50 strategies for Teaching English Language Learners PDF

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50 strategies for Teaching English Language Learners Chapter 1: Predictable routines and signals in the classroom are highly important in structuring a positive and nurturing environment and reducing anxiety of English language learners. having set patterns, routines, and signals helps them relax and not worry as much about being able to follow the sequence of events and activities during the school day • How does the use of routines and procedures enhance the learning environment? • How do ELLs benefit from the use of routines and procedures in the classroom? As the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are implemented and assessed, academic expectations are changing. Fisher and Frey list several changes that students must understand and begin to practice in order to address the Common Core: • Students will be expected to explore below the surface of academic tasks. • Students will be expected to construct knowledge within and across curricular areas. • Students will be required to be able to explain their solutions and how they arrived at them verbally and in writing. All of these changes put additional stress on students learning to speak and write in English. For this reason, teachers are advised to provide training exercises from the beginning of the year so that all students are aware of the expectations. • Set up your room—Set up your room with certain areas designated for group activities, free reading, and partner work. Establish these areas with the students by modeling their use and asking questions like, “Will you work with other people in this area?” or “Where will you sit if you want to read a book by yourself?” Use your computer to create clear, legible, large-print signs and graphics to help guide students. • Establish routines—Establish set places for students to turn in assignments; pick up needed materials; and keep their book bags, lunch boxes, and other personal belongings. Model putting these things in the established places. • Model routines—Model each new routine as it is established and be careful to maintain the routines once they’ve been established. Anytime a student shows confusion about a class-room routine or expectation, determine if a set routine would lessen the student’s confusion. • Contextualize directions—Be consistent about modeling as you give directions. For example, “Take out your math book” should be accompanied by your holding up the math book. “Open to page 21” should be modeled and page 21 should be written on the board. Modeling, gestures, and demonstrations are all vital ways to contextualize instructions. Be consistent! • Evaluate your use of routines and procedures periodically to identify areas that can be improved—Use the self-evaluation rubric shown in Figure 1.2 periodically to identify areas in which you can improve the use of routines and procedures in your classroom.

• Assess to determine appropriate follow-up instruction—When you are giving directions in the classroom, be aware of how easily your English learners respond. Note if they need ER 1 Predictable Routines and Signals to use visual cues by watching others before responding. Chapter 2: Total physical response is an approach to second-language acquisition based on first-language acquisition research. In total physical response (TPR), the teacher gradually introduces commands, acting them out as she or he says them. Initially, the students respond by performing the actions as the teacher demonstrates them. Gradually, the teacher’s demonstrations are removed, and the students respond to the verbal commands only. The steps in teaching a total physical response lesson are the following: • Choose vocabulary to physicalize—Choose vocabulary that will be used in the class-room, such as verbal directions, colors, and parts of the body, and list the words that students Step-byStep for TPR Storytelling 29will need to know. Think of simple commands that can be given using the target vocabulary and that require a movement response such as “Stand up,” “Sit down,” “Touch your head,” or “Show me the red block.” • Introduce vocabulary gradually—Introduce two or three commands at first. Give a command while demonstrating it physically. For example, “Stand up” is accompanied by stand-ing up. Motion for the students to do it with you. Introduce the next command and demonstrate. After you have introduced three commands, randomly alternate them, still demonstrating and encouraging the students’ responses. • Drop the physical modeling—After students have practiced the commands as you dem-onstrate them, and they appear to know what to do without waiting for your demonstration, drop the demonstration and encourage students to respond to the verbal commands. • Add additional commands—Add new commands, but no more than three at a time. Always start with demonstrations as you introduce new commands, practice until the students appear to know what to do, and then drop the demonstrations. • Add additional responses—Find new ways for students to demonstrate their under-standing of the vocabulary being practiced—such as pointing to pictures, drawing pictures, tak-ing turns demonstrating commands—to add practice and variety while the students are gaining confidence. Total physical response can be used as a part of many lessons, especially when you are reviewing concepts. View this video to see TPR being used in reviewing math concepts while practicing following English directions. As you watch, ask yourself: ❍What other types of activities would lend themselves to the use of TPR? ❍How does this activity format support English language learners? • Play games for additional practice—Play a game, with a student volunteer giving the commands once the students gain confidence. Gradually encourage new student volunteers to give the commands as they become comfortable speaking the words. Never force students to speak the commands. Wait until they are confident enough to volunteer. • Assess student progress and understanding—Because students are responding to com-mands with physical movements, it is easy to document their progress. Make a checklist of the commands you have taught and keep track of the commands that students know automatically

and those that still require modeling. Be sure to document when students volunteer to be leaders in the games being played for practice. Share the things you have documented with the students and celebrate together. • Periodically review your use of total physical response and plan to improve and expand your use of the strategy—Use the self-evaluation rubric in Figure 2.1 (on next page) to determine your present level of implementation. Plan to improve your use of the strategy by adding the descriptors given at the next highest level.Step-by-Step for TPR Storytelling• Start with basic TPR—Give a command and perform the corresponding action to demon-strate its meaning. Restate the command and have students move in response to it. Don’t expose students to more than three new words at a time. • Incorporate hand TPR—Add the use of hand gestures or hand signs to represent words or concepts. Examples of hand TPR include a stroking motion to represent cat and raising hands and wiggling fingers as the hands are brought down to represent rain. These hand gestures can be combined with whole body TPR. • Ask some questions that can be answered with one word—Pantomime putting a hat on your head, then ask, “What is on my head, a hat or a dog?” The students should respond, “Hat.”

Total physical response is also highly effective in teaching vocabulary associated with content-area knowledge. Teachers can introduce vocabulary and have students respond by drawing, pointing, putting pictures in order, or any other physical response that encourages active involvement and verifies understanding.

Chapter 3: Modeled talk the concurrent verbal explanation and physical demonstration of directions or concepts, is one of the simplest and most powerful strategies to use with English language learners. Step by step: Identify the lesson and gather materials Practice your modeled talk Design a visual of directions Review the steps to be taken Observe students as you model talk

The planning board is made of a large automotive drip pan. It has photographs of each of the centers attached by magnetic tape across the top of it and room for children’s names on magnets under each of the center pictures.

Chapter 4: Visual scaffolding is an approach in which the language used in instruction is made more understandable by displaying drawings or photographs that allow students to connect spoken English words to visual images being displayed. To use this strategy, the teacher builds hard-copy and digital files of visuals, such as photographs or drawings, that can be easily accessed for teaching. Photographs, illustrations, and even hand drawings can provide visual support for a wide variety of content and vocabulary concepts and can build background knowledge. In addition to visual representations, gestures used by teachers can be extremely supportive of student understanding. The meanings of gestures should be pretaught and used consistently. Visual scaffolding can be used effectively at all grade levels and across curricular areas.

Chapter 5: Realia is a term for real things—concrete objects—that are used in the classroom to build back-ground knowledge and vocabulary. Realia are used to provide students with opportunities to build on their learning using all their senses.

Though using realia in the classroom is not always possible, it is usually the best choice if students are to learn all they can about a topic. Realia allow students to see, feel, hear, and even smell the object being explored. If the real thing is not available, a teacher must move down the continuum from the concrete (real thing), to a replica such as a model, to a semi-concrete object such as a photograph or illustration.

Step to implement the use of realia: Identify opportunities to use realia Collect realia

Build a library of realia Use field trips as realia Assess by using realia

Chapter 6: Vocabulary role-play is a strategy that encourages learners to make connections among their past experiences, the content currently being studied, and vocabulary that is new or being used in an unfamiliar way. Students are introduced to new vocabulary and given an opportunity to discuss and use the vocabulary in context through role-playing. Several researchers have validated the importance of multiple exposures to new vocabulary with English learners. In this way, English language learners are given an opportunity to see the vocabulary words used in context, as well as demonstrations of several contexts in which the words may be used appropriately. Steps in implementing role-play:

Identify key vocabulary Teach the lesson or read the book Connect the vocabulary to past experiences Sort the words Plan ways to use the words Give the students time to practice Perform the scenes Focus on multiple word meanings

Chapter 7: Collecting words is a strategy for helping children develop better speaking and writing vocabularies. It also supports their understanding of the nuances of words that have the same or

similar meanings. Research clearly indicates that the development of extensive vocabulary and understanding of word meanings is essential to successful and fluid comprehension in reading and verbal interactions. By “collecting” words, students are constantly building a repertoire of words and word meanings that will serve to increase their understanding of oral language and stories, as well as to improve and strengthen their spoken vocabulary and eventually their writing skills.

Research in effective vocabulary instruction has identified several approaches that support effective word understanding in English learners: 1. Frequent exposure to targeted vocabulary words, such as repeated reading of storybooks and discussion of the meanings of the words in the context of the story, is needed to support effective understanding. 2. Explicit instruction of targeted words, such as acting out word meaning, is needed. 3. Learning words taught within the context of a story is more effective than the study of definitions. 4. Moving from low-demand to high-demand questions promotes greater gains in word knowledge 5. Vocabulary instruction should include teacher-student activities and interactive activities that target new words.

Collecting words involves making charts or digital files of words discovered by the children as they listen to or read stories or as they listen to and participate in conversations. The charting of the words supports student understanding of their meanings as the words are categorized, acted out, or connected to objects and context. The word charts provide a record of the words students acquire as they add to the collections and act as an ongoing vocabulary reference for students. As students locate and add words to the charts, they are responsible for helping other students understand the meanings and nuances of the new words. This may be accomplished through simple explanations, or it may require more elaborate picturization such as drawing, miming, or acting out to demonstrate the word meanings. Exploring the meanings of the words is a vital step because vocabulary development is directly connected to progress in reading comprehension.

Steps in collecting and processing words:

• Identify unfamiliar words in reading selections—As you are reading aloud or having students read, note words that students seem to misunderstand or cannot act out or explain.

• Write the unfamiliar words on chart paper and explore their meanings orally—Ask students to explain the words or use them in sentences. Expand their knowledge of the words by giving multiple examples of ways the words are used. • Have the students act out the words whenever possible—If some words are difficult to act out, look for a similar situation to act out that would help students understand the words. • Introduce synonyms and add them to the word collection with the original word—Have the students suggest words that mean the same thing or are similar in meaning. If the meanings of the words suggested are nuances of the original word, act out the two words to try to show the differences. • Provide the students with vocabulary journals and challenge them to find ways to use the new words—Using the T-chart format, ask students to list new words on the left side of the T and document how they used the word on the right side of the T. Kindergarten students can draw pictures to show how they used the words. • Assess to determine the need for further instruction—Assessing the understanding of the new vocabulary explored through word collections and vocabulary journals involves several approaches.

Vocabulary development has been widely researched. In the past twenty years a number of research studies have examined the impact of vocabulary knowledge on student achievement. As a result of the vocabulary acquisition research, three main implications for instruction have been recognized: (1) the wide range of vocabulary understood by students, (2) the differences in vocabulary knowledge between low- and high-achieving students, and (3) the importance of a sustained focus on oral and written vocabulary acquisition within the reading/language arts program.

To start students off on the right track toward the building of a rich store of vocabulary knowledge, word study must begin as early as possible. Even preschool and kindergarten students can be actively engaged in the exploration of vocabulary words.

Chapter 8:

Manipulatives are concrete devices that students can move and handle to support their thinking and learning. Although they are most often used in math and science, they can effectively support language understanding in other subject areas as well. For manipulatives to be used effectively the teacher must demonstrate their use while simultaneously modeling the connection to academic language. Especially for English learners, the appropriate formal mathematics vocabulary must be layered on top of experiences, not presented abstractly.

Manipulatives can be concrete representations of the concepts being taught, as in models of the human body, which can be disassembled for study, or representative manipulatives such as small wooden cubes used for counting and math calculations. Concrete representation manipulatives are often used to support the development of academic vocabulary, while semiconcrete representational manipulatives are used to explain and illustrate an abstract concept such as a number.

Manipulatives—whether they are real objects that help students to relate language to concepts or representational objects such as blocks, counters, or beans—are often supportive of students’ understanding and language development. Although traditionally manipulatives have been used in primary classrooms, there is evidence to support their use with older students and especially with English learners of all ages.

Chapter 9: Read-aloud plus is a strategy that can be used whenever students must read “tough text.” It is an especially valuable strategy to use with English language learners because it incorporates the modeling of fluent, expressive reading of English text with techniques for clarifying vocabulary, periodic checking for understanding, and providing and activating knowledge that helps students make connections between text and personal experience. Fluent read-aloud has been shown to increase student comprehension, vocabulary, and interest in reading. Read-aloud plus involves the teacher reading text aloud to students while adding visual support, periodic paraphrasing, and/or rewriting as the “plus” or extension to the read-aloud. The read-aloud and extension activities allow students to become familiar with strategies they can use independently whenever they must read difficult text, thereby pro-viding them with reading comprehension instruction and practice in the process of interacting with required content-area or literature text.

Chapter 10: Interactive read-aloud is reading books out loud using facial expressions, different voices for different characters, and gestures while encouraging the active participation of listeners through prediction, discussion, and checking for understanding. It also involves the exploration of the structure of text and think-aloud strategies that demonstrate how readers gain meaning from text. Students see their teachers as role models, and in interactive read-aloud the teachers actually do, in fact, model what good readers do.

Although read-aloud has traditionally been used extensively with young children, its effectiveness with older students has been documented many times. Shared reading is a strategy that teachers use to read books, charts, and other texts with students when the text is too difficult for students to read independently. Students and teacher read the text aloud together. Even when the students cannot read along with the teacher, they hear the words pronounced as their eyes follow the text. In the primary grades, large books with big print — “big books”—are often used with small groups of students so that everyone can see the illustrations and text. The introduction of interactive whiteboards and large platform projectors also allows teachers to work effectively in whole class settings as well as with small groups. Books can easily be digitized for presentation in a format suitable for viewing across the entire class-room. Interactive read-aloud and shared reading, though traditionally associated with primary classrooms, are also highly effective in supporting comprehension and vocabulary development in older students, especially those who are English learners. Observation is vital when teachers use shared reading and interactive read-aloud.

Chapter 11: Close reading is a strategy recommended to help students uncover the layers of meaning that lead to deep comprehension...