The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model, more commonly

referred to as the SIOP Model, offers a method for framing instruction that
helps all students, more specifically English language learning students, to
be successful in the classroom. The SIOP Model is comprised of eight
essential components that must be included in order for the model to be
effective.
1. Lesson Preparation: During planning, teachers must ensure that during
each lesson, students are given the opportunity to connect their own
knowledge and experiences with the new information being presented in the
classroom. Lessons must take into consideration both content area
objectives (what students are learning) as well as language objectives (how
students are learning).
2. Building Background: There are three important aspects of this particular
component. First, teachers must be able to relate students prior knowledge
and experiences to the content being taught in class. These experiences can
be personal, cultural or academic and can be from before or after a student
has entered the United States. Second, teachers must be able to help
students make direct connections to past learning; more specifically,
teachers must help students to see connections between information in
previous lessons and information in the current lesson. Finally, teachers
should focus attention to key vocabulary and academic language in the
lesson this type of vocabulary must be taught explicitly and multiple times
so that students will retain the knowledge and carry it with them throughout
the lesson.
3. Comprehensible Input: This component refers to the idea that the input for
students during a lesson (e.g. teacher speech, textbook layout, teaching
style) must be appropriate for the students language proficiency level. In
other words, all students must be able to understand the material being
taught in class. This means that teachers need to present information in
multiple ways to reach all learners. Teachers must also remember to do
things like speak slowly, enunciate, avoid using jargon, etc.
4. Strategies: This component describes the techniques, methods and mental
processes that improve comprehension for learning and retaining information
during a lesson. There are two types of strategies: instructional strategies
and learning strategies. Instructional strategies are the techniques, methods
and activities done in the classroom to help enrich learning, such as

cooperative learning. Learning strategies are kinds of strategic thinking done

while reading and learning, such as think aloud or summarizing.
5. Interaction: According to the SIOP Model, there needs to be more time in
the classroom devoted to students interacting with the teacher and other
students as opposed to just listening to the teacher lecture. Interactions
allows students, particularly ELL students, to practice speaking and sharing
their thoughts with others. For ELL students specifically, interaction allows
them to use English in a variety of settings with both academic language and
more conversational language.
6. Practice and Application: Lessons developed using the SIOP Model should
provide multiples opportunities for students to use hands on materials and
manipulatives to both learn and practice content learning in class. The
teacher should incorporate activities that allow students to apply the content
and language that they have learned or are learning in a given lesson.
Teachers should also attempt to utilize activities that integrate all language
skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).
7. Lesson Delivery: This component includes how well the content and
language objectives are supported during the teaching of the lesson. It also
examines the extent to which the students are engaged during a lesson and
also whether or not the pace of the lesson is appropriate for the students
abilities. Lessons that are most effective and understandable for ELL
students are lessons that capture students attention and then keep them
actively engaged in learning.
8. Review and Assessment: This component of the model is used to
determine how well students have understood and retained key vocabulary
and content concepts. This component should be incorporated throughout
the entire lesson but most importantly, once the lesson has concluded.
Assessments can help teachers to determine whether or not they are able to
move on to the next lesson or if instead, they must go back and offer
additional instruction and support. Assessments performed during the lesson
can also help teachers to determine the effectiveness of their teaching
method and make changes where necessary to ensure all students
understand the material.
Compare & Contrast: SIOP vs. Traditional Lesson Plan

There are several similarities that exist between the SIOP planning
model and the traditional lesson plan. The most obvious similarity between
them is that both, in their own way, offer supports that are meant to foster
the academic success of the students in the classroom. Another similarity
that exists is that in both cases, the teacher acts as the main source of
information for the students. Although the method may differ slightly, the
teacher is the one providing the content and opportunities for practice to the
students in the classroom. One final similarity between the two is that both
models take into consideration objectives for what is being taught as well as
how the content is being conveyed. Although the SIOP model provides
specific name to these types of objectives, both models contain aspects of
them that focus on these two things.
With that being said, there are definitely a number of differences that
exist between the two models as well. The traditional lesson plan typically
uses direct instruction as its main form of instruction; on the other hand, the
SIOP model uses a more hands on approach and the use of more
manipulatives in its lessons. Although typically more geared toward ELL
students, the SIOP lesson model offers benefits for both general education
students and ELL students. However, the traditional lesson plan is generally
more successful with general education students than with ELL students. The
traditional plan does not always provide the proper accommodations that ELL
students require to be totally successful in their academics. This is due to the
fact that the SIOP model focuses specifically on teaching the English
language to students.
The combination of direct instruction of the language as well as the
involvement of more hands on manipulatives is what helps to make the SIOP
model so successful. Research has shown that when the SIOP model is
implemented in classrooms, English learners academic performance
increases. As mentioned before, another benefit to using the SIOP model is
that it offers academic supports for all students, not just ELL students. In
other words, it helps ELL students who may be struggling without neglecting
the other students in the class. With that being said, one of the major
drawbacks of the SIOP model is that the lessons have to potential to be much
more time consuming. They require more planning on the part of the teacher
and using manipulatives takes more time in the classroom than direct
instruction. However, I think that the benefits of the SIOP model would
definitely outweigh the negatives, including the time commitment, if
teachers are willing to put in the extra work.