of sentences, vocabulary, and pronunciation. Fossilization, a concept popular in the 1980s, refers to the inability of second language learners to learn the correct forms of language if they continually misuse them. Our perspective, consistent with that of multiple applied linguists, is that language keeps evolving as a result of continuous practice. It may fossilize if it is no longer used productively or receptively. However, in their schooling, students will be invited to engage in uses of language continuously, and thus, they will have ample opportunities to correct themselves or be corrected by others.
Misconception 3: Rather than correcting students' ungrammatical oral language, it is better to provide them with recasts, which model correct English in response to students' mistakes.
It is common for teachers to believe that rather than correcting a student's mistakes-and putting him or her on the spot-it is better to repeat what a student has said, this time changing the student's utterance into grammatical English. They think that recasting saves a student's face and that it is a less authoritarian approach.

Research, however, shows that these implicit corrections may not be productive. ¹¹ Students do not take teachers' recasts as corrections, but rather as reiterations of the idea and as acceptance of students' comments as being right. When the time is appropriate to focus on selected language forms to study and correct, the correction and expansion activity needs to be made explicit.
Misconception 4: Sustained, focused interactions are possible starting in fourth or fifth grade, but lower elementary students are not mature enough to carry them out because they get too impatient with the task and with each other.
Recently, during an open house at an elementary school in Portland, Oregon, one of us (Aída) had the opportunity to visit three classes. The first one was a kindergarten class. The teacher, Mr. Andanen, was preparing students to read and discuss Julius, the Baby of the World, a book by Kevin Henkes, an author the students were already familiar with because they had enjoyed reading three of his other books in class.

To introduce the book, Mr. Andanen set up nine stations around the room and invited students to walk through them. At each station, a picture illustrating a scene from the book was prominently displayed. Students were asked to rotate around the stations every three minutes. At each station, students needed to stop, look at the picture, and explain what they noticed. The teacher had asked students to use a "talking stick" so that the turns to speak were democratically divided within the group at each station. Peers had to listen attentively to the speaker and agree with, disagree with, or expand on what the student said. Formulaic expressions such as "In this picture, I notice..." and "I noticed that, too, and I want to add..." were familiar to the group. At one station, Aída heard the following exchange:

Student 1: I notice a woman holding a big baby. Her mouth is open. I think she is crying.

Student 2: I also noticed she had her mouth open, but I don't think she is crying. I think she is singing.

Student 3: I also noticed the woman with the big baby, and I want to add that he is very heavy. Perhaps that is why she is screaming.

The exchange shows that Mr. Andanen has created an environment that enables young children to notice and use language in purposeful ways. Although the students were only in kindergarten, they clearly articulated their ideas and listened to others. They showed they will soon be ready to start exploring the book more deeply so that they can eventually write an opinion piece based on evidence from the text about which Henkes book was their favorite.
Misconception 5: All students in a class need to master the same levels of oral development as a result of participating in lessons.
Because not all students in a class will be at the same starting point, a robust activity provides multiple entry points for all students to engage as they learn. The important idea is that they should all be gaining-not that all of them will arrive at the same point, in exactly the same way, developing at exactly the same level. This would only be possible if what is learned is limited, and if the learning demands recall. This is not necessarily what we want in education. Rather, we want to produce individuals who are thoughtful, engaged, and conscious of their own development.

English language learners bring valuable assets and immense potential to school. The role of educators is to realize that potential in deep and accelerated ways. Each classroom teacher must ensure the path to that development is paved with meaningful interactions to help students develop language skills, gain conceptual understanding, and learn academic content. Our students deserve no less.

--
Aída Walqui is the director of the teacher professional development program at WestEd. Previously, she taught in the Division of Education at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Margaret Heritage is a senior advisor at WestEd and was previously an assistant director at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles.
*Taffy Raphael's Question-Answer Relationships framework ¹ is intended to call students' attention to the kinds of questions that may be asked about a text. In this class, students work in pairs, announcing first the type of question he or she will ask to increase the other student's awareness of the types of meaningful connections the question seeks. ( back to the article)
Endnotes

1. Taffy E. Raphael, "Teaching Question Answer Relationships, Revisited," The Reading Teacher 39 (1986): 516-522.

2. Alison L. Bailey and Margaret Heritage, Progressing Students' Language Day by Day (Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, 2018).

3. See Rod Ellis, Instructed Second Language Acquisition: A Literature Review (Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education, 2005).

4. Dan C. Lortie, Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1975).

5. Diane August, referenced in Ivannia Soto-Hinman, "Increasing Academic Oral Language Development: Using English Language Learner Shadowing in Classrooms," Multicultural Education 18, no. 2 (Winter 2011): 21-23.

6. Aída Walqui and Leo van Lier, Scaffolding the Academic Success of Adolescent English Language Learners: A Pedagogy of Promise (San Francisco: WestEd, 2010).

7. Anthony DeFazio and Aída Walqui, Where Do You Want to Go Next? (San Francisco: WestEd, 2001), DVD.

8. David J. Nicol and Debra Macfarlane‐Dick, "Formative Assessment and Self‐Regulated Learning: A Model and Seven Principles of Good Feedback Practice," Studies in Higher Education 31 (2006): 199-218.

9. See, for example, John Hattie and Helen Timperley, "The Power of Feedback," Review of Educational Research 77 (2007): 81-112.

10. For more on sentence frames, see Ellis, Instructed Second Language Acquisition.

11. Ahlem Ammar and Nina Spada, "One Size Fits All? Recasts, Prompts, and L2 Learning," Studies in Second Language Acquisition 28 (2006): 543-574; Ellis, Instructed Second Language Acquisition; and Roy Lyster, "Differential Effects of Prompts and Recasts in Form-Focused Instruction," Studies in Second Language Acquisition 26 (2004): 399-432.

Originally published in American Educator, Fall 2018.

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Meaningful Classroom Talk: Supporting English Learners' Oral Language Development

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This post was written by WestEd's Aída Walqui, Director of Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) and Margaret Heritage, WestEd Senior Scientist. Consider this interaction between a teacher and his students, most of them English language learners, in a ninth-grade English language arts class: Teacher: Who wrote The Pearl, Carmen?

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Sample #3: Understanding Fluency for Middle Level 

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Sample #3: Understanding Fluency for Middle Level 

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This article was great for understanding fluency. I had an idea of what fluency was, but wanted to learn more about it. I think, like myself, many people have a misunderstanding what fluency actually is. The author of the article defines fluency as. "the ability to read text with accuracy, appropriate rate, and good expression." The author then goes into the fluency scale, much like we discussed in class as well. The more important part of the article is where the author discusses fluency's importance in reading comprehension. If the student is reading to slow, the text gets broken up into shorts phrases and in turn is harder to comprehend.
The checklist the author provided was very useful to for being able to access how fluent a student truly is. Number 4 I thought was very interesting. Four stated, "In narrative text with dialogue, student used appropriate vocal tone to represent characters' mental states, such as excitement, sadness, fear, or confidence." This was interesting because not many students, let alone adults do that. This is an important area for fluency. It lets the teacher know the student understands the passage is someone speaking, and also shows the student is able to identify the emotions coming from the character. The last half of the article provided information on the count per minute scale we went over in class and did for our sample student. This article provided clear information about fluency and lets the reader know the important details.

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References

Click the "References" link above to hide these references.

Daane, M.C., Campbell, J.R., Grigg, W.S., Goodman, M.J., and Oranje, A. (2005). Fourth-Grade Students Reading Aloud: NAEP 2002 Special Study of Oral Reading (NCES 2006-469). U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, D.C.:Government Printing Office.

Fuchs, L.S., Fuchs, D., Hosp, M. K., and Jenkins, J.R. (2001). Oral reading fluency as an indicator of reading competence: A theoretical, empirical, and historical analysis. Scientific Studies of Reading, 5(3), 239-256.

Good, III, R.H. and Kaminski, R.A. (Eds.) (2002). Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS), 6th Ed. Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement. Eugene, Ore.:University of Oregon.

Hasbrouck, J. and Tindal, G.A. (2006, April). ORF norms: A valuable assessment tool for reading teachers. The Reading Teacher, 59(7), 636-644.

Hintze, J.M. and Christ, T.J. (2004). An examination of variability as a function of passage variance in CBM progress monitoring. School Psychology Review, 33(2), 204-217.

Hudson, R.F., Lane, H.B., and Pullen, P.C. (2005, May). Reading fluency assessment and instruction: What, why, and how? The Reading Teacher, 58(8), 702-714.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (2000). Report of the National Reading Panel. Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. NIH Publication No. 00-4769. Washington, D.C.:U.S. Government Printing Office.

Read Naturally (2002). Reading fluency monitor. Minneapolis: Author.

Shinn, M.R. (1989). Identifying and defining academic problems: CBM Screening and eligibility procedures. In M. R. Shinn (Ed.). Curriculum-based measurement: Assessing special children, 90-129. N.Y.:Guilford.

Stecker, S.K., Roser, N.L., and Martinez, M.G. (1998). Understanding oral reading fluency. In T. Shanahan and F.V. Rodriguez-Brown (Eds.), 47th yearbook of the National Reading Conference, pp. 295-310. Chicago:National Reading Conference.

Wolf, M. and Katzir-Cohen, T. (2001). Reading fluency and its intervention. Scientific Studies of Reading, 5(3), 211-239.

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national assessment of educational progress fluency scale

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dynamic indicators of basic early literacy skills

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Click the "References" link above to hide these references. Daane, M.C., Campbell, J.R., Grigg, W.S., Goodman, M.J., and Oranje, A. (2005). Fourth-Grade Students Reading Aloud: NAEP 2002 Special Study of Oral Reading (NCES 2006-469). U.S. Department of Education. Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Washington, D.C.:Government Printing Office.

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I am attaching a link here for tutorials on how to use Padlet.  You do not need to create a wall; you only need to add items to each column.  Topics are created.  Choose one of the tutorials to view if you need help.

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adding links to padlet tutorial - Bing video

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Using Padlet in the Classroom Pallet Wood Tutorial Pallet Wall Tutorial Pallet Sign Tutorial Padlet Image Sizing Tutorial Padlet Tutorial for Adding How to Use Padlet.com Padlet Tutorial En Espanol Padlet Tutorial En Espanol Que ES Padlet Uploading Pitures Tutorial 2016 Learn Padlet-New Padlet Tutorial for Windows 10 People Using Padlet

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Sample #1--Teaching Diverse Learners: Considerations for ELLs

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Sample #1--Teaching Diverse Learners: Considerations for ELLs

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This article gives an overview of ELLs and their oral language development.  It then provides a list of strategies teachers can use and each item on the list has a link to more information.  The additional information includes specific activities that support each of the strategies. I believe each of the 10 strategies offers great ideas for helping ELL's in the classroom but I specifically like #10 which gives great ideas for how "teachers can model how to verbalize understandings and questions about readings and then provide opportunities for students to practice these comprehension strategies."

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Considerations for ELLs

Oral language provides the foundation for literacy development. English language learners (ELLs) need daily opportunities to learn and practice oral English in order for their literacy skills to flourish. ELLs learn English primarily by listening to language in use around them, while using context to figure out what the spoken words mean. This language serves as the input or data that learners internalize and use to express their own meanings in their interactions with others.

It is important to consider that many ELLs go through a "silent period," during which they listen and observe more than they speak. ELLs may speak at first in single words or short phrases. They may speak fluently when using greetings and other basic phrases in routine interpersonal situations, but speak haltingly when constructing English sentences to express more complex ideas. Effective teachers are aware that ELLs who are quiet in class may be hard at work listening and comprehending. Teachers also know that ELLs may take longer to answer a question or volunteer a comment, because they need more time to process meaning and formulate an appropriate response.

ELLs' speech may be ungrammatical, reflecting their lack of experience with English word order, grammatical patterns, or word endings. Their speech may be "accented," reflecting lack of experience with English sounds, rhythms, and stress patterns. As a result, ELLs may feel self-conscious about speaking, especially in large groups. Criticism, ridicule, and public correction exacerbate these anxieties. ELLs are likely to be more comfortable speaking in small groups.

ELLs may over-use high frequency words like nice or go until they acquire a larger repertoire of more differentiated words, such as beautiful, happy, entertaining, kind, generous or leave, depart, travel, journey, race, hike, skip. While young ELLs naturally acquire the language of play and daily life from social interaction with other students and adults, ELLs require explicit instruction and modeling of the more formal language used in academic settings to talk about reading and writing. In addition, as they listen to literature that is read aloud, Ells become familiar with its language (e.g., "Once upon a time . . . " and ". . . happily ever after") and its structure (introduction of characters, setting, problem, and solution), which are important prerequisites for reading.

With time and lots of opportunities to listen, observe, participate, and interact, ELLs progress in understanding and are able to produce language that is increasingly complete, complex, and grammatical. This is similar to the natural way that most young children learn the languages spoken by their families at home - in the context of activities and relationships.

In some cultures, discussion and story telling are filled with personal anecdotes that are implicitly rather than explicitly connected to the topic. Teachers may sometimes perceive such narratives as rambling or confused. Effective teachers strive to understand such cultural differences and respect them, while at the same time helping children add more sequential and topic centered styles to their repertoire.

Conferences about writing and other opportunities for one-on-one conversations with a teacher provide great support for the development of topic-centered narrative styles for use in academic contexts. In addition, use of their native language can provide ELLs with much-needed clarification, explanation, and self-expression as they go through the difficult process of learning to speak, read, and write in English.

Strategies

1. Teachers include listening as an integral part of reading and writing instruction.

2. Teachers employ a variety of effective strategies that involve students as active and engaged listeners.

3. Teachers guide students to identify literary elements as they read aloud, listen to, and discuss books together.

4. Teachers help students understand and make connections to their reading through social interactions in which students listen to and build upon each other's responses to the text.

5. Teachers provide opportunities for students to discuss insights from their reading with each other.

6. Teachers model and explain text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections for their students.

7. Teachers include daily sharing as an important activity in their classrooms.

8. Teachers provide ample opportunities for students to talk about familiar topics and then demonstrate to students how talking better enables them to write.

9. Teachers have regular conversations with individual students about their writing, thereby enabling students to improve the quality of their work.

10. Teachers model how to verbalize understandings and questions about readings and then provide opportunities for students to practice these comprehension strategies.

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Oral language provides the foundation for literacy development. English language learners (ELLs) need daily opportunities to learn and practice oral English in order for their literacy skills to flourish. ELLs learn English primarily by listening to language in use around them, while using context to figure out what the spoken words mean.