1. Content Driven Vocabulary 2019 Title III Consortium Conference
Hillary Snodgrass, EL Coordinator
Smyth County Schools

2. Disclaimer
The Title III Consortium Conference has been funded with federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education; however, the content shared by VDOE and other presenters does not necessarily represent the policies or views of the U. S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government. 

3. Smyth County Located in rural southwest, Virginia
15 schools divisionwide
3 High
3 Middle
7 Elementary
1 Career & Technical Center
1 Alternative Program
Enrollment: 32,000? (2012)

4. Smyth County EL Program
Recent staffing and scheduling changes
1 FTE, 1 PTE
10 of 15 schools
miles/month travel
Pull out, some push in
Experiencing growth
Population of newcomers from Honduras
Begin with how our district has improved services for our students and how that came about.

5. Program Data 2018-2019 2013-2014 29 identified students, 1 refusal
6 FLEP students (4 receive intervention services)
Program total:35
13 identified students
8 FLEP students
Program total: 21
Discuss how even though we have less students from to now, we believe the staffing and scheduling changes we have made has greatly improved student performance. In turn they are getting more instruction and having better results on their tests and exiting the program faster.

6. WORTH THE INVESTMENT

7.
Completely confused. Elaborate on knowing how to teach language but how to pick the content. Body language- not only was I confused but so where my students. Students can sense when you do not have a plan for instruction. By not planning you are planning to fail.

8. “Content”
Tell the story about the broken down car and the vocabulary to fix the problem.

9. “Meaningful Content”
Talk about how my experiences of growing up on a dairy farm relates to meaningful content in regards to vocabulary.
Inflation, combine, steer, parlor, grain, machinery operation, math etc.

10. Why does that matter? Bad habits Not a tutor Not a weekly visitor
Not just monitoring students
Map with no destination
Waste of time and resources
Emphasizing why having a content plan makes teaching language meaningful and easier for students to make lasting connections with the topics they are learning.

11. Plan to succeed or plan to fail?
Basketball- compare how it is impossible to make a game plan if you don’t know the opponent. What skills do my players need in order to be successful but also to plan to expect what they might see from an opponent. The what ifs? & the what nows?

12. Are we teaching to the test or accurately preparing students for life?

13. So now what?
You cannot cover everything BUT you can predict the content and topics students will need to know in the future.
Goes back to the basketball photo and planning to succeed. Studying your opponent. Tendencies they have, strengths, what are our weaknesses that we need to improve upon.

14. How can you do this? Find expert classroom teachers.
List main content topics or struggles for that grade.
Use SOL data to show the types of questions and topics that most students tend to find difficult.
Think about ACCESS and how it relates to content area topics for certain grade clusters.
Use this info to develop and tailor the curriculum to fit your ELs needs.

15. EXAMPLES
1st grade Animals and their habitats 2nd - 3rd grade Living systems and life processes 6th - 8th grade Persuasive writing

16. 1st Grade - Animals and Their Habitats
Animal and plant vocabulary
Exploring different kinds of habitats
Naming and describing features animals and their offspring
Comparing different animals
Field trips
State park
Farm
Zoo

17. 2nd - 3rd Grades: Living systems and Life Processes
Exploring the human body
Body systems
Circulatory, digestive, muscular, skeletal, etc.
How do math and science intertwine?
Experiments
Field trips
Visit to the nurse
PE Class
High school teachers
Hospital
Clinic
Pharmacy
Lifetime wellness center

18. 6th - 8th Grades: Persuasive Writing
Self expression
Songs
Why your opinion matters?
Topics at school, at home, and in the media that students can relate
Writing letters
Formal and informal
U.S. pattern of writing
Trauma

19. Questions?
Hillary Snodgrass EL Coordinator Smyth County Schools