FEBRUARY, 2014 Key Principles for ELL Instruction

Update on Timeline  – Awareness Stage  – Transition Stage  – Implementation Stage  ELA/ELD Frameworks will be connected in  ELD Supplemental Materials Report will come out this year  Adoption of New Instructional Materials will occur in 2015 at the same time as the new ELA materials  ELL Report Card for TK in  New ELL Report Card  Reclassification for  ELPAC

Shifts “Common Core is pushing us toward a higher level of achievement, and that depth is predicated on an ability to use language in sophisticated ways.” - Ben Sanders More complex texts that all students are expected to read, analyze, and understand Constructed responses that require students to use formal and content-specific language to answer questions verbally and in writing Expectations that students, regardless of their proficiency level in the language, will be able to engage in formal debate and discourse, and higher-level peer to peer discussions in their classrooms

Shifts Continued Traditionally we have believed that it takes five to seven years for ELL students to master the discourse, syntax, grammar, and mechanics of English, and THEN they are ready to learn academic content. The ELD Standards were the onramp to the ELA Standards. Now they are the carpool lane! Middle and high school students often times don’t have the luxury of five to seven years to wait. Research has shown that with expert support from their teachers, that much time is not needed. “Students will rise to the challenge of rigorous subject matter if it sparks their interest, if they receive appropriate support, and if academic content and academic English language skills are taught simultaneously, as a single, integrated process.” – Aida Walqui

#1 – Instruction focuses on providing ELLs with opportunities to engage in discipline- specific practices which are designed to build conceptual understanding and language competence in tandem. We must provide opportunities for classroom interactions (listening and speaking) that develop concepts and academic language in the content areas. Teaching the oral and written language skills necessary to learn and use content is just as important as the content itself – e.g. – Mastering history requires knowing names, events, places, and concepts, but it also requires knowing how to talk or write about them, analyze cause and effect, synthesize and compare explanations for events, and discuss and write about alternative interpretations. Without those skills, it is impossible for students to access the CCSS content. The goal needs to be to make academic content as accessible as possible by promoting oral and written ELD as students learn the academic content.

What is Needed Clear goals and objectives that include both language and content in each lesson Well structured tasks with clear and focused expectations Use of visuals, charts, and diagrams to aid comprehension Adequate practice Opportunities to interact with others – authentic and functional use of English Frequent assessment and re-teaching Focused development of oral reading fluency, reading comprehension, and writing Explicit instruction of elements of English (vocabulary, syntax, text structures, and conventions), conversational conventions (taking turns and signaling disagreement), and strategies for how to learn the language (note-taking, summarizing, selective attention) Integrated AND dedicated ELD

Integrated and Dedicated ELD ELD throughout the day and across the disciplines. “All teachers with ELs in their classrooms should use the CA ELD Standards in addition to their focal CCSS for ELA/Literacy and other content standards to support their EL’s linguistic and academic progress.” - ELA/ELD Framework “Effective instructional experiences for ELs through the day and across the disciplines:  are interactive and engaging, meaningful and relevant, and intellectually rich and challenging,  are appropriately scaffolded in order to provide strategic support that moves learners toward independence,  build both content knowledge and academic English; and  value and build on primary language and culture and other forms of prior knowledge.” ELs should be actively engaged in collaborative discussions where they build up their awareness about language and develop their skills and abilities to use language. ELD must be different, but support and align to what’s going on in their content classes – we’re not doing “head, shoulders, knees, and toes.” The goal is to help kids apply their language to the content.

Clarification from the ELA/ELD Framework Are we doing away with separate ELD? ELs are to be provided with “Designated ELD, or a protected time during the regular school day in which teachers use the CA ELD Standards as the focal standards in ways that build into and from content instruction in order to develop critical language ELs need for content learning.” – p. 68, line 1669 The framework goes on to say…“However, designated ELD is NOT a time to teach (or reteach) content. It is a time to focus on the language of the content areas in ways that are closely aligned with what is happening in content instruction.” – p. 80

#2 – Instruction leverages ELLs’ home language(s), cultural assets, and prior knowledge. Use of cognates Using primary language dictionaries Opportunities for ELLs to build on their strengths, prior experiences, and background knowledge

#3 – Standards-aligned instruction for ELLs is rigorous, grade-level appropriate, and provides deliberate and appropriate scaffolds. LACOE Scaffolding Tool Reading complex texts helps develop complex reasoning. Teachers can help by assisting ELs in working through 1-2 “juicy sentences” per day. Appropriate instructional supports need to be in place to make grade-level content knowledge comprehensible.

#4 – Instruction moves ELLs forward by taking into account their English proficiency level(s) and prior schooling experiences. It’s important to know who your ELL students are. Use SRC to help with data.

#5 – Instruction fosters ELLs’ autonomy by equipping them with the strategies necessary to comprehend and use language in a variety of academic settings. Explicit instruction in the oral and written language required to learn about, discuss, and write about academic content. Example from History and Social Science Standards for 11 th grade:  “Analyze the women’s rights movement from the era of Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony and the passage of the 19 th Amendment to the movement launched in the 1960s, including differing perspectives on the roles of women.”  That standard can be taught in tandem with the literacy standard “Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.”  For students to be able to demonstrate their understanding of differing viewpoints, they need to know the language of compare and contrast. The teacher can model this, use graphic organizers, and have students practice compound and complex sentences using although, and, however.

Academic Language ELD instruction should teach the language needed for learning and discussing content across the different disciplines. No one is a native speaker of academic English. Many English Only students require instruction in academic English because it isn’t what they hear at home. The CCSS require students to be able to cite evidence from the text, analyze it, and provide written and oral responses using sophisticated language. Students will need to hear this vocabulary and language from their teacher.

Academic Language Continued It is acquired through exposure and experience in using a variety of language types in all settings. Teachers must shift from a preoccupation with correcting language and grammar to determining whether students are grasping the conceptual language and academic skills. Explicit instruction of academic language is required across the content areas. The same student placing at the 50 th percentile in reading comprehension with no direct vocabulary instruction, placed at the 83 rd percentile when provided specific instruction in academic vocabulary. – Stahl and Fairbanks

Consider This… With a vocabulary of 2,000 high frequency words, a learner knows 80% of words in a text. Academic language represents a small percentage of the words they encounter, but 95% of comprehension of a passage. The focus needs to be on Tier 2 words.

An Illustration Categories of words – Tier 1 (high frequency), Tier 2 (general academic words), Tier 3 (technical or specialized words) Many animals live on the African plain and compete for the limited food supply. Each type of animal including the lion, the zebra, the antelope, and the giraffe has become adapted to a different niche within this environment. Select one of these animals and describe a specialized trait. Explain how this trait helps it to survive. - Grade 5 example

Analysis of Example by Online Vocabulary Profiler – Many animals live on the African plain and compete for the limited food supply. Each type of animal including the lion, the zebra, the antelope, and the giraffe has become adapted to a different niche within this environment. Select one of these animals and describe a specialized trait. Explain how this trait helps it to survive. K1 Words (1000 most frequent): 76.79% (Tier 1) K2 Words (1001 to 2000): 1.79% (Tier 1) AWL (academic word list): 7.14% (Tier 2) Off-List Words (specialized words): 14.29% (Tier 3)

#6 – Diagnostic tools and formative assessment practices are employed to measure students’ content knowledge, academic language competence, and participation in disciplinary practices. Formative assessment is key. Modified assessments are needed that allow ELLs to demonstrate their content knowledge. Additional time is needed for ELLs to complete tasks and assessments.

Help is Available! Please let me know how I can help you!