Supporting the ELL student in the content area classroom

That most immigrant ELL parents do not know how to read in their native language?

Most immigrant ELL parents have not attended school in their native country of if they have, most stopped at grade 6?

ELL students do not go home and practice broken English with their family but they converse in their native language, rich, authentic and meaningful.

That before coming to the USA, most ELL students don’t have modern conveniences like indoor plumbing? We teach them how to use the restroom facilities and related hygiene topics.

That ELL students are the only students who are required to take two standardized tests by the State?

ELL students are more eager, more disciplined and revere you, the teacher, making them excellent students?

ELL students love to learn and enjoy coming to school?

That you are working with gifted and talented students? Brain research shows that bilingual speakers are linguistically gifted.

America is experiencing the largest America is experiencing the largest foreign born immigration increases, in foreign born immigration increases, in a proportion that is similar to what was a proportion that is similar to what was recorded in the latter 1890’srecorded in the latter 1890’s

In the last Census - 1 out of every 10 In the last Census - 1 out of every 10 Americans was foreign bornAmericans was foreign born

American Public Education enrollment American Public Education enrollment has been steadily declining. has been steadily declining. Enrollment of ELL students has been Enrollment of ELL students has been steadily risingsteadily rising

Welcome to the world of ELL!

Literate ELL students in American schools need to be taught how to read.

Younger children aged 5 -7 years of age learn English faster than children between the ages of 8-11 years of age.

Children who speak English at home will develop English skills faster than students who speak their native language.

Knowledge and skills that a child learns in one language will transfer to the second language.

If a child has social English, then s/he will do well academically.

A child who has strong native language skills will do better learning the second language.

1. Teach the different types of text structures

2. Provide a solid background knowledge of subject

3. Give intensive vocabulary instruction

4. Provide modified readings

5. Make sure to have repeat exposure to texts

6. Use plenty of visuals

7. Practice, practice, practice!

Non-FictionDescription or listChronologicalCompare and ContrastCause and EffectProblem and SolutionProcedure

FictionNarrativePoemPlay

Weaverham Wallerscote County Primary School (September 2006)http://www.wallerscote-community-school.co.uk/07bWritingTestTextTypes.pdf

Text Type Examples Typical TextStructure

Typical LanguageCharacteristics

Description or lists

How things work how plants grow

chronologicalscene settingsequence of events

present tensemarkers of time or cause (when, because)use of action vocabularydiagrams and illustrations

Chronological Sequence of historical events

chronologicalscene settingsequence of eventsclosing statement

past tensetime markers When, then, finally)focus on individuals (Queen Victoria, thePrime minister)use of action words (ordered, discovered)

Compare and contrast

Two different topics/ideas Public vs. private schools

non-chronologicalComparison between two subject then the contrast of the two subjectsUsually trying to highlight the merits of one over the other

present tensecausal and contrastive connectives(because, on the other hand)generic subjects (children, parents)‘mental process’ verbs (feel, think)

Procedure Instructions on how to do something labs

chronologicalstatement of goalmaterials / requirementssequence of steps

present tense or imperativesuse of time markers (then, after)focus on non-specific person (you)mainly action wordsdiagrams and illustrations

Report Text book descriptions science or history text

non-chronologicalopening general statement(The solar system is made upof...)technical elaboration of category

present tensefocus on groups of thingsillustrations and diagramssections, headings and different print sizesuse of technical language

Prepare students before beginning to read Activate background Knowledge

Anticipation guides Graphic Organizers

KWLQAR

Engage the 3 P’sPreviewPredictPurpose

• An idea….– Teacher hands out note

cards, writes on the board or has students write in their notebook anything they think of relating to the topic

– Teacher regroups students and lists the most common themes or ideas

– If not enough time in the class, students hand in note cards or paper before leaving for teacher to go over students’ responses

– Ideal for assessing students’ current knowledge base and any misconceptions they might have

– Good way to orient students’ thoughts to topic about to be discussed

They help to engage students’ thoughts and prepare them for discussion about ideas and concepts that they will find in the textIt is a good way to find out knowledge base of a group of students and to discover any misconceptions about a topicThey can be used as a pre-test and a post-test

Answer the following questions about Wisconsin using True or False.

#1 #2_____ _____ We live in Wisconsin._____ _____ Detroit is the capitol of

Wisconsin._____ _____ Lake Superior is to the

east of Wisconsin_____ _____ Lake Michigan is to the

west of Wisconsin_____ _____ There are three lakes

that border Wisconsin.

_____ _____ The Mississippi River is west of Wisconsin.

_____ _____ Monroe is in Green County.

_____ _____ Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Iowa border Wisconsin.

_____ _____ Wisconsin has a peninsula.

_____ _____ There’s a river called the Wisconsin River.

KWLAccesses previous knowledgeGets students thinking about the topicHelps them make connectionsUsed before, during and after readingCan help students make predictionsAllows time for reflection on work

QARUsed for pre, during and post readingAllows students to do some critical thinking and pose higher level questionsAccesses and builds on previous knowledge Allows students to interact with the text on a more personal level

Question Answer Response

What are atoms?

The smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element

Atoms must be really small. It said in the book that you can’t see individual atoms.

Why is the title of this book “Hatchet?”

The main character uses a hatchet to survive.

I think I would be scared to only have a hatchet with me to survive in the wilderness. He must have been very brave.

Orient reader towards fiction or non-fictionLook at text structures

TitleHeadings/

subheadings/chapter names

Maps, charts, graphs, illustrations

Bolded wordsGlossary, index if used

Usually very quickDone in 1-3 minutesIs not necessary every

day; just until students are used to doing it independently

It is an effective method to help students think about the readingIt orients them to the text and the importance of all the different text structures

Today’s non-fiction reading is about the how the United States Expands West. Looking at the subheadings, you’ll be reading about the Louisiana Purchase and Lewis and Clark. There is an informative map on page 187 that gives more details about the Lewis and Clark expedition and a historical spotlight on Sacajawea, page 188. There are several bolded vocabulary words that you can look up in the glossary or use context clues to help you figure them out. What else do you notice about this text?

Use previewing a text before prediction Use prediction before establishing a purposeAsk focus questions to activate background knowledge or to invoke higher level thinkingGets students thinking more in depth about the reading and what they expect to learnGives teacher a change to monitor student conceptions about reading and gives teacher time to modify any misconceptionsTakes very little time

1-2 minutes

Based on the subheadings, the illustrations and the vocabulary, what do you think this reading is going to be about? Tell me two things you are going to learn about.

Give students their objective for reading and what you want them to know when they are done readingState your goals for the reading in clear definable languageFocuses students’ attentionProvides reason for reading, not just because they have to or to finish a homework assignmentHelps clarify goals of teacherClears up confusion of what the teacher wantsVery quick: >1 minute

Today as you read about the United States expanding west, I want you to think about how the United States became bigger and what Lewis and Clark had to do with the nation becoming bigger.

• Create a word wall for content area words used in your class

• Use visuals to support instruction

• Preview major words from the reading at least a week before reading

• Do several cloze activities leaving the targeted vocabulary words blank; encourages aural word recognition and promotes spelling skills

• Categorize words into logical groupings

• Create automaticity of word recognition by frequent exposure and practice of targeted word

• Use cognates and high frequency vocabulary words when appropriate

• Encourage ‘scavenger word hunts’ for students to locate vocabulary words in reading

• Use non-verbal to verbal response sequencing for instruction and assessment

• “Point to/Show me…” (non-verbal)

• “Is this a _? Yes or no?” (one-

• word/dual choice)• “Is this a __ or a ___?” (one-

• word/dual choice)• “What is this?” (verbal • response/no choice)

1. Identify the standards or content area concepts students need to understand from the reading

2. Focus the modifications on the content area standard(s) being addressed

3. Use high frequency vocabulary words and cognates

4. Avoid use of slang, jargon, phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions

5. Underline previewed vocabulary words

6. Provide visuals like pictures, timelines or maps

7. Write in simple sentences8. Employ guided reading

questions that focus on the 5 W’s to help students comprehend as they read

9. Use larger font and at least two spaces between sentences

Mt. Vesuvius is a large volcanic mountain in Italy. On August 24th, A.D. 79 Mt. Vesuvius erupted.  It destroyed the city of Pompeii. The volcano dropped ash and pumice on the city for hours. Then it blew superhot rock and gas onto the city. People who were still in the city were buried alive by the ash and pumice. The city was buried and people did not think of the city for many years.

In 1748, treasure hunters began to dig out the city of Pompeii. They wanted the statues, artwork, coins and vases. They destroyed much of the city.

In 1860, an archaeologist named Giuseppe Fiorelli became the boss of the excavation. He organized the excavation in a scientific way. He made maps and wrote what he found. He restored the buildings and the art.

Between 1927 and 1932, an archaeologist named Amedeo Maiuri found the richest house in the city. It had a lot of gold and silver, coins, jewelry and silver dishes. He also found the skeletons of a dog, a man and a little girl. Pompeii tells us a lot about life a long time ago.

Teacher led reading twice with students tracking using pencil or fingerTeacher and student choral reading twiceTeacher and half the students choral reading then teacher and other half of student choral readingStudents choral reading, no teacherHalf the student choral reading and other half silent then switchIndividuals read sections in small or whole group or in front of teacher

Remember that the more students practice, the more fluently they will read, which, in turn, will decrease need for decoding and increase comprehension of the content

Structured Writing Copying Cloze activity Dual choice Story boards Sequence frames Story strips/LEA Writing framesLess Structured Writing Open-ended sentences Paragraph starters Outlines Note Cards

Use material that students know and have been working with Define your goals for the dictation “Students will begin each sentence with a capitol and end with a period.”Clarify goals with students “For this dictation, you will be graded on using capital letters and punctuation.”Consider cloze activity for lower level ELL students. See example.

Mt. Vesuvius is a large volcanic mountain in Italy. On August 24th, A.D. 79 Mt. Vesuvius _____________. It _____________the city of Pompeii. The volcano ___________ _______ and ___________ on the city for hours. Then it_______ superhot _______ and _______ onto the city. People who were still in the city were _________ alive by the ash and pumice. The city was buried and people did not ________ of the city for many years.

In 1748_________________ began to _________ the city of Pompeii. They wanted the _________, ________, _______, and __________. They destroyed much of the city. In 1860, an _______________ named Giuseppe Fiorelli became the _______ of the excavation. He _______________ the excavation in a scientific way. He made maps and ______________what he found. He ____________ the ___________and the art. Between 1927 and 1932, an archaeologist named Amedeo Maiuri found the richest house in the city. It had a lot of ______and ________, coins____________ and silver ___________. He also found the ___________ of a dog, a man and a little girl. Pompeii tells us a lot about life a long time ago.

Use materials students know and have been working with in the recent pastLeave out significant words, not modifiers or articles. Focus on the vocabulary of the unit.Always provide a word bank of essential vocabulary for students if you expect them to write extemporaneously.

DUAL CHOICE EXAMPLEThe Arctic is a very ________(hot, cold) part of the

world. It is located in the _________(northern, southern) regions of North America, Europe, and ___________(Africa, Asia). It is (north, south) of the Arctic Circle. The _____________(winters, summers) in the Arctic start in September and end in June. During the winter, the sky is _______________(light, dark) because of the position of Earth in relation to the Sun.

WORD BANK EXAMPLEUse these words: art, combine, folktales,

history, oral, plot, proverbs, rewards, short, wisdom  

Many________________ from China have survived thousands of years, mainly through the __________tradition but sometimes in Chinese literature and ___________. Often Chinese folktales are very ____________, with a simple ____________, and take only a few minutes to tell. Some have become very short ______________. Many folktales ____________ important values of Chinese _____________and society, such as the triumph of justice over injustice, or the belief that _____________will win over strength and cleverness will bring ____________.

Assess comprehension Requires minimal

writing skills as text can be taken from the story Can be modified so that

higher level students have to summarize a reading in their own words

Works on sequencing of events and identification of main ideas

Students and teacher experience an event together (i.e. a field trip, a lab, a performance)

Discuss what happened Teacher writes down everything that students

say on strips of paper, including word choice, sentence order or other grammatical errors

Instruction depends on the focus of the writing lesson Punctuation Verb Tense Sequencing Transitions

Can be used for multiple lessons Demonstrates to students the similarities

and differences between the spoken and written word

Encourages literacy in beginning students, as everyone has the chance to participate since all were active in the initial experience

Easier to manipulate the sentences when written on strips (I recommend using dry-erase strips as they are easier to erase and make changes)

Similar in purpose to dual choice and word bank writings

Focuses more on retrieval than on memorization.

Allows students at lower language levels to engage in writing process

Models use of sentence structure, word order and paragraph formation

Easily adaptable to use as a free write or as a review to a reading or something else that happened in class (i.e. lab, demonstration, presentation).

Charlotte is a_____________. She is 13 years old. She is English. She is on a big ship. She is __________to America. She is the ___________ girl on the ship. The crew is all _______________. The captain is not ________________ to Charlotte. A sailor ________an accident on the ship. Charlotte ___________to be a sailor. She has to __________ the mast. She is ___________.

She _____________ up the mast. She _________ her __________ and___________ to climb up the mast. She uses her___________ and __________ to climb up the mast. She uses her _________ to __________. Charlotte is o.k.! She is at the ________ of the mast! Charlotte __________________ the mast. Charlotte is o.k. She is ________ on the _____________________. Charlotte is now a sailor. She is ______________ the crew.

Provide a topic Practice on a common topic in group Model using the writing frame with given

topic Transfer concepts to a new topic but work

with students in class Allow students to choose their own topic

within the framework of the original topic Students should be able to transfer their

information into the framework provided previously but with topic specific modifications

Begin prewriting using a common topic that everyone knows and can discuss (for this example, the city of Monroe, WI).

Use a graphic organizer to take notes (i.e. outline, Venn diagram, column note charts, etc.) Be consistent with the type of graphic organizer you use so students can replicate it on their own.

Organize ideas into different subgroups. These can then be changed into sentences later on.

________________ is an interesting city. Geography

Located in the United states state county

Rivers/Lakes Border counties

History When was the city

founded Who founded the city 

Interesting Facts Population Weather

Industry Places to Visit Places to eat Places to sleep Festivals or fun

activities  Schools

Colleges Private schools  Public Schools

Teacher provides topic sentences for ELPs 1-2Teacher provides sentence starters for ELPs 1-2Students use brainstorming notes to fill in the blanks. Great for whole class participation as everyone has the opportunity to add something to the writing

Brainstorm as a group information for your new topicProvide an organizational tool for note-taking.For ELP1-2, think of providing the first letter of the information that should go in the blanks. It’s also helpful to provide a word bank. Make sure to explicitly state your expectations for how to create a graphic organizer, as many have not had experience with them until coming to this country.

Wisconsin is an interesting state. Geography History

Became a state Different Native American

(Indian) groups Historical Sites

Interesting Facts State bird State Flower  State Song  State Motto State Population Professional Sports Teams

Wisconsin is an interesting state. It is located in ____________ of the United States of America. Four states border Wisconsin. They are: ______, _______, _______ and __________. To the North of Wisconsin is _________ ____________ and to the East of Wisconsin is ________________ _________. On the West of Wisconsin is ___________ ______________. There are over _______lakes and ____rivers and streams in Wisconsin. Wisconsin became the _____ state on ____. There were many different Native American groups living in Wisconsin when the first white people came. These include:___, __, and _____. There are also many interesting historical sites to visit like__________ and___________________. Wisconsin’s state bird is the ___________________. Its state flower is the ___________ _____________, the state song is ________ __________________! and the state motto is ______________. There are ___________________________ people living in the state of Wisconsin. Wisconsin has three professional sport’s teams. They are: ____________________, ______________ and _____________________. Wisconsin is an interesting state.

Provide specific examples/models of the five stages of writing: prewriting, drafting, editing, revising and publishing.

Give sentence starters and paragraph frames for lower level ELL students.

Specifically teach how to use different graphic organizers.

Be clear in how you are going to assess students and inform students of the requirements for their grade.

Wisconsin biome projectNow that you know a little bit more about biomes, it’s time

to learn about the types of biomes in Wisconsin. Using at least 1 print and 1 internet source from the

library, you will research a biome of Wisconsin. Your job will be to find out information regarding plant and animal life, the description of the biome and where it is located in Wisconsin.

You will organize your notes onto a four square graphic organizer. Your notes should be understandable and legible so that I can read them. After you have gathered your notes, you will draw a representation of your biome on construction paper. Then you will take your notes and change your descriptions into four separate paragraphs. You will start your four paragraphs as follows:

The __________ biome has many interesting features. In the ________biome, there are many different types of

animals.The ____biome also has many different kind of plants and

vegetation.The ______biome is located in ___________ Wisconsin. Each paragraph will have 5-7 sentences describing your

biome. You will type your paragraphs and print them out. You will cut them out and glue them on your visual.

When you have completed your visual, you will then present your information to the class. You will state the name of your biome, where it is located, a description of 3-5 sentences about your biome and information about the plant and animal life (3-5 sentences each). 

You will be grades on the following: 

Graphic organizer= 26 points

Includes 3 facts for each square (3 x 4=12 points)

Written legibly (3 x 4=12 points)

Includes bibliographic sources of information (1 x 2=2 points)

Visual representation=4 points

Includes title (1 x 1= 1point)

Use of color (1 x 1= 1 point)

Includes paragraphs on visual (1/2 x 4=2 points)

Written information= 22 points

Four paragraphs (1/2 x 4=2 points)

5-7 sentences each (1/2 x 20=10 points)

Complete sentences (1/2 x 20=10 points)

Rules of paragraph formation= 32

Indent (1/2 x 4=2 points)

Capitols at the beginning (1/2 x 20=10 points)

Periods at the end (1/2 x 20=10 points)

Sentences are not written on individual lines (1/2 x 20=10 points) 

Total= 84 points

Pond Biome

By Mrs. Ackerman

The pond biome has many interesting features. There is plant and animal life on land an in the water. Pond temperatures can vary from 4 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius. The water often freezes during the winter. Ponds have a lot of different animals and plants that live in or around it.

In the pond biome, there are many different types of animals. The pond biome has carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Some examples of carnivores are the Great Blue Heron, the Great Egret, the river otter and frogs. Some omnivores are the muskrat, the painted turtle, and shrimp. Some herbivores are the white tailed deer, the beaver and the Canadian goose. The Great Blue Heron is a large bird with long legs, long neck and a sharp bill. It eats fish, lizards and frogs and hunts for animals in shallow ponds. The heron builds nests in large trees made of sticks and twigs. Herons lay 3-7 eggs at a time.

The pond biome also has many different kind of plants and vegetation. There is a lot of algae near the surface of the pond and plankton, or small plants in the middle layer of the water. Algae are tiny one-celled plants that have no roots, no stems or no leaves. They are colored red, green or brown by chlorophyll and float in the water.

The pond biome is located in Wisconsin and wherever there are ponds or lakes. There are lake biomes by the great lakes in northern and eastern Wisconsin near Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.

Marsh Biome by Student BThe marsh biome has many interesting features. There is plant and animal life on

land and in water. It is a low–lying, open area located near creeks, streams, rivers and lakes, where water flows into the marsh. Marshes are common at the mouths of rivers. The level in freshwater marshes usually ranges from 1 to 6 feet deep. They are also rich in minerals.

In the marsh biome there are many different types of animals. The marsh biome has carnivores, omnivores and herbivores. Some omnivores are turtles, raccoons, opossums, and muskrats. Some herbivores are deer, snails, earthworms, and beavers. Some carnivores are frogs and insects. The raccoon has black eyes with brown-gray fur, white rimmed ears, and black vertical marks on the forehead. The raccoon has a long black-ringed tail with long fur, a pointed snout, and 5 long toes and fingers with claws. The raccoon is an omnivore and eats frogs, fruits, vegetables and garbage. It lives in North and South America near water. It lives in trees in small family groups.

The marsh biome also has many different kind of plants and vegetation. Some plants are cattail, saw grass, water lily, pickerel weed, spike rush and bulrush.

The marsh biome is located in Wisconsin. The biggest freshwater marsh In the United States is in the Florida everglades.

Students’ work used in this presentation as taken from my beginner ELL class where all students were at beginning production. These students could not read or write in English when they started the school year but by the end of the year, they were able to read materials for specific information and then produce paragraphs with minimal support. It takes a lot of support to reach this point but as you can see….