1. English Through Content
Scaffolding & Strategies
For ELL Students

2. What is Scaffolding? Reduce Language Demands
Adopt assessments for your readers
Find out what they know
Build student self-confidence with a-priori teaching
Scaffolding meets readers language demands

4. Assessment Without Scaffolding
Is not valid
Teachers cannot use assessments to help students learn
Does not show what students know and can do

5. How to Scaffold Simplify Language Use short phrases
Reduce sentence length
Use present tense if possible
Reduce page clutter
Space-out text

7. How to Scaffold (continued)
Provide students with choices – example: options in tasks, word banks
Use visuals and graphics – allow pictorial responses
Use manipulatives, real artifacts, art projects, poster projects, games
Use cooperative language – think-alouds, paired reading, modeling by teacher, categorizing

12. What are the Benefits of Scaffolding?
Adds validity to assessment
Allows students to show their strengths
Allows teacher to gain information for further instruction/re-teaching and assessment

16. Success with Assessment and Instruction
For success in assessment and instruction of ELL students, teachers need an awareness of language dimensions and degree of cognitive demand
To evaluate comprehension, teachers must use multiple types of assessment for ELL students

19. Content Language
We cannot assume students understand the language of a specific content
Modifications of content language is essential for ELL students academic success

21. What is “Language” of Content?
Imagine you are in first grade and have been given the following problem . . .
What words would you use to solve this problem?

22. Which of the following do you think would be confusing for Limited English Speakers?
How many all together?
How many in all?
How much is 3 and 2?
What is the sum of ?
What is 2 plus 3?
Add the two numbers.
Three squares and two more are . . .
Three plus two equals . . .

23. Content Language
Assumes student has vocabulary necessary for understanding
May be abstract rather than concrete
Assumes common prior knowledge