1. Megan Anderson Reilly ELL PD Specialist
Building Background
Megan Anderson Reilly
ELL PD Specialist

2. Bairstow boots hopes of retaining test berth
Read the article.
Answer the following questions:
What is the article about?
What was the most interesting detail presented?
What do you think will happen next?

3. Objectives
Determine the importance of building background knowledge for ELLs
Identify key strategies that you can use tomorrow to build background knowledge for ELLs

4. Quotation cafe Purpose: form an idea of what we will talk about
Find four partners (3 with different quote, one with the same).
Read quote
In groups of 4, synthesize ideas and predict what will be discussed
Megan

5. Quotation Cafe
How can you use this strategy in your class?

6. Yakima School District
16,782 students
5,376 ELL (32%)
3,636 ELLs in Elementary (47%)
953 ELLs in Middle School (28%)
691 ELLs at High School(17%)

7. Yakima School District
YSD= Sheltered Instruction District
Every class is supporting academic content and English language development

8. Focus for YSD Sheltered Instruction
Language Objectives and English Language Proficiency Standards
Structured Interactions
Language Assessment

9. Background knowledge Schemata- knowledge of the world
Basis for understanding, learning, and remembering facts and ideas

10. BUT Background knowledge ELLs have varied background experiences
They may lack the cultural experiences, academic language and key vocabulary necessary for understanding content information

11. Effective instruction
Explicitly link concepts to students’ background knowledge
Explicitly link past learning and new concepts
Emphasize key vocabulary

12. What is the girl doing?

13. Why is Background Knowledge challenging for ELLs?

14. Strategies to build background
What strategies do you use to activate prior knowledge and build background?

15. Strategies Watch a video about the topic
Read related books, stories, and other resources about the topic
Observation chart
Realia
Pictorial

16. Framework for vocabulary instruction
Manyak
Provide rich and varied language experiences
Teach individual words
Teach word-learning strategies
Develop students’ word consciousness

17. Strategies to develop Academic Vocabulary
What strategies do you use to develop academic vocabulary?
Drawing pictures
Vocabulary organizer
Matching game
Cognitive Content Dictionary
Physical movement/Act out
Songs and Chants

18. Strategies Word sorts Vocabulary games with key academic vocabulary
Cognitive content dictionary (a Project GLAD strategy)
teacher-made big-book (a Project GLAD strategy)
Pre-teach key vocabulary
Teach common prefixes, suffixes, root words and cognates

19. Planning Where can you build students’ background knowledge?
Look at what you are doing in the next week.
Where can you build students’ background knowledge?
What can you do to build vocabulary?

20. Share out
What are you planning on implementing?

21. Thank you!
Gots
Wants