Content Strategies for English Language Learners

1. Content Strategies for English Language Learners Welcome to: Presented by Jodi Reiss

2. Today’s Agenda • A Bit of Theory (Really – only a little bit!) • Good Beginnings and Endings Strategies to activate/build background knowledge Strategies for review • Participation Strategies • Three GREAT Vocabulary Strategies • One GREAT Reading Strategy

3. Easier or Harder? • Talking face-to-face with your friend about a TV show. • Explaining a complicated math problem to your friend over the telephone. • Explaining – face-to-face – to your friend a complicated math problem. • Telling your friend about a TV show on the telephone.

4. Two Factors • CONTENT The subject matter being heard or read • CONTEXT The environment surrounding the words

5. SOCIAL ENGLISH The Language of Life • Making friends • Playing sports and games • Watching TV and movies • Enjoying music

6. Another English… as an ACADEMIC language The Language of School

7. Comparing Social and Academic Language Social Academic Explain what you believe to be the most effective choice.

8. Comparing Social and Academic Language Social Academic Can you propose and support an alternative technique?

9. Comparing Social and Academic Language Social Academic Formulate a hypothesis that predicts the most probable outcome. Explain your reasoning.

10. What makes it easier or harder? Social talk is easier than academic talk COGNITIVELY COGNITIVELY UNDEMANDING DEMANDING Face-to-face is easier than on the telephone CONTEXT CONTEXT EMBEDDED REDUCED

11. Cummins’s Quadrants

12. Cummins’s Quadrants • Talking to someone face to face • Talking to a friend on the telephone • Solving math word problems • With manipulatives and/or pictures • Without manipulatives or pictures • Solving math number problems • Doing a science experiment by following a demonstration • Doing a science experiment by reading the directions from a text book • Reading “Romeo and Juliet” by Shakespeare • Reading the illustrated (comic strip) version

13. Which Quadrant? • Making models, charts, graphs, maps in social studies • Understanding written text through small group discussion • Writing compositions and research reports about the environment • Reading a list of required school supplies • Participating in physical education classes

14. What makes academic language easier or harder? • Academic language is HARDER when it is not embedded in context • Academic language is EASIER when it is embedded in context

15. To make oral or written language easier to understand… Embed academic language in CONTEXT

16. Today’s strategies will show you how to… • EMBED academiclanguage in context to • INCREASE comprehension of content and • MAINTAIN a high level of cognitive challenge all of which will • MAXIMIZE your students’ learning potential

17. GOOD BEGINNINGS Strategies to Activate and Build Background Knowledge

18. Good beginnings facilitate learning.

19. Building Background Knowledge • Brainstorm

20. Building Background Knowledge • Brainstorm • Think-write-pair-share

21. Building Background Knowledge • Brainstorm • Think-write-pair-share • Carousel brainstorming

22. Building Background Knowledge • Brainstorm • Think-write-pair-share • Carousel brainstorming • Use a “Think about It!” activity

23. What do you know about MATTER, MASS, and MOLECULES? Look at the pictures below. Read what is in each cup. Working with your partner, smart-guess which cup is the lightest. Mark it number 1. Which cup is the heaviest? Mark it number 6. Mark the other four cups in order of their weight. #______ (cup) 1 cup of water #______ (cup) 1 cup of glass marbles #______ (cup) 1 cup of cotton balls #______ (cup) 1 cup of sand #______ (cup) 1 cup of cooked rice #______ (cup) 1 cup of flour

24. SOUND – Fact or Fiction? Is what you “know” really true? Read each of these statements and decide whether or not it is true. Write FACT if you think it is true. Write FICTION if you think it is not true. _______ Sound travels in waves. _______ Sound is caused by vibrations. _______ Sound travels through air. _______ Sound travels through water. _______ Sound travels through steel. _______ Sound always travels at the same speed. _______ Sound travels faster than light. _______ There is no real technical difference between music and noise. _______ When people have excellent hearing, they can hear every sound that is made.

25. Building Background Knowledge • Brainstorm • Think-write-pair-share • Carousel brainstorming • Use a “Think about It!” activity • Link today’s lesson to prior learning

26. Linking Questions • What did we talk about yesterday when we were discussing the ….? • Who remembers the reasons for …..? • What did we learn about ….? • Who remembers some examples of ……? • What were some new words we used yesterday when we discussed …?

27. One More Linking Strategy… What do you remember about CLOUDS? Next to each statement, write a T for TRUE or an F for FALSE. If you think the statement is false, rewrite it to make it true. ______ Clouds are masses of water droplets and ice crystals. ______ Clouds change shape because of wind and sunlight. ______ Clouds are grouped into classes according to their size. ______ Certain clouds are formed entirely of ice crystals. ______ High, thin clouds cause thunderstorms. ______ Clouds cause tornadoes and hurricanes. ______ Clouds at night lower ground temperature.

28. Background Knowledge Strategies Which one(s) will you try in your classroom? How specifically will you use it? • Brainstorm • Think-write-pair-share • Carousel brainstorming • Use a “Think about It!” activity • Link today’s lesson to prior learning

29. GOOD ENDINGS Review Strategies

30. Good endings consolidate learning.

31. Make Review a Habit! • During the lesson • At the end of every lesson

32. Review DURING the lesson – quick and often • So, what did we just cover? • Who remembers the reasons for _________? • Who can explain the process we just saw? • Who can use different words to explain what I just said?

33. Review DURING the lesson – quick and often Try yes/no misinformation questions “So, General Grant led the Confederacy’s army, right?”

34. End EVERY Lesson with ReviewOral and Written Review orally with • Questions • Opening brainstorming graphic • Partner review

35. Partner Review Partner A tell Partner B… • two causes of ____________ • three substances that ______ • the definition of ___________ • two differences between ____ and ______

36. End EVERY Lesson with Review Review orally with • Questions • Opening brainstorming graphic • Partner review Then follow with a WRITTEN review • 3 – 2 – 1 review

37. 3 – 2 – 1 Review • 3 facts I learned today • 2 new words I want to remember • 1 thing I found very interesting

38. 3 – 2 – 1 – 0 Review • 3 facts I learned today • 2 new words I want to remember • 1 thing I found very interesting • 0 – something I know nothing about but would like to!

39. End EVERY Lesson with Review Review with • Questions • Opening brainstorming graphic • Partner review Then follow with a WRITTEN review • 3 – 2 – 1 review • Graphic Organizers • Learning Journals

40. USE the Reviews • Put reviews in separate section or separate notebook • Use reviews to activate prior knowledge • Use reviews for study • Use reviews to link new information with previously learned material

41. Review Strategies Which review strategy would you like to try tomorrow?

42. Participation Strategies

43. Better Questions = More Participation • Don’t fall into the “Does everyone understand?” trap

44. Better Questions = More Participation • Don’t fall into the “Does everyone understand?” trap • Make students active listeners

45. After the question has been answered, ask another student… • Brahim, can you tell me in your own words what Raoul just said? • Rosalba, do you agree or disagree with what Raoul just said, and why? • Irina, Raoul gave such a good answer. I think we all need to hear what he said again. • Do you agree with that answer?

46. More Participation Strategies • Don’t fall into the “Does everyone understand?” trap • Make students active listeners • Offer face savers

47. Face-Savers • Pass • Call on another student

48. Strategies to Encourage Participation • “It’s question time” • Make students active listeners • Offer face savers • Use the “numbered heads” strategy

49. Numbered Heads Question What’s hard about teaching vocabulary?

50. Three Great VOCABULARY Strategies • Use a student-friendly dictionary to help your students and you