Using WIDA’s Performance Definitions to Support Academic Language Steve Cawthon WIDA Certified Trainer

WIDA’s ELD Standards Academic Language Social & Instructional Language Language of Language Arts Language of Mathematics Language of Science Language of Social Studies WIDA’s five English Language Development Standards represent the social, instructional, and academic language that ELLs need to engage with peers, educators, and the curriculum in schools. Standard 1 represents the language needed and used by ELLs for social and instructional purposes within the school setting. Standards 2-5 address the language necessary for ELLs’ academic success in the content areas of Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. While other features of the Standards Framework have been updated, the five English Language Development Standards have NOT changed. Academic Language Standard 1 Standard 2 Standard 3 Standard 4 Standard 5

The Features of Academic Language in WIDA's Standards is a new resource available to educators in the 2012 standards publication. You may notice that the criteria we use to define the levels of language development have changed slightly. Originally, these criteria included linguistic complexity, language control and vocabulary usage. In order to clarify the criteria we did two things: First, we divided the performance criteria into three different levels. You can see in this chart that the discourse level is associated with linguistic complexity, the sentence level is associated with language forms and conventions and the word/phrase level is associated with vocabulary usage. - The second modification is the addition of the socio-cultural context, which impacts all three criteria by defining students' identities and social roles within a particular task or situation. Some important aspects of the sociocultural context related to language include register, genre, and text type. It is important for educators to intentionally engage students in both formal and informal communication and give them opportunities to interact with a wide range of instructional materials in the classroom. The sociocultural context emphasizes that building on the richness of students' background experiences motivates them and makes language learning more relevant.

Promote Academic Conversations Reinforce Language and Literacy Development Enhance Cognitive Engagement Conversation: Builds academic language, literacy skills, oral language, and communication skills Conversation: Builds critical thinking skills Promotes different perspectives and empathy Fosters creativity Fosters skills for negotiating meaning and focusing on a topic Zwiers, J. and Crawford, M., 2011 in Gotltlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Promote Academic Conversations Promote Content Learning Recognize Social and Cultural Benefits Conversation: Builds content understanding Cultivates connections Helps students co- construct understandings Helps teachers and students assess learning Conversation: Builds relationships Builds academic ambience Makes lessons more culturally relevant Fosters equity Zwiers, J. and Crawford, M., 2011 in Gotltlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Promote Academic Conversations Tap Psychological Needs Conversation: Develops inner dialog and self-talk Fosters engagement and motivation Builds confidence Fosters choice, ownership and control over thinking Builds academic identity Fosters self-discovery Builds student voice and empowerment Zwiers, J. and Crawford, M., 2011 in Gotltlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Language Domains How are the four language domains similar and unique? This slide illustrates how we often talk about domains as productive (Speaking/Writing) or Receptive (Listening/Reading). This means that our students are either producing or receiving language, which requires a different set of skills. Do all language domains develop at the same rate for students? Is there a typical order in which domains are developed?

WIDA Performance Definitions – Listening and Reading Grades K-12 One update to the Standards Framework for 2012 is that the three criteria used to define each level of language proficiency, Linguistic Complexity, Language Forms and Conventions, and Vocabulary Usage, are now displayed in two sets of Performance Definitions. One set of Performance Definitions is for receptive language and represents how ELLs process language to comprehend information, ideas or concepts in either oral or written communication.

WIDA Performance Definitions – Speaking and Writing Grades K-12 The other set of Performance Definitions is for productive language and shows how students at each level of language proficiency use language to express information, ideas or concepts in either oral or written communication. For the first time the Performance Definitions are organized within discourse, sentence, and word/phrase levels to correspond with the features of academic language. You may also notice that Language Control is now referred to as Language Forms and Conventions.

PICK THE LEVEL Locate the blank matrix in your packet. Fill in the worksheet using the performance definitions. Work together if you like.

#4 #12 #3 #13 #2 #6 #7 #14 #9 Example: #1 #11 #10 #8 #15 #5   #4 #12 #3 Multiple related simple sentences A variety of grammatical constructions Technical and abstract content-area language Multiple complex sentences General content-related words Specific and some technical content-area language Expanded expression of one idea or emerging expression of multiple related ideas Words, phrases or chunks of language Specific content words and expressions Social and instructional words and expressions across content areas Repetitive phrasal and sentence patterns across content areas A broad range of sentence patterns characteristic of particular content areas Expanded related ideas Repetitive grammatical structures with occasional variation and emerging use of conventions Simple Grammatical constructions (e.g. commands, Wh-questions, declaratives) #13 #2 #6 #7 #14 #9 Example: #1 #11 #10 #8 #15 #5 Word/Phrase Dimension

Different Types of Multiliteracies Print-Based Digital Visual Oral Books Computer games PowerPoints Readers theater Manuals Podcasts Photographs Choral Reading Magazines Video streaming Videos Book reads Brochures Blogs YouTube Clips Process drama Outlines Vlogs Murals Read-alouds Agendas Social Media Graphics Storytelling Handouts Virtual Lessons Sketch noting or visual not taking Lyrics/song Gottlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Academic Language in an Integrated Curriculum Units of Learning Related Lessons Content and Language Objectives Academic Language in Sociocultural Contexts Gottlieg & Ernst-Slavit, 2013

Academic Language in an Integrated Curriculum AL is at the core. Content and objectivves represent grade-level AL use. Lesson scaffold to form units of instruction. Gotltlieb & Ernst-Slavit, 2014

Grouping TAPS Heterogenous Student choice Short-term placement TOTAL ALONE PARTNER SHARED Heterogenous Student choice Short-term placement General Grouping 11/10/2018

Grouping Cooperative Grouping Roles must be assigned. Manager Timekeeper Scribe Runner Reporter 11/10/2018

Questioning Prompts for Different Proficiency Levels Entering Level: Ask students to point to something or touch the answer. Have them signal by clapping or physically moving items in a lesson. Emerging Level: Allow students to respond in simple sentences. Developing Level: Students can respond in simple connective narratives. Expanding Level: Students can respond In a sequential narrative, justify, summarize, evaluate and synthesize information. They can compare items and answer “why” questions. Bridging Level: Students who have near native speech fluency can be asked to explain in detail cycles and processes.

TIME to SWRL!

SWRL Quick Write! Write down one thing you learned today about WIDA’s Performance Definitions and Academic Language. Exchange your paper with a partner. Read what your partner wrote. Discuss what each of you wrote. You just SWRL(ed)!

Thank you! Steve Cawthon cawthon.steve@yahoo.com www.wida.us Questions? Thank you! Steve Cawthon cawthon.steve@yahoo.com www.wida.us