1. Immediately Adjusting Teaching Strategies
for Reducing Language Barriers for English Language Learners*
Heike Rüdenauer, Dipl.SP (FH), M.S., M.Ed. – University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Your Take-Away…!
Motivation and Challenge
Evidence-Based Practices for ELL Students: What do We Know?
Immediately create evidence based vocabulary instructions
Instantly use classroom methods increasing academic conversations
Understand language proficiency scores and how they relate to your lesson planning
More ELL’s in U.S. classrooms
Both general and special education
Demographic Changes , 21, 22, 24, 28, 30, 32, 34
Diverse cultures
Diverse languages
Often additional challenges that come with “being an ELL”
ELLs
1, 15, 19, 21, 22, 28, 32
Reality: Every teacher might need to instruct ELLs
Only few are formally prepared for this task
Teachers
6, 11, 27
Increasing Comprehension
Increasing Interaction
Activating Higher Order Thinking
Extensive
Vocabulary Instruction
1, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 18, 35
Increase Academic Conversations and Discourse 1, 9, 11, 12, 17, 18, 38
What’s in for Teachers?
Extensive Vocabulary Instruction
Increasing Academic Conversations
Interpreting Language Proficiency Scores
What can you implement in your classroom when you return to your school tomorrow for addressing…..
or…in other words:
a GREAT start for
better addressing
ELL learning needs!
And what about the misrepresentation of ELL’s in special education services?
Or about students with an IEP who are ALSO ELL students? 20, 22, 23, 25
1. Vocabulary Instructions for ELL’s – What Works?
Bonus: What’s good for ELL’s…10
Before I start: Initial Considerations
Individualize: Supplement curricular suggestions with actually needed words 12
Consider multimedia instructional tools: video clips, visuals, graphic organizers 1, 9
Teach word-learning strategies: help students independently finding meanings of words 1
Consider preview – view – review strategy
Consider multiple modalities: writing, speaking, listening, reading 1, 7, 26, 36, 37
What to Teach: Text & Target Vocabulary
Age appropriate
Connection to prior experiences & learning 1, 5, 7, 11, 12, 17
Connected to grade-level curricular content 3, 5, 11, 35, 37
Small set of tier II words , 12, 17, 31,
High relevance 1,17
High frequency 1,17
Crossing content areas1 ,17
Multiple meanings 1,17
Cognates / False Cognates 1, 2, 17
Consider scaffoldings such as word banks, sentence starters, fill-in-the-blanks 1,8, 12, 17, 26, 37
How to Teach: Components
Small group v. whole group29, 33
Vocabulary cards 12
Definitions 1, 4, 12, 17
Visuals1, 4, 12, 17
Written words1, 4, 12, 17,
Consider L1 – L2 translations as additional support 1, 3, 4
Use in children’s own context: Partner Talk 1, 4, 12, 17, 26, 33, 38
Practice example sentences , 4, 12, 17,
Consider kinetic connectors (clapping syllabus, word rhythms, ASL Support) 16
Brief, precise, and consistent 1
When to Teach: Frequency
Pre-Teach, before reading text 1, 12, 17, 19
Every day in short sequences 1, 12, 17
Consider end-of-the-week summary/ assessment (incl. learning games, revision races, etc.) 1, 5, 8, 11, 29
Make it fun and worthwhile 1
Repetition and reviews throughout the day 1, 5
Students who struggle with difficulties in accessing academic content information due to limited academic vocabulary and it’s application in context:
Many ELL students
Many student from low income families
Some students with an IEP
Students who combine several of these factors
The GOOD thing:
Explicit vocabulary instruction and increased academic discourse can support all these students in their academic outcomes.
Underprepared Teachers?11, 27
Teacher preparation varies from state to state
ELL teacher preparation is often limited
TESL courses cost money and take time
Teachers already worry about implementing IEP’s, reaching common core standards, and organize social services
Next Steps ?!
Maybe a TESOL
endorsement?
Could a
Peer-Observation
System help me
“becoming fluent” in
ELL instructions?
2) How can I increase academic talk time and higher order thinking?
Questions…
How much can one teacher do?
How much support do teachers get?
How can we support teachers AND students?
How about
a Professional
Learning Community
on my campus?
(a) Establish and Practice a
Classroom-Conversation Culture1,38
(b) Activate
Higher Order Thinking
with Questions like…1,4,5,11,26,29
(c) Choose discussion activities grounded in cooperative learning strategies such as…1,2,8,9,37,38
Professional
development
at my school?
Discuss what “conversation” is and what it is not, roleplay examples
Discuss and practice conversation etiquette, establish some classroom rules of “good conversation manners”
Teach strategies such as elaborating, clarifying, supporting ideas with examples, paraphrasing, synthesizing
Consider age of your students: what can they do? Which language do you use for explaining concepts?
Think “deep”, not “broad” when encouraging academic conversations
Can you give an example for this?
What does ____
mean?
Can you say this in your own words?
What do you think could happen next?
Did something similar ever happen to you?
Why is this important to know / to learn?
I agree / disagree because…!
Start-Out-Solutions will need to
Take a minute and discuss it with your neighbor
Inner-Outer Circle Review Round
Pick a point and tell me about it!
Small-Group graphic organizers & discussion
Two-Minute-Opinion-Share
Pro and Con Discussions
Gallery Walks
More examples: Kagan-Strategies: RallyRobin, Timed Pair Share, RoundRobin, RallyCoach, Stand Up-Hand Up-Pair Up
be cost-effective
be time-efficient
be easily accessible
be connected to teacher’s realities
work for all students in a class
Let me meet with
our ELL coordinator or teacher
and see what support and
info I can get…
What are other points of view?
What was the main point of what ____ just read / said?
What comes to your mind first when you read this?
How does this relate to what we talked about yesterday?
Tell me more about …
Why do you think ____ did what he/she did?
Did you hear / read something like this before?
ttp://img.clipartall.com/marsha-thinking-cap-200-thinking-cap-clipart-200_226.jpg
Next Research Questions
So… where can we start?
How effective is this suggested combination of strategies and methods?
Does it make a measurable difference in ELL students’ outcomes?
What can schools do for supporting teachers’ who do not hold an endorsement for instructing ELL students?
How can we improve ELL academic outcomes?
Increasing access to grade level curricular content
by building bridges to overcome the language gaps
through creating increased opportunities for language application and practice
1, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 35, 38
3. Get familiar with your student’s WIDA® scores
Nevada Example:
References and Resources
Ask your
school or district
ELL coordinator
Scan QR Code and find this poster, references, and links to resources here!
Or check out:
Find the WIDA Can Do Descriptors
All references are numeric,
please refer to reference and resource list