Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol

SIOPBridget Bordelon October 2012

ObjectivesContent objective: I can understand the eight components of SIOP.

Language objective: I can tell a partner three things I’ve learned about SIOP.

Sentence frame: One thing I learned about SIOP is ____.

Quilt• Take 2 or 3 post-its• On each post-it write something you think you know about SIOP OR write a question you have that you think will be answered today• As a table/group make a quilt of your post-its on the colored paper

What is SIOP?• SIOP is a researched based model of instruction

for English learners, but benefits all learners• SIOP promotes concurrent teaching and learning

of both language and content.• SIOP presents the best practices for Sheltered

Instruction (teaching content to language learners while promoting English language development).• Promotes Best Practice for all students.• The eight components of the SIOP Model enhance

language acquisition through interaction and the meaningful use of language.

The 8 Components• Lesson Preparation• Building Background• Comprehensible Input• Strategies• Interaction• Practice/Application• Lesson Delivery• Review/Assessment

Academic Language“Academic Language is the set of words, grammar,

and organizational strategies used to describe complex ideas, higher-order thinking processes,

and abstract concepts.”(Zwiers, 2008)

Essentially, academic language is the language of the classroom. Teachers and students use it to learn new knowledge and skills, share information, and describe abstract ideas.

 

Academic Language• BICS- Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills• 6 months to 2 years to develop• Social or Playground Language

• CALP-Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency• 5 to 7 years to reach native speaker levels• Formal or Academic Language•Often lack academic vocabulary at home (perhaps even in their native language)

BICS

CALP

“It is no wonder that ELLs will often read an entire page in their texts and not have a clue what they just read. They’ve mastered the decoding, but not being able to understand the “in between” words has rendered the text incomprehensible. Worse yet, during their several years in English-speaking schools, they’ve grown accustomed to reading without understanding, so that the lack of comprehension really does not cause them the same annoyance or reason to complain that it would for a native English speaker.” (Himmele & Himmele, 2009)

Academic Language

10

Cummin’s Model of Academic Language• Context-Embedded•Many clues provided for learners to access information

• Context Reduced • Learner must rely on language to access information

• Cognitively Undemanding• Language required is social and not specialized

• Cognitively Demanding• Learner must have enough background knowledge to scaffold new ideas that are academically challenging

Lesson Preparation• Content Objectives- what the students will

learn/do• Language Objectives- the reading, writing,

speaking, and listening activities that will occur during the lesson

• Supplementary Materials- visuals, graphs, models, graphic organizers, etc

• Content Concepts- appropriate for age and educational background

• Adaptation of Content- modify to students’ proficiency levels

• Meaningful Activities- integrate lesson concepts with opportunities to practice the language

ObjectivesContent Objectives vs.

• Content objectives focus on the material and subject matter students will learn.

• What

Language Objectives

• Language objectives have to do with how students will use language to learn the content by speaking and writing.

• How

Language Considerations for Language Objectives• Key Vocabulary: technical terms, content words, and other

words needed to discuss, read, or write about the topic of the lesson. (For example, if students are comparing, they would need to be able to use the words both, are similar, in comparison)

• Grammar or Language Structures: explicitly taught when they are prevalent in the written or spoken discourse of the class (For example, questioning patterns, past or future tense verbs, paragraph writing, pronoun usage, sentence formation, root words, prefixes, suffixes)

• Language Skills: the reading, writing, listening and speaking skills students need to learn. (For example, reading for the main idea, identifying a speaker’s point of view, explaining a solution, scanning for details)

Using Objectives• Include at least one language objective for

each content objective• Post objectives in a visible location• Start and end each lesson with the

objectives• Objectives may be written in student

friendly language appropriate for your grade level:• Students will be able to (SWBAT)• Students will (SW)• I can…

Objective Examples• Math (grade 1):• CO: I can find the sum of one digit numbers. • LO: I can tell a friend what the sum of one digit numbers will be.• SF: The sum of ____ plus ___ is ____.

• Math (grade 5):• CO: I can distinguish prime and composite numbers.• LO: I can explain why a number is prime or composite.• SF: ___ is (prime/composite) because it has ___ factors.

Building Background• New concepts directly linked to students’ prior experiences•Make explicit connections for students•Some students will have NO prior knowledge• Examples: camping, ballpark, colonial America,

holocaust, science fair, clam shells

Building Background• Links explicitly made between past learning and new concepts•Make connections between material already covered by you•Make connections between this year and previous year if you know it was taught • Example: writing a how-to paper

Building Background• Key vocabulary emphasized • Introduce•Write in sentences•Repeat out loud•Highlight in text•Visual clues•Multiple meanings•Sentence frames with the words•REPETITION!

Building Background Activity• Look at the 4 words and think about what they mean to you.•busking•milo•noodling•menudo

•  Jot down your ideas for each word.

Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible Input

Making the

Message

Understandable

Comprehensible Input: Speech Appropriate for Proficiency Level• Rate and enunciation• Use slower speech rate (for beginning level ELLs)• Use pauses• Enunciate clearly

• Vocabulary (brick and mortar words)• Sentence Structure• Subject-verb-object sentences for beginning ELLs• Reduce or eliminate embedded clauses

• The next thing when you’re done is to read silently.

• Avoid idioms• Paraphrase• Repetition • Research says repetition strengthens connections in the brain

Comprehensible Input: Clear Explanation of Academic Tasks • Present instructions step-by-step• Model or demonstrate • Show example of finished product• Oral instructions accompanied by written

ones

Instructions with prepositional phrases or dependent clauses may be confusing for ELLs: “Before you read the story, complete your vocabulary review.”

Comprehensible Input: A Variety of Methods Used to Make Content Clear• Use gestures, body language, pictures, and objects• Provide a model of a process, task, or assignment• Preview materials for optimal learning• Allow alternative forms for expressing their

understanding of information and concepts• Use multimedia and other techniques in lessons• Provide repeated exposures to words, concepts,

and skills• Use sentence strips• Use graphic organizers effectively• Audio versions of texts for comprehension

Strategies

Learning

Strategies

The special thoughts or

behaviors that individuals use to help

them comprehend,

learn, or retain new

information.

“Learning strategies help students put information in a file drawer

rather than a junk drawer.”

Strategies: Ample Opportunities Provided for Students to Use Learning Strategies

Cognitive Strategies

• Rereading• Highlighting• Taking notes• Mapping

information• Talking to

someone• Finding key

vocabulary• Mnemonics• Previewing• Making

connections• Summarizing

Metacognitive Strategies

• Predicting• Inferring• Self-questioning• Monitoring• Clarifying• Evaluating• Visualizing

Social/Affective Strategies

• Interaction• Questions for

clarification or help

• Cooperative learning

• Group discussions• Collaborative

problem solving

Strategies: Ample Opportunities Provided for Students to Use learning Strategies

Explicit Instructi

onWhat is the strategy?

How do I use it?When do I use it?Why do I use it?

Careful Modeling

ScaffoldingVerbal

Procedural

Strategies Feature:Scaffolding Techniques Consistently Used, Assisting and Supporting Student Understanding

Verbal Scaffolding

• Paraphrasing• Using think-alouds• Reinforcing contextual

definitions (e.g.. The veterinarian, an animal doctor, made a trip to the farm.)

• Providing correct pronunciation/grammar by repeating students’ responses

• Slowing speech, increasing pauses, and speaking in phrases

Procedural Scaffolding• Explicit teaching, modeling, and practice

opportunities with others, and expectations for independent application

• One-on-one teaching, coaching, modeling• Small group instructions with children

practicing a newly learned strategy with another more experienced student

• Partnering or grouping students for reading activities, with more experienced readers assisting those with less experience

Strategies Feature:3. A Variety of Questions or Tasks that Promote Higher-Order Thinking Skills

Blooms’ Taxonom

yKnowledge

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation

Revised Taxonom

yRemember

Understand

Apply

Analyze

Evaluate

Create

Researchers found that of the 80,000

questions the average teacher asks each year, 80% of them are

literal or knowledge questions.

HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Questions) must be planned.

Interaction

Interaction

Frequent opportunities for students to practice speaking academic

language with the teacher and other students

Why Interaction? Quantity & QualityQuantity• Research has found that teachers speak

about 80% of the time. • In an hour lesson, if we are calling on

students one at a time, each student would have about 6 seconds to practice and use academic language.• Extended over a whole day, that translates

to about 30 seconds per student.

Why Interaction? Quantity & QualityQuality• Research has found that most student responses are

limited to simple information-recall statements. This is especially true for ELLs. Research finds mainstream students are called on more frequently for responses that require academic language; ELLs are called on more frequently to answer fact-based display questions (Zwiers, 2005).

• There is an inverse relationship between the frequency of teacher questions and the extent to which students share their own ideas and seek information (Woods, 1986).

• Reading comprehension skills and writing skills are positively correlated with oral language proficiency (August & Shanahan, 2006 and Geva, 2006).

Interaction Brain Stimulatio

n

Increased Motivation

Reduced Risk (less

stress)

More Processing

Time

Increased Attention

Interaction: Frequent Opportunities for Interaction and Discussion

• Limit lectures to mini-lectures (about one minute per year for your students’ ages).• Encourage elaborated responses•Tell me more about that…•What do you mean by…•How do you know?•Why is that important?•Explain your thinking to your partner.

Interaction: Grouping Configurations Support Objectives• To maximize achievement, a balance is necessary

between active and passive learning• Vary grouping configurations (whole group, small group,

partners, individual assignments, random, voluntary)• Do not group exclusively by ability: a study found that

the group- or track- students were in was as strong a predictor of academic achievement as language proficiency (Callahan, 2005).

• Varying grouping structures increases the chance that a student’s preferred mode of instruction will be matched.

• It is recommended that at least two different grouping structures be used during a lesson, depending on the activities and objectives of the lesson.• When should you use whole group, small group, and partner work?

Interaction: Grouping Configurations Support Objectives

•To introduce new information and concepts•To model processes•To review

Whole Group

•To promote development of multiple perspectives•To encourage collaboration

Flexible Small Groups

•To provide practice opportunities•To provide scaffolding •To provide assistance

Partnering

Interaction: Sufficient Wait Time for Student Responses• Wait time varies by culture (from overlapping to minutes between

utterances)• ELLs need additional time to process ideas in a new language and

to formulate the phrasings for their thoughts.• Adequate wait time increases student discourse and more student-

to-student interaction (Honea, 1982; Swift & Gooding, 1983; Tobin, 1987)

• You may scaffold student responses:• give a choice between two answers• provide sentence frames to guide responses• allow students to ask a friend for help

• All Hands Up: Ask all students to respond to a question. Give them time to think. Students raise their hands open palm if they know the answer or with a fist if they do not know the answer. Teachers may call on any student. A student with a closed fist may ask the teacher or another student a clarifying question.• What is the average wait time for a teacher when asking a question?

A. 1.5 seconds B. 5.5 seconds C. 3 seconds

Interaction: Sufficient Wait Time for Student Responses

More Thorough Responses

Greater Use of Precise

Language

More Students Get the Right

AnswerStudents Sense that Teachers

Care about their Answers

Teachers Ask Fewer and More

Important Questions

More Lower-Achieving Students

Participate

Interaction: Students Clarify in L1• Best practice indicates that English learners

benefit from opportunities to clarify concepts in their first language (L1).

• Academic skills such as reading taught in the first language transfer to the second language (August & Shanahan, 2006).

• Ideally, students should be allowed to have a concept or assignment explained in their L1 as needed.

• Allow students to negotiate meaning of a concept in L1 with others in their language group.

Practice & Application• ELLs need multiple, daily opportunities to practice

and apply what they are learning• Immediate practice increases retention• Teachers can assess students’ learning

• Practice and application should be interspersed within each lesson (not just at the conclusion)

• Both language and academic learning occur through language use in the classroom (Saville-Troike, 1984)

• Oral and written practice increases language proficiency (Swain, 1985)

• Quality of Input is important: ELLs use the language used to deliver the lesson in their interactions with peers and teachers (Saunders & O’Brien, 2006

P & A: Hands-on Materials and Manipulatives• Use manipulatives when possible•Math: base 10 blocks, unifix cubes, algebra tiles, rulers• Language Arts: letter tiles, sentence strips, personal word walls, pictures, graphic organizers• Science: models, dissections, collections

• Manipulatives and hands-on materials reduce the language load for students• Kinesthetic activities • Example: Using arms to make angles

P & A: Apply Content and Language Concepts• Practice small, meaningful pieces of the

lesson• Each practice should be short in duration so

the student has to exert intense effort and make an intention to learn• Practice new learning with mass practice• Practice old learning with distributed

practice• Students receive immediate feedback from

the teacher or another student

P & A: Apply Content and Language Concepts

Discussing and doing make

abstract concepts concrete

Cooperative learning groups

Journal writing

Discussion circles

Partner interaction

“Reporting out” orally

and in writing

Describing results of an experiment

Listing steps in a process

Graphic organizers

P & A: Activities Incorporate all Language Skills• “It takes twenty-one (or more) times for an

ELL to hear, say, read, and write a word for it to become a part of their vocabulary.”• “… the language processes- reading, writing, listening, and speaking- are mutually supportive. Although the relationships among the processes are complex, practice in any one promotes development in the others.”

Lesson Delivery

Lesson Deliver

y

Teachers and

students stay

focused on the

instructional target

Lesson Delivery: Content & Language Objectives Supported by Lesson Delivery• Clearly stated and posted content and

language objectives provide specific learning targets for both teachers and students.• These content and language objectives

are used at the end of a lesson to evaluate whether the desired learning has occurred.• Specific targets keep lessons focused

(fewer tangents)

Lesson Delivery: Students Engaged 90 – 100% of the Time

To ensure participation by all students, teachers need to continually ask themselves

these questions:“Will all of my students learn during

this lesson?”

“How will I know?”“What can I do to get instant evidence that all students are engaged and processing the

concepts that are being presented?”

Lesson Delivery: Student Engagement

Techniques to enhance student

engagement:•Think-Pair-Share•“Chunk and Chew” (pause after chunks of instruction for students to discuss, practice, or reflect)•Quick-Writes•Quick-Draws•Hold-Ups (fingers, answer cards, white boards …)•Magic Buttons (encourages think time)•Four Corners•Likert Scale (survey opinions: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree)•Explain it to your neighbor

Lesson Delivery: Pacing Appropriate to Students Ability• Pacing refers to the rate at which information is presented during the lesson• The pace of the lesson depends on:•Lesson content•Level of students’ background knowledge

• Pacing challenge:•Slow enough so that no students are “left in the dust”•Brisk enough to maintain students’ interest

Review & Assessment: Comprehensive Review of Vocabulary

Review of vocabulary needs to include

attention to word and sentence structure

•Key vocabulary can be developed through analogy•Relate new words to other words with the same structure or pattern (ex: photosynthesis & photography)•Draw attention to tense, parts of speech, and sentence structure•Repeat and reinforce language patterns for words to become automatic•Ways to scaffold•Paraphrasing (say definition of word right after the word)•Systematic study (Multiple modalities: say them, write them, act them out, sing them, draw them, and find them in context)•Word study books: personal dictionaries•Non-print ways to review: “acting out words”, Pictionary, Charades•“School Talk” sessions•Discussion circle protocol: taking turns, polite disagreement words, how to ask and answer questions•Test-taking talk: how questions are worded on a test

Review & Assessment: Comprehensive Review of Key Concepts

Informal summarizing review• “Up to

this point…

• “Discuss in your groups the 3 important things we have learned so far.”

Periodic review

• Chunking• Leads

into next section to be studied

Link Review to content

objective

• Ensures focus on essential concepts

Final Review

• Allows students to assess their own understanding and clarify misunderstandings

Outcome Sentences

• Wrap-up Technique

• Students respond to sentence starters:

• I wonder…

• I discovered…

• I still want to know…

• I learned…

• I still don’t understand…

Review & Assessment: Regular Feedback Provided to Students on Their Output

Periodic Review •Clarifies and corrects misconceptions•Develops students’ English proficiency•Allows for paraphrasing and modeling correct English and complete sentences

Teacher Feedback•Orally•In writing•Facial expressions•Body language

Peer Feedback •Evaluate language production•Evaluate content understanding•Highly structured and carefully modeled

R & A: Assessment of Student Comprehension and Objectives Throughout Lesson• Assessment is “the gathering and synthesizing of

information concerning students’ learning.”• Evaluation is “making judgments about students’ learning.”• Gather baseline data• Plan multiple assessments• Informal assessments

• “on the spot” ongoing opportunities• Teacher observations• Quick-writes• Ticket out of class

• Authentic assessments• Application to real life• Multidimensional (journals, portfolios, projects, discussions, performances, interviews,

…)• Multiple indicators to show competency (use of a rubric shows level of learning, growth

is measured on a continuum)• Group response activities

R & A: Assessment AdaptationRange

• Adapt number of items ELL must complete• Determine percentage by number of items assessed

Time• Provide more processing time• Break tasks into manageable chunks

Level of Support• Read or explain the task• Read aloud or translate items for the assessment• Determine what you are assessing: Are you assessing content knowledge or a student’s ability to read directions?

Difficulty• Adapt the skill level, type of problem or task, and the process for approaching the task• For example: allow a calculator, dictionary, or simplified instructions

Product• Adapt the type of response• Drawings or illustrations• Hands-on demonstrations• Verbal response

Participation• Adapt the degree of active involvement• Individual self-assessments• Assistance in creating rubrics• Cooperative self-assessment

Factors Contribut

ing to High

Levels of Student

Engagement

Well Planned Lessons

Clear explanation of academic

tasks or instruction

Appropriate amount of time spent

on an academic

taskStrong

classroom managemen

t skills

Opportunities for

students to apply

learning in a

meaningful way

Active student

involvement

Lesson design

meets the language

and learning needs of students