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Graphic organizers have always been helpful to me. After finding this resource I learned how helpful they can be to help diverse learners understand the information given. A lot of people think of venn diagrams when dealing with graphic organizers but this resource discusses different types of organizers that can be used including, flow charts, and timelines. This website also tells you how to create these graphic organizers on the web, in Microsoft word, or in power point so teachers can create them for their students or so the students can create it themselves.

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Instructions: 1. Open a new Word document. 2. Click on the "Insert" tab and scroll down to "Picture." 3. Under picture, select the "Autoshapes" option. 4. The Autoshapes option will allow you to arrange prefab shapes and customize graphic organizers to meet your students' needs.

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Graphic organizers are a tool that help learners categorize information from one large topic into smaller categories to help structure thinking. I think this is a great resource because graphic organizers come in many different forms. This resource can be used for any subject area and benefits visual learners. Graphic organizers help students brainstorm ideas, guide them in thinking, compare and contrast, etc. Teachers should help incorporate this resource into their classroom to help students keep information organized.

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Recorded task directions or texts:
I think there are lots of benefits to audio recording in the classroom. One major one is that the students can go back if they missed something or zoned out.

https://www2.le.ac.uk/services/reflect/how-can-reflect-help-learning-and-teaching/recording-lectures/advice-for-students-on-how-to-use-recordings

I chose this resource because it talks about the benefits of a recorded lecture. Even though it is about a lecture, all the benefits are true for an elementary classroom as well. The scaffold is pretty self explanatory which is another reason I chose this article about the benefits of audio recording in the classroom.

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Clear Criteria for Success

I chose this source to help educators learn more about providing clear criteria for success because it is from an actual teacher who is implementing this idea for the first time as a teacher. She explains what she has learned and how it has been beneficial for her students. She also talks about ways to make things more clear for her students, how to give good feedback, and how often she references her criteria.

Clear criteria for success is good for students because they know what they are expected to learn and how to present what they know. This allow them to prepare properly and have an insight on what they should be learning. Clear criteria for success is also beneficial for teachers because it allows them to be more prepared for their lessons and makes grading easier. If both parties know what is expected, there should be no problems (in theory).

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I chose to focus on one-step directions, I think it is important to have a student who has a hard time following extensive directions to be able to have the option of getting the directions one at a time. This also helps with students who need more structure throughout their day, which many students with autism need. The resource I found gives good ideas on how to train a child to follow directions, and encourage the student to learn how to follow the first, next, then direction scaffold.

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Do your child's language delays cause him to have difficulty following directions? This can make it very hard to get through your daily routines and get through errands without meltdowns and problems. Follow these steps to help teach your child to follow directions at home and in public.

1. Make a List of Common Directions you Give Your Child

Throughout the course of a day or a week, write down all of the directions that you commonly give your child. Take notes on your phone or on a piece of paper you carry around with you. Try to capture the meaning of the direction in as few words as possible. For example, if you give your child the direction "Honey, would you mind going to get your shoes for me please?", just write down "get shoes". That will be the direction you will give your child while teaching her these directions. You may have a list of directions like "come here", "stop", "go", "walk", "stand up", "sit down", "stay here", "hold my hand", etc. If you're having trouble picking directions, try thinking about what times of the day or during which activities your child has the most trouble following directions.

2. Take/Make Pictures of Those Directions

Choose about 15-20 of the most common directions. You'll want to start by just teaching your child a few of those, but you may as well make all of the pictures now so you have them when you need them. Now you'll need to create a visual cue for each direction. You can do this a couple of ways. You could take a picture of your child doing each of those things and print them out with the direction written on or under the picture. You could also go on google image search and find pictures of other kids or people following directions to complete those actions. Finally, you could always just draw stick figures on a card for each direction, though depending on your artistic abilities and your child's ability to decipher your drawings, you may be better off with real photos. 🙂 Once you print the directions off, cut them out so each direction is on its own card.

3. Following Directions: Teaching the directions

Your child will need to be taught what each of these cards means. You can do this by playing Simon Says using the cards. For those of you who don't know, Simon Says is a game where one person is chosen to be the leader, "Simon", and everyone else must do what Simon Says. However, the leader must say "Simon Says" before each direction is given. If the leader does not say "Simon Says" and the followers complete the direction anyway, they lose. With young children, I disregard that last part about losing. I just always say "Simon Says" and then after a while we switch and let someone else be leader. For that matter, you don't even have to say Simon Says, just tell your child it's a game and he'll probably be happy. Each time you give a direction, show your child the picture along with it. At first, you will need to help your child do each one until she is able to do it on her own. After she completes the action, whether she did it on her own or you had to help her, clap and get very excited for her. This will help reinforce that she's doing something great by following directions! You may want to start with just a few directions until your child learns those well and then add in more.

*** Adaptation for children with autism: Many children with autism won't understand the whole "game" aspect of making this fun. For these children, you will want to find something that they really enjoy so they have something to work for. For example, if he really likes that toy that lights up, hide it for a while before you do this activity and every time your child follows a direction (even if you have to help him do it), give him the toy as a reinforcer. If your child isn't very motivated by objects, you may have to try giving him a small piece of his favorite food or drink after each direction.

4. Working Following Directions into Daily Routines

Once your child can follow the set of directions during these games and play sessions with you, start using the directions during your daily routines. Whenever you need to give your child one of those directions, show her the picture card as you do. Then, help her complete the direction and get excited for her just as you did before. For children with autism or children that have a lot of trouble with this, you may need to give a small reinforcer after they complete the direction until they get the hang of it. Mini M&Ms are great for this because they're small and won't ruin your child's appetite. You may want to consider hanging a set of the following directions pictures from your belt loop so that you have them nearby. At my school, I have a set of picture directions on a ring that is clipped to my belt with one of those retractable keychains so I can whip it out whenever necessary. Keep doing this until your child is following directions with the picture cue throughout your daily routine (that may take a while, be patient!)

5. Fading the Picture Cue

Once your child can follow the directions with the picture cue, you will want to fade the use of the picture so that your child can follow the verbal direction without needing a picture. To do this, try giving the direction verbally first without using the picture. Pause for a moment and see if your child will do it. You can try nudging him in the right direction or making a small gesture toward the desired action. If your child is not able to do it, give the direction again but this time use the picture. Try a variety of different cues, such as laying your hand on your child, pointing at what he needs to do, etc. Vary your reinforcement so that when your child follows the direction with fewer cues, you give more praise and get more excited for your child than when you have to give him a lot of cues. If you keep doing this long enough, your child should be able to follow the directions without needing too many additional cues.

6. Work on Following Directions with More than One Step

Once your child is able to follow single-step directions using this method, you can use the same approach to teach multiple-step directions. For this, you will want to do the following directions game with two pictures and teach her how to follow both parts of the direction. You could even use a first, then board as described on the Expressly Speaking Blog to help her understand the order of the directions. Follow the same procedure for fading off the visuals and working it into daily routines.

PS. If you have patience and continue to use this method consistently throughout your day, you will see great changes in your child's ability to follow your directions. Just make sure to keep it fun and light and provide tons of encouragement! If you are looking for materials that you can use to teach your child to follow directions, download my sequencing board with following directions card set that you can print for free and use at your house or in your therapy setting!

This guide, along with 38 others, is included in Ms. Carrie's E-Book: Speech and Language Therapy Guide: Step-By-Step Speech Therapy Activities to Teach Speech and Language Skills At Home or In Therapy. This guide includes detailed information on teaching various speech and language skills, including this one, along with worksheets, handouts, sample IEP goals, data collection, and video demonstrations. For more information, click the button below:

More Resources for Speech-Language Pathologists:

Looking for more therapy ideas and resources to help you provide the BEST services to your clients? Join us in The SLP Solution, our membership program for speech-language professionals! Inside the membership, you'll find:

Step-By-Step Guides for teaching a variety of speech/language/communication skills

Pre-Made Worksheets and Therapy Activities for hundreds of different topics

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Tools and Resources to help you with your paperwork and admin tasks

Continuing Education through our monthly webinars and webinar recordings

To join us in the full SLP Solution, or to snag a free membership, click on the button below!

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Do your child's language delays cause him to have difficulty following directions? This can make it very hard to get through your daily routines and get through errands without meltdowns and problems. Follow these steps to help teach your child to follow directions at home and in public. 1.

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Lexiles are one way to measure a student’s reading level. The scale is between 0 and 2,000+. A text that is at the reader’s Lexile level will be a slight challenge, but not enough to become discouraging. Lexiles can be used in the classroom to differentiate instruction, personalize learning, and forecast comprehension. Lexile ratings only refer to reading difficulty, not content. If a child is reading above their grade level, then an adult should ensure that the subject matter is age appropriate.

I selected this blog post on how one teacher organized her classroom library by lexile. I think it’s useful because her approach allows students to easily find books that are an appropriate reading level for them. She also shared how she looked up each book’s lexile number which is helpful to know if you're wanting to organize your library this way.

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Over the years, I've organized my library by genres, then by Accelerated Reading (AR) level, then AR level within genres and then nothing at all! Oh my! I loved it because it was so organized and made this semi-perfectionist heart smile. But with moving schools, classrooms, and states, my little library had to be sold and I started fresh.

With the new school year, I organized my books by genres. I even made cute genre labels to stick on my cute little baskets. My little heart began to smile again. But I kept finding books that were NOT in the right spot. Please tell me I'm not the only one this happens to!

Am I shocked, not at all! They're kids, it happens. Plus, sometimes, I don't know if the book should go in the realistic fiction basket or the funny stories one. If I struggle as an adult finding the best place, I'm sure my kids do too.

With lexiles being everywhere with Common Core, I decided to level my library by lexile levels. Sure, it may limit some of my kiddos, but I know they will be reading books at their level. And as you know, groups and levels are flexible so my little guys won't stay put for long.

I'll monitor their progress in reading groups

I'll check their AR quizzes each week to make sure that they are at their independent reading level

I'll use Enterprise Reading (same company as AR)

It's time to get organized so here's what you need to do to level your library as well!

Snag this lexile level list and add some stickers to it so you can color code your books. I printed mine on fun scrapbook paper. If I were to do it again, I'd make sure I had enough of those round Avery stickers from Staples or these ones! Don't make the mistake of getting the clear colored labels like I did because they didn't show up well on the books. Choose a color for each level. I thought about using cute washi tape but I don't want to risk the pattern not being around in a couple of years so I stuck to stickers.

If you have parent help, take advantage because this is a big task that took a few weeks. I took each basket from my library and scanned the bar code on the books using Scholastic Book Wizard {free} mobile as well as the Level It {3.99} mobile app. I'd start with the Scholastic app and go through your books. If there isn't a level, place them in a pile and save them for the Level It app, to save time.

After it gave me the level, I'd add a sticker that matched the level and placed it on front of the book. Be warned, the apps won't have the levels for some of the books so place the books in a pile and save them for later.

So now about those books that you couldn't find a level for with either app. You can try to input it manually or try and do a search on the Scholastic website. I told you it would take some time!!!

Once all my books were back in the library, I noticed that I needed more lower-level books. So...I used my Scholastic points and ordered books by lexile level. That way, I KNEW I was getting the books we needed AND I also knew they had a lexile level.

I made library level cards to place on the baskets, added the sticker that matched the lexile list, and laminated them. I placed the books inside and that was that! Why didn't I color code sooner, it has made putting books back so much easier?

I also leveled our book boxes that stay at each table. I rotate the boxes from table-to-table each week.

Now that your books are in the right spot, it's time to get the kiddos in on the action. Once our new books arrived, I laid them out during independent reading time and let the kiddos choose books they wanted to read. It really built excitement about reading!!! They were beyond excited about all of the new books and couldn't wait to check out our new library the following day.

Our school had extra school ID cards so I placed the sticker of the each child's level on the back of the sticker. That way, it's private for my little friends. As my friends become better readers, I'll just add a new sticker next to it to show their progress.

I thought about giving each kiddo their card to keep in a safe place, but decided to keep all of the cards in a plain ol' pencil box that stays in the library. I included individual student cards in this pack in case you don't have any just laying around.

We've been using this new system and the kiddos are so happy. I feel like I'm giving them more of a chance to read appropriate books and can't wait to see their progress! The parents are also happy because they know their child's reading level with the parent letter that I sent home. As students move through levels, I'll be sure to keep families updated!

I hope this post and resource will help you as you level your library. I can't wait to hear how it goes. Want to win a copy? Share this post and leave the link in the comments section with your e mail. I'll choose 2 winners on Sunday!

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Level your classroom library by lexile - Easy Teaching Tools

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Over the years, I've organized my library by genres, then by Accelerated Reading (AR) level, then AR level within genres and then nothing at all! Oh my! I loved it because it was so organized and made this semi-perfectionist heart smile. But with moving schools, classrooms, and states, my little library had to be sold ...

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Manipulatives have been something I have used since I was in elementary school. We used manipulatives to count money, learn about base 10 blocks, and for grouping. This helped me learn because I am a hands on learner. I believe manipulatives are important for teachers to use to help students especially those who learn better hands on. In the math class I recently took, we learned how to teach using manipulatives. Each class period we got out new manipulatives and learned how to teach different math skills using them. The article I used explains the benefits of using manipulatives based off of research. This article is a great resource for new teachers to use.

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Icons or pictures that support understanding.

Some benefits of improving visual literacy would be...
1)Visual information is more memorable
2) Visual information is transferred faster
3) Helps students communicate with the world around them.
These are just a few of the important points of visual literacy. A definition of visual literacy is the ability to construct meaning from images, it is a form of critical thinking.

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Teaching Visual Literacy In the Classroom

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Teaching Visual Literacy: How to teach film, video games, picture storybooks and advertising in the classroom.

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I picked peer partners because I think it's always helpful when students can hear explanations from other students. The source I picked talks about different ways you can encourage peer partners. I think this would be a great resource to a new teacher who is on the fence about it doing this in their class. It gives the benefits, the criticism, and tips on how to do it effectively. It also includes some other sources on this topic if you want to learn more.

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How Peer Teaching Improves Student Learning and 10 Ways To Encourage It | InformED

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Students who engage in effective peer teaching perform higher on measures of academic achievement than students who do not.

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I chose to write about study guides; this resource was created to help college students create study guides for themselves. This resource is helpful because it gives you ways to write a study guide beyond a list of questions. This resource can help you and your students because it gives you several ways to create a clear and organized study guide to help further your learning.
https://drive.google.com/a/g.emporia.edu/file/d/1QmSG8dp0YKsStY5cgmAIANgZXZefeJZl/view?usp=drivesdk

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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Directions written in simpler/more straightforward wording
For my scaffolding, I found a teacher-catered video depicting the attributes that effective directions/instructions (written and spoken) include. The animated video lists these aspects in the anagram of SO CAVEMAN: Steps, Observable, Check for Understanding, Attention, Visuals, Economical, Magic Word, Address Misunderstandings, and Narrate Compliance. The video visually well demonstrates how students of all ages need clear concise instruction and can easily feel lost, angry, or shamed in their classroom if not. I choose this specific scaffolding because I find I can become long-winded and/or confusing in giving directions at times. I found this video important in its subject matter and potentially helpful to any teacher with it’s simplistic SO CAVEMAN anagram.

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Introduces and explains SO CAVEMAN, our framework for giving clear directions.

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Using Exemplars of past student work slightly beyond a current student’s performance level is important in helping students to visualize the end goal and create a level of expectation. Giving examples of past students’ work (a non-linguistic representation) incorporates a visual aid, an example to work towards. It helps students to understand and complete the project correctly the first time.  This is a great example to model the activity as it came from a student and does not overshoot the students’ abilities, nor limits them.  As a student in the past and currently, at times I find myself dependent on this use of scaffolding from the teacher.  I am not always able to visualize the outcome the teacher is wanting, but when given examples it gives me a great starting point. The video below give 5 strategies on non linguistic representation.
I chose this link because about a third of students are visual learner.  They need to see to understand. I also chose this link because it is a video and even adults need visual aids.

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In the book, Classroom Instruction That Works (2nd edition, 2012 see: http://goo.gl/a4alP9) the authors point out 5 nonlinguistic representation strategies that teachers can model and use to motivate students. These 5 strategies have been shown to help students create, store, and manipulate information mentally as well as with concrete tools and displays.

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I chose to have hint cards in the classroom because I think this is a great way for the students to reflect on what they have learned. I would like them there in the classroom just in case a student forgot what they were doing they could reflect back to the hint card to see how to do the activity. This is another way for the students to be independent and confident on their in class assignment. As a future teacher I see myself having this in my classroom to benefit the students.

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1. Read the word problem and identify the distance and time.

2. Write the equation d=rt.

3. Replace the d and t with the distance and time provided in the problem.

4. Divide both sides by the time (d divided by t equals rt divided by t)

5. Cancel out the time on the right-hand side of the equation.

6. Solve for rate by dividing the distance by the time.

7. Check to make sure the answer seems logical.

Example:
Roderick is driving with his family to the zoo. The zoo is 210 miles from his house. It takes 3 hours to get there. On average, how fast was his dad driving?

d=rt

210=3r

210 divided by 3 = 3r divided by 3

210 divided by 3 = r

70=r

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Read the word problem and identify the distance and time. Write the equation d=rt. Replace the d and t with the distance and time provided in the problem. Divide both sides by the time (d divided by t equals rt divided by t) Cancel out the time on the right-hand side of the equation.

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Hello! I chose Small Group Instruction, because I think this is becoming a more common idea in the school districts in everyday classrooms. Teachers use small group instruction for many reasons. I use it in my classroom just to get a chance to connect with my students one on one and see how they are doing with everything. I will teach concepts that I think may be difficult to understand as a group, with students who may be on different levels. I think Small Group Instruction can be a great resource but as a teacher you have to be prepared and organized. What are the students who aren’t with you in small group doing? How will you make sure they stay engaged? During small group, are you staying on task and making sure you are covering everything and have all of the materials? Just a few things to think about when covering small group instruction. I think it makes a huge difference in students learning when they are able to communicate to you one on one and voice all of their concerns. I think small group instruction is helpful for teachers because it helps them get a feel of how everyone is doing academically and socially. The video I found helps explain the main concepts of small group instruction and some things you can do as a teacher to make it go smoother.

https://youtu.be/AF3T2aZM3ko

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Reading Partners with appropriate materials and guidelines for working together:

I chose this website because it explains what partner reading is. It also talks about why you should use this strategy in the classroom, and lays guidelines for implementing the strategy successfully. This site also offers information about activities that can be used with second language learners, and activities and strategies to use throughout different subjects. There is a video that shows reading partners in action and a list of books that are good to use with this strategy. This site offers an enormous amount of information that would serve as an excellent resource for a new teacher trying to understand more about how to use this scaffolding in teaching.

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Partner Reading is a cooperative learning strategy in which two students work together to read an assigned text. This strategy is often used as part of the Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). PALS is a classwide peer tutoring program in which teachers carefully partner a student with a classmate. The Partner Reading strategy allows students to take turns reading and provide each other with feedback as a way to monitor comprehension.

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Partner Reading is a cooperative learning strategy in which two students work together to read an assigned text. This strategy is often used as part of the Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). PALS is a classwide peer tutoring program in which teachers carefully partner a student with a classmate.

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Modeling:
I chose this website because not only did it give the importances of modeling within the classroom, but also gave examples of what modeling is and how it can be done. Modeling can be done in a variety of different ways, and this article helps prove that. Every teacher is different, and every child learns differently. We may model something one way at the beginning, but they have to change it for another child. I think it is important for us educators to be able to model things in a variety of different ways to help meet our students’ needs.

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Responsive Classroom Strategies

We have generated our hopes and dreams. We have constructed our classroom rules, which are signed and beautifully and prominently displayed. We have shared our rules with parents. Now comes the interesting part, the part where we teach the rules.

We have generated our hopes and dreams. We have constructed our classroom rules, which now are signed and beautifully and prominently displayed. We have even shared our rules with parents. We are done now, right?

NO. We are not done. Now comes the interesting part, the part where we teach the rules. In the Responsive Classroom approach, we teach the rules through modeling and practice, as well as through the "Three R's" of teacher language. This article will focus on the critical strategy of modeling expectations.

It is important to keep in mind that, although all effective approaches to classroom management are both proactive and reactive, I believe that 80 percent of discipline should be proactive. The more we show (not just tell) children what we expect and then give them opportunities to practice getting on line, using their walking feet, demonstrating their "indoor voices," making eye contact as good listeners, or exhibiting friendly and respectful words with peers, the more we set them up for success.

Mostly, children want to do what we want them to do. Recently, I observed a group of sixth graders discussing their growing capacity to get through lessons with fewer and fewer interruptions. Noting the results of their own self-controls, one student said, "It's quieter now and we get more work done." That simple fact came from several weeks of intentional exertion. Sometimes, as teachers, we forget that in this time of fast paced, multi-tracked, high-pitched media, the effort just to not call out is huge. So we model and practice.

MODELING EXPECTATIONS

Modeling is a way to teach our rules. It involves demonstrating the specific behaviors and language patterns of an expectation in a way that grounds the rules in day-to-day experiences. When we model expectations, we translate and enliven more general expectations, such as respectful listening or orderly lines into accessible behaviors. We act out the desired behaviors, showing what it looks and sounds like to stop and freeze, listen to a classmate, or raise your hand and wait to be called on.

We then give students the opportunity to also model, naming as a group the desired behaviors we observed. Remember, words alone do not suffice. Often children know the right words to say, but struggle in the moment to actually follow through on the expectation. Saying that we need to be quiet is not the same thing as being quiet. The chance to show that one can be quiet is the beginning of internalized learning.

I have seen an incredible difference, for example, when teachers take time to model and practice walking in line. Even though it is a universal school requirement, one that children experience year after year, day after day, staying quiet and focused is not easy for anyone. For children, it is a lesson in using self-controls.

Given the chance for movement, natural childish exuberance will surface, turning steps into high jumps, quiet into chatter, and end of line students into dreamy dawdlers. Getting to and fro can become a protracted struggle. An orderly and safe line, therefore, requires significant work. Recently, for example, I watched Ms. Becky, a first grade teacher, working with her class.

"Who can tell me the three things we need to remember to have a beautiful and safe line?" Ms. Becky asks her first graders the third week of school, when walking on line is still a challenge. Many hands go up.

"Tell me one, D.J.," she asks an eager student. "We need to be quiet," he announces, while making a zipping motion with his hand and lips. "Show us," she says to him. "Go stand on line and show us what it looks like and sounds like to be quiet with your body and words." And he does. As if they are viewing a staged drama, the others watch and applaud their classmate's appropriate performance.

Turning to her class, Ms. Becky asks them what they notice about D.J. being quiet. "He didn't talk," someone notes with approval. Each of the components that make for an orderly and efficient line are modeled, even before they start off down the hall: quiet voices, eyes front, right hand on rails, and bodies at a proper spatial distance to insure the children don't crowd, bump, or lag.

As the first graders move from landing to landing, reinforcing and adjusting their line, they pass the sixth graders. "Are you practicing too?" one asks in a whisper. And yes, the older students are practicing too.

When the first graders reach the playground, the teacher turns and says, "I noticed that most people kept their lips zipped. I also noticed that everyone had his or her right hands on the rail. And no one bumped. What did you notice?"

"We did good," Stephanie says proudly.

See Modeling Procedures, Part 2 of Ruth Sidney Charney column on modeling, next week, to find step-by-step instructions for modeling specific expectations.

About Ruth Sidney Charney

Ruth Sidney Charney is a highly respected education consultant and author. She is a co-developer of Northeast Foundation for Children and a pioneer in the Responsive Classroom approach.

Education World®
Copyright © Education World

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We have generated our hopes and dreams. We have constructed our classroom rules, which are signed and beautifully and prominently displayed. We have shared our rules with parents. Now comes the interesting part, the part where we teach the rules.

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Text in First Language:
This blog is about the pros and cons of using the students first language in a classroom. I like how they bring up the fact that we as teachers should be creating a learning atmosphere that allows these students to learn English, but still embrace their home language. Instead of trying to get these students to change from their L1 to English we should be letting them use their L1 to connect words and meanings to English. Using the L1 for directions also makes it easier for students to take test and do homework because it might not be that they do not understand the topic, but maybe they do not know what is asked of them because they do not understand the English directions.

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Education Week - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo

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The new "question-of-the-week" is:
What is the role, if any, of an ELL student's home language in the classroom?
Over ten percent of the student population in the United States is comprised of English Language Learners. Given that reality, the role of a student's home language merits discussion.

Today, Melissa Eddington, Wendi Pillars, Tracey Flores, Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo and Mary Ann Zehr offer their thoughts. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Melissa, Wendi and Tracey on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

Use of students' primary language (called L1, native language, home language or heritage language) in the ESL classroom has been a controversial topic. Some claim that its use can hinder learning English and can result in students getting accustomed to using it as a crutch. However, recent research has also found that careful and strategic use of a student's primary language-whether through a translation by a teacher, peer tutor, bilingual aide, or assistance from students themselves-can in fact help English language learning, particularly in understanding grammar concepts, vocabulary, instructions, and in developing teacher-student and student-student relationships.

There will be times, however, when limiting primary language use could be important. For example, during certain classroom activities, I might say that the next ten minutes is an English-only time. The chances of this request being generally respected is high in my classroom because students know that I do not typically restrict their own use of L1 at any point (and in fact often use it in the strategic ways I've previously mentioned).

Acknowledging, celebrating, and encouraging the use of our students' home languages is just one of the many ways we can look at them through the lens of assets-and not deficits -that they bring to the learning process.

You might also be interested in previous columns here about Teaching English Language Learners.
Response From Melissa Eddington
Melissa Eddington is an ELL educator from Central Ohio. She has been teaching ELLs for 14 years - and16 overall. She's an advocate for her students everyday in the classroom:

Imagine you have a student who entered your classroom where the only language spoken is one unfamiliar to them...what do you do? As an educator, a student's home language plays an important role in the classroom. According to Frank Genesee, a professor in the Psychology Department at McGill University, Montreal, in his book The Home Language: An English Language Learners Most Valuable Resource, "With respect to ELLs, there is undeniable and growing evidence that the home language of ELLs is of considerable benefit to their overall academic success." We need to nurture our students by using their home language as we assist them in acquiring their new language.
Some Instances where using the student's home language in the classroom may be necessary are as follows:

Understanding Directions: Students may need the directions spoken to them in their home language for full understanding and for success. It is crucial for the teacher to model as well for the new student. With translation and modeling, the student has a higher chance of being successful, which is our goal.

Connecting Vocabulary: Students who have a solid understanding of their home language can connect new English words to the known words for success in the classroom. It is found that "knowledge, skills, concepts, and ideas that a student learns in their first language can transfer into their learning of the second language..." (Russell, J. and Wariua-Nyalwal, P. (2015) "Research-Proven Strategies for Improving Content Vocabulary for Middle School English Language Learners." International Journal of Business and Social Science). Consider having the student write the vocabulary words in both their home and new language for deeper understanding.

Classroom Routines and School Tour: Students who do not understand the language spoken in the classroom need to have the classroom routines (including rules and expectations) translated into their home language and be given a tour of the school because they are held to the same standard as the English speaking students. According to the Ohio Department of Education, in Teaching English Language Learners: What Classroom and Content Teachers Need to Know About English Language Learners, "allow students with the same first language to discuss the learning materials. Often higher proficiency students can help new arrivals." Set the new student up with a buddy, preferably one who speaks their home language, so they are comfortable and feel safe.
Of course there are additional reasons why a student's home language would need to be utilized in an English speaking classroom, these are just a few. I would encourage you to explore more. A student's home language is something we should never try to take away from a student.
Response From Wendi Pillars
Wendi Pillars, NBCT, has been teaching students with English as a second/foreign language needs in grades K-12, both stateside and overseas, for 21 years. She has also taught Algebra, History, vocational classes, and Health and PE. She is the author Visual Notetaking for Educators: A Teacher's Guide to Student Creativity, as well as several articles on best practices for ELLs, educational neuroscience, and teacher leadership. A lifelong learner, she loves using creativity to empower her learners. She can be reached on Twitter @wendi322:
ESL teachers know that optimizing students' linguistic resources can be a game-changer, but it's tricky business. We don't realize the advantage we have as English speakers until we are outside of our language bubble, become part of a minority language scenario, and are unable to use it as the tool it has always been for us. You juggle constant active listening, observing facial cues and body language, translating and interpreting everything you can because you're not sure when and what to filter, plus the anxiety of responding to teacher questions -- whew! Our language learners have a LOT on their mental plates. We must acknowledge L1 as a valuable resource and judicious tool for learning to help ease their mental loads. But ultimately, language is power, and in American schools that power is based in English. It is the language of testing, and of most instruction and student-teacher interaction. The goal is for students to use their L1 intentionally to access English. Our role is to teach students to value their language as a tool for comparing, accessing, and contextualizing information. Encourage students to think deeply by showing that language learning is both a perspective and a process. Value your students' knowledge and skills as incredible resources upon which to build new learning, and do so explicitly. From my experience in multilingual classrooms, I see the transformative power of "students as experts" when teaching others about their native cultures and languages. Watching various language learners craft English into their common tool for communication is fascinating. The knowledge of their own language(s) serves as a foundation for patterns, concepts, and usage in other languages. Much evidence has shown that the stronger a student is in his/ her L1, the more readily they can learn another language. Encouraging students to talk about, and family members to continue communicating in, the L1 are critical for this reason. This semester my English learners are uniquely monolingual. All of my students are Spanish speakers, and we've optimized that in a number of ways. We combine ESL I, II, and III classes frequently, which makes for fabulous grouping scenarios, partnering, and opportunities for student leadership. We've had the pleasure of several bilingual guests, who have been gracious enough to speak in both languages during their presentations. Doing so allows students to hear complex language used naturally, helping concepts stick for all students and facilitating subsequent conversations about the content and speakers. We also use bilingual textbooks, so that even our newest learners can pull concepts directly from the text. They learn to analyze cognates, make educated inferences based on phrases and words they already know, access nuanced ideas, and navigate complex grammar and vocabulary from the start. These textual experiences further increase motivation since they are typically culturally relevant. When written texts are unavailable, we use podcasts, TED talks, video clips, live broadcasts, and even former students to supplement student learning through a broad array of multimodal inputs. Considering language as a tool rather than a barrier is a mighty fine place to begin, no matter how you say it.
Response From Tracey Flores
Tracey Flores is a PhD candidate in English Education at Arizona State University (ASU). She is a former English Language Development (ELD) and Language Arts teacher who worked in elementary classrooms for eight years. Her research focuses on adolescent Latina girls and mothers' language and literacy practices and on using family literacy as a springboard for advocacy, empowerment, and transformation for students, families, and teachers:
"So, if you really want to hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity-I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself." ~Gloria Anzaldúa It is 1962, a young Latina girl, in 4th grade, with long black hair and curious dark brown eyes is in her classroom after the school day has come to an end. She is alone. In her right hand is a small piece of white chalk, which she raises to the chalkboard and writes, "I will not speak Spanish on the playground." This sentence, she has been told by her teacher, must be written 100 hundred times on the blackboard, punishment for speaking Spanish on the playground. This is my mother's story. I cannot write this blog post without sharing this very personal story that my mother shared with me. Each time she shares it with me, she becomes that young girl again. As she relives the torment of this moment, I can hear the deep pain in her voice. This moment of filled with shame, ridicule and guilt was not one isolated experience. It was a series of experiences that she endured as a child and young adult growing up bilingual and biliterate. As a former English Language Development (ELD) teacher working within a state with English Only policies, this narrative of shame, ridicule and guilt continues to be part of the lived experiences of many children learning English as an additional language. In Arizona, students are tracked into classrooms based on language proficiency and receive 4-hours of skills-based language and literacy instruction. This mandate is based on the assumption that the acquisition of language will happen within one school year and does not take into account the rich linguistic and literacy practices that children and youth bring to our classrooms from their homes and communities. Under restrictive policies and mandates like the one in my home state, many of our students learning English as an additional language enter the classroom already viewed as "lacking" or as "blank slates" in need of remediation. Rather than stigmatize the language and literacy practices that our students bring from their homes and communities, we should work toward recognizing the value of these resources and their place within our learning communities and schools. From my own experiences, I open my classroom door to you, and provide a glimpse into the ways that I created space for my students' home language in my own learning community, even under very restrictive English-only policies.

1. Support Parents' in Sustaining Home Language: There are some misconceptions made by teachers and families about language policies in schools. Our job is not to discourage families from sustaining home language, but rather to support families in their commitment to teaching their child their home language. This is a gift!

2. Home Language/Literacy Dig: Invite students to enter their homes as ethnographers and record all the different ways language and literacy is used in their homes and communities. This can uncover practices and "funds of knowledge" that can be included in the curriculum throughout the school year.

3. Dialogue Journals: Provide each student with a personal journal that is a shared writing space between the two of you. Give daily prompts or free writing time. Allow students the freedom to practice writing in any language without fear of judgement.

4. Classroom Newsletter: Create a classroom newsletter with students and their families as reporters. Invite families to contribute stories, recipes, how-to-guides, etc. in the language of their choice. Print and distribute to all families.

5. Family Writing Workshops: Create an after-school multilingual space for students and their families to draw, write and share stories in a variety of genres.

Even under restrictive policies and mandates, our classrooms must provide space for our students' home languages. A student's home language is a powerful tool for mediating learning. Through their home languages, the language of the heart, students first learned as children -- how to love, to hope, to dream and to wonder. This in itself is a powerful resource to use in our classrooms to build learning communities where students and teachers can learn, thrive and live--together.
Response From Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo
Sandy Ruvalcaba Carrillo is a resource teacher for dual language learners and co-author of More Mirrors in the Classroom: Using Urban Children's Literature to Increase Literacy (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) [Editor's Note: You can read an interview I did with Sandy and her co-authors here):
Across the nation, districts vary in the language service delivery models that are implemented and often use a combination of programs. Decisions on which model to use are left in the hands of the local education agency and determining factors are state laws, population, resources, and the preference of the community. Language programs fall under one of two overarching goals, English development or bilingualism and biliteracy (Faulkner-Bond, et al., 2012; Garcia & Baker, 2007). These goals will drive how the home language is viewed and used: whether it is the means to acquiring English or developed so that students can understand, speak, read, and write in more than one language. With the cognitive, psychological, and social benefits of being bilingual, programs in which the home language is not developed may be at odds with what is best for students (Baker, 2000). When children enter the door of a school, they bring with them all of who they are - lived experiences and rich backgrounds. A significantly important part of their identity is the language spoken at home, a valuable resource that connects them to family and can lead to a positive self-concept and educational success if promoted in school (Cummins, 2001; Genesee, 2012). The good news is that, regardless of the language program model in place, educators can create positive learning environments and make conscientious choices that build upon the cultural and linguistic resources students bring with them. The following are some suggestions:

Form traditions and rituals that incorporate the home language. It can be the start or end to the school day or a celebratory song/chant when the class accomplishes a goal. Come up with it together and make it your own! Many times, these are the things that students remember and enjoy.

Empower students and families by allowing them access to the "ways of school." Depending on their exposure to our school system, students from nonmainstream cultures benefit from explicit guidance on how the classroom and the school functions. This can be especially challenging when there is a language barrier so, as much as possible, educators should make every effort to communicate information in the home language.

Tap into family and community resources. Invite family and other community members into the classroom to read a book, model how to do something, or teach a song or a poem in the home language. This can also be kept in mind when scheduling classroom trips.

Include the home language in ways to assess children's understanding of concepts. As much as possible, utilize the home language to create ways for students to demonstrate what they know. At the very least, always have it as a point of consideration when analyzing other data points. This will be helpful for guiding instruction and making decisions about programming.

Advocate for the use of the home language beyond the classroom walls. Collaborate with and enlist the help of school staff, especially those who speak the students' language(s), in infusing the home language throughout the day, during lunch, on the playground, in special classes, and at school-wide events.

Choose materials that authentically represent students' language and culture. Offer a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction, in the language(s) spoken by students. Choose books with which students can connect and encourage them and their families to be the creators of their own stories

The goal is that one day all students will have the opportunity to develop bilingual proficiency. Until that day comes, students will benefit from the choices educators make to honor and promote the home languages they bring to the classroom. References/Suggested Readings Baker, C. (2000). The care and education of young bilinguals. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Cummins, J. (2001). Bilingual Children's Mother Tongue: Why is it Important for Education? Faulkner-Bond, M., Waring, S., Forte, E., Crenshaw, R.L., Tindle, K., & Belknap, B. (2012). Language Instructional Education Programs (LIEPs): A Review of the Foundational Literature (pp. 107-121). US Department of Education. Genesee, F. (2012). The Home Language: An English Learner's Most Valuable Resource. Garcia, O. & Baker, C. (2007). Bilingual education. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Nemeth, K. (2009). Many languages, one classroom: Teaching dual and English language learners. Silver Spring, MD: Gryphon House, Inc.
Response From Mary Ann Zehr
Bio: Mary Ann Zehr teaches English at the International Academy, a high school for English-language learners that is part of the Francis L Cardozo Education Campus in the District of Columbia Public Schools:
I work at an academy in the District of Columbia that is part of the Internationals Network for Public Schools. The network promotes a school design for teaching English-language learners that incorporates the use of students' home languages in the classroom. I agree with this approach. Spanish is the home language for most students in our academy. My students have primarily immigrated from El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, but some students have come from other countries and thus do not understand Spanish. All of my students are English-language learners. I teach to the whole class always in English but I occasionally speak Spanish with some students one-on-one or in small groups to offer a brief explanation. When students work in pairs or groups, they may speak in their home language, but when they hand in an assignment to me or make an oral report to the class, they must use English. In every class, they must produce English. I pair students with more English proficiency with those who have less English proficiency and have the more advanced students help the newcomers to write what they want to say in English or practice saying words in English before they make a presentation to the class. One of the most valuable uses of the native language is to have students read content first in their home language and then in English. Reading a text first in their native language helps them to better understand the English text. They do this while completing online research assignments. Also, when students are reading articles I've printed from Web sites such as newsela.com, I encourage them to read the content first in Spanish and then in English. In addition, last school year, we read excerpts from "Enrique's Journey," by Sonia Nazario, a story about a Honduran teenager who travels thousands of miles to try to reunite with his mother in the United States. I assigned students whose native language was Spanish to read the excerpts first in Spanish and then in English. This approach greatly increased their engagement. When their peers were reading aloud in Spanish, students were more attentive than if they heard the text read only in English. The Spanish text provided a bridge for those students who were newest to the class to understand the story. When students are new to writing English, I encourage them to write their ideas first in their native language and then have another student help them translate the ideas into English or do so themselves. Using their native language is a way to get them started in thinking about what they want to say. Sometimes they are so new to English that they really don't know enough words to express their ideas. Other times, they are simply stuck and can't think of what to say. Once they write some ideas down in their native language, their ideas start flowing and it doesn't seem so daunting to write in English. While I constantly model English and encourage students to always speak with me and to the whole class in English, permitting them to use their native language while working in pairs or small groups can help students to get their heads around the content and then move to thinking, speaking, or writing in English. I believe teachers are missing out on some valuable strategies if they don't incorporate students' native languages into the teaching and learning process. At the least, if teachers have a number of students who share the same home language, such as Spanish or French, teachers can use words in English that have cognates in that home language to ease the acquisition process.

Thanks to Melissa, Wendi, Tracey, Sandy and Mary Ann for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] .When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it's selected or if you'd prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

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Education Week has published a collection of posts from this blog, along with new material, in an e-book form. It's titled Classroom Management Q&As: Expert Strategies for Teaching.
Just a reminder--you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And, if you missed any of the highlights from the first five years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. This Year's Most Popular Q & A Posts! Classroom Management Advice Student Motivation & Social Emotional Learning Relationships In Schools Instructional Strategies Author Interviews
I am also creating a Twitter list including all contributers to this column.

Look for Part Two in a few days...

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Response: ELL Students' Home Language Is an Asset, Not a 'Barrier'

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The new "question-of-the-week" is: What is the role, if any, of an ELL student's home language in the classroom? Over ten percent of the student population in the United States is comprised of English Language Learners. Given that reality, the role of a student's home language merits discussion.

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Frequent check-ins:
As a students I have always found that when teachers check in on my progress I seem to always be more successful on the task I was given. The link I provided is to a teachers blog who gave us a real world situation that all teachers will come across at one point in their teaching career, then gave tips on how to resolve the situation. This blog gives you steps on how to make frequent check in with your students such as refocusing the student, clarifying instruction, etc. I think this website will be very helpful to all teachers and future teachers.

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Graphic Organizers:
I have had many varying experiences with graphic organizers over my years in middle and high school, as well as college. Through teaching I have realized that they can be an effective tool in some situations, but can destroy a learning moment in others. In addition, some students seem to thrive off of them while others despise seeing them put on their desks. The resource I chose talks about how to EFFECTIVELY use graphic organizers in the classroom and how they can be used to further a topic. It does not cover the negatives, only highlighting the positives. However, it does a great job on what it covers.

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Enhance learning by using graphic organizers in the classroom. Different cognitive organizers can add another level to learning that is helpful for the students as well as the teacher.
What are graphic organizers?
Graphic organizers are defined as a visual display demonstrating the relationship between facts, ideas and concepts. Using visual and spatial modalities, graphic organizers enable students to organize, comprehend and internalize new learning. Here we will be taking a closer look at the benefits of using graphic organizers in the classroom.
Why use graphic organizers in the classroom?
Using graphic organizers can be extremely helpful for both students and teachers. It simplifies the teaching and the learning process while making it more enjoyable and interactive for everyone.
Teaching with graphic organizers
Graphic organizers have dual functions. They are effective as both a teaching and learning tool. As an instructional strategy it helps teachers:

Introduce a topic

Activate prior knowledge and linkit with new information

Organize content to be presented and a visually summarize the lesson once taught

Assess student comprehension, identify and address any questions or clarifications needed

Learning with graphic organizers
Now let's explore the benefits of graphic organizers as a learning tool:

Increases student engagement: The use of graphic organizers provides a hands on approach to learning. These tools, when incorporated in the lesson, provide students with the opportunity to actively participate and contribute to their learning process. The designs of the graphical organizers and the act of organizing content serves to stimulate both the creative and logical parts of the brain. It also helps to develop team dynamics when given as a group activity.

Facilitates cognitive processes: Through the use of graphic organizers various cognitive skills like brainstorming, generation of ideas, organizing and prioritizing content, critical analysis and reflection can be developed. The exposure to the various tools helps improve the student's capacity for active learning. The visual representations also serve as visual cues aiding retention and recall of concepts and their relations. This is highly useful when reviewing notes before examinations.

Improves comprehension: The use of graphic organizers allows for a deeper understanding of the content. The pictorial representations enable students to break down bigger ideas or concepts into smaller, simpler illustrations that are easily comprehended. Another primary advantage of this visual learning tool is its effectiveness in facilitating learning among students with disabilities.

The use of graphic organizers improves learning in the classroom. Though very simple to the eye, graphic organizers are powerful tools, highly instrumental in altering and improving the teaching-learning process in the classroom.
Like this article for teachers?
Browse the Professional Learning Board COURSE CATALOG to find related online courses for teachers in your state. Professional Learning Board is a leading provider of online professional development classes that teachers use to renew a teaching license or renew a teaching certificate.

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Why use Graphic Organizers in the Classroom?

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Using graphic organizerscan be extremely helpful for both students and teachers. It simplifies the teaching and the learning process while making it more enjoyable and interactive for everyone. The exposure to the various tools helps improve the student's capacity for active learning.

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Step-by-step instructions:

I was interested in the benefits of using this scaffold, because it is a useful organizer for visual learners, and is a common approach when teaching students who need structure such as those with autism. The resource I chose is very helpful, because it gives insight as to why step-by-step instructions help students to learn better, and it also gives teachers ways can use it in the classroom for lessons and assignments.

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Level 1: Receptive Language

For students who struggle with receptive language skill, it's important to start to slowly build concrete basic receptive language skills. A great place to start is following one step instructions. Following directions is a critical functional and academic skill. Think about how many times in one day we tell our student or child to do something. "Put this in the garbage." "Sit down." "Come over here." We need to not expect our kids to always understand and comprehend these directives in-situ. There is a lot going on when we give this quick commands. Our students need to comprehend this statement over the commotion of a busy classroom maybe when they were previously involved in another task. So it's essential to work on one step commands in isolation in direct instruction.

This program guide and data sheet is from our Discrete Trial Goal Sheets and Data Forms Set 2.

How to Teach One Step Commands:

1. Choose Commands. Pick 3-4 different commands to work on. If you focus on 1 or 2 - the student will have a good chance of just guessing the correct response.

2. Errorless Learning. Start by physical prompting the student. This is called errorless learning. Say, "Do this" and show your student the motion. Then immediately physically prompt them to do the same movement. Provide praise and reinforcement.

3. Fade Prompts. Start to fade your physical prompting. See if the student can either initiate or finish the movement on his own. Provide extra reinforcement for any response that is partially independent.

4. Use High Powered Reinforcers. Use the good stuff - cheetohs, goldfish crackers, or iPad. Limit access to these special treats except during these instructional time periods.

5. Provide Error Correction. Once you have faded prompts and are working on mastering each comment - make sure to handle errors correctly. When a student responds incorrectly, say a simple no and represent the movement. Do not provide reinforcement for errors. You don't want your student to just try loads of different movements and then get the reinforcer.

6. Repetition is key. Keep at it. This takes time! It won't come overnight. Keep taking data and working on it consistently.

This post is part of the Cooking Up Communication Summer Series!

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Teaching Following One Step Instructions - The Autism Helper

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For students who struggle with receptive language skill, it's important to start to slowly build concrete basic receptive language skills. A great place to start is following one step instructions. Following directions is a critical functional and academic skill. Think about how many times in one day we tell our student or child to do something.

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Voice-to-text programs
This scaffold is important in a classroom because it helps students that have learning disabilities, visual impairments, low motor skills, and limited english language learners. I chose this scaffold because as listed it can help several students in the classroom that are differentiated. This article mentioned that it helps lower the challenges for writing. The students will have less obstacles that they will face when writing while using a voice-to-text program. This will also make the student feel more independent with themselves and have less anxiety because of not asking so many questions to the teacher. This can help the teacher by knowing that the student is learning and not struggling as much anymore. The student benefits from this scaffold because they fully understand what they are learning.

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Endnotes

Click the "Endnotes" link above to hide these endnotes.

i Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping all students reach their full potential. March 2009 White Paper, Nuance Communications.

ii Higgins, E.L., & Raskind, M.H. (2000). Speaking to read: The effects of continuous vs. discrete speech recognition systems on the reading and spelling of children with learning disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), 19-30; Higgins, E.L. & Raskind, M.H. (1995). Compensatory effectiveness of speech recognition on the written composition performance of postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 18(2), 159-174; MacArthur, C.A. (2009). Reflections on research on writing and technology for struggling writers. Learning Disabilities Research& Practice, 24(2), 93-103.

iii Bruce, C. Edmundson, A., Coleman, M. (2003). Writing with voice: an investigation of the use of a voice recognition system as a writing aid for a man with aphasia. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38(2), 131-148.

iv Chiu, T.L., Liou, H.C., Yeh, Y. (2007). A study of web-based oral activities enhanced by automatic speech recognition for EFL college learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(3), 209-233; Jones, G., Squires, T., Hicks, J. (2007-2008). Combining speech recognition/natural language processing with 3D online learning environments to create distributed authentic and situated spoken language learning. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 36(4), 375-392.

v Freitas, D., Kouroupetroglou, G. (2008). Speech technologies for blind and low vision persons. Technology and Disability, 20, 135-156.

vi Jana, R. (2009). How tech for the disabled is going mainstream. BusinessWeek, 4149, 58-60. ; Lohr, S, & Markoff, J. (2010, June 24). Smarter than you think: computers learn to listen, and some talk back. New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/science/25voice.html?ref=science; Monaghan, P. (2010). Design for disability will become the norm. Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(2), B6-B7.

vii Bruce, C. Edmundson, A., Coleman, M. (2003). Writing with voice: an investigation of the use of a voice recognition system as a writing aid for a man with aphasia. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38(2), 131-148.; Chiu, T.L., Liou, H.C., Yeh, Y. (2007). A study of web-based oral activities enhanced by automatic speech recognition for EFL college learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(3), 209-233; Freitas, D., Kouroupetroglou, G. (2008). Speech technologies for blind and low vision persons. Technology and Disability, 20, 135-156; Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53; Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392; Honeycutt, L. (2003). Researching the use of voice recognition writing software. Computers and Composition, 20, 77-95; Jones, G., Squires, T., Hicks, J. (2007-2008). Combining speech recognition/natural language processing with 3D online learning environments to create distributed authentic and situated spoken language learning, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 36(4), 375-392; MacArthur, C.A. (2009). Reflections on research on writing and technology for struggling writers. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24(2), 93-103.

viii Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392; Honeycutt, L. (2003). Researching the use of voice recognition writing software. Computers and Composition, 20, 77-95.

ix Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.; Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392; Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping All Students Reach Their Full Potential. March 2009 White Paper,Nuance Communications.

xGardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.

xi Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392.; Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping All Students Reach Their Full Potential. March 2009 White Paper; Nuance Communications.; Peterson-Karlan, G., Hourcade, J., & Parette, P. (2008). A review of assistive technology and writing skills for students with physical and educational disabilities. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26 (2), 13-32.

xii Caverly, D.C. (2008). Techtalk: Assistive technology for writing. Journal of Developmental Education, 31(3), 36-37.

xiii Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.

xivGardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 44.

xv Chiu, T.L., Liou, H.C., Yeh, Y. (2007). A study of web-based oral activities enhanced by automatic speech recognition for EFL college learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(3), 209-233.

xviNuance Communications 2009; Silver-Pacuilla, H. (2006). Access and benefits: Assistive technology in adult literacy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 50(2),114-25.

xvii Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392.

xviii Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping all students reach their full potential. March 2009 White Paper, Nuance Communications.

xix Honeycutt, L. (2003). Researching the use of voice recognition writing software. Computers and Composition, 20, 77-95.

xx Higgins, E.L., & Raskind, M.H. (2000). Speaking to read: The effects of continuous vs. discrete speech recognition systems on the reading and spelling of children with learning disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), 19-30.

xxi Lohr, S, & Markoff, J. (2010, June 24). Smarter than you think: Computers learn to listen, and some talk back. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/science/25voice.html?ref=science.

xxii Jana, R. (2009). How tech for the disabled is going mainstream. BusinessWeek, 4149, 58-60; Monaghan, P. (2010). Design for disability will become the norm. Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(2), B6-B7.

Endnotes

i Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping all students reach their full potential. March 2009 White Paper, Nuance Communications.

ii Higgins, E.L., & Raskind, M.H. (2000). Speaking to read: The effects of continuous vs. discrete speech recognition systems on the reading and spelling of children with learning disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), 19-30; Higgins, E.L. & Raskind, M.H. (1995). Compensatory effectiveness of speech recognition on the written composition performance of postsecondary students with learning disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 18(2), 159-174; MacArthur, C.A. (2009). Reflections on research on writing and technology for struggling writers. Learning Disabilities Research& Practice, 24(2), 93-103.

iii Bruce, C. Edmundson, A., Coleman, M. (2003). Writing with voice: an investigation of the use of a voice recognition system as a writing aid for a man with aphasia. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38(2), 131-148.

iv Chiu, T.L., Liou, H.C., Yeh, Y. (2007). A study of web-based oral activities enhanced by automatic speech recognition for EFL college learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(3), 209-233; Jones, G., Squires, T., Hicks, J. (2007-2008). Combining speech recognition/natural language processing with 3D online learning environments to create distributed authentic and situated spoken language learning. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 36(4), 375-392.

v Freitas, D., Kouroupetroglou, G. (2008). Speech technologies for blind and low vision persons. Technology and Disability, 20, 135-156.

vi Jana, R. (2009). How tech for the disabled is going mainstream. BusinessWeek, 4149, 58-60. ; Lohr, S, & Markoff, J. (2010, June 24). Smarter than you think: computers learn to listen, and some talk back. New York Times, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/science/25voice.html?ref=science; Monaghan, P. (2010). Design for disability will become the norm. Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(2), B6-B7.

vii Bruce, C. Edmundson, A., Coleman, M. (2003). Writing with voice: an investigation of the use of a voice recognition system as a writing aid for a man with aphasia. International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, 38(2), 131-148.; Chiu, T.L., Liou, H.C., Yeh, Y. (2007). A study of web-based oral activities enhanced by automatic speech recognition for EFL college learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(3), 209-233; Freitas, D., Kouroupetroglou, G. (2008). Speech technologies for blind and low vision persons. Technology and Disability, 20, 135-156; Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53; Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392; Honeycutt, L. (2003). Researching the use of voice recognition writing software. Computers and Composition, 20, 77-95; Jones, G., Squires, T., Hicks, J. (2007-2008). Combining speech recognition/natural language processing with 3D online learning environments to create distributed authentic and situated spoken language learning, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 36(4), 375-392; MacArthur, C.A. (2009). Reflections on research on writing and technology for struggling writers. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 24(2), 93-103.

viii Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392; Honeycutt, L. (2003). Researching the use of voice recognition writing software. Computers and Composition, 20, 77-95.

ix Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.; Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392; Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping All Students Reach Their Full Potential. March 2009 White Paper,Nuance Communications.

xGardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.

xi Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392.; Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping All Students Reach Their Full Potential. March 2009 White Paper; Nuance Communications.; Peterson-Karlan, G., Hourcade, J., & Parette, P. (2008). A review of assistive technology and writing skills for students with physical and educational disabilities. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26 (2), 13-32.

xii Caverly, D.C. (2008). Techtalk: Assistive technology for writing. Journal of Developmental Education, 31(3), 36-37.

xiii Gardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 43-53.

xivGardner, T.J. (2008). Speech recognition for students with disabilities in writing. Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, 26(2), 44.

xv Chiu, T.L., Liou, H.C., Yeh, Y. (2007). A study of web-based oral activities enhanced by automatic speech recognition for EFL college learning. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 20(3), 209-233.

xviNuance Communications 2009; Silver-Pacuilla, H. (2006). Access and benefits: Assistive technology in adult literacy. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy 50(2),114-25.

xvii Higgins, E.L., Raskind, M.H. (2004). Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems. Annals of Dyslexia, 54(2), 365-392.

xviii Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping all students reach their full potential. March 2009 White Paper, Nuance Communications.

xix Honeycutt, L. (2003). Researching the use of voice recognition writing software. Computers and Composition, 20, 77-95.

xx Higgins, E.L., & Raskind, M.H. (2000). Speaking to read: The effects of continuous vs. discrete speech recognition systems on the reading and spelling of children with learning disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 15(1), 19-30.

xxi Lohr, S, & Markoff, J. (2010, June 24). Smarter than you think: Computers learn to listen, and some talk back. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/25/science/25voice.html?ref=science.

xxii Jana, R. (2009). How tech for the disabled is going mainstream. BusinessWeek, 4149, 58-60; Monaghan, P. (2010). Design for disability will become the norm. Chronicle of Higher Education, 56(2), B6-B7.

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Click the "Endnotes" link above to hide these endnotes. i Nuance Communications. (2009). Dragon NaturallySpeaking: Helping all students reach their full potential. March 2009 White Paper, Nuance Communications. ii Higgins, E.L., & Raskind, M.H. (2000). Speaking to read: The effects of continuous vs. discrete speech recognition systems on the reading and spelling of children with learning disabilities.

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Mini Lessons

I chose this resource because they explain what a mini lesson is, why it is important, when teachers should use mini lessons, and what they look like. A mini lesson is a lead-in to a larger lesson. A mini lesson should be short and focus on one strategy, skill, or concept. Teachers can teach mini lessons to a whole class, small group, or individual students. A mini lesson can be used for any subject or even be used to teach classroom procedures. “Mini lessons can be used to teach particular skills, extend previous learning, create interest in a topic and generate questions, or introduce strategies.” I think mini lessons are important for new teachers to be aware of. They are great to include in your lesson planning.

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Focused Mini Lessons

What Is It?

A mini lesson is a short lesson with a narrow focus that provides instruction in a skill or concept that students will then relate to a larger lesson that will follow. A mini lesson typically precedes reading workshop or writing workshop, but it can serve as an introduction to a social studies, science, or math lesson. Mini lessons can be used to teach particular skills, extend previous learning, create interest in a topic and generate questions, or introduce strategies.

Why Is It Important?

As Lucy Calkins explains in The Art of Teaching Writing, the mini lesson allows a teacher to convey a tip or strategy to students that they will use often (Calkins 1986). Sharing tips and strategies in this way allows students to gain valuable, relevant skills on a regular basis without spending too much time on drill and worksheets that might otherwise be used to teach the same skills. The lessons can focus on any number of topics, including reading, writing, problem-solving strategies and skills, or even classroom procedures. Using authentic student work as a springboard, teacher-created mini lessons can serve the needs of students by focusing on a single topic across multiple instructional levels.

When Should It Be Taught?

The mini lesson serves as a lead-in to a larger lesson in just about any subject area and can be as short as 5 minutes or as long as 15 minutes.

What Does It Look Like?

The mini lesson may be taught to a whole class, a selected small group, or individual students. The mini lesson should be short and focused on one strategy, skill, or concept. Teachers introduce the topic; demonstrate the strategy, skill, or concept; guide student practice; discuss the topic; volunteer more examples; and talk about what was taught. At the end of the mini lesson, teachers should give directions for the next activity, the literacy centers, or independent assignments.

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A mini lesson is a short lesson with a narrow focus that provides instruction in a skill or concept that students will then relate to a larger lesson that will follow. A mini lesson typically precedes reading workshop or writing workshop, but it can serve as an introduction to a social studies, science, or math lesson.

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White space
White space is an important concept to think about in many aspects. It is an intentional space that is created to give emphasis to concepts. The article I chose to share for this subject relates it to many areas- graphic design, room arrangement, presentation design, and even personal time. White space can be used to bring key concepts and ideas into focus for our students. Space on the page should be seen as important real estate and be placed with intent to convey meaning. Sometimes white space can be a way to allow a student better chances to read and access the instruction or assessment, while at other times it can be an overwhelming experience for the student. It is important to know the times to use white space and know how much to give each student.

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In education, every moment is precious. We're so busy ensuring we deliver the most engaging and inspiring lessons to our pupils and keeping up with new edtech, we sometimes forget about the valuable time in between. The time spent reflecting, giving pupils time to catch up with their learning and, as teachers, recharging our batteries is often overlooked.

One of our Promethean advocates, Alison Lydon, is a Deputy Head (Early Education) at Mary Erskine and Stewarts Melville Junior School in Edinburgh and is also a trained graphic designer, so she knows a thing or two about the importance of whitespace in design. Alison has written a guest blog for us about the relevance of this in teaching too.

When I was learning graphic design, whitespace - the portion of a page left unmarked - was an important element. I was taught that the space was not blank but an important element of design which enabled the objects in it to exist, to become important rather than being lost in the clutter and business of a page. This is an idea I have been adopting in my classroom recently. It is so easy to become caught up in the hurly-burly of Pinterest, the competitive world of 'just a bit more'. However, as we embark upon a new school year, I would urge you to think about leaving some white space.

What does whitespace in education look like?

It could be removing a piece of furniture from your classroom that doesn't add anything to your teaching or reducing the amount of displays in your classroom to ensure the important ones stand out. It could be in the creation of your own resources. Maybe a little white space in a worksheet so that the content and appearance does not overwhelm the audience.

The use of whitespace can give a classic, elegant, or rich appearance. Consider using just enough text on an interactive whiteboard flipchart to encourage and not distract your pupils, and keep them focused.

The importance of time to think

We all know the importance of allowing children thinking time. Do you do it enough?

Do you take time to watch and observe children whilst they engage in an activity, eat lunch or play in the playground? Sometimes a few minutes a day will tell you more about the development of the children in your care than any amount of testing.

Have you allowed white space between activities, to ensure everyone is ready and calm and in the right frame of mind to start the next task? Planning a short time at the end of the day to reflect is another example of white space. This will allow you to extract yourself from the blutack, confiscated fidget spinners, lost socks and think about the bigger picture, the strategies you will employ tomorrow, the goals you need to set for the next day.

Finally, how about you?

Have you considered areas where you need a little white space in your life to ensure you continue to arrive at school as an enthusiastic, happy teacher? Take time for you; walk, swim, cook, paint, shop, whatever it is that makes you feel revitalised. Reboot your enthusiasm for life.

I set myself a challenge for next term; find 10 minutes of white space a day. Build it up in small blocks of five or ten seconds, or a minute or two. This will remove some clutter and free up more white space in my teaching. What about you?

So, while we're busy crafting engaging lessons for our classes, and working out the best way to use edtech software like ClassFlow to inspire our pupils, it's just as important to think of the time in between.

Education and pedagogy is only as good as the teacher that delivers it every day, after all, so take some time to make sure you're recharged and motivated.

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The importance of whitespace in education | ResourcEd

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In education, every moment is precious. We're so busy ensuring we deliver the most engaging and inspiring lessons to our pupils and keeping up with new edtech, we sometimes forget about the valuable time in between. The time spent reflecting, giving pupils time to catch up with their learning and, as teachers, recharging our batteries is often overlooked.

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Front Loading Vocabulary:
The article says that front loading vocabulary can be a very "powerful" tool because it allows the students to understand what they are reading. If they do not understand the meaning of a word then being able to comprehend the meaning of what is being read is minimal. I believe this is a good resource for students and teachers because it gives a good definition of what front loading vocabulary means so that a student can understand why the teacher is doing what they doing. What make sit a good resource from a teacher is that it gives great examples of some different methods of using front loading vocabulary and ways to in cooperate into your lesson plan to create success.
It also provides its resources so that the teacher can continue to research on the topic if they choose to.

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Frontloading Vocabulary in Core Content Classes: Instructional Strategies | W&M School of Education

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The Virginia Department of Education lists the Frayer Model (see Figure 1) as an instructional strategy for teaching math vocabulary. As illustrated, the targeted vocabulary word is placed in the center of the graphic with the definition, characteristics, and examples surrounding it. Identifying non-examples is helpful in developing a fuller understanding of that word.

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For my selection on small group instruction, I chose a short article that really does a great job of simplifying small group instruction down to the essentials. It does an excellent job of outlining the value of small groups while being sure not to leave out that there are challenges associated with this type of instruction. It also provides links for teachers or parents to learn about differentiated learning and classroom management.

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Small group instruction usually follows whole group instruction and provides students with a reduced student-teacher ratio, typically in groups of two to four students. Whole group instruction is a teaching method where the teacher provides direct instruction to the whole group-usually a class. By contrast, small group instruction allows teachers to work more closely with each student on a specific learning objective, reinforce skills learned in whole group instruction and check for student understanding.

Small group instruction gives students more of the teacher's focused attention and a chance to ask specific questions about what they learned. Teachers can use small group instruction to intervene with struggling students as well.

The Value of Small Group Instruction

In part because of the increased popularity of programs such as " Response to Intervention," a strategy for early identification and support for students with learning and behavior needs, small group instruction is now commonplace in most schools. Teachers see the value in this approach. Student-teacher ratios have always been a factor in school improvement conversations. Adding small group instruction on a regular basis can be a way to improve that student-teacher ratio.

Small group instruction gives teachers a natural opportunity to provide targeted, differentiated instruction for small groups of students. It gives the teacher an opportunity to evaluate and assess more closely what each student can do and build strategic plans around those assessments. Students who struggle to ask questions and participate in a whole group setting may thrive in a small group where they feel more comfortable and less overwhelmed. Furthermore, small group instruction tends to proceed at a fast pace, which typically helps students maintain focus.​

Small group instruction can occur in groups of students with similar academic needs or in cooperative groups of students with diverse abilities, putting higher achieving students in the role of ​a peer mentor. Small group instruction encourages student involvement in lessons and can help them learn how to work well with others.

The Challenge of Small Group Instruction

Small group instruction makes it more challenging to manage the other students in a classroom. In a class of 20 to 30 students, you may have five to six small groups to work with during small group instruction time. The other groups must work on something while they wait their turn. Teach students to work independently during this time. You can keep them occupied with engaging center activities designed to reinforce skills taught during whole group instruction that do not require further instruction and free you to focus on one specific small group.

Take the time to establish a routine for small group instruction time. Students need to know what you expect of them during this class period. Making small group instruction work may not always be an easy task, but with commitment and consistency, you can make it effective. The preparation time and effort become worth it when you see the powerful opportunities it provides, paying big dividends for your students. Ultimately, a high-quality small group instruction experience can make a significant academic difference for all of your students, regardless of their level of achievement.

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Investing in Small Group Instruction Can Pay Big Dividends

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Small group instruction usually follows whole group instruction and provides students with a reduced student-teacher ratio, typically in groups of two to four students. Whole group instruction is a teaching method where the teacher provides direct instruction to the whole group-usually a class.

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The resource I chose helps teachers find graphic organizers for different grades and it gives templates to download that they can use for their classroom. This resource puts together all different graphic organizers that other teachers have made and used. This resource could help a teacher that is struggling on a graphic organizer to use by giving them templates that they can download and use. Another cool thing about this resource is that it also includes lessons that could be used for each graphic organizer. It also includes subjects, grades, and standard ideas to use.

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Graphic Organizers & Choice Boards

This collection of ready-to-use graphic organizers will help children classify ideas and communicate more effectively. All of our printable graphic organizers are designed to facilitate understanding of key concepts by allowing students to visually identify key points and ideas. By using graphic organizers across all subject areas, you will be empowering your students to master subject-matter faster and more efficiently. We have graphic organizers for reading, science, writing, math, and for general classroom use. You'll also find blank printable templates like graph paper, dot arrays, and other useful tools.

Popular Graphic Organizer Collections

Self-assessment Graphic Organizers

Growth Mindset Graphic Organizers

Graphic Organizers (PreK-2)

Help students, grades pre-K-2, with their reading comprehension, main idea organization, and more using our graphic organizers.

Graphic Organizers (Grades 3-5)

Help your grade 3-5 students with their organization by using our graphic organizers and reading webs.

Graphic Organizers (Grades 9-12)

These graphic organizers for grades 9-12 will aid students in reading comprehension, writing abilities, and sequencing.

Writing Graphic Organizers

Help students organize their writing with these sequence charts, reading organizers, outlines, webs, and more!

Research Graphic Organizers

Support students to practice and develop essential research skills.

Science Graphic Organizers

Use our venn diagrams, graphic organizer worksheets, and instructions to help your students organize their scientific thought.

Timelines and Sequence Charts

Sequence stories and picture orders with these timeline and sequence charts.

Reading Comprehension

Enhance your student's reading comprehension with these webs, main idea charts, plot summaries and more with our reading comprehension graphic organizers!

Concept Maps and Idea Webs

These concept maps and idea webs will help students organize their thoughts, whether they are history, science, or language arts related.

Math Graphic Organizers

Help your students enhance their math skills and stay on track with these homework checklists, KWL charts, column charts and more.

Galleries

These galleries provide you the best graphic organizers for every occasion. Whether it be writing, science, literature, or animal related, we have a slideshow for it all!

Customizable Graphic Organizers

Use our customizable graphic organizers to tailor each one to the specific lesson of the day.

KWL Charts

Help students organize what they know, what they want to know, and what they have learned with these KWL charts relating to all subjects.

Venn Diagrams

Venn Diagrams are a great way for students to compare and contrast two (or three) concepts. Use our venn diagrams to accompany your lesson for any subject.

Cause and Effect

Each effect has a cause. Help students identify the two in their readings, writing, and more with our cause and effect printable worksheets.

Main Idea and Supporting Details

It is important for students to distinguish main ideas and supporting details in order to comprehend their readings. We have provided printable graphic organizers, such as a stair step organizer, to help students organize the main idea from the supporting details.

Choice Boards

Choice Boards are similar to graphic organizers because they can be downloaded, printed, and given to students. What sets Choice Boards apart is that they provide students with the opportunity for choice. Rather than a graphic organizer that has one assignment, a choice board provides multiple ways that students can explore a topic or skill and demonstrate their learning. Choice boards also help you differentiate your instruction, as you can support students to make a choice that best aligns with their learning needs and learning preferences. Access our library of choice boards below.

Holiday Choice Boards

Math Choice Boards

English Language Arts Choice Boards

Social Studies Choice Boards

Science Choice Boards

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Graphic organizers for teachers grades K-12.

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Manipulatives: Based on this article, manipulatives are a must need tool in teaching math. Manipulatives help students understand a topic or concept while participating in a hands on activity to get them engaged. I chose this resource because it uses research to explain its claims and reasoning. Manipulatives are a great tool to use as a model to show students what is being taught. Teachers can utilize this information to implement more manipulative tools and activities into the classroom.

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hands-on
teaching methods
math
mathematics
manipulatives

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Manipulatives in Math: Why Teach Math with Manipulatives | ETA Hand2mind

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The use of manipulatives in teaching mathematics has a long tradition and solid research history. Learn how working with manipulatives in the classroom can help assist your students learning in a big way! Check out all the Math manipulatives we offer!

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Using Pictures/icons to support understanding:
Research has shown that using pictures is a very effective way to increase understanding and comprehension for all students, especially ELL students. An activity this article mentioned was using a Picture Word Inductive Model. In this activity, students look at a picture and brainstorm words the picture relates to. Then the students categorize the words, this leads them to completing a fill in the blank activity with the words, then they write their own sentences, and they begin to write their own paragraphs. This is a great method to gradually bring students into the writing process, one step at a time. Some other activities this article mentions are though bubbles, picture dictation, image detective, and many more that can help students use pictures to begin their writing process.

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

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Modeling: Modeling is a great scaffolding tool to help students further understand a concept. This allows for the teacher to provide a detailed example so that the students can complete a task on their own. I chose this source because it not only describes what modeling is but it also provides examples of how you can use modeling in your own classroom.

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Do you remember learning to tie your shoes? Or learning to bake a cake? Or learning to read? I'm guessing you did not learn by watching a video or listening to a lecture. You learned by being shown, and by practice. The same principle applies to our teaching! We must model for our students.

Okay, so that is easy in mathematics, science and some other hands-on subjects. Yes, but do we really model? Do we:

1. Use visuals or examples that are relevant?

2. Model while thinking out loud so that students hear the process?

3. Concisely communicate what we are doing and what is needed?

4. Present or model logically?

5. Present or model only what is needed and leave the extra "stuff" out?

We must become deliberate in our modeling so that students learn. Math VIDS has some great information on modeling in the classroom. How do we do that? Let's look at the Common Core Standards and focus on Reading Informational Text.

Grade 4

Standard: Describe the overall structure (chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts or information in a text or part of a text.

Lesson: The standard says "describe," but that does not mean "tell." If we just say the words, very few students will understand. Telling isn't modeling. So how do we model this? Think about how we can "show" students the text. You can use timelines to show chronology. Do we do this on paper? We can, but why not use technology? There are several sites that allow you to use technology to create timelines. Check out SoftSchools' Timeline Maker or ReadWriteThink's Interactive Timeline. Model for your students how to use these apps or other software, and model how to decide what goes first on the timeline. Let the students hear you think about your decisions of what to put in the timeline. Then have them create their own timelines.

What about comparisons and cause/effect? Again, use technology and let the students hear your thinking. Start with some examples where students compare objects in the classroom. You can also start with life examples where you talk about cause and effect, such as how not setting an alarm clock might mean being late for school.

So, modeling is not all about the teacher doing and the students watching. It is the teacher doing while involving the students in the thinking, the doing and all aspects of the process. Modeling also means a progression of teacher doing less and students doing more. This starts with the teacher doing most of the work for one example, then less of the work for a second example, until the fourth or fifth example when the students are doing most of the work. Don't have time to do five examples? If you do not take the time to ensure that all students understand, then you will spend the time you saved by reteaching. Why not take that time in the beginning instead of later?

Grade 6 and 9-10

Standard: Determine the meanings of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative and technical meanings.

Lesson: This can be a fun lesson or a very boring lesson. The boring lesson? Look up the words in a dictionary. Not fun for a sixth grade student. So how can we make this lesson motivating? We can model finding the meanings of words and phrases within a text. Try this: take a list of prefixes, suffixes and root words, and have students make up new words. They must define and use them in a sentence. This is a fun way to introduce parts of words. Have students present their words, definitions and sentences. Then have them write a story with their new words. Whenever I use this lesson, we all have a great time laughing, and it challenges me. Students get to see me stop them in a story and say, "Wait, I need to figure out that word." Then I get the parts of words and model how I am figuring out what the word means. They love stumping me! After this, move into a piece of text, and again stop and say, "Wait, let's figure out what that word means." Have the students help you discover word meanings using parts of words. The next day, start saying, "Wait; in context, I think the word means this," and show the students how you use clues in the writing to discover word meanings. Model the thinking. Give your students the gift of learning how to discover word meanings.

Again, modeling means that the teacher does most of the work the first time, and then gradually the students do most of the work.

Does this take time? Yes! However, you are giving students a valuable gift of learning to learn instead of relying on the teacher for learning. So give it a try. Take a lesson where you would "tell" the students and recreate it as a modeling lesson. Then tell us about it!

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Do you remember learning to tie your shoes? Or learning to bake a cake? Or learning to read? I'm guessing you did not learn by watching a video or listening to a lecture. You learned by being shown, and by practice. The same principle applies to our teaching!

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Hint cards are a great way to scaffold work and allow the teacher to help other students and allows th student to work independently. This is a great way to put answers on the card that the teacher may know will be difficult for the student or to provide an answer to a students question. This allows students a resource to go to before they go to the teacher and allows students to solve the problem independently. This is a great way to scaffold in the classroom.

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Thought starters

1. How does Ms. McPhillips decide what hints to use?

2. What are the effects of using hint cards?

3. How does Ms. McPhillips use hint cards to scaffold understanding?

School Details

John F. Deering Middle School
2 Webster Knight Dr
West Warwick RI 02893

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Middle school math teacher Audra McPhillips explains how she uses hint cards to support her students and encourage independence. Audra explains how she writes probing questions on the hint cards to help scaffold her students' understanding. Audra shares how she has noticed her students benefiting from the extra support of the hint cards.

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Think Aloud- A think-aloud is a great scaffolding tool that teachers can use to work on comprehension. The students are able to visualize, predict, summarize, question, and connect to the reading or subject material they are looking at in class. Think-aloud also allow more collaboration in the classroom because students are able to bounce ideas off of each other and get some of their questions answered by peers rather than teachers.
I chose this resource because it talks about the different aspects (listed above) and how each one can be focused on during think-alouds.

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While modeling the think-aloud strategy "teachers verbalize aloud while reading a selection orally. Their verbalizations include describing things they're doing as they read to monitor their...