1. By: Vince Juarez

2. Principle and checkpoint (number and description) analyzed. Checkpoint 2.4: Promote understanding across languages I selected this specific standard for obvious reasons as I am looking to earn my Master’s in Education with a focus on ELL. It is imperative that struggling students who are not adept at communicating with peers and teachers alike are provided with a means for aiding them in not only the mastery of the English language but learning as a whole.

3. Selected Resource, the age group intended for, and the content area it covers. Doing What Works: Develop Academic English This site provides excellent examples as to how to support vocabulary and grammar development in the classroom. More specifically it offers an abundance on various topics and in the case of ELL, it provides detailed files in both video and print formats. Age Group: K-5 Content Area: Literacy

4. Key Consideration #1 - How does this help learners meet the goal? I firmly believe that this resource aids learners meet goals as it gives us as educators for this assembly of learners more tools and can help us to become better prepared for not just everyday lessons but for the long-term goals of instruction. Researching this web source affords a plethora of options for educators (ex. – Educator Practice Guide: Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School) to include various studies that are reviewed as to their effectiveness concerning what works in assisting learners identified as limited English proficient and those students “redesignated” as fluent in English.

5. Key Consideration #2 - How does this account for the variability of all learners? Given the wide-ranging options of both videos, and downloadable documents, there is sufficient materials to ensure that all students, with an emphasis on ELL, are available. However, according to the “What Works Clearinghouse” list of most effective programs, the Fast ForWord application appears contain the most encouraging results for ELL. As it is computer-based it is more accommodating to a more diverse group of students; it is going to improve help every student not just ELL as the game-based platform is going to motivate more learners. It consists of seven game-like exercises, including nonverbal and verbal sound discrimination, phonological processing, vocabulary recognition, and language comprehension. Each exercise begins with basic skills and builds up to more complex skills. The difficulty of each task is continuously adapted so that students would get about 80% of the items correct.

6. Key Consideration #3 - Can learners who speak different languages still access the content? The studies throughout this web source and in the program Fast Forword examined results on phonological awareness skills, reading achievement, and English language development; it is geared to those who are not proficient in English and therefore is exceedingly straightforward for all types of students (ELL, visually/hearing impaired, etc.). This program professes to help kids improve their listening accuracy, phonological awareness, and language structures and moves elementary students who are reading below grade level in the direction of becoming on grade level readers.

7. Sharing An Idea I could certainly foresee using this program as a supplement to/during the literacy instructional block of the day; immediately following the whole-group period I would interject this program using IPads for centers and allow the kids to proceed at their own pace as I worked with other kids/groups. I would monitor them and provide any additional assistance as required with particular attention paid to my ELL and other laboring readers.