Teaching Math to English Learners

As a teacher it was hard enough for me to teach math to young students, let alone teaching math to students at the lower levels of proficiency in English. As I became more skilled in teaching math, I learned that I was just teaching math in a "memorization" type of way and the main issue as to why students were unable to attain long-term mastery of mathematical concepts was because I was not teaching them conceptually in an in-depth manner.

Teachers must remember that English learners who are acquiring a second language have a double burden: they must keep up with grade level content at the same time that they are acquiring a second language. Not only do students need practice with mathematical skills, they also must learn the mathematical vocabulary and grammatical/language structures of the mathematics content area.

One way that teachers can expose students to mathematical vocabulary is through the use of songs, poems and chants. Teachers can create their own basic chants and rhymes with well-known, traditional songs for children. For teachers who might not be musically or poetically inclined, there are also a variety of books that have songs, poems, and chants for students about mathematical concepts, such as:

• Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems
• Circle Time Poetry Math
• Math Poetry: Linking Language and Math in a Fresh Way

Students who have authentic, meaningful practice with mathematical vocabulary and concepts through the fun use of chants, songs, and poems will be more inclined to store mathematical vocabulary and concepts in their long-term memory.

An additional way to develop language and math in a simultaneous way is to integrate literature and non-fiction books that contain mathematical vocabulary, concepts or real-life use of math. In the upcoming months, we will be creating a '"teaching math to English learners" section to the main ELDStrategies.com website where we will review many literature and non-fiction books that are recommended for using with English learners. In the meantime, you can also find some recommended titles in the ELD Strategies store by clicking here.

You can find additional resources for teaching mathematics to English learners from kindergarten through high school, as well as poems and some recommended children books in the ELD Strategies store.

Happy New Year!
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Activating Prior Knowledge and Building Background

Yesterday we uploaded a page on "Activating Prior Knowledge and Building Background" onto the ELD Strategies main site. We quickly explained the distinction between activating prior knowledge and building background. Activating prior knowledge signifies that teachers find out what students know, don't know or have misconceptions about regarding a topic of study. When it is determined that students may not have background on a certain topic, teachers can employ a variety of activities to build background and understanding of the topic.
The SIOP model has a "Building Background" component and gives a variety of strategies that teachers may use to build background. For teachers who have attended Project GLAD training, the focus/motivation strategies such as the inquiry chart and observation charts are designed to activate students' prior knowledge, and the cognitive content dictionary (ccd) and teacher-made big books can be used to build background knowledge.

SIOP explains that one component of building background is the teaching of academic vocabulary. According to SIOP, academic vocabulary consists of three elements: 1) content specific words; 2) functional language; and, 3) morphological analysis and word study. One excellent strategy to teach content-specific words and morphological analysis is the cognitive content dictionary (Project GLAD).

Please visit the main site and check out the resources that we are creating about building background. The site is currently under-construction but we are currently working on adding additional details about academic language, specific "how-to" information about building background strategies, resources for teachers about how to provide morphological analysis on selected academic vocabulary, as well as additional ELD strategies that be used during ELD time. You can visit the Building Background page that we have created by clicking here.
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Developing Language and Literacy With Multicultural Holiday Books

Happy holiday season! We've uploaded a number of holiday books about Christmas around the world, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in our ELD Strategies store so that you can read about them in your classroom, or with your very own children! The holiday season is a great time to make connections with students about how they celebrate the various holidays in their family, and it's a excellent opportunity to also learn about how other people celebrate. These books are a fun way to promote literacy and language development while having fun and engaging students at the same time!

As a follow-up to many of the books, students can write about how they celebrate the holidays in their house, or they can write an expository essay or shared writing about one of the holidays that they learned about.

You can find the holiday book in the ELD Strategies store by clicking here.

Language and Literacy Online Resources

Today when I was looking at the sites of public library sites online I found an interesting online resource that I thought has great potential for teachers of English language learners. The resource is called the "Tumblebook Library". It's an online database of digitalized and animated books for children in English and multiple other languages. The stories are appropriate for many English learners because it has the text on the screen at the same time that someone is narrating the story. In addition to the animated books, the site has audio books, games and quizzes and other resources.

The online resource is free if it is accessed through one of the local libraries that has purchased the resource. You can find more information about the "Tumblebook Library" and find out how to access the online library free of charge on our sister site, Multilingual Mania. Click here for more information.

We Would Greatly Appreciate Your Feedback

We are currently working on our main site "ELD Strategies" and uploading content and information slowly. We have tons of great ideas as to what we want to include on the site, including a section about SIOP, sample SIOP lesson plans and activities, information about Project GLAD, videos about effective instruction for English learners, recommended books and materials, a teacher networking forum, and many other features.

However, we don't want to make the site all about what we think that teachers like you want, so we are requesting feedback from teachers of English learners about what they would think would be useful to them as teachers of second language learners. We want to know about your frequently asked questions, things that you don't understand or find difficult about educating English learners, questions that you have about English language development or SDAIE, etc. We want to hear your suggestions so that we can create the best site for you that will meet your needs!

Please visit our main site in order to fill out a quick survey about who you are and your suggestions! We would greatly appreciate your feedback. Supporting the unique needs of teachers of English learners is our priority and your feedback helps us accomplish that goal!!

Interesting Finds: Cyber Monday Online Discounts

We are always online looking for great deals, and so we couldn't help but tell everyone about the Cyber Monday deals that are going on today at Amazon.com. Amazon has been having an "after Thanksgiving sale" since Friday and they have some really great deals on movies, books, children's games and toys, electronics-you name it! What we have really been enjoying are the "lightening rod" deals that they periodically post for a limited amount of time. We've mentioned this to a few people and they have told us that they have already completed all of their holiday shopping for a very minimal price! Check out the Cyber Monday deals when you get a chance by clicking here! The sale has been going all weekend and ends Monday!!

P.S., Don't forget about the free webinar that the Wested organization is giving regarding teaching mathematics to second language learners that we posted in our last post! We'll link to the archived recording of the webinar for those of you who will be teaching during the time of the webinar.

Have a great day!!

Webinar: Making Math Accessible to English Learners

The Wested Organization will be having a live webinar about making mathematics accessible and comprehensible to English learners on December 2, 2009 between 10:30-12:00 PST. The webinar is applicable for teachers in the upper elementary grades through high school, although I am sure that teachers in the primary grades would also benefit from the discussion. The two presenters will be Cathy Caroll and John Carr. I don't know much about Cathy Carroll, but I do know that John Carr was one of the creators of the Wested Map of ELD Standards, which helped with an alignment of the English language arts and English language development standards in California.

Interested participants can join the webinar online or via teleconference. The webinar will discuss how to use multiple ELD and SDAIE strategies in order to differentiate for students who are various levels of English proficiency levels in the mathematics classroom.

Even if you don't have any English learners in your classroom, you might find this webinar useful! It is not often that we have an opportunity to learn about strategies and differentiation for teaching mathematics instruction.

The information in the webinar will be based on Wested's book "Making Mathematics Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers". You can purchase the book in the ELD Strategies bookstore by clicking here.

If you would like to attend the webinar, please visit Wested's informational page. If you are unable to attend the webinar, we will post at a later time if Wested uploads a copy of the webinar to their website archives.

Additional Resources About Teaching Mathematics to English Learners:
The SIOP Model for Teaching Mathematics to English Learners
English Learners in the Mathematics Classroom
Supporting English Language Learners in Math Class (K-2)
Support English Language Learners in Math Class (Grades 3-5)
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Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! We are very grateful to all of our readers of the blog and visitors to the upcoming ELD Strategies website. Thanks for all of the encouragement and feedback that you have been providing! We're thankful to all of the many teachers who work tirelessly and go above and beyond to meet the needs of their precious students!

We wanted to let you know about the giveaway that the Spanglishbabyfinds.com website is having for the new Pat Mora book about Thanksgiving. The deadline is November 29th, which is after Thanksgiving, but this precious book can be read after the holidays with your students or even your own children!

You can find the giveaway by clicking here.

If you haven't already, join our Facebook page if you are on facebook by clicking on the facebook badge on the right hand side of this blog. We just started the page and will be sending updates from this blog, but also other things that you might find interesting!

Happy Thanksgiving, once again and thank you for stopping by!

Literacy and Language Development Activities During the Week of Thanksgiving

It's that time of the year again when teachers can make a really great connection to students' home lives--Thanksgiving! I know that many might be on vacation during the week of Thanksgiving, but those who are not have the opportunity to make connections with their students and build literacy through the study of the theme of Thanksgiving. Teachers can try the following activities with their students in order to build literacy and language development:

1. Write a letter about what students are thankful for in their lives. Teachers should provide a model for students at the lower levels of ELD English proficiency. Teachers can also teach mini-lessons about letter writing, capitalization, punctuation, compound sentences and many other language objectives when teaching about letter writing. Make every second count! Just because students are having with holiday activities doesn't mean that literacy and language objectives shouldn't be taught!
2. Read aloud books about Thanksgiving to students. The local library or local bookstores will have tons of books about Thanksgiving. Read both nonfiction and fiction books about the holiday. Take the time to teach concepts of print, comprehension strategies and other mini-lessons about reading.
   
3. Ask students to orally share with their partners how they celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in their home. Guide students (by showing a model) of how to write a paragraph about how they celebrate Thanksgiving in their home. Compile all of the paragraphs into a class book.
4. Chant and read songs, poems, and chants about Thanksgiving and related themes such as turkeys, pumpkins, and autumn. English learners will benefit from the oral language development and reading. In addition, teachers can teach English language development (ELD) mini-lessons about vocabulary, pronunciation, phonics, high frequency words, and many other literacy topics. Teachers can find poems on the Can Teach website, the Alphabet Soup website, the Apples4Teacher website, and many other websites.

Have fun and develop literacy!

Initial Identification and Assessment of English Learners

Have you ever wondered how English learners are identified within the school system? When students are first enrolled in the school system, parents are given a home language survey that asks specific questions about the student's primary language, dominant language, and languages spoken by adults in the home. Based on the answers to the questions, students may be identified as an English learner and will be administered an assessment of their primary and second languages.

I've published a more detailed article over on Associated Content that outlines the process of initial identification and assessment of English learners. You can find the article here:

Initial Identification and Assessment of English Learners

Teaching English Learners with the SIOP Model

In the past I have written about the SIOP model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol), an instructional model of sheltered instruction, English language development (ELD) and literacy for English learners. SIOP is a research-based instructional model that integrates all of the critical components of sheltered instruction as well as effective SDAIE strategies.

The SIOP model is clearly outlined in the book "Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model". As I mentioned before, the book is very powerful because it compiles all of the research-based components that are essential for the education of second language learners.

Now I have just found out the creators of the SIOP model also have published additional books about the SIOP model! Reading these books will further develop your understanding of the SIOP model and will assist you in it's implementation.

Here are some examples of additional SIOP books:

• 99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Learners with the SIOP Model: This book is pretty explanatory! It includes 99 ideas and activities for each of the eight SIOP components. It's a further expansion of the smaller section in the original SIOP book about sample SIOP strategies.
• Making Content Comprehensible for Elementary English Learners-The SIOP Model: This book includes new classroom vignettes that were not in the original book. It also includes additional SIOP strategies, resources for English learners who are struggling readers, a review of writing content and language objectives, and a section on response to intervention within the SIOP model. A cd also comes with the book with video vignettes in an elementary classroom
• Making Content Comprehensible for Secondary English Learners-The SIOP Model: This book includes everything that I just talked about in the elementary book, except it has a focus on the SIOP model at the secondary level. This is a great resource for middle school and high school teachers who are teaching an English language development (ELD) class, a sheltered instruction class, or who have a class with English learners!!

But wait-it even gets better! When I have conducted a SIOP training, it is inevitable that math teachers sometimes feel that the initial SIOP book doesn't have enough examples, SDAIE strategies, and classroom vignettes with an emphasis on teaching math to English learners. Now SIOP has created a SIOP book with a specific emphasis on mathematics! The book is called "The SIOP Model for Teaching Math to English Learners". I recommend that math teachers first read the original SIOP book, but then the book with an emphasis on math is a second must-read!

You can read more about these books and some future books that will be published about the SIOP model in the ELD Strategies store!
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New Website!!

I'm really excited about the new website that we are working on for English language development!! Well, it's not so much of a new website, but it has been offline for about six months due to a technical change in the hosting company and I haven't had a chance to add anything to it!

Please visit ELDStrategies.com and let us know what you think of the format so far! I am slowly working on it, adding content, so please be patient because I am trying to figure out the technical part as I am also writing the content at the same time!

I plan on keeping this blog and trying to write a little more regularly, but there are also things that I can do over on the regular website that I can't do on the blog. For example, I would like to create some documents, powerpoints, and other resources for teachers that I would like to upload to the site and make them easily accessible to be downloaded. I can't do that here!

One of my major plans over on the main ELD Strategies site is to create a teacher forum where teachers can network and share resources with one another. I've got some really great ideas and I am working hard to put it all together because I know that there is such a need for an online community of teachers of English learners.

Just imagine one website that you can go to that has everything that you need to teach English learners! That's my major goal. I've just been playing around on this blog here, trying to learn about technology and social media, and now I am committed to moving forward and creating a website that will serve as a comprehensive resource for teachers.

I'm open to suggestions as to what you think should be included on the website. I have unlimited pages, so I can address many issues. Please feel free to leave a comment or email me at info(at)eldstrategies(dot)com if you would like to make a few suggestions about what you think would be on the ideal site for teachers of English learners. I want to make this site relevant and useful to teachers, so please don't hold back your suggestions!!

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Second Language Programs for English Learners

I just published an article that outlines the various program options available for second language learners. The article details the differences between English Mainstream programs, structured English immersion, and the various forms of bilingual education.

You can check out the article here:

Second Language Programs for English Learners

Book Giveaway!!

We're having a giveaway of Colin Baker's book "Foundations of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism" over on our multilingual blog. Even if you aren't a bilingual teacher, this book is an excellent resource for teachers or people who would like to learn more about second language education. You can find the details over on Multilingual Mania! If you would like to enter, leave a comment over there that you found us through the ELD Strategies blog!

Online Resources for Teachers of English Learners

Wested's "Schools Moving Up" will be having a live webinar or teleconference about English learners and Language Arts. The webinar will take place on August 20 from 10:30-12:00 Pacific Standard Time. If you miss the webinar, it will later be posted on the website. This is an excellent opportunity to develop research-based strategies on developing academic language in English learners! You can find more information here.

Heinemann is offering a free sample chapter of their newly released book, Comprehension and English Language Learners: 25 Oral Reading Strategies that Cross Proficiency Levels. You can read the chapter by clicking here. If you enjoy the book, you can also purchase it from the ELD Strategies store.

If you belong to www.goodreads.com, you can join our group "Educating English Learners". We will share books and open a discussion forum where we will talk about issues pertinent to the education of English learners. Join now and we will be posting recommended books soon!

We just recently started a yahoo listserve group for teachers of English learners. We would like to increase membership in the group and create an online space where teachers can dialogue with one another and share resources and materials. Please join now and spread the word!!

Soon we will create a facebook page. Stay tuned!! You can also check out our Multilingual Mania site if you are interested in bilingualism.


Purchase these ELD materials for English learners in order to fully develop their proficiency in English language development. This book is recommended for esl teachers, esol teachers, teachers who have been trained in the siop model of language development, and teachers who need assistance with second language acquisition.

Question of the Week

Once a week we will be taking a question of the week and expanding on the question. Now is your chance to ask any question that you have about second language acquisition, English learners, ELD, effective practices for English language development, etc! Feel free to leave your question in the comments section and at the end of the week we will choose one question to answer. The questions that you ask will really help us create posts that are interesting, relevant and pertinent to the needs of our readers.

Remember what you tell to your students--"No question is a stupid question!". We are here to help and assist teacher in any way, and we need you to tell us what it is that you need.

Preparing for the CTEL Test

Lately it appears that many school districts in California are becoming more adamant that teachers receive their certification to teach English learners. One way that teachers can receive their certification is to take classes at a university; many of the extended learning centers for the universities offer certification programs. In California, an additional way to receive your English learner certification is to take the CTEL (California Teachers of English Learners) test.

We've decided that over the next few weeks we will post about topics pertinent to information that might be found on the CTEL test in order to assist any teachers who might be prepping for the test. All the information will also be applicable to any teachers of English learners.

You might also want to take a look at our previous post of must-reads for receiving your English learner certification. Similar states have similar tests, so I am positive that the information found in these materials will be applicable to any state certification!
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May Updates

The funniest thing happened. We mailed off our Project GLAD giveaway book quite a bit of time ago, and the book was actually returned to us for some reason. It just ended up in our mailbox, interestingly enough and it doesn't even look like it has been mailed. We will be sending it out again this coming Tuesday.

We haven't been posting much here lately because we have been very busy with Project GLAD trainings and English Learner Professional Development Trainings (ELPD). We actually submitted a training curriculum to be approved by the state, and it was accepted. We're very happy about this.

Many people have been contacting us and asking us if we are Project GLAD key trainers. We most definitely are! We are located in Southern California, but have no problems with traveling to other locations. We work extensively with teachers in all academic programs, and we have a specific expertise in the area of bilingual education/dual language/Dual Immersion programs. We can also provide training on how Project GLAD can be used to meet the needs of second language learners who are in dual language contexts (i.e., English-only students learning Spanish, for example). If you would like more information or have any questions, please feel free to contact us at eldstrategies(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Stay tuned for some upcoming posts because we will begin to update the blog this weekend. We'll try to keep more regular with the posting. Have a nice holiday weeekend!!

Must-Have Reads to Prepare for English Learner Certification/Authorization

A couple of weeks ago, Mary Ann Zehr on Ed Week asked her blog readers whether receiving their English learner teaching authorization was a way to keep their job in the pending economic crisis that is affecting many school districts. Over the past couple of weeks, I've seen an increase in teachers preparing to take some of the state tests that will provide authorization to teach English learners. A few teachers have expressed a bit of hesitation regarding taking the state test, because they feel that they are not necessarily prepared for the exam. So I have put together a must-read list of materials that will most definitely prepare you for state EL authorization exams. These books are also must-reads for any teacher of English learners who may already have their English learner teaching authorization!

• The Crosscultural Language and Academic Development Handbook: A Complete K-12 Reference Guide
•  Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K-12 English Learners
• A Course for Teaching English Learners-(Do you notice the abbreviations on the cover "CTEL"? The CTEL is the state exam for English learner authorization in California-hint, hint!)

As a former classroom teacher and current teacher educator myself, I still continue to use these three books frequently in order to prepare my trainings for teachers. If you study these books, you will most definitely feel prepared for the state tests! 

Coming Soon:

I'm drafting a follow-up post about the SIOP model. I am specifically focusing on the following questions: What are language and content objectives? How can I teach language development when I am teaching Science and/or Social Studies content? 

Stay tuned!!

ELD Strategies Book Review Part Two:Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners-The SIOP Model

In a previous post, we provided an overview of the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) model of sheltered instruction and English Language Development, or ELD. If you haven't read the first post, you might want to read it here before reading part 2.

In our last post, we provided an overview of the eight SIOP components, and briefly summarized the following components of SIOP:

• Lesson Preparation
• Building Background
• Comprehensible Input

In this post, we'll summarize the remaining five components of the SIOP model of instruction for English learners. 

Strategies

The strategies component emphasizes the following features: 1) metacognitive, cognitive, and social affective learning strategies; 2) verbal and instructional scaffolding techniques; and, 3) higher-order questioning.

Interaction

The interaction component is an essential feature of effective instruction for English learners, because students who are learning a second language need multiple opportunities to practice a second language with peers. The following features of interaction are discussed: 1) multiple opportunities to practice all four language domains (i.e., listening, speaking, reading and writing); 2) various grouping configurations (e.g., whole group, flexible small group, heterogeneous, homogeneous, partners, etc); 3) sufficient wait time; and, 4) clarification of key concepts in students' primary language.

Practice/Application

The practice and application component emphasizes the following features: 1) hands-on practice of learning with manipulatives or meaningful activities; 2) integration of all four language domains; and, 3) application of new learning in multiple ways.

Lesson Delivery

SIOP's lesson delivery component ensures that the following features are present in effective lesson design and delivery: 1) content and language objectives are supported during the lesson; 2) students are actively engaged in the lesson; and, 3) the lesson pacing is appropriate (i.e., not too fast, not too slow).

Review/Assessment

The review and assessment component emphasizes the review of key concepts and vocabulary. In addition, effective review and assessment consists of immediate, corrective feedback to students as well as formative and summative assessment.

If you are a teacher who is just starting out and learning about ELD and sheltered instruction, or if you are a teacher who has been around the block for a while...this book is applicable to you. The book packages all of the effective components of sheltered instruction in order to assist teachers in implementing quality ELD lessons for students. Purchase a copy today-you will not be disappointed!

Chat Hosted By EDWEEK Regarding Assessment and English Learners

Today at 2:00 Eastern Standard Time, EdWeek will be hosting a chat about assessment and English learners. Margo Gottlieb is the director of assessment and evaluation at the Illinois Resource Center, and will be leading the chat. It ought to be interesting-have fun!!

March Giveaway Update

Mikel, please claim your March giveaway prize by sending your name and emailing address to eldstrategies(at)yahoo(dot)com no later than this Sunday. By Sunday evening, we will draw another name if the prize is not claimed! Thanks!!!

ELD Strategies Book Review Part One:Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners-The SIOP Model

Today we'd like to discuss a really great resource for teachers of English learners, the book "Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model". This book is now in it's third edition, and the third edition is the edition to buy!

The SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) model is an instructional model of sheltered instruction and English language development for English learners. Sheltered instruction is a way to make grade-level academic content understandable and comprehensible to English learners while at the same time promoting English language development. There are a variety of instructional techniques that many people label as "SDAIE strategies" in the education community, but what the SIOP book does is package all of the research-based strategies into one instructional model. This book is indispensable for any teacher who is a teacher of English learners and/or English Language Development (ELD)!!

The authors have organized the instructional model into eight distinct components of sheltered instruction. The components are:

1. Lesson Preparation
2. Building Background
3. Comprehensible Input
4. Strategies
5. Interaction
6. Practice/Application
7. Lesson Delivery
8. Review and Assessment

For this article, we will outline the first three components. In a subsequent post the additional SIOP components and the SIOP protocol (i.e., the peer teaching/coaching self-reflective protocol sheet) will also be discussed. 

Lesson Preparation

The lesson preparation component is one of the most important components of effective sheltered instruction and ELD, but it sometimes tends to be the most neglected. Within the SIOP book, teachers will learn about the features that define the lesson preparation component. Such features include: 1) writing, displaying, defining and reviewing content and language objectives; 2) ensuring that lesson concepts are appropriate for the age and the educational background of students; 3) effective use of supplemental materials; 4) adapting content for students at all proficiency levels of language development; and, 5) providing meaningful opportunities for students to practice the language and content. 

In a few upcoming posts, we will specifically answer the following questions: 

• What exactly are content and language objectives? What are some concrete examples? 
• Why should teachers integrate content and language objectives?
• What are some examples of language objectives? How do I know which language objectives to choose when teaching a content lesson?

In a nutshell, teachers need language objectives in order to develop students' language skills during content instruction. In other words, language objectives can help a teacher teach ELD and English literacy through such content areas as Science, Social Studies, etc. Stay tuned for future posts about content and language objectives!

Building Background

Activating prior knowledge and building background are extremely important components of the teaching and learning process. The SIOP book discusses the following features of building background: ) explicitly linking concepts to students background experiences and previous learning; and, 2) developing high levels of academic vocabulary.

Teachers will learn about a variety of instructional strategies designed to build background knowledge and enhance academic language development. In one of our future posts, we are planning on discussing some of the following questions:

• What exactly is "academic language"?
• How is the SIOP building background component similar to Project GLAD's focus and motivation component? How can these two complementary models be used together to increase the academic achievement of English learners? 

Comprehensible Input

We often hear the phrase "comprehensible input", but what exactly does it mean? All English learners need comprehensible input through the use of specific strategies that are designed to make cognitively complex concepts accessible and understandable to students. Teachers sometimes provide comprehensible input through pictures, realia, sketches, total physical response, pictorial input charts (i.e., a Project GLAD strategy), etc. The SIOP book also discusses the following components of comprehensible input: 1) using speech that is appropriate to students at various English proficiency levels; 2) clearly explaining and modeling classrooms tasks; and, 3) using a variety of techniques to make content comprehensible to students at all English proficiency levels. 

Stay tuned in the future for some posts featuring effective comprehensible input strategies. We also plan on outlining the similarities between the SIOP comprehensible input component with Project GLAD's input component. 

If you plan on purchasing the SIOP book, please purchase it through our ELD Strategies Amazon store. All proceeds will be used to purchase additional books for future book reviews!! We appreciate your support!

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March Giveway Winner

March's giveaway winner is...mikel. 

Please email us at eldstrategies(at)yahoo(dot)com and send us your name and address for us to send the book to!!

Stay tuned for our April giveaway-it's even better than March's!!

Effective Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners

There's a lot of talk lately about teaching vocabulary and the necessity of teaching vocabulary for reading comprehension and academic development. While we are not refuting that all students need explicit vocabulary development, we have seen that vocabulary development has become such an isolated teaching skill in some cases that students won't have a deep understanding of the vocabulary words taught. 

Vocabulary instruction for English learners needs to be highly contextualized, meaning that it must be taught in the context of meaningful instruction. It defeats the purpose to have a "word of the day" that may be isolated from anything that students are learning. There is a really great book that we recommend by Robert Marzano, Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement: Research on What Works in Schools. In the book, Marzano outlines eight principles of academic vocabulary development:

1. Effective vocabulary instruction does not just consist of giving students a definition of the word, or having students look up the definition of a word in the dictionary. Students should be exposed to the word many times in the context of meaningful instruction and teachers should provide a study friendly definition of the word.
2. Students should be able to express their knowledge of the words through both "linguistic and nonlinguistic representations". This may include drawing, pictures, graphic organizers, acting the word out, etc.
3. Effective vocabulary instruction includes multiple exposures to certain words across a variety of contexts. In order for students to retain a word in long term memory and have an in-depth understanding of words, students must be exposed to words in books, writing, etc. It is not enough to discuss a word once or twice and assume that students will have completely understood the word.
4. Students need to be taught the morphology of the word, which includes prefixes, suffixes, and root words. An excellent resource for prefixes, suffixes and other words parts is the ESL Teacher's Book of Lists.
5. Different types of words need a different method of instruction. Some words require more direct instruction than others.
6. Students need to be given opportunities for students to discuss the words that they are learning. Project GLAD defines this as opportunities to have "comprehensible output"; many of Project GLAD's guided oral practice strategies offer multiple opportunities to use vocabulary in meaningful ways.
7. Students should play with words through games and other fun activities.
8. Students should be taught words that have a high chance of raising academic achievement. Marzano has put together essential lists of key vocabulary words per school subject that students need to learn. Another valuable resource for teachers is the ESL Teacher's Book of Lists and the Vocabulary Teacher's Book of Lists. 

What Does This Look Like in the Classroom?

Let's take a second grade example regarding important people in the community. We looked at the state standards, and looked through the Social Studies textbook that students were using for key academic vocabulary that we wanted to teach students. We wanted to make sure that students were exposed to the vocabulary in multiple ways, so we employed many strategies designed to provide multiple exposures to certain words. One strategy that we used was a cognitive content dictionary (a Project GLAD strategy). 

Next we read the textbook and other books with students in order to expose the vocabulary words to students. If our chosen vocabulary words were not in the given books, then we strategically used them with students in our discussions of the texts.

The next strategy that we employed was the use of songs, poems and chants to facilitate vocabulary development. We created a few poems with many of the same vocabulary words in each poem. After presenting the poems once to students, we then asked the students which words they thought were high-level words and we highlighted the words that they identified.

Here's another poem:

We also used a couple of other poems that can be found here. In addition to these strategies, there are many other strategies such as shared/modeled writing, pictorial input charts, that could have been employed as well.

In our next post, we will highlight a few more strategies that can be used with this heroes/important people unit in order that students retain the academic vocabulary in their long term memory.

We've got to go beyond the traditional pictures/drawings/realia that we often hear of when discussing the education of English learners. What are some other strategies that you use to teach vocabulary in context?

March Updates

I just wanted to keep everyone updated about some things that I've been busy working on. On March 31, 2009 we will have the raffle for the Project GLAD book, and I will post the winner here. I also have some great prizes planned for the upcoming months.

I haven't posted much because I have been working on a piece about vocabulary development that I will be posting soon. I wanted to discuss how we can teach vocabulary in context as opposed to isolated vocabulary drills, multiple exposure to vocabulary, etc. I've been taking a bit of time to complete the post because I was working on creating some poems, songs and chants with the vocabulary and taking pictures of the strategies. 

Thanks to those of you who have purchased some of the materials out of our store!! The proceeds will go back into getting some books that I would like to review here for readers. Have you ever bought a book for teaching and then either realized that it was too simple or you didn't like it? Well, I most definitely have and I want to assist teachers in purchasing books that are going to be useful to them.

March Giveaway: Bringing It All Together Book

Every month the ELD Strategies blog will have a monthly giveaway prize for readers. All you will have to do is write a comment in this section of the blog. If you are leaving an anonymous comment, please place your name or pseudonym in the comments section. On the last day of the month, we will compile all of the names, have a raffle and will place the name of the winner on the site. As soon as the prize has been claimed, we will mail it off to you!

We plan on raffling off some really fantastic prizes-all related to English language development, SDAIE, sheltered instruction and other topics pertinent to the education of English learners. We have some really exciting ideas planned!!

This month we will be raffling off the book "Bringing it All Together" by Marcia Brechtel, one of the creators of the Project GLAD instructional model of ELD. We have described the Project GLAD model for ELD in one of our previous posts, and this book further describes the various components and strategies of the instructional model.

As a reminder, please leave a comment in the comment section of this post if you would like to be in the raffle for this book. Good luck!!

ELD Strategies Web Resources: Project Connect

One great web resource for ELD is the Project Connect website developed by the Orange County Office of Education. The site has a matrix of the ELD standards, with corresponding strategies and activities that are appropriate for the different English proficiency levels and language development strands. In addition to the matrix, there is an additional page of various strategies that pertain to English language development and sheltered instruction. The list of strategies includes a mini-introduction with links for additional information. A few of the strategies have links to quicktime mini-video clips that demonstrate some of the strategies. We just wanted to share this web resource with you and hope that you find it useful in some way!!

Thanks for joining us!! 

Effective ELD Instruction: Project GLAD

Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) is an effective instructional model for teaching English Language Development (ELD). The Project GLAD model is based on the extensive research-base of second language acquisition, brain research, and effective literacy practices for English learners. GLAD is a standards-based ELD instructional model that promotes high levels of academic language and academic achievement for students at all levels of English proficiency.

The Project GLAD training is an intensive seven-day training. The first two days consist of an overview of the instructional model, including the research base and the backwards planning process of creating a Science or Social Studies ELD literacy unit. During the two day training, teachers also learn about the components of the Project GLAD ELD model as well as multiple effective strategies within each component. Project GLAD is organized into four components:

• Focus and Motivation
• Input
• Guided Oral Practice
• Reading/Writing

The focus and motivation component of the GLAD ELD instructional model consists primary of strategies designed to build background knowledge, motivate students, activate prior knowledge, and enhance academic language. The input component consists of various comprehensible input strategies that enable teachers to provide core content instruction to students at all proficiency levels in a comprehensible and understandable way. The guided oral practice component provides multiple comprehensible output strategies designed to promote the development of academic language. The reading and writing component highlights effective reading and writing strategies that can be taught whole group through teacher modeling, small group cooperative team opportunities, small group teacher instruction, and independent activities. 

After the two-day training, the GLAD model consists of an additional five days of demonstration lessons. Participants are able to observe one of the Project GLAD presenters teaching a GLAD unit to a class of English learners, while another Project GLAD presenter is coaching participants. Teachers view the classroom demonstration each morning, and the afternoon sessions are designed for debriefing, reflecting on the morning classroom demonstration, and planning of a Project GLAD unit.

Project GLAD is one of the most powerful and academically challenging ELD instructional models out there. It provides intensive professional development to teachers of English learners, and one of the best things about the training is that teachers will be able to see the strategies being taught in action! When teachers are able to see the strategies being demonstrated with students, it makes all the more sense to them.

We'll be blogging more about Project GLAD in upcoming posts. For those of you who have been Project GLAD trained or who have had exposure to the instructional model, what are some of your experiences? If you have any questions about the Project GLAD model or about this blog in general, please feel to comment or email us your questions because we would like to make this blog as interactive and useful to teachers as possible.

Thanks for visiting us!!!

eld, english language development, systematic eld, english learners, eld strategies, eld activities, eld standards, eld lessons, eld lesson plans, project glad, glad strategies, siop 

Frequently Asked Questions About ELD and Teaching English Learners

What are some of the frequently asked questions that you have about English Language Development (ELD), second language acquisition, or other issues pertinent to the education of English learners? Feel free to leave your questions in the comment section or email them to us at eldstrategies@yahoo.com. We would like to make this blog as interactive as possible so that teachers will find it useful, so we are planning to take one or two of readers' frequently asked questions per week and blog about them.

Being that we want to tailor this blog to the needs of teachers, we greatly encourage your comments, suggestions, ideas, and feedback through the comments section or email!

Coming soon...effective practices highlights. 

What is English Language Development (ELD)?

English Language Development (ELD) is an instructional model designed to systematically develop the English language proficiency of English learners (i.e., students who speak English as a second language). ELD instruction emphasizes the development of all four language domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing. 

During the ELD instructional block, instruction is differentiated in order to meet the needs of students who are at various levels of English language development. There are five different English proficiency levels within the second language development continuum: 1) Beginning proficiency level; 2) Early Intermediate proficiency level; 3) Intermediate proficiency level; 4) Early Advanced proficiency level; and, 5) Advanced proficiency level. Instructional techniques and language development expectations will vary depending upon each student's particular needs as well as their respective English proficiency levels. 

NCLB accountability requirements for English learners stipulate that students should master one English proficiency level per year. This requirement is consistent with the second language acquisition research-base which demonstrates that students typically need five to seven years in order to achieve academic fluency in English. 

ELD standards have been adopted by the California Department of Education, as well as other states.  A sample of the California ELD standards can be found here. The ELD standards are aligned with the state-adopted English Language Arts (ELA) standards and consist of the following strands of English language development:

• Listening and Speaking
• Reading Word Analysis
• Reading Fluency and Systematic Vocabulary Development
• Reading Comprehension
• Literary Response and Analysis
• Writing Strategies and Applications
• Writing Conventions

The state-adopted ELD standards range in spans from grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The ELD standards are designed as differentiated performance expectations for students as they develop their proficiency in English and works towards mastery of the grade-level English Language Arts (ELA) standards. The ELD standards are differentiated expectations of the English Language Arts standards for students at each of the five levels of English language proficiency.  

The Wested organization has created a teacher-friendly alignment of the English Language Arts (ELA) grade-level content standards and the ELD standards. Wested's Map of Standards delineates the connections between English Language Arts and English Language Development standards in an easy to use format. The Map of Standards is organized in a "side-by-side" format, with the English Language Arts and English Language Development standards placed on the same page in order to visually view the connection between the standards. You can view a sample reading comprehension page from the grades 3-5 Map of Standards here. 

We recommend that teachers take advantage of this valuable resource because it can be a tool utilized for planning effective ELD lessons. The K-5 Map of ELD Standards can be purchased here for a minimal price:

The Map of ELD Standards is also available in a 6-12 format:

Welcome to ELDSTRATEGIES.COM!!

Welcome to eldstrategies.com!! We will soon be updating this site to include best practices regarding English Language Development and other topics pertinent to the education of English learners. This site will highlight many effectives practices and strategies designed to teach ELD, as well as books, products, and other resources that teachers of English learners might find useful. We hope you enjoy our site! Bookmark us for future reference!!