SIOP: A Focus on Strategies

Presented by Office of ELLs

Office of ELLs

2012-2013

Session Goals

• Understand that explicitly teaching a variety of self-regulating strategies improves student learning and reading

• Develop a deeper understanding of strategies as it relates to sheltered instructional practices for language learners

• Understand that scaffolding techniques consistently used assist and support student understanding

• Develop a deeper understanding of how to utilize a variety of questions and tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills

Norms for Collaborative Learning

• Understand that those who work learn• Look for solutions, not blame• Phrase questions for the benefit of everyone• Be honest• Recognize that everyone has expertise• Challenge ideas• Share talk time• Respect our learning environment

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Strategies Features

• 13. Ample opportunities provided for students to use learning strategies

• 14. Scaffolding Techniques consistently used, assist and support student understanding

• 15. A variety of questions or tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhYI3w5I0EA&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

Instructional Techniques and Learning Strategies

• Instructional Techniques: Activities, techniques, approaches, and methods that teachers use to promote student learning

• Learning Strategies: Conscious, flexible plans learners use to make sense of what they’re reading and learning: these reside in the learners’ heads

Why Learn Strategies?

• Learning strategies are important because:– Good language learners use task-appropriate and

flexible strategies.– Students who are mentally active and strategic are

better learners.– Learning strategies are particularly effective with

academic tasks.– Learning strategies can be taught and learned.– Learning strategies can transfer to new tasks.

Chamot (2009, p.57)

SIOP: Learning Strategies

• Feature 13: Learning Strategies– Cognitive Learning Strategies help students

organize the information they are expected to learn through the process of self-regulated learning (Paris, 2001).

– Metacognitive Learning Strategies is the process if purposefully monitoring our thinking (Baker & Brown, 1984).

– Language Learning Strategies- Effective ELLs consciously use a variety of strategies to increase their process in speaking and comprehending the new language (Cohen & Macaro, 2008)

Cognitive Strategies

• Cognitive strategies are directly related to individual learning tasks and are used by learners when they mentally and/or physically manipulate materials, or when they apply a specific technique to a learning task (Slater & Horstman, 2002)

Examples: previewing a text, highlighting

Metacognitive Strategies

• The use of metacognitive strategies implies awareness, reflection, and interaction; and strategies are used in an integrated, interrelated, and recursive manner (Dole, Duffy, Roehler, & Pearson, 1991).

Examples: predicting, inferring

Let’s Try a Metacognitive Strategy

Activity Directions:1. Find a partner at your table. Decide who will be

#1 and who will be #2.

2. Both of you will read the quote to yourselves.

3. #1 will read the quote to #2.

4. Then, #2 will read the quote to #1.

5. #1 will then summarize the quote.

6. #2 will then boil it down to a summary using just 10 words.

Self regulated learning “emphasizes autonomy and control by the individual who monitors, directs, and regulates actions toward goals of information,

acquisition, expanding expertise, and self-improvement.”

(Paris, 2001;, as cited in MCC4, p.117)

Language Learning Strategies

• Effective language learners use a variety of strategies to increase progress in speaking and comprehending the new language (Cohen & Macaro, 2008).

Example: Substituting known words for unknown words

Language Learning Strategies

• Other language learning strategies include those described as social-affective– Seeking out conversation partners– Taking risks with the new language– Asking for clarification

Strategies and the CCSS

• Use strategies in the classroom to help language learners to:– Use context to confirm or self-correct word

recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary

– Interpret word and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone

– Determine the central ideas or conclusion of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms

Provide opportunities for students to use strategies

Cognitive Metacognitive Language Learning

•Previewing a text •Predicting and Inferring •Applying reading skills

•Establishing a purpose •Self-questioning •Analyzing and using forms and patterns in English

•Highlighting •Monitoring and clarifying •Making logical guesses about words

•Reading aloud •Evaluating •Breaking words into component parts

•Taking notes •Summarizing and synthesizing

•Substituting known words for unknown words

•Self-talking •Visualizing

•Finding key vocabulary

•Using mnemonics

Mr. Montoya’s Rainforest Lesson

• Skim Mr. Montoya’s lesson on pages 134-137 in MCC4

• Identify the learning strategies that Mr. Montoya is teaching or reinforcing and in which category they fit.

• Identify what scaffolds were used and levels of questions and tasks.

• Work in groups and share out

Things to Remember about Teaching Learning Strategies

• Students with literacy skills in L1 have developed a variety of learning strategies that they can talk about once they learn the English term for them.

• Many strategies transfer to learning in the new language• CCSS require that students “adapt their communication

in relation to audience, task, purpose, and discipline. They set and adjust purposes for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language uses as warranted by the tasks”

• The desired outcome is for students to engage in a variety of learning strategies while they’re reading, listening, writing, speaking and working with other students.

Things to Remember about Teaching Learning Strategies

• McKeown, Beck, and Blake (2009) found that some students spend so much time focusing on strategic actions that they seem less likely to connect key ideas in the text.

• The ultimate goal is for students to develop independence in self-monitoring and self-regulation through practice with peer-assisted and student-centered strategies.

Use Scaffolding Techniques Consistently

• Scaffolding is…– Teaching that is characterized by careful attention

to a student’s levels of language and academic proficiency, with early instruction at a level that ensures student success

– The teacher provides enough support to move students from one level of understanding to a higher level of understanding

– Assistance is decreased as students are able to access content concepts independently

– Historically, this has been referred to as the “gradual release of responsibility” Handout

Gradual Release for Language Learners

This is an added step to support language learners

More on Scaffolding

• The strategic use of sentence starters– Giving students sentence starters or frames

provides the support many need to be able to participate in literature and content area discussions

– Examples:• I already know…• I wonder why…• If__________, then…• In my mind, I see..• I got lost here because… Handout

Use a Variety of Question Types

• Use a variety of questions or tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills– Plan questions ahead of time to ensure that

students are being challenged appropriately, regardless of language proficiency

– Example:• Are seeds sometimes carried by the wind?

vs.• Which of these seeds would mostly likely be

carried by the wind: the round one or the smooth one? Or this one that has fuzzy hairs? Why do you think so?

Let’s Get Planning: Strategies

• Record your ideas for incorporating the features of Strategies into your lesson

• Share out

3-2-1 Reflection

3 things you learned or “Aha!” moments

2 things you’re going to go back and do differently as a results of today’s session

1 thing you still have a question about

Questions???