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!

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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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!

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!!!

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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: