Strategies for Teaching Academic Language To ELs and SELs Diane - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

v Strategies for Teaching Academic Language To ELs and SELs Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D. @SupportEduc www.GetSupportEd.net @GetSupportEd.net

Outcomes for Our Session • Describe the three levels of academic language • Learn and apply research-based strategies for selecting academic vocabulary • Learn and apply strategies for supporting ELs and SELs’ academic language development at the word, sentence, and discourse levels • Describe an advocacy plan to ensure all teachers integrate academic language into instruction for ELs and SELs www.GetSupportEd.net 2

Framework for Excellent and Equitable Education Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017, p. 9 www.GetSupportEd.net 3

Unlocking ELs’ Potential 1. Why you need this book to support ELs 2. Using a culturally responsive framework 3. Scaffolding instruction for ELs 4. Fostering ELs’ oral language development 5. Teaching academic language to ELs 6. Vocabulary instruction and ELs 7. Teaching ELs background knowledge 8. Scaffolded text-dependent questions 9. Formative assessment for ELs Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017 www.GetSupportEd.net 4

Advocating for English Learners 1. Need for Advocacy 2. Creating a Shared Sense of Responsibility 3. How Teachers Can Collaborate 4. Advocacy Overview for Administrators 5. Increasing EL Families’ Involvement as Advocates 6. Advocacy Through Effective Instruction 7. Advocating for ELs in Assessment 8. Advocacy for ELs’ Success Beyond Grade 12 Staehr Fenner, 2014 www.GetSupportEd.net 5

1 – 2 – 3 Book Scavenger Hunt • Find: – 1 interesting topic – 2 chapters you’d like to read (1 per book) – 3 tables or figures to share at your schools www.GetSupportEd.net 6

Importance of Teaching Academic Language to ELs & SELs

Reflecting on Academic Language Problem: Addison wants to ride her scooter more than 100 miles this month. She has already ridden her scooter 12 miles. Which inequality could be used to determine the mean number of miles, m, she would need to ride her scooter each day for 20 more days to achieve her goal? 20m + 12 < 100 20m – 12 < 100 20m + 12 > 100 20m – 12 = 100 Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017; adapted from NY State Testing Program, 2016 www.GetSupportEd.net 8

Academic Language: Definition • Stands in contrast to everyday informal speech • More abstract, more complex, less contextualized • Language of power Bailey, 2007, 2012; Scarcella, 2008 www.GetSupportEd.net 9

Representation of Academic Language Staehr Fenner, 2014; adapted from WIDA, 2012 www.GetSupportEd.net

Selecting Academic Vocabulary For Instruction

Vocabulary in Content Areas: Considerations for ELs & SELs Science and Social Studies: • Frequent introduction of new, unfamiliar terms • Academic vocabulary with several meanings ELA: Math: • Literary terms • Language of word problems • Vocabulary needed to explain • Figurative language, thinking imagery, symbolism Cruz & Thornton, 2013; Haynes, 2005 www.GetSupportEd.net 12

Selecting Academic Vocabulary for In-Depth Instruction Select a small group of words for in-depth focus. Words... • Key to understanding the text likely unfamiliar to students Frequently used in the text • • Students will see across disciplines ( general academic vocabulary ) • With multiple meanings • With affixes Baker, et. al, 2014 www.GetSupportEd.net 13

vv Selecting Academic Vocabulary “The scientists put caterpillars on leaves Key Words and used another machine to make the leaves vibrate. When the leaves shook Frequent Words the way a predator would shake them, General Academic caterpillars behave as if a real predator were on the leaf. They spun threads and hung. When the leaves shook as if the wind were blowing or rain were falling, caterpillars did nothing.” Haynes, E. 2017; Text: Hanging By a Thread , by Pochron, S. www.GetSupportEd.net 14 [Engage NY Grade 4 ELA Module 2B]

vv Selecting Academic Vocabulary The party leaders distributed Multiple Meanings Affixes a draft of the bill and asked their colleagues to review it carefully. Haynes, E. 2017; Text: Hanging By a Thread , by Pochron, S. www.GetSupportEd.net 15 [Engage NY Grade 4 ELA Module 2B]

Vocabulary Selection Activity • Select one excerpt: Amazing Whales! (Grades K-1) o The Great Fire (Gr. 6-8) o Is it a Crime for a U.S. Citizen to Vote ? (Gr. 9-10) o • Select 5 vocabulary words using the criteria. www.GetSupportEd.net 16

Supporting Academic Language Development at the Word Level

Multifaceted Approach to Vocabulary Instruction Introduce Teach new vocabulary independent word learning strategies Practice new vocabulary Adapted from Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017 www.GetSupportEd.net 18

Introduce New Vocabulary • Visuals • Gestures • Student-friendly definitions (wordsmyth.net) • Student-created definitions • Examples and non- examples • Synonyms and antonyms • Translation Visual source: August, Golden, Pook, 2015 www.GetSupportEd.net 19

Practice New Vocabulary Speaking/Listening Reading/Writing Games • Memory • Academic • Sentences or discussions paragraphs related • Vocab Jeopardy! to content using • Information gap • Vocab jigsaw bank of vocabulary • Vocab bingo • Interactive word wall • Glossaries • What’s my word? • Word sort • Responding to text- dependent • Word experts questions Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017, pp. 159-161 www.GetSupportEd.net 20

Example: Bilingual Glossary Glossary Word English Example from Picture or Cognate and Definition Text phrase to (Yes or No) Translation represent the word instinct natural Some scientists yes instinto behavior, claim play is a not natural instinct— learned just like sleep. humanity all people That might explain yes humanidad why sports are likely to be as old as humanity. Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017. Adapted from August, Staehr Fenner, & Snyder, 2014 www.GetSupportEd.net 21

Teach Independent Word Learning Strategies A. Context clues B. Word parts C. Cognates and false cognates D. Words with multiple meanings Baker, et al., 2014 www.GetSupportEd.net 22

A. Context Clues Unfamiliar word Location Clues 1. litter Line 2 Lines 1, 5 Clues: picking up, junk Definition: pieces of waste paper and other objects scattered around a place Not many people would spend their free time picking up other people’s litter . But Chad Pregracke has spent most of the past five years doing just that along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Illinois Rivers. Why? Chad grew up in a house alongside the Mississippi. He loved to fish and camp on the river’s wooded islands. That’s when he first noticed the junk dotting its shoreline. Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017. Adapted from August, Staehr Fenner, & www.GetSupportEd.net Snyder, 2014

B. Word Parts Verbs Nouns Adjectives Adverbs (Action) (Person, Place, (Words to (Words to Thing, or Idea) Describe Nouns) Describe Actions) act ? active actively collect collection collective ? consider consideration ? considerably Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017. Adapted from Baker, et al., 2014 www.GetSupportEd.net 24

C. Cognates Cognates : sound and look False Cognates: sound and similar in both languages look similar in both and mean the same thing languages but mean different things Cognates False Cognates carpet ≠ carpeta planet = planeta Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017. Adapted from August, Staehr Fenner, www.GetSupportEd.net 25 & Snyder, 2014

D. Vocabulary With Multiple Meanings Vocabulary Meaning in Everyday Meaning in Math Use and/or Science mean to be unkind (adj.) ? to intend (v.) volume ? amount of space inside an object gross ? total income from sales mass having to do with a lot of ? people Adapted from Steinhardt, New York University, 2009 www.GetSupportEd.net 26

Teaching and Practicing New Vocabulary • Return to your list of 5 vocabulary words. • Discuss strategies that you would use to introduce and practice key vocabulary. • Include any independent word learning strategies that you would focus on. www.GetSupportEd.net 27

Teaching Academic Language at the Sentence Level 28

Challenges for ELs & SELs at the Sentence Level • Complex sentence structures • Unfamiliar verb tenses • Passive voice • Pronouns • Literary devices Adapted from Haynes, 2017; Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017 www.GetSupportEd.net 29

Supporting ELs & SELs at the Sentence and Discourse Level Activity Level of Academic Language Support 1. Unpacking juicy Sentence sentences 2. Analyzing and Discourse supporting sequencing www.GetSupportEd.net 30

Unpacking Juicy Sentences • Consider this sentence: “Since most owls feed upon a variety of animals, owl abundance is not limited by the rise and fall in numbers of any one prey species.” – Divide the sentence into chunks. – Then summarize each chunk in your own words. Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017; adapted from Wong Fillmore & Fillmore, 2012 and California Department of Education, 2014 www.GetSupportEd.net 31 Text Source: Government of Alberta, 2009