The Language & Learning Post

Weekly News, Tips and information for the classroom teacher of English Language Learners!
web sites & Tools
Here is something to try --- If you dont have a slate, try the Show Me app on iPads. This app will let you import a picture of
ANYTHING and draw right on top of it! For example.. Just snap a pic of your UPSL, or a piece of text., put it in the app, and turn
on your Air Play. Poof! Now you are free to stand anywhere in the room and work or annotate on the document! You can even
use various colors! Want to know more... Come see me or ask around. Second grade and third grade have been trying it out!
Key Ideas
Supporting and scaffolding academic conversations are essential for the English Language learner. Teaching our students to speak and write
in complete sentences can often be a challenge. One of the major tools used in ESL instruction is sentence stems! Giving the student a place
to start, will frame their language and set a purpose for class and peer discussions. My students and I have created anchor charts that have
just the first two to three words that we use often when questioning and responding before, during, and after reading.
Another idea is using cards that have question and answer stems on them. Students can use these when discussing text with a peer. This
might insure that your turn and talk time is productive. Frequent small group purposeful talk is one of the fundamental five from Sean Cain.
All students need time to talk about their learning. Providing sentence stems can help them stay on topic and create good habits in sentence
construction.Just some ideas....
Generic Questioning: I wonder... What if... Why did... What was the purpose of...
Generic Responding to what we read: I noticed... The text said... I figured out that.... I discovered....
A Word about VOCABULARY...
Ok you know this one....nonlinguistic representation! How often to we leave this part out of our instruction. As teachers
we talk , talk, talk all day long. All those graphic organizers, even though they contain words, are still nonlinguistic
representations. For the ELL student things like generating mental pictures, drawing pictures and pictographs, and
engaging in kinesthetic activity are just some of the ways we dene the unknown. Dont stop at drawing a picture of a
vocab word. Use these things across the board. (hey there is an idiom for you!) Classroom Instruction That Works, by,
Marzano,Pickering, & Pollock has a great chapter on this. (I have this book.. just incase you all want to do a little extra reading :)
ELPS FOCUS For the week of 11/9/13
Kinder
! ldenufy a
senLence made up
of a group of
words. [2A]
FIrst
*se visual and
contextual support and
support from peers and
teachers to read grade-
appropriate content
area text, enhance and
confirm understanding,
and develop
vocabulary, grasp of
language structures,
and background
knowledge needed to
comprehend
increasingly challenging
language.[4F]
Second
*: internalize new
basic and academic
language by using and
reusing it in meaningful
ways in speaking and
writing activities that
build concept and
language attainment.
[1E],
use visual and
contextual support and
support from peers and
teachers to read grade-
appropriate content
area text, enhance and
confirm understanding,
and develop
vocabulary, grasp of
language structures,
and background
knowledge needed to
comprehend
increasingly challenging
language.[4F]
Third
*demonsLraLe
Lngllsh
comprehenslon
and expand
readlng skllls by
employlng
analyucal skllls
such as evaluaung
wrluen
lnformauon and
performlng
analyses
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL-area
and grade level
needs 4k
Fourth
* use pre-
readlng supporLs
such as graphlc
organlzers,
lllusLrauons, and
pre-LaughL
vocabulary and
oLher pre-
readlng acuvlues
Lo enhance
comprehenslon
of wrluen LexL.
4u
Fifth
* demonsLraLe
Lngllsh
comprehenslon
and expand
readlng skllls by
employlng baslc
readlng skllls such
as demonsLraung
undersLandlng of
supporung ldeas
and deLalls ln LexL
and graphlc
sources,
summarlzlng LexL
and dlsungulshlng
maln ldeas from
deLalls
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL -area
needs. 4I
Sixth
* demonsLraLe
Lngllsh
comprehenslon
and expand
readlng skllls by
employlng baslc
readlng skllls such
as demonsLraung
undersLandlng of
supporung ldeas
and deLalls ln LexL
and graphlc
sources,
summarlzlng LexL
and dlsungulshlng
maln ldeas from
deLalls
commensuraLe
wlLh conLenL -area
needs. 4I
by, Alissa Tubbs
ESL Teacher
Lawrence