Expediting Reading Comprehension Across Disciplines

ExC-ELL

Expediting Reading

Comprehension across

Disciplines

-It's not only for ELLs!

Christa Daniel Southeastern Randolph Middle School

6-8 Science, 9-12 Science

Alyson ‘Mac’ McNamara

Southeastern Randolph Middle School

NBCT, K-12 EC, 6-8 ELA, 6-8 Math

Margarita Calderón

"We have accumulated a

collection of school-

based and instructional

features that are working

for all students." (Teaching

Reading & Comprehension to English Learners,

K-5, 2011, p.1)

ExC-ELL

ExC-ELL: Research-based and Proven Outcomes!

ExC-ELL

…funded by the NY

Carnegie Corporation

…a professional

development program for

teachers

…5+ years of empirical

testing of ExC-ELL

…Shows great results!

ExC-ELL

Why Involve ALL Teachers with ExC-ELL?

ExC-ELL!

ExC-ELL!

ExC-ELL!

ExC-ELL

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Expediting Comprehension for

English Language Learners

ExC-ELL

ExC-ELL

Alphabet Soup

ExC-ELL

Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.

ExC-ELL Parallels the CCSS

The CCSS call for basic changes in the way all K-12 teachers have been teaching:

• Academic vocabulary (e.g., tier 1, 2, 3 words).

• Language (e.g., rich discourse, discussions, questions, answers).

• Reading (e.g., text complexity, more informational than literary).

• Writing from sources (e.g., texts they are reading).

• Building knowledge in the disciplines by teaching

reading, vocabulary and writing in science, social studies, and

language arts.

ExC-ELL

ALL students will read, discuss and write

in all subjects EVERY CLASS, EVERY DAY!

ExC-ELL strategies HELP!

ExC-ELL

The Big Question from Teachers:

What can ExC-ELL do for my students?

Prior to ExC-ELL:

Surface Comprehension

• low-level questions

• lacks rich discussions

With ExC-ELL:

Deep Comprehension

• learn new vocabulary

• rich discussions • critical comprehension

ExC-ELL

Vocabulary and Oracy

Development Takes Place:

Before Reading

Pre-teaching of vocabulary

During Reading

Teacher read alouds

Student peer reading

After Reading

Peer summaries

Depth of word studies/grammar

Class discussions

ExC-ELL

How to Select Words to Teach

Choose words that are critically

important:

• to the text

• to the understanding of the concept

• to the unit

ExC-ELL

Vocabulary TIERS

Tier 3 Content specific words

(highlighted in the text)

Tier 2 Academic process language

Transition words

Connectors

Polysemous words

Tier 1 Basic words usually taught by

many teachers

ExC-ELL

Tier 2

Words in End Of Grade & End Of Course

Exams, the “high-stakes” testing.

Information Processing Words

• Infer

• Implied

• Convey

ExC-ELL

Vocabulary Tiers: Specificity & Sophistication

ExC-ELL

Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

knee kneecap patella

in all total sum

person character protagonist

people population demographics

Tier 2- The “Forgotten List” of Vocabulary

• Academic Processing words

• Idioms

• Transition words and connectors

• Phrasal Clusters

• Sophisticated and Specific

• Homophones

ExC-ELL

ROUNDTABLE Clear your desks.

Only one paper and pencil.

Each student writes one answer and passes the

paper to the right.

Everyone must write an answer.

Continue this process until the teacher calls time.

Count the number of correct responses by your

team. Delete repeated words and report your

numbers.

Round 2!

ExC-ELL

A Queen’s Wish One gray winter day the elderly queen

summoned all her grandchildren to the castle. “I

have been fortunate to have lived a long life,”

she said. “But in time your generation will rule

the country. You must work persistently to help

the people and take care of the land.

“We will always work hard,” the children replied.

“You must also be faithful to your brothers and

sisters, no matter what,” the queen said.

ExC-ELL

Vocabulary Tiers for ELLs A Queen’s Wish

Tier 1 Simple

Words

Tier 2 Process, Idioms,

Sophisticated

Tier 3 Content Words,

Key vocabulary

wish

gray

Queen

castle

rule

in time

take care

replied

no matter what

elderly

summoned

fortunate

generation

persistently

faithful

ExC-ELL

Pre-Teach

Step 1 Teacher says the word . ExC-ELL, ExC-ELL, ExC-ELL

Step 2

Teacher asks students to repeat

the word three times

(whisper, high, low)

ExC-ELL, ExC-ELL, ExC-ELL

Step 3 Say the word in context from the

text.

We will receive an overview of ExC-ELL

today.

Step 4 Teacher provides the definition

of the word (dictionary)

ExC-ELL is an acronym for Expediting

Comprehension for English Language

Learners.

Step 5 Provide the meaning in student-

friendly terms.

ExC-ELL is a way to help ELLs learn to read

and write in a quick and accurate way!

Step 6

Student actively engages with the

word to develop word/concept

knowledge.

Turn to your partner and discuss the acronym

ExC-ELL. What do each of the letters

stand for?

Step 7 Highlight grammar, spelling,

polysemy

Note- this word is not to be confused with

Excel, a popular program by Microsoft to

make spreadsheets.

ExC-ELL

Examples for Step #6

Popcorn Activity:

If you are studying for a test, you

need to do it persistently. What else

do you need to do persistently?

ExC-ELL

Expository Text

Text that Explains Facts and Concepts

A Toolkit for Successful Readers

• Background Knowledge

• Vocabulary

• Text Features

• Text Structure

• Reading Comprehension


ExC-ELL































ExC-ELL

ExC-ELL

• Build Background (content/concept) **How is this different from “front loading?”

• Explicitly Pre-teach Key Words and Phrases

• Set Content Objective for Reading/I can I will (we can and will)

• Model Reading Comprehension Strategy

Before Reading Science, Math,

Social Studies, and Language Arts

ExC-ELL


The ExC-ELL Teacher Read-Aloud

Modeling Comprehension

ExC-ELL

• Teacher and students have the same

text

• Teacher Reads and Thinks Aloud

• Explicitly Teach Reading Strategies

• Student Practice

Video Clips of Partner Reading Options 1 & 2

• What did you notice is different between the two options for partner reading?

• How do you decide whether a

student would use option 1 or option 2 for partner reading?

ExC-ELL

Partner Reading

with Newcomers

1. Newcomer follows along and listens to partner reading.

2. Newcomer chorally reads softly with each partner.

3. Newcomer echo reads after each partner reads their sentence.


ExC-ELL

Newcomer is sandwiched between two partners (preferably Option 1)

Deepening Reading Comprehension

• “Debriefing”

• Formulating Questions

• Graphic Organizers

• Cooperative Activities

ExC-ELL

Post Reading































ExC-ELL

ExC-ELL

Writing Goals:

• Understand the importance of writing to learn

across the content areas.

• Discover the relationship between standards-

based writing and literacy development and

academic achievement.

• Explore teaching strategies and techniques to

assist students with writing.

ExC-ELL

The Writing Process

• Writing is a recursive, not a linear process. It needs

to be taught explicitly and systematically in stages.

• Vocabulary to use

• Drafting

• Revising

• Editing

• Final Draft/Publishing

• Throughout the process, students should have

explicit mini lessons and examples of features

expected for that composition.

• They should have opportunities to conference and

get feedback from peers and teacher.

ExC-ELL

Mini Lessons

• Mini lessons are necessary so students can

learn to master the writing elements.

• They should be short and focus on one

aspect of the writing they are about to begin.

• They can be delivered in a small group or to the

whole class.

• Topics include what students need: subject-

verb agreement, transitions, dialogue,

combining sentences, etc. Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.

ExC-ELL

WRITEAROUND Part 1

• Clear your desks.

• Each student has one paper and pencil.

• Each student writes one sentence and

passes the paper to the right.

• Read the narrative on the paper you

received and write one sentence to go with

that narrative.

• Continue this process until the teacher calls

time out.


ExC-ELL

WRITEAROUND Part 2

• Do a Read-Around-Aloud.

• Read the narrative you are

holding to your team.

• Select the one you like best.


ExC-ELL

WRITEAROUND

Part 3

• Give it a title.

• Edit as instructed, elaborate, add adjectives and adverbs, more Tier 2 & 3 words.

• Add a powerful ending or conclusion.

• Prepare your volunteer to read it to the class. Help the volunteer practice reading with prosody!

• 10 minutes to prepare; 1-2 minutes to read.

ExC-ELL

Revising: Cut and Grow

Students will need the following:

their compositions

a blank piece of paper (preferably pastel-colored)

scissors

tape

• Students cut their compositions right after their unelaborated

sentence and glue it onto the colored sheet of paper.

• The elaborated sentences are written on the colored sheet.

Once written, the students tape the rest of their composition

onto the colored sheet.

• Students reread their improved compositions.

ExC-ELL

Revising – Cut and Grow

1. Cut your composition right after the previously

chosen sentence.

2. Glue it onto a colored sheet of paper.

3. Write your elaborated sentences on the

colored sheet.

4. Tape the rest of the composition to the colored

sheet.

5. Reread the improved version.

ExC-ELL

Editing: Ratiocination

This strategy explicitly teaches grammar within

the writing process. It is a systematic way for

students to revisit their own papers. • The teacher directs the students to check their papers

for a particular purpose, such as overuse of the “to be”

verbs.

• Teachers may need to do a mini-lesson before the

particular skill is checked for.

• Teachers should start by checking for one clue per

paper and add more as the students learn the process.

• Students should have colored markers, pencils, or crayons available for this activity.

--Acts of Teaching, Joyce Armstrong Carroll


ExC-ELL

Revising: Ratiocination

1. Circle all the first words of each

sentence. 2. Make a list of all the first words and

count how many times they are repeated.

3. Look for more interesting words or

phrases to begin your sentences. Note: This process can be done with verb

tenses, transition words, adjectives, etc.

ExC-ELL

Code Clue

Circle “to be” verbs:

is, am, are, was, were, be, being, been

Rectangle

Make a list of every first

word.

First word in every sentence.

Substitute with sophisticated transition word or

connector.

Find Tier 1 word and substitute with Tier 2.

Add more Tier 3 words.

More Examples of Ratiocination


ExC-ELL

ASSESSMENT & WRITING

• The ultimate proof – assessment at the end of each week:

For instance: • Write one or two paragraphs

summarizing what you learned about _______________ using as many tier 2 and tier 3 words as you have learned. Use appropriate connectors, transition or signal words. Use compound sentences

or different types of clauses.

ExC-ELL

Tear-ups

1. Get a colored sheet of paper.

2. Close your eyes and tear it up into

a shape of your choice.

3. Use your shapes to create a text

about your content area.

4. Use your Tier 2 and 3 words in the

story. Circle them as you

incorporate them in the story.

ExC-ELL

ExC-ELL


ExC-ELL

Interested in becoming trained in ExC-ELL??

Contact:

Charlotte "Nadja" Trez

ESL Consultant and Title III Director

[email protected]

(919)807-3866

mailto:[email protected]

tel:919/807-3866

tel:919/807-3866

tel:919/807-3866


ExC-ELL

Education

Expediting Reading Comprehension Across Disciplines