Research Based Research Based Recommendations for ELL Recommendations for ELL

StudentsStudents

Center on Instruction English Language Strand, Center on Instruction English Language Strand, Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and Texas Institute for Measurement Evaluation and

Statistics, University of Houston &Statistics, University of Houston &Harvard School of Education Harvard School of Education

A growing populationA growing population

9.9 million students nationally9.9 million students nationally24,000+ in Idaho24,000+ in Idaho10% of all students10% of all studentsPopulation has increased by 100% in Population has increased by 100% in Idaho in the past ten yearsIdaho in the past ten yearsBy 2015 ELL students will make up 30% By 2015 ELL students will make up 30% of the student population in the U.S.of the student population in the U.S.

Missing?Missing?

““The largest and fastest growing The largest and fastest growing population of population of ELLsELLs consists of students consists of students who immigrated before kindergarten who immigrated before kindergarten and U.S. born children of immigrantsand U.S. born children of immigrants””

How is the new state How is the new state assessment impacting your assessment impacting your

districtdistrict’’s identification of ELL s identification of ELL students?students?

ELL students and ELL students and PovertyPoverty

““The greatest risk for academic failure is The greatest risk for academic failure is not a learning disability, nor second not a learning disability, nor second language learning. The highest risk language learning. The highest risk factor for reading failure is sociofactor for reading failure is socio--economic status.economic status.””

G. Reid Lyon, DirectorNational Institute for Health

Conceptual FrameworkConceptual Framework

Developmental perspective of readingDevelopmental perspective of reading–– Many components skills that contribute to Many components skills that contribute to

successful reading comprehensionsuccessful reading comprehension–– Many factors Many factors –– individual, instructional, and individual, instructional, and

contextual influence outcomescontextual influence outcomes

In other words…bringing ELL students to proficiency in reading is complicated!

Guiding Principles of Guiding Principles of FrameworkFramework

““The crucial application for reading skills is to The crucial application for reading skills is to learn new concepts and develop new learn new concepts and develop new

knowledge across a range of content areas.knowledge across a range of content areas.””

Guiding Principles of Guiding Principles of FrameworkFramework

““In order to plan for effective instruction, In order to plan for effective instruction, educators must have a clear understanding of educators must have a clear understanding of

the specific sources of difficulty or weakness for the specific sources of difficulty or weakness for individual students or groups of students.individual students or groups of students.””

Guiding Principles of Guiding Principles of FrameworkFramework

““Whether designated as LEP or not, ELL Whether designated as LEP or not, ELL students often lack the academic language students often lack the academic language necessary for comprehending and analyzing necessary for comprehending and analyzing

text.text.””

Academic Academic LangugageLangugageGapGap

Score lower on national assessmentsScore lower on national assessmentsLower scores persist even after Lower scores persist even after language support is discontinuedlanguage support is discontinuedVocabulary levels are well below Vocabulary levels are well below average average –– less than 20%less than 20%Vocabulary is insufficient to support Vocabulary is insufficient to support reading comprehension or written reading comprehension or written expressionexpression

ConcernsConcerns

Many ELL students have wellMany ELL students have well--developed developed English conversational skills but lack English conversational skills but lack academic languageacademic language

Academic languageAcademic language

Words likeWords like……whereas, factor, determinewhereas, factor, determineComplex sentence structure Complex sentence structure (compound, complex sentences)(compound, complex sentences)Text styles Text styles –– argumentation, narrative, argumentation, narrative, expositionexposition

Guiding Principles of Guiding Principles of FrameworkFramework

For the majority of ELL students For the majority of ELL students experiencing reading difficulties the experiencing reading difficulties the issues are fluency, vocabulary, and issues are fluency, vocabulary, and comprehensioncomprehensionDifficulties are usually not identified in Difficulties are usually not identified in early grades early grades

Guiding PrinciplesGuiding Principles

Instructional focus needs to be Instructional focus needs to be articulatedarticulated–– PreventativePreventative–– AugmentedAugmented–– RemedialRemedial

Remind you of any other model you’re already using?

Recommendation 1Recommendation 1

ELL students need early, explicit, and ELL students need early, explicit, and intensive instruction in phonological intensive instruction in phonological awareness and phonics in order to awareness and phonics in order to build decoding skillsbuild decoding skills

Recommendation Recommendation

Supporting instructionSupporting instruction–– ClassClass--wide instruction for all learners and wide instruction for all learners and

their classmatestheir classmates–– Supplemental instruction for a subgroup of Supplemental instruction for a subgroup of

children whether children whether ELLsELLs or native speakersor native speakers

Recommendation 2Recommendation 2

KK--12 classrooms across the nation must 12 classrooms across the nation must increase opportunities for increase opportunities for ELLsELLs to to develop sophisticated vocabulary develop sophisticated vocabulary knowledge.knowledge.Only 5Only 5--10% of instructional time in 10% of instructional time in classrooms across America is dedicated classrooms across America is dedicated to vocabulary instructionto vocabulary instruction

The Vocabulary ChallengeThe Vocabulary Challenge

02000400060008000

1000012000140001600018000200002200024000

K 2nd Grade 4th Grade 6th Grade

Reading Vocabulary

Oral Vocabulary

Most students enter school with large receptive vocabularies. The materials used by 3rd to 9th graders contain about 90,000 words.

Adapted by Reading Success Network from Graves, Juel, and Graves, 1997

RecommendationRecommendation

All students need 12All students need 12--14 exposures to a 14 exposures to a wordwordLabel but not conceptLabel but not conceptSelection of words Selection of words –– bootlegging, bootlegging, dandelion, burrowed vs. analyze, dandelion, burrowed vs. analyze, frequent, although, thereforefrequent, although, therefore

Vocabulary instruction Vocabulary instruction must be based on an must be based on an understanding of:understanding of:

Difference between conversational and Difference between conversational and academic languageacademic languageWord families (how words relate to Word families (how words relate to each other) suffixes, prefixes, rootseach other) suffixes, prefixes, rootsInterInter--relationship of content area words relationship of content area words and academic languageand academic language

Vocabulary cont.Vocabulary cont.

Various level of word knowledge Various level of word knowledge (multiple meanings of words)(multiple meanings of words)Vocabulary instruction through oral, Vocabulary instruction through oral, reading, and writing activitiesreading, and writing activitiesNeed for students to be equipped with Need for students to be equipped with strategies to learn words independently strategies to learn words independently

lightlight________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

wellwellNoun__________________________________________Noun__________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________Verb___________________________________________Verb___________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________Adjective_______________________________________Adjective_______________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________Adverb_________________________________________Adverb_________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________Interjection _____________________________________Interjection _____________________________________

_________________________________________ _________________________________________

Recommendation 3Recommendation 3Reading instruction in KReading instruction in K--12 classrooms must 12 classrooms must equip equip ELLsELLs with strategies and knowledge to with strategies and knowledge to

comprehend and analyze challenging narrative comprehend and analyze challenging narrative and expository textsand expository texts

Current InstructionCurrent Instruction

Most comprehension instruction is Most comprehension instruction is passivepassiveStruggling students cannot answer the Struggling students cannot answer the questionsquestionsCorrect answers do not necessarily Correct answers do not necessarily mean that students understand the mean that students understand the metacognitivemetacognitive process employedprocess employed

Increasing Increasing ComprehensionComprehension

Students actively engagedStudents actively engagedPrediction activitiesPrediction activitiesActivities during readingActivities during readingSummarization skillsSummarization skills

““Telling is not the same as teachingTelling is not the same as teaching””

Story

Retelling

RetellingRetellingBefore reading a story, the teacher Before reading a story, the teacher reviews one to three words that are in the reviews one to three words that are in the passage.passage.As the teacher reads the story, he or she As the teacher reads the story, he or she displays simple pictures that mark the displays simple pictures that mark the actions, events, or key points.actions, events, or key points.

RetellingRetellingAfter reading, the teacher retells the story, After reading, the teacher retells the story, pointing to the pictures in sequence. He or pointing to the pictures in sequence. He or she incorporates the previously discussed she incorporates the previously discussed vocabulary words into the retelling. vocabulary words into the retelling. Students retell the story after the teacher Students retell the story after the teacher has modeled. has modeled. The teacher asks questions about the The teacher asks questions about the story.story.

VocabularyVocabularyToday as I read the story, Today as I read the story, ““The Ants and The Ants and the Grasshopper,the Grasshopper,”” you will hear the word you will hear the word dampdamp. . How many sounds are in the word? What How many sounds are in the word? What are the sounds? What letters do you think are the sounds? What letters do you think are in the word? are in the word? Damp Damp means means wet. wet. If you get caught in the If you get caught in the rain, your clothes may become rain, your clothes may become damp.damp.

The Ants and the Grasshopper

One fine day in the winter, some ants were busy drying their corn. The corn had gotten damp in the rain. [Point to picture of ants.]

A grasshopper came up and begged for a few kernels of corn. “I am very, very hungry,” said the grasshopper. “Could you give me some corn?” [Point to picture of grasshopper.]

The ants stopped their work for a moment. Then one ant said, “What did you do all last summer? Why didn’t you pick corn for yourself?”

The Ants and the GrasshopperAesop

One fine day in the winter, some ants were busy drying their corn. The corn had gotten damp in the rain.[Point to picture of ants.]

A grasshopper came up and begged for a few kernels of corn. “I am very, very hungry,” said the grasshopper. “Could you give me some corn?” [Point to picture of grasshopper.]

The ants stopped their work for a moment. Then one ant said, “What did you do all last summer? Why didn’t you pick corn for yourself?”

“I was busy singing last summer,” said the grasshopper. “I could not be bothered to pick corn for myself.” [Point to musical notes.]

“If you spent your summer singing,” said the ant, “You can spend your winter dancing. We cannot help you for we have much work to do.” The ants laughed and went back to their work.

Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland

Narrative TextNarrative Text

Who?Who?What?What?When?When?Where?Where?Why?Why?

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

The Lion and the MouseThe tall savanna grass fluttered in the slight

breeze as a great lion slept. While he slept, something ran across his paw. The lion awoke to see a small mouse nibbling on a seed of grass.

The lion scooped up the mouse in his paw and opened his fierce-looking mouth. Before the lion could eat it, the mouse cried, “Please, let me go. I will be glad to return the favor someday.”

The lion roared with laughter at this thought. Butbecause he was still sleepy and not very hungry, the lion let the mouse go.

Later that afternoon, the lion awoke and felt hungry. He went to look for food. Soon, he was caught in a net. He tried to get free, but the lion could not break the ropes. The lion roared. The mouse heard him and ran to see what was the matter.

Seeing the great lion caught helplessly in the net, the small mouse said, “I am glad that I can now return the favor.” Then the mouse gnawed the ropes and the lion was soon free.

“I may be meek, but even I can be of help to the mighty,” said the mouse. And the lion and the mouse were forever friends.

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

Who?

What?

When?

Where?

Why?

Summary for The Lion and the Mouse:

The story is about a lion and a mouse.

The story takes place one afternoon on the savanna.

The mouse sets the lion free because he is returning a favor.

Expository TextExpository Text

SubjectSubjectMain IdeaMain IdeaSupporting IdeasSupporting IdeasDetailsDetails

Is It Money?Did you know that six billion quarters were minted

by the US Treasury in 2000? Did you know that about 800 million Sacagawea golden dollars have been put into circulation since 2000? There are many interesting facts about money. One fact is that not everything can be money.

Pull out all the money in your pocket or purse. What you will notice is that it does not all look the same. Some of it is rectangular and green, and some of it may be round and silver in color. Your money is not all the same size. Even though your coins and dollar bills look different, they do share common characteristics that make them money.

Look at one of your dollar bills. Probably it is wrinkled and a little dirty, with the corners folded over. This tells you that many different people have used it. Someday, the bill will be worn out, but it will last for many months or even years. Look at one of your coins. It may be several years or decades old. Something we use for money must have durability.

The money that came from your pocket or purse is small and light. It has portability, a necessary trait for money. Think how burdensome it would be if dollar bills were as big as blankets and weighted five pounds or your coins were the size of donuts and weighed ten pounds each.

Not everything you buy has the same price. One item may cost half a dollar. Another item may cost fifteen dollars. Because money has divisibility, you can pay for either item with a twenty-dollar bill. If you pay for a half-dollar item with a twenty-dollar bill, you may be given a ten, a five, four ones, and a fifty-cent piece in change. Divisibility lets you pay exact amounts for anything you buy.

While paper clips are durable, portable, and divisible, they cannot be used as money. Money has to have value in relation to other things and have acceptability as legal tender.

When you earn money, you can spend it or save it. When you save money, you feel safe about saving it because you know it has a certain value. You know it will keep its value over time. The dollar you earned last summer will be worth a dollar when next summer rolls around. What we use for money must have stability.

Expository TextExpository Text

SubjectSubjectMain IdeaMain IdeaSupporting IdeasSupporting IdeasDetailsDetails

SubjectSubject

Is what the passage is Is what the passage is mostly about.mostly about.

Main IdeaMain Idea

Is the subject +Is the subject +what the passage says about the what the passage says about the

subject =subject =the main ideathe main idea

Supporting IdeasSupporting Ideas

Are support for the main idea.Are support for the main idea.

DetailsDetails

Give information about Give information about the supporting ideas.the supporting ideas.

Characteristics of Money

Durability DivisibilityPortability Acceptability Stability

Lasts a long time

Bills last months or

years

Coins last decades

Small and light

Easy to carry

Pay exact amounts

Agreement that it is

legal tender

Maintains value

Characteristics of Money 1

Durability 2

Divisibility 6

Portability4

Acceptability 8

Stability 10

Lasts a long time

Bills last months or

years

Coins last decades

3

Small and light

Easy to carry

5

Pay exact amounts

7

Agreement that it is

legal tender

9

Maintains value

11

Recommendation 4Recommendation 4Instruction and intervention for Instruction and intervention for ELLsELLsfluency must focus on vocabulary and fluency must focus on vocabulary and

exposure to printexposure to print

Fluency Fluency recommendationsrecommendations

Caution Caution –– rate of reading is not an issue rate of reading is not an issue for most ELL studentsfor most ELL studentsPhrasingPhrasingProsodyProsodyInflectionInflection

Fluency instructionFluency instruction

Oral readingOral readingCorrective feedback from an adultCorrective feedback from an adultDiscussion and questioning about the Discussion and questioning about the texttextExposure to printExposure to printSmall group format insures engagement Small group format insures engagement and motivationand motivation

Recommendation 5Recommendation 5In all classrooms ELL students need In all classrooms ELL students need significant opportunities to engage in significant opportunities to engage in

structured, academic talkstructured, academic talk

Structured talkStructured talk

Oral language development is Oral language development is cumulativecumulativePrimary means of development is oral Primary means of development is oral but can be supported by reading and but can be supported by reading and writing activitieswriting activitiesReading aloud and shared readingsReading aloud and shared readingsSupported by teachers but not Supported by teachers but not necessarily led by teachersnecessarily led by teachers

DescribingDescribing

Chose two or three objects or pictures Chose two or three objects or pictures of objects that are related to the topic. of objects that are related to the topic. Students describe.Students describe.

Name the object.Name the object.Name categories the object belongs in.Name categories the object belongs in.Name the functions of the object.Name the functions of the object.Name its color, size, shape. Compare it Name its color, size, shape. Compare it

to to anotheranother object. Use a simile or a object. Use a simile or a metaphor.metaphor.

Recommendation 6Recommendation 6Independent reading is only beneficial Independent reading is only beneficial

when it is structured and purposeful, and when it is structured and purposeful, and there is a good readerthere is a good reader--text matchtext match

Practical Guidelines for the Practical Guidelines for the Education of ELLsEducation of ELLs

Three books:Three books:–– ResearchResearch--based Recommendations for Instruction based Recommendations for Instruction

and Academic Interventionsand Academic Interventions–– ResearchResearch--based Recommendations for Serving based Recommendations for Serving

Adolescent NewcomersAdolescent Newcomers–– ResearchResearch--based Recommendations for the Use of based Recommendations for the Use of

Accommodations in LargeAccommodations in Large--scale Assessmentsscale Assessments

ResourcesResources

Math information included in your bookMath information included in your bookReferences at the end of the documentReferences at the end of the document20062006--2007 Reading Academy materials2007 Reading Academy materialsRose, Rosie or MarybethRose, Rosie or Marybethmflachbart@msn.commflachbart@msn.com