Content Area Reading and ELLs

Schools must provide instruction that allows ELLs to acquire content-area knowledge while they are developing proficiency in English (NCLB, 2001). Policy Context of Language Development Instruction

Social vs. Academic Language Read the handout. Identify language that may be difficult for ELLs.

Characteristics of Social and Academic Language Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) (Cummins, 1979). Used daily to communicate with others. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) (Cummins, 1979). The language of text and content areas. Recognizing written vocabulary as distinct from oral vocabulary. Understanding the structure of argument, academic discourse, and expository texts. Conversational Language Academic Language

Uses of Academic Language To participate fully in the classroom and learn new content, ELLs must be able to: Use and understand academic language in its various forms, for a variety of purposes. Learn new words (vocabulary) in context. Determine the difference between relevant and less relevant text in a given passage and the necessity of a specific reading and/or language task. Participate in student conversations related to text.

Academic Language Needs Explicit Instruction Academic language is key to school success: Lower-Order Skills Recalling facts Identifying vocabulary Creating definitions Higher-Order Skills Using language to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate

Planning for Content Reading Consider: Modeled, shared and independent reading opportunities Vocabulary development (Tiers 1,2 and 3). Connecting prior knowledge to new knowledge (with realia and visuals). Metacognitive awareness (strategies). Active and engaged reading activities (including all four domains). Graphic organizer usage Discussion questions Making connections with text Assessments with rubrics and models

Successful Reading Behaviors for ELLs Think of themselves as readers Set a purpose Think about known knowledge Focus on meaning Sound out words Skip unimportant words Search for cognates Transfer knowledge across two languages Underline/highlight important parts Take notes Self-question Make mental pictures Ask someone Self-question Check to see what information was remembered Reread To successfully read in content areas, ELLs can:

Think-Pair-Share What makes reading text easier for ELLs? 1. Look through assigned text 2. Think about what you already know about the topic and what you will be reading 3. Look at titles and headings 4. Look at vocabulary 5. Look at pictures and captions 6. Read summaries, conclusions and questions 7. Develop an activity to read text

1. Explicitly instruct on the expository text structure. Textbook Sections Visual Cues Graphic Elements table of contentstitle and headings maps, graphics and pictures glossarybold printsidebars indexbulletscaptions

2. Provide opportunities for text interaction. Opportunities include: Making predictions Defining key terms Summarizing Identify main idea Taking notes Skim for the gist Scan for text features Activities to assist reading include: Margin bookmark Study guide Graphic organizers Two-column note-taking Coding Cloze passages Paragraph frames Word splashes Anticipation-reaction guides

3. Model what good readers do. Think aloud (I am going to think aloud about what I just read.) Demonstrate how to figure out vocabulary (What could this word mean. I am going to reread to figure it out.) Think about meaning (I am going to make predictions. What kind of test question might a teacher ask about this paragraph?) Model fix-up strategies (I am going to read chunks and then summarize. That was confusing. I am going to reread.) When reading aloud teachers can:

Partner Practice Choose a partner Pre-read the paragraph Choose a technique from the previous slide to model Take turns being the teacher by reading the paragraph out loud and modeling

4. Allot opportunities to practice reading. There should be a balance between the teacher reading aloud and students reading. Peer interaction Reading partners Silent reading

Strategies to promote text-based discussions Conduct follow up questions Allow longer wait times Think-pair-share Reciprocal teaching Allow small and whole group response to questions and prompts Numbered heads-together Jigsaw reading Getting the Gist

Summarize: Sum Up/The Big 10 What learners do Estimated time Preview the text 2 minutes List 2-3 items that you and a partner think you will find out 2 minutes Listen and follow along as a reader reads aloud and list 10 important words or ideas 2 minutes Compare your Big 10 with a partner 2 minutes Work with a partner and write 1-2 sentences using as many of the big 10 as possible. 2minutes

18 Video  We will watch three video clips of students reading. Take a few moments and read the texts. What are some difficulties of the texts? After viewing the videos, discuss in your small group, some problems students had and what can we do as teachers?

What is Reading Comprehension?  Collaborate with your small group to define reading comprehension. When readers comprehend a text, they actively construct meaning in their minds by drawing from the text itself and from their own knowledge. The goal is to have the two sources of input interweave and make sense.

Increase Readers’ Comprehension  From ______knowledge to new knowledge.  From the ___________to the abstract.  From______ language to written text,  From _______contextual support to less contextual support. Use contextual support (______,_______. Non- _______ clues) to communicate the overall message, then correlate the message with the __________. prior concrete oral more visual hands-on activities verbal language

Lesson Sequence 1. Read the text 2. Answer the question 3. Discuss the material 4. Do the application/expansions  Where is this lesson sequence typically used?  How effective is it with ELLs?  Now, try the above sequence backwards to facilitate language learning.

Teach the Text Backwards

A Nation is Born 1. Who were the founding fathers of the United States? 2. When did the founding fathers meet in Independence Hall? 3. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? 4. Who were some people who signed the Declaration of Independence? 5. Who took the Declaration of Independence to the printer? 6. Why did John Hancock make his signature so large?

Knowledge Structures ConceptsDefinitionsDetails Founding fathers Declaration of Independence the men who helped the US become a separate nation A written statement saying the US was no longer.. Thomas Jefferson John Hancock One of the most important documents in US history The founding fathers were men who helped the United States become a separate nation.

Linguistic Devices Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers. John Hancock was another founding father. Signal WordsSubjectPredicate OneThomas Jefferson - Wrote the Dec. of Ind. - Signed the.. AnotherJohn Hancock-signed the Dec. of Ind. In large letters

Graphic Organizers and Language Needed Chronology Kind of Language Needed FirstLast NextSoon AfterWhile LaterFinally At lastIn the end EventuallySince

References Center On Instruction, Language Development for ELLs, Mabel O. Rivera, Ani C. Moughamian, David J. Francis Increasing ELL Student Reading Comprehension with Non-Fiction Text, K. Robertson Teaching Reading to ELLs, 6-12, M. Calderon