MISD Bilingual/ESL Department

SIOP Comprehensible Input

February 5, 2014Tina Kelman

How have you been doing?We’ve had two sessions so far:

Lesson Preparation Building Background

Share an idea & a challenge

Now, share a strategy that you have implemented this past week for building background knowledge.

Take 1-minute each to share what went

well and what challenges you may have had.

If your group finishes before time, others may interview.

Objectives for Comprehensible Input

Content Participants will

evaluate the significance of intentionally infusing comprehensible input strategies into their lessons.

Language Participants will

discuss a reflection on the progress of their implementation of the components covered thus far with the group.

SIOP SIOP Component Component

33

ComprehensiComprehensible Inputble Input

Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the essence of what is being said or presented to them.

ComprehensibComprehensible Inputle Input

Comprehensible Input

This does not mean, however, that teachers must use only words students understand.

In fact, instruction can be incomprehensible even when students know all of the words.

What you put in is what you

get out!

Teacher Talk

Making teacher talk comprehensible to students goes beyond the choice of vocabulary and involves presentation of background and context, explanation and rewording of unclear content, and the use of effective techniques such as graphic organizers.

Context or Visual cues

By using context or visual cues, or by

asking for clarification, students enhance their knowledge of English.

When input is comprehensible, students understand most aspects

of what is required for learning, and the learning experience pushes them to greater understanding

Think About It…

Just because the students can’t speak English proficiently …

doesn’t mean they can’t think!

Just because the students can’t read English…

doesn’t mean they can’t think!

Language is mostly acquired when:

Lessons are interesting and relevant

Instruction follows natural language patterns

Input is provided in sufficient quantity

The message is clear so the learner can

understand

There is appropriate monitoring of errors, since

overcorrection increases student anxiety

There is sufficient wait time to allow for internal

translation

Language AcquisitionTeachers need to make content

comprehensible based on the English Language acquisition level of each student.

Stages of Language Acquisition- Beginner Intermediate Advanced Advanced High (same level as native

speakers)

Beginner I don’t speak any

English Intermediate

I speak conversational English only, no academic English

Advanced I can use some

academic English Advanced High

I speak English comparable to native speakers

Stages of Language

Acquisition

Food for Thought…. It is critical that students know what is

expected and that step by step instructions are written for students to see and use.

Many students will begin to disengage or misbehave because they are not certain what they are expected to do, even if you have verbally told them everything they need to know.

Low SES Students

Research shows that consistency and an orderly, predictable classroom environment create a safe setting for our low SES students.

Feeling safe at school increases productivity, comprehension, language acquisition, and test scores.

Continuum of Strategies

Type of Strategy

Teacher- Centered

Teacher- Assisted Peer- Assisted

Student- Centered

Rate of Speech In focus group research, middle school

students reported that teachers talked too fast and they couldn’t understand the directions.

Lack of clear explanation – due to teachers’ impatience, speaking too fast, or poor instructions – was consistently cited as a problem by English Learners.

Variety of techniques to make the content comprehensible….

Techniques

Use gestures Use body language Use pictures Use realia MODEL, MODEL, MODEL Preview materials Allow for alternate forms of expressing their

understanding of info & concepts

What do you already do in your classroom to help students understand what you are saying?

Techniques cont. Multimedia Technology Repeated exposure to words, concepts, skills Be succinct Graphic organizers

Turmoil Anxiety Confusion Violence Disturbance Riot Strife Trouble Tumult Turbulence Unrest

SynonymsHow many words can you give them that mean the same thing?

(Remember those 17 new words a day they need to be learning to catch up to native English Speakers? Here are 11 new words with the same definition!)

Textbooks

What are some assumptions textbooks makes about English Learners, their backgrounds, language proficiency and abilities?

In pairs, create a chart showing the assumptions you feel/see textbooks make.

Discuss whole group

Scaffolding Activity Find a partner at a

different table Write a definition of

scaffolding using no more than 8 words.

Write it on the sentence strips.

Display around the room.

This forces you to

think about the most important words and concepts

ScaffoldingVerbal scaffolding

ParaphrasingUsing “think-alouds”

Reinforcing contextual definitionsProcedural scaffolding

Practice with othersOne on one teaching

Small group instructionPartnering or grouping with more

experienced ones

Verbal scaffolding Examples of verbal scaffolding include

paraphrasing, repetition of key points, summarizing, and using think-alouds.

When the verbal is paired with the nonverbal in the form of facial expressions, gestures, picture, charts, graphs, maps, or realia, this strategy is particularly effective.

Using a variety of visual aides and teaching to all learning styles are the most effective approaches.

Think-Alouds What is a think-aloud?

When teacher’s think-aloud - they are providing mental models for comprehension of content text.

Mental modeling gives students an insight into how good readers make sense of text.

It allows students to see options that are available to them and how good readers decide what to do.

It also helps students understand the complexities of reading and that it is an ongoing thinking process.

Outcomes of the Think-Aloud Approach

Students change their view of reading.

They realize that reading is a purposeful activity.

They are more involved in actively building their

comprehension.

Verbalization skills increase.

More opportunities for cooperative learning.

Students become more independent readers

TPR Activity Choose a word from the word bank With your table group, make up an action or

draw a picture to help you remember the word Describe, in your own words, what the word

means on a piece of chart paper 

Word Bank Lesson Preparation Building Background Comprehensible Input Strategies Interaction

Strategies Strategies are typically taught at a young age (not

always true for our ESL students) Teach the strategy using a text that is 2-4 reading

levels below the students’ reading levels They are practiced throughout their school careers Provide ample opportunities for students to use

and practice strategies Consistently use the scaffolding techniques

throughout the lesson A variety of question types used*

*Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy

Relevant Background Knowledge

One way teachers can ensure that material is sufficiently comprehensible is to provide relevant background knowledge and content.

Teachers should try to explain ideas or concepts several times using slight variations in terminology and examples.

Consistent Language To increase the likelihood that students will

understand what is being said to them, the use of consistent language from the teacher is a necessity

Comprehensible instruction requires that teachers carefully control their vocabulary and use graphic organizers, concrete objects, and gestures when possible to enhance understanding.

Expressing Ideas To increase the likelihood that students will

understand what is being said to them, provide frequent opportunities for students to express: their own ideas in their own way

What ways can students express their own ideas in your class?

Share at your table

Add ideas to our chart paper

Accuracy of Content During instructional dialogs, the focus should be

primarily on accuracy of content, not rigid requirements associated with correct language use

Spending time defining, discussing, and clarifying vocabulary words unlikely to be familiar to the students prior to reading a passage has demonstrated consistently positive effects on reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension for students with learning, speech, and language disabilities

Using Analogies for TeachingSimple presentation of concepts help students to

make connections with new knowledge. An analogy allows students to form a mental model of concepts to be learned based on what they are already familiar with, then transposing it to new knowledge. This process is called mapping.

An analogy works best when the concept is new

Make sure the students understand the analogy

Explain the specific similarities

Be aware of misconceptions the analogy may leave

Manipulatives and Experiments

Manipulatives are concrete objects that are used to demonstrate learning concepts and to enhance the meaning of presented information.

Students have the opportunity to hear, see, and touch manipulatives to promote the learning process and language acquisition.

Realia, or real objects, are the best manipulatives to make learning concrete.

Casual vs. AcademicCasual Academic

mistake

speed

underground

tarriff

Encounter

friendly

Smell

Peers

elect

Word StudyVerbal-Visual Word Association

Definition in student friendly terms with a translation in L1

Personal Association

Specific Examples Relevant Non-Example

Word Analysis

RuleRulerRuledRulingRulable

Bull’s Eye___________Clue #1

___________Clue #2

___________Clue #3

___________Clue #4___________T

arget Word

Pictionary…sort of! Pick words the class is working on

As you (or the student) draw the picture for the word…TALK your way through the picture, explain the picture as you talk

Easier for ESL students to guess when they hear familiar words in context

Even low level students can find something to say about the picture as they draw

Homework Assignment Make input comprehensible!!!

Bring examples of how you are doing this in your lessons.

First fifteen minutes of our next meeting will be devoted to sharing with the class.

Next Meeting:

Email us any time if you need additional support, have questions, or need advice –

wburt@mckinneyisd.net – Wendy Burt, Scott Johnson MS tkelman@mckinneyisd.net – Tina Kelman, Boyd HS ddavenport@mckinneyisd.net – Dina Davenport, Malvern

ES