Language Objectives for Elementary ELLs: Rigor in Reading and Writing

Language Objectives for Elementary ELLs: Rigor in

Reading and Writing

TESOL International Convention Toronto, Ontario, Canada

March 26, 2015

Linda New Levine Laura Lukens

Today’s Objectives:

1.  Focus on the major challenges in teaching and learning for ELLs

2.  Become familiar with the research relating to the need for instruction in oral academic language

3.  Learn to transform language arts content objectives into language objectives by focusing on the functions and forms of academic language and appropriate supports for ELLs

What are the Challenges for ELLs?

1.   Increased reading of informational texts

n  An increase in reading of informational text related to science, social studies, the arts and literature


2.   A focus on academic vocabulary

n  Students must constantly build the vocabulary they need to access grade-level complex texts

n  Focus is on pivotal and commonly found words (Tier 2 academic terms) in academic text

n  In grades K- 5 50% of student reading is informational text


3.   An increase in text complexity

n Students read grade appropriate text n Emphasis on close, careful reading n  Lexile ranges of texts increase n Text complexity based on a three part model:

p  qualitative dimensions, p  quantitative dimensions, and p  reader and task considerations


4.   Rigorous evidentiary argumentation related to text

n  Students have rich and rigorous conversations

n  Evidentiary arguments based on textual citations

What are the Challenges for ELLs? 5.   An emphasis on text-based writing and

literacy in domain specific texts in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects

n  Emphasizes the use of evidence from text to inform and make an argument

n  Students develop college and career-ready skills through short research-based projects K-12

Two Major Challenges for ELLs

p  Rigorous oral evidentiary argumentation related to text.

p  An emphasis on text-based writing and literacy in domain specific texts in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.

Turn and Talk p Orally restate to a shoulder partner the challenge that

is most difficult for your students. Use complete, grammatically correct sentences with correct subject verb agreement and the support of a sentence frame and your PowerPoint handout.

The challenge that is most difficult for my students is the requirement that ______________________________ ______________________________________________.

Oral academic language is necessary for achievement in content classrooms.

p  A strong relationship was found between oral English language proficiency development and English reading comprehension & writing skills.

p  “Extensive oral English development must be incorporated into successful literacy instruction.”

August & Shanahan (2006 National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth)

ELLs are not learning in American schools because of “low levels of oral

engagement [in English].”

(Arreaga-Mayer and Perdomo-Rivera 1996, p. 251)

But Comprehensible Input is not sufficient for oral language development.

p Krashen’s notion that comprehensible input in authentic communicative contexts advances language proficiency is not borne out by current practice or experience.

p Comprehensible input alone is not sufficient

to advance learners to high levels of academic language competency.

Comprehensible input and oral language output are (also) insufficient for achieving academic language needed for school success.

n  “…several studies imply that while use and exposure are

necessary conditions for language learning, they may not

be sufficient conditions, especially when it comes to

achieving higher levels of proficiency involving more

academic uses of language.”

Saunders, W. M. & O’Brien, G. (2006). Oral language. In F. Genesee, K. Lindholm-Leary, W. M. Saunders, & D. Christian (eds.), Educating English Language Learners: A Synthesis of Research Evidence (pp. 14-63). NK: Cambridge University Press.

What does the research tell us?

Strong evidence for these two guidelines:

p  Providing language instruction is better than not providing it.

p  Language instruction should include interactive activities among students, but they must be carefully planned and carried out.

Guidelines based on hypotheses emerging from recent research

1.  Emphasize listening and speaking.

2.   Explicitly teach elements of English

(vocabulary, syntax, grammar, functions and

conventions).

3.   Instruction is planned and delivered with

specific language objectives in mind.

4.  Integrate meaning and communication.

5.  Provide students with corrective feedback on form.

So…There is an implementation gap

p  “In spite of the research pointing to effective practices,…ELLs continue to underperform, and evidence-based strategies are not implemented or are implemented poorly in many schools. The … gap is a mismatch between what works and what is commonly done in classrooms across the United States.” Garcia, Jensen and Scribner, 2009.

Turn and Talk

p  Based on the research presented, state an opinion regarding a solution to the underachievement of ELL students using modals in complete, grammatically correct present tense sentences with the support of your notes, handout, sentence frame, and word bank.

In my opinion, one solution to the problem of low academic achievement of ELL students _______ ______________________________________ ______________________________________

Modals Word Bank might could would may should

Our Proposal

p Promote the inclusion of language objectives in every content classroom

Language objectives should…

p Focus on the language functions and forms required for oral interaction in content lessons.

Definitions

p  Language functions are the purposes for which speech or writing are being used

(e.g., describe, analyze, compare, propose, summarize, determine cause and effect)

p  Language forms are the grammatical structures of words

(e.g., irregular past tense verbs, comparatives and superlatives, ordinal numbers, adverbial clauses, modals, signal words of chronology)

Include appropriate supports for ELLs

p Language objectives should include supports/scaffolding for ELLs

n  Visual, interactive, graphic:

(e.g., visuals, peer or teacher support, graphic organizers, word/picture banks, sentence and/or report frames)

Basic frame for language objectives

I can_______________ with ____________ language function language form(s) using __________________. support(s) I can summarize information from a text in writing with passive voice verbs, listing signal words, and adverbial phrases using a report frame.

Keep in mind that

p  ELA objectives are really content objectives – not language objectives.

p  Language objectives expand upon content

objectives by including language functions, forms, and supports

A language arts objective is a content objective

p Teachers also need to include language objectives

in every language arts lesson.

p The language objective should align with the

content objective.

Separate language arts objectives from language objectives

How are they different?

p  Language arts objectives routinely require limited oral

language use.

p  LA objectives mimic language objectives by emphasis on

reading and writing skills.

p  LA objectives rarely mention form – only function

p  LA objectives do not include supports

Sample Language Arts Objectives

p  Listen to the story and make predictions on the outcome.

p  Listen to the debate and determine a position.

p  Listen to the video and take notes on the major points.

p  Read and answer questions in complete sentences.

p  Read and summarize the main ideas of the text.

p  Read the article and complete a graphic organizer.

p  Write a sentence using one or more of the vocabulary words.

p  Write a summary of the article.

p  Write a description of the main character.

p  Give an oral report on the invention of the telephone.

Language objectives in a language arts lesson

Pre-K – grade 2 p Content Objective: Read (or listen to) a narrative text of

Goldilocks and the Three Bears. p  Language Objective: I can participate in a role play of

the story using questions in the continuous past tense with the support of a sentence frame.

n  Who was eating my porridge? n  Who was sitting in my chair? n  Who was sleeping in my bed?

Language objectives in Language Arts Lesson

Grade 4-5 p  Content Objective: Preview a textbook chapter by

focusing on the text features (headings, graphs, pictures, charts, glosses)

p  Language Objective: I can make predictions about the text content using the future tense and adverbials with the support of a sentence frame and a learning partner.

n  I predict that the text will be primarily about ____. n  I predict that the author will mainly focus on the notion of ____. n  I predict that the major thesis of this chapter will probably

describe _____.

Let’s look at

p Sample ELA objectives related to grades K – 5

Kindergarten Level: Meeting New Friends in Stories

p Sample Focus Standards related to exploration of narrative text through story retelling and identification of character, setting, and plot elements.

p  “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”

Kindergarten Level: Meeting New Friends in Stories p CCS Standard: RL.K.3 With prompting and support,

identify characters, setting, and major events in a story.

p  Language Arts Objective: I can identify the major events in a story.

What language functions are necessary to accomplish this objective?

Repeat Label/name List Record Recount Define Identify Restate Narrate Paraphrase Describe State

Tell

Report Express Explain Summarize Dramatize/Role Play Distinguish Differentiate Characterize Analyze Conclude Question

Compare and Contrast

Debate and Defend Refute Infer Propose Compose Design Speculate Judge Decide Evaluate Convince Persuade Predict


Repeat Label/name List Record Recount Define Identify Restate Narrate Paraphrase Describe State Tell




What language forms are required?

p Complete present or past tense sentences

p Adjectives p  Present or past tense

verbs p  Third person singular

subject/verb agreement

p Complex sentences p Regular past tense verbs p  Irregular past tense verbs p Signal words of

chronology p Adverbial phrases of time


p Complete past tense sentences

p Adjectives p  Present or past tense

verbs p  Third person singular

subject/verb agreement



What forms of scaffolding are appropriate for language objectives?

p  The GO TO Strategies are excellent forms of scaffolding

p  The GO TO Strategies support all 4 skill areas (L, S, R, W), community building, learning strategies, teaching strategies, and interactive strategies.

p  Download all 78 strategies from:

http://www.cal.org/what-we-do/projects/project-excell/the-go-to-strategies

The GO TO Strategies

Selected Examples of GO TO Strategy Supports p  Teacher Read Alouds

p  Choral Response

p  Key Sentence Frames

p  Word/Picture Banks

p  Peer practice/support

p  Teacher collaborative

dialogue

p  Word banks with signal

words

p  Graphic organizers for

description and chronology

p  Partner support

p  Structured note taking

p  Word bank of adverbials

p  Note cards

p  Report frames

p  Partner practice

Goldilocks Graphic Organizer with Word Bank

entered the

Bear’s house ate Baby

Bear’s porridge

broke Baby

Bear’s chair

slept in

Baby Bear’s

bed

ran away home Goldilocks

First

Next Then

Finally

Goldilocks Key Sentence Frames

p Goldilocks _________ the Bear’s house. p First, she ________ Baby Bear’s porridge. p Next, she __________ Baby Bear’s _____. p Then, she ________ in Baby Bear’s ______. p Finally, she _________________________.

Word Bank entered broke

ran away ate

slept

Kindergarten Level: Meeting New Friends in Stories

p CCS Standard: RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters, settings and major events in a story.

p  Language Arts Objective: Retell the major events in

the story.

p  Language Objective: I can state, in order, the major events in the story Goldilocks in complete past tense sentences using signal words of chronology from a word bank and sentence frames.

Combine language forms, functions, and scaffolds into one objective

Language Objective

I can state, in order, the major events in the story Goldilocks in complete past tense sentences using signal words of chronology from a word bank and sentence frames.

Sample Support

Sentence Frame: Goldilocks ______________. Word Bank: entered, ate, broke, slept, ran away Graphic organizer

Sample Student Response

•  Goldilocks entered the Bears’ house. •  First, Goldilocks ate Baby Bear’s porridge. •  Next, she broke Baby Bear’s chair.

Grade 3: Readers Demonstrate Understanding of a Text

p Focus Standard: Craft and Structure of text,

analyze multiple accounts of events or topics

p Charles Drew: Doctor Who Got the World Pumped

Up to Donate Blood by Mike Venezia

Grade 3: Readers Demonstrate Understanding of a Text p CCS Standard: RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to

demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

p  Language Arts Objective: In different types of informational texts, I can ask and answer question to identify and describe events in a biographical text.



Tell





Repeat Label/name List Record Recount Define Identify Restate Narrate Paraphrase Describe State Tell

Report Express Explain Summarize Dramatize/Role Play Distinguish Differentiate Characterize Analyze Conclude Question Compare and Contrast



p Complete present tense sentences

p  Past tense question forms (did, was )

p Adjectives

p  Present tense verbs

p  Third person singular subject/verb agreement






p Adjectives










p  Teacher collaborative dialogue

p  Word banks with signal words

p  Graphic organizers

p  Graphic organizers for description and chronology




p  Note cards

p  Report frames














p  Note cards

p  Report frames


Biography of Dr. Charles Richard Drew

p Name: Charles Richard Drew p Occupation: doctor, surgeon p Birth Date: June 3, 1904 p Death: April 1, 1950. p  Education: Amherst College, McGill University, Columbia

University p  Place of Birth: Washington, DC p  Place of Death: Burlington, North Carolina Source: The Biography Channel www.biographychannel.com

Biography of Dr. Charles Drew

p When was Dr. Drew ___________?

p Dr. Drew was born in ______________.

p Where was Dr. Drew ______________?

p Dr. Drew was __________ in Washington, DC.

p What was Dr. Drew’s _________?

p Dr. Drew worked as a _______ and a ________.

Biography of Dr. Charles Drew

Charles Drew was born on June 3, 1904 in

Washington, DC. He was an African-American physician

who developed ways to process and store blood plasma in

“blood banks.” He directed the blood plasma programs of

the United States and Great Britain in World War II, but

resigned after a ruling that the blood of African-Americans

would be segregated. He died in 1950.

Biography of Dr. Charles Drew Report Frame

_______ was born on ____, in ______. He worked

as a ________. He worked to find ways to ________ and

_________blood plasma in ____________. He directed the

__________________programs for the _______________

and ____________ in World War II. He resigned because

__________________________________________. He

died in _______.


Language Objective

In a biographical text, I can ask and answer questions to identify and describe events using past tense question forms and past tense regular and irregular verbs with the support of Key Sentence Frames, Partner Support, and Report Frames.

Sample Support

Key Sentence Frames, Report Frames, Partner Support


•  Dr. Drew was born in 1904 in Washington, DC. •  Dr. Drew worked as a doctor and a surgeon. •  Dr. Drew developed the first blood banks.

Grade 5: Readers Use Text to Support their Thinking

p  Focus Standard: Key Ideas and Details

p  Colorful Captivating Coral Reefs

(Dorothy Hinshaw Patent)

Grade 5: Readers Use Text to Support their Thinking

p CCS Standard: RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

p Language Arts Objective: I can summarize the

characteristics of a coral reef.

Coral Reefs

A coral reef is made up mostly of limestone laid down by tiny invertebrate animals (animals without backbones) called polyps. The polyps live together in large groups called colonies. Each polyp is about the size of a pencil eraser and is protected by its own little limestone cap. As the colony grows, the polyps manufacture more limestone, and the reef gets bigger.

Corals that make reefs by laying down limestone are called hard corals. Coral reefs are found in clear tropical seas or nearby, where the water temperature stays above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Reef-building corals thrive only as far below the surface as light can reach. They gradually disappear in water deeper than 100 feet.

What Language Functions and Forms are Required? What Supports are Needed?

p Use the worksheet in your handout packet to determine an appropriate Language Objective for the unit.

p Work with a partner.

p Use the sample text to help you identify appropriate forms, functions, and scaffolds.

Basic frame for language objectives

I can_______________ with ____________ language function language form(s) using __________________. support(s) I can summarize information from a text in writing with passive voice verbs, listing signal words, and adverbial phrases using a report frame.



Tell







p Adjectives



p  Passive voice















p  Note cards

p  Report frames


Note Taking on a Graphic Organizer

require light and warmth

are made up of limestone

are located in tropical seas

contain colonies of polyps that

manufacture the limestone

Coral Reefs

Sample Report Frame: Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are composed of _____________ which is manufactured by _________. These tiny ___________ live in groups called ___________ and are ___________.

Coral reefs are located in _____ where _________. Coral reefs need both ______ and ____________ in order to thrive and grow.


Language Objective

I can summarize the major characteristics of coral reefs in writing using complete present tense complex sentences with the support of a graphic organizer and a report frame.

Sample Support

Graphic organizer (concept map), Report Frame


Coral reefs are composed of limestone which is manufactured by tiny invertebrates called polyps.

How Did the Teachers in North Kansas City Schools Learn to Use Language Objectives? p  Provided teachers professional

development on language forms, functions, and The GO TO Strategies

p  Reviewed CCSS for ELA and NKCS Elementary ELA Units of Study and Learning Targets

p  Formed committee of ELL and ESOL certified classroom teachers to write language objectives aligned to Units of Study grades K-5 over two years

p  Plan for next year: n  Link language objectives to

curriculum documents n  Provide PD modules and

training to classroom teachers on use of Language Objectives

Language Objective Framework in Action

Language Function: State Facts

Language Forms: Regular and Irregular Past Tense Verbs

Scaffolding: Note Cards, Annotated Content Texts

Science Content Objective and Language Objective

Word Banks and Content Texts

Teacher Scaffolding

Sample Content and Language Objectives for Reading

Language function: Orally sequence

Language form: Ordinal words

Support: Word bank

Sample Content and Language Objectives for Reading

Language functions:

Compare/Contrast

Language forms: Coordinating conjunctions

Supports: Venn diagrams, sentence frames

Sample Language Objectives for Writing

3rd Grade: I can introduce the narrator, characters, and the event that starts the story with complete present tense sentences using key sentence frames and graphic organizers

4th Grade: I can orient (set the scene for) the reader by introducing the narrator, characters, and the event/situation that starts the story in motion with adjectives and present tense verbs using graphic organizers.

Thank you!

Linda New Levine [email protected]

Laura Lukens

[email protected]

Language Objectives for Elementary ELLs: Rigor in Reading and Writing

Documents

text n students

academic text n

n text complexity

text complexity n students

oral academic language

textbased writing

academic vocabulary

language objectives