Author: jechevarria

As remote learning continues across the U.S. and around the world, teachers have experienced many successes as well as challenges. Although at this point most classes are probably not on pace with grade-level standards, it is still important that the work given to English learners reflects those standards. 

Legally, English learners are entitled to equal educational opportunities which include access to grade level curricula. I’d like to believe that few classrooms today have English learners working on mindless worksheets while other students are studying standards-based, rigorous content. All students, ELs and English speakers alike, should be learning the same content. The idea that English learners aren’t ready for grade-level material isn’t supported by research. In fact, literacy research tells us that students learn better with challenging text. Providing scaffolding for English learners allows access to challenging texts.

The following are three ways to help English learners access grade-level content. They are effective when teaching face-to-face but also can be adapted for remote learning.  

1. Be clear. This may seem like a no-brainer but expressing oneself in a way that is easily understood is more challenging than it may seem. Remember that grade-level content contains vocabulary and language forms that likely will be difficult for English learners to follow. While clear, concise speech is critical for ELs, it is good for all. Think of TEDTalk speakers, newscasters and other professional speakers. They speak clearly, enunciate, and limit the amount of information they give to listeners. Typically, they pause a bit between chunks of words to let listeners process their message. Make sure your presentation of information and especially instructions for completing tasks are well-described, clear and unambiguous. Also consider posting a completed assignment for students to refer to in case they don’t understand all of the language in your instructions.

Remote learning adaptations 

It’s even more important to communicate clearly with students during remote learning. English learners may become frustrated or disengage from learning if they can’t follow your instructions or can’t understand the presentation of content. It is recommended that the explanation of a task be limited to 15-20 seconds or 1-2 sentences. 

Clearly spoken recorded messages can be replayed so that students understand your message more completely. Also, consider using the same routine for your messages. Perhaps begin with a greeting, then state your message plainly and concisely, and end with a consistent closing. This type of structure enhances comprehension for English learners. Further, make sure you choose words that are positive, encouraging and affirming. 

With remote learning a lot of communication is in writing. Without the visual cues that oral communication provides, written information can be difficult to understand. Recently I was asked to review and score documents using a rubric. The task seemed simple enough, but the rubric’s instructions were ambiguous. Sometimes we assume the reader knows our intention. Be sure to double check written instructions for clarity. 

2. Explicitly teach vocabulary. Research on English learners demonstrates the value of having teachers select a set of academic vocabulary words and teach those words across several days using a variety of instructional activities. Criteria for selecting words to teach include:

• Words necessary for understanding the text. Often referred to as key vocabulary, these words may be bolded in the text but there are most likely additional words whose meaning is necessary for English learners to understand the text. 

• Words frequently used in the text. Teaching words that students will encounter numerous times provides them with multiple opportunities to see how those words are used in text.

• General academic words that likely appear in other content area texts. Word lists may be consulted for selecting cross-curricular academic terms that students will be exposed to across subject areas. 

• Words with multiple meanings. Students will encounter certain words across disciplines with different meanings, e.g., the meaning of pound as a unit of weight in math differs from its meaning, to hit, in English language arts. Explicitly teaching the definitions of these words allows students to understand how words function in different contexts.  

• Words with affixes. Many words are comprised of root words and affixes. For example, view changes meaning when the prefix re– is added to make review. Teaching word parts gives students more bang for the buck. As they begin to understand the meaning of common prefixes such as un-, dis– and mis– and suffixes such as –ism, –ist, and –cy and learn how those word parts alter the meaning of words, their vocabulary expands exponentially. Knowledge of word parts facilitates analysis of the meaning of unknown words.

• Cognates. Teaching words that have relationships across languages such as vaccination and vacunación, helps students see that new words are related to those from their home language. 

Remote learning adaptations

The research recommendations outlined above were based on in-class instruction. During the pandemic, explicit vocabulary teaching might be limited to those words necessary for understanding the text, and word parts which is a valuable investment of time in terms of vocabulary payoff. Fortunately, there are lots of free and inexpensive vocabulary apps such as Flashcardlet available so that important vocabulary practice can continue at home. Most provide a word’s pronunciation, its definition, translation and a visual of the word.  Many vocabulary apps work on phones as well as tablets.

3. Provide supports for reading text. Grade-level texts are typically challenging for English learners so scaffolds for reading text are essential. Here are some ways to provide access for English learners:

• Audio books. Students listen to a text being read while they read along. Many commercial reading programs offer audio books, and there are numerous sites that offer free audio books to students.

• Teacher read-aloud. To be most effective, teachers pause after reading a portion of text, ask questions, and highlight key vocabulary. Comprehension is enhanced when teachers jot illustrations or use graphics to help English learners understand and remember words and concepts. 

• Partner reading.  This might be done using leveled readers with younger students and with older students consider Read aloud, Think and Summarize.  In this process, each student reads a paragraph and summarizes it. For example, Partner A reads and orally summarizes while Partner B listens and asks clarification questions. Then partner B reads and summarizes. This technique is effective because students collaboratively figure out the meaning of the text through discussion. 

• SQP2RS  is a process for reading expository text that has been shown to improve reading comprehension. The steps are as follows:
  • Survey:  Students individually preview and scan the text to be read for about one minute to determine key concepts that will be learned. 
  • Question: In groups, students generate questions likely to be answered by reading the text. 
  • Predict: Students come up with three or four key concepts they predict they’ll learn while reading. 
  • Read: While reading, students mark answers to their generated questions using sticky notes or highlighters. 
  • Respond: Students discuss and answer the questions generated by the class. 
  • Summarize: Orally or in writing, students summarize the text’s key concepts.

The SIOP website offers free downloadable posters that outline each step of SQP2RS. The posters are useful for teaching SQP2RS as well as for student reference as they begin to use the process independently.  

Remote learning adaptations

Scaffolding grade-level text online is challenging, no doubt. Some of the suggestions presented here can be adapted for remote learning. 

Audio books and teacher read-alouds lend themselves well to remote learning. To add interest and motivation, have a guest reader such as a member of your own family do a read-aloud, or arrange for older students in your school to read to your students. The text can be read live while students read along, or a recording app allows students to listen and read along at their convenience. 

Partner reading can be done using platforms such as Google classroom or Zoom. You might have students read aloud and record it using Flipgrid or assign breakout groups of students by level and work with each group to scaffold their reading.  

SQP2RS has been used successfully during the pandemic. But it needs to be done live. First, provide a piece of text to each student and begin in whole group for the survey or preview. Then, students are assigned to breakout rooms to do their question generation and predictions. For reading the text, use whatever suits your situation: partner reading, individual, or students in groups with the teacher facilitating. Respond is done in whole group so that everyone reviews and discusses the class’ questions and predictions. Finally, students summarize by writing a couple of sentences, or by drawing a picture to express their understanding, depending on their level of proficiency. 

If you or your students don’t have access to texts or technology to use some of these grade-level reading ideas, then during this time of remote learning, students can work on skills related to reading that will continue to advance their cognitive skills such as making TV watching productive by predicting, comparing characters, sequencing events, and so forth. 

There are many more ideas for helping English learners access grade-level content in our book, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model.

In many ways, remote teaching is similar to teaching in a classroom. Good teaching requires teachers to build relationships with students, scaffold instruction, check for comprehension, give meaningful feedback, and other proven practices. The basics are the same but the delivery differs significantly. During remote teaching, learning may not exactly match the standards or content for your grade level, but the ideas presented here are intended to facilitate using grade-level content in your lessons. 

A webinar based on this blog may be viewed at https://register.gotowebinar.com/recording/523939431461082139

As teachers continue to adjust to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some aspects of the current situation from which we can learn and take back into classrooms when schools reopen. Of course, in-person instruction is much more effective than the remote learning into which teachers and students were suddenly thrust. There are innumerable advantages that classrooms settings offer including opportunities for students to interact, share ideas, problem-solve collaboratively, and hear and practice speaking English, while teachers are able to deliver instruction more effectively, read body language, respond to questions, check for comprehension and make adjustments, see how engaged students are in the material, conduct rich discussions and assess student progress. Further, remote learning has a disproportionately negative impact on students who lack internet access and up-to-date devices, English learners and those with disabilities.

While fully recognizing the difficult and sometimes agonizing issues teachers are dealing with, in this blog I attempt to find a silver lining in the storm clouds hanging over education during the pandemic. What are some positive lessons to be learned? What benefits can be culled from the ways in which teaching has been adapted for remote learning? Consider the following four benefits that might emerge from our present situation.

1. Prioritizing social-emotional wellness. SEL has been a buzzword for some time in education but the pandemic has brought the issue to the forefront in a very real way. Many students are experiencing stress about food insecurity, financial pressure, unhealthy family relational dynamics, and more. There is widespread agreement that we need to be concerned first about the wellbeing of our students while teaching becomes secondary. That is not to infer in any way that we abandon academics but teaching needs to be embedded with caring and understanding while we do our best to keep students on track academically. Students are facing difficult issues and the pandemic has exacerbated some that may have existed previously. When schools reopen and in-person instruction resumes, we would do well to continue caring for the wellbeing of students. Maintain some of the practices adopted with remote learning such as frequently checking in with students individually, asking how they are doing, getting to know each one better, holding virtual office hours where students may be more comfortable opening up, and so forth. There are lots of ideas on social media about what teachers are doing to connect with their students. The lessons learned during the present time can benefit students as we move forward.

2. Focused instruction. In our work with the SIOP Model, we say that teachers should ask themselves: What will students know or be able to do at the end of this lesson that they didn’t know or weren’t able to do (or do as well) at the beginning? This question should drive lesson planning and delivery. Students need to learn something in the time that they spend working on assignments whether work is provided online or in packets. Under normal circumstances, teacher lesson planning includes establishing content objectives (CO) based on content standards – the “what” students will learn, as well as language objectives (LO) that focus on the academic language that is essential for completing the work, e.g., key vocabulary. LOs might also focus on an aspect of English to be learned and/or practiced during the lesson, e.g., embedded clauses. Under current circumstances, some teachers are able to continue writing daily COs and LOs while other teachers might think about objectives for a week – or longer. What content can reasonably be taught this week? What key vocabulary will be taught and reinforced throughout the week? What language structures or grammatical forms will need to be taught in order for students to complete the lessons? Having COs and LOs for the week helps teachers organize instruction within a focused weekly plan.

Objectives also serve to assess the lesson’s outcomes. Did students learn what the objectives intended? If not, reflect on why not? Do some students need additional support? Was the instruction adequate? What additional teaching needs to be done, or support provided, so that students can meet the objectives? Remote learning reduces the amount of instructional time available, so teaching needs to be focused and comprehensible for learners without the “fluff” such as activities that contribute little to student learning. It is not uncommon to confuse activities with instruction. Teaching typically comes first, then students may complete an activity to reinforce and practice what they’ve learned. In some cases, activities are designed for students to discover learning on their own or in groups, such as researching a topic and presenting information. But learning needs to take place and it needs to be measurable. During the pandemic, grades may not be given but lots of feedback should be provided to students so that they can continue to advance their learning. When classes resume, the focused instruction that teachers have delivered, the kind that gets to the “meat” of teaching and learning, should continue.

3. Chunking information. Remote learning requires teachers to reduce the amount of content they teach and chunk content into more manageable pieces. English learners and many other students struggle to read and process large amounts of text or information independently without a teacher on hand to offer support when needed. Teachers might have students read a section of text and after each paragraph ask questions that help students understand its meaning. Difficult or unfamiliar concepts and words are explained, and rereading might be necessary. Be sure to space out and revisit the lesson’s language and concepts over time. Research tells us that the brain can absorb only so much information at a time, therefore students benefit more from frequent, shorter sessions than from longer ones. These same chunking practices should continue when school resumes, especially with English learners.

4. Individualized teaching. Remote learning can offer more flexibility than a traditional classroom setting, and with some types of instructional delivery remote learning becomes more individualized than when teaching in a whole class setting. Synchronous, or real time, online meetings are effective for some purposes such as building a sense of community and for delivering mini-lessons. However, an asynchronous instructional approach is preferable for the most part since it allows students to participate at their convenience and may include threaded discussions or video responses to a discussion question using a platform like FlipGrid. Asynchronous assignments benefit most students but especially those who are shy as well as English learners who are reticent about speaking up in class. Students have time to think in detail and perhaps even look up words in a bilingual dictionary before submitting their response. The teacher sets a deadline for submitting responses, but students don’t have the pressure of performing on the spot. With threaded discussions and video submissions, the teacher can either respond to each student with feedback or ask the students to post responses to each other, either written in a threaded discussion or by submitting a video response. With asynchronous individual accountability, it is harder for students to “hide” as they sometimes do in a classroom environment and teachers are finding that some of their quieter students are participating to a greater degree. Also, since teachers receive a written response, a completed assignment, or some kind of communication from each student, teacher feedback is individualized based on what the student submits. Remote learning has the potential for examining more closely students’ work to determine students’ strengths and areas for improvement, then adjusting instruction accordingly. When in-person classroom instruction resumes, using more individualized approaches should become the norm. Students get more of the individualized attention they need with specific teacher feedback.

Although this is an incredibly challenging time for teachers, students, and their families, some of the practices that have emerged may positively influence the way instruction is delivered when we are back to having students in class.

 

 

Since the TESOL International conference was supposed to take place at the end of this month, I thought it would be timely to repost a piece about TESOL’s publication, The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners.  My longtime colleague, co-author and friend, Dr. Deborah Short, was lead writer on the book and is the current TESOL president so it seemed fitting to hear from her about TESOL’s 6 principles and how they align with the SIOP Model. I’m sure you’ll enjoy her informative guest blog – especially in times like these when we’re unable to hear from experts like Deborah in person!

Deborah: The 6 Principles for Exemplary Teaching of English Learners (TESOL, 2018) presents pedagogical foundations that every teacher of English learners should know, including research on second language development so teachers can make informed instructional and assessment decisions, strategies to promote bi/multilingualism, and methods for effective instruction and assessment. The 6 Principles represent an assets-based approach to language development and the book showcases a vision that language specialists are professionals with substantive expertise to share with colleagues.

TESOL developed the 6 Principles to advance the quality of English language teaching. Because English is the most popular new language to learn worldwide, it is important that all educators have a common understanding of second language learning theory and effective instructional and assessment design. When educators have a resource with contemporary research on pedagogy and second language acquisition, they can create beneficial conditions for learning in their classes. The 6 Principles are the core of exemplary teaching and apply to all educational settings where students are learning English as a new language or learning content through English.

The SIOP Model (Echevarria, Vogt & Short, 2000, 2017), which we developed to integrate academic language learning with content area instruction, is the perfect framework for actualizing the 6 Principles. The SIOP Model helps teachers plan and deliver effective instruction so students meet high academic standards and develop their English language skills. Let’s consider each of the 6 principles and show how implementing SIOP will help teachers meet them.

Principle 1: Know your learners

Knowing who your students are is at the center of effective instruction. Principle 1 encourages teachers to gain information about their learners, including their educational and linguistic backgrounds, their interests and talents, their cultures, and their families. With this knowledge, teachers can leverage assets the students have (e.g., first language literacy) and enrich their lessons with resources that learners bring to the classroom. Teachers also can anticipate gaps in knowledge that students might face.

      How Does SIOP Help Teachers Know Their Learners?

• When SIOP teachers consider the features of the Lesson Preparation component as they write their plans, they look at student data regarding proficiency levels in order to target instruction appropriately. They can then set language objectives and adapt content according to student needs.
• The Building Background component calls on teachers to tap personal experiences and knowledge students have about their home country and cultures to build or activate knowledge needed for lessons. Suggested techniques include visuals, video clips, field trips, Quickwrites, KWL charts, structured turn and talks, anticipation guides, and concept maps.
• Teachers recognize student assets and see the value of native language use in the classroom. The Interaction component reminds teachers that using the L1 strategically is beneficial.

Principle 2: Create conditions for language learning

Teachers have control over the culture in their classroom. Principle 2 prompts them to create a safe space for the learners so they are comfortable taking risks with language and learning new academic routines as they develop their skills. Teachers can create a positive climate that motivates the learners and a physical setting that promotes language use, such as by grouping students at desks or tables.

      How Does SIOP Help Teachers Create Conditions for Language Learning?

• To support literacy development, SIOP teachers pre-teach key vocabulary so students have greater access to texts—those they will read and those they will write. Key techniques shared in the Building Background component include 4 Corner charts, Frayer maps, contextualized word walls, foldables, and personal dictionaries.
• To promote collaborative discussions recommended in the Interaction component, teachers post anchor charts of signal words and academic language frames that are used to express functions (e.g., compare, persuade, evaluate). Teachers also configure learning groups deliberately as called for by the task and lesson objectives. Further, they teach students how to function in groups, both in terms of accomplishing their assigned roles and in utilizing discourse moves, such as turn-taking.
• SIOP teachers know that avid reading supports language acquisition so they build multilingual classroom libraries with books on curricular topics and books for pleasure reading. They look for books that reflect the students’ cultures and home countries, and ensure the selection includes texts at multiple reading levels.

Principle 3: Design high-quality lessons for language development

Principle 3 represents the core of instruction. The lessons, whether delivered in an English language class or a general education class, must have clear outcomes and use varied inputs to present information to the students. High-quality language lessons encourage the practice of authentic language coupled with relevant and meaningful content. Teachers help students think critically, use learning strategies, and regulate their learning. Teachers also differentiate instruction as needed.

     How Does SIOP Help Teachers Design High-Quality Lessons for Language Development?

• In many ways, the SIOP Model epitomizes Principle 3. We believe that SIOP’s most significant contribution to instructional practice is the focus on having content and language objectives in every lesson. This hallmark of SIOP fits right in with the clear outcomes stressed in this principle.
• SIOP calls for meaningful activities in each lesson, the use of variety of techniques to make content comprehensible, attention to learning strategies and higher-order questioning, and extensive practice and application that uses language authentically in academic ways.
• SIOP teachers may differentiate the way content information is presented (e.g., using supplementary materials or native language resources, adding visuals or audio supports, building background knowledge with a small group of learners while others in class do a Graffiti write to activate knowledge they already have) or the task that is assigned (e.g., some students work in pairs, students choose from options of a final product, the length is adjusted by proficiency level). However they do not differentiate the content and language objectives.

Principle 4: Adapt lesson delivery as needed

Just ask any teacher–Not all lessons go as planned. Principle 4 shows teachers that making adjustments is part of the teaching and learning process. By checkingstudent comprehension frequently, teachers can find out if a lesson is going off-track or if some students have not understood the material. Instead of waiting until the unit test which could be a week or more away, teachers can start adjusting immediately. They might present the information in a different way, find additional materials to support the students’ comprehension, or work with a small group of students to review the content while the rest of the class completes another task.

     How Does SIOP Help Teachers Adapt Lesson Delivery as Needed?

• The Lesson Preparation component encourages teachers to think in advance about adaptations of content and supplementary materials that might be required for some students. The Lesson Delivery component holds teachers accountable for meeting the objectives so they must be continually monitoring student learning as the lesson unfolds.
• The Strategies component suggests verbal, instructional, and procedural scaffolding to increase comprehension. SIOP teachers paraphrase text or student discourse. They incorporate graphic organizers into activities so students can capture important information in structured ways (as in how a Venn diagram frames the similarities and differences). They remind students of steps in a process, perhaps through illustrated directions.
• The Review and Assessment component encourages teachers to use group response techniques to check comprehension. If students are struggling, SIOP teachers may reteach or provide additional practice.
• Other ways that SIOP teachers adjust their lesson during instruction include modifying their speech, changing the pacing of activities, giving clear explanations of assignments with models of a finished product, and increasing wait time for student responses.

Principle 5: Monitor and assess student language development

The best lesson is worthless if students haven’t learned anything at the end of it. Thus it is important to monitor informally during a lesson and more formally with regular assessments. Principle 5 focuses on language development and calls on teachers to monitor student errors but provide feedback strategically. Teachers can take notes or use a rubric to record data on students’ language use. Teachers are also expected to let students demonstrate their growing knowledge base through various types of assessments—reports, recordings, tests, and so forth.

     How Does SIOP Help Teachers Monitor and Assess Student Language Development?

• SIOP’s Review & Assessment component addresses this principle directly. SIOP teachers monitor student language and content knowledge throughout a lesson. When errors are noted, a teacher may make an explicit correction at the moment, recast what a student has said, prompt a student to self-repair a written or oral statement, or plan a mini-lesson for the class in a near-future lesson.
• SIOP teachers use a range of assessment techniques to ensure students are making progress towards learning objectives. These include quick responses like thumbs up/thumbs down, 3-2-1 fingers (show 1 if you got it [the concept]; 2, are getting it, or 3, don’t get it), and written answers on a whiteboard. Assessment activities built into lessons include Numbered Heads, Send a Problem, vocabulary games, and computer-based programs like Kahoot and Quizlet.
• SIOP teachers assess student work with language development in mind. Teachers learn to analyze the work in two ways: one, to determine if a student conveys an understanding of the content knowledge (even if grammatical or nonconsequential vocabulary errors are present), and two, to determine if the academic language is used appropriately and shows growth in linguistic knowledge.

Principle 6: Engage and collaborate within a community of practice

Principle 6 wraps around the other 5 principles and focuses on how teachers can become better professionals and thus improve the instruction they provide. To meet this principle, teachers continue their own personal professional learning, perhaps by joining a teacher association or attending conferences. Teachers also collaborate with colleagues–they co-plan lessons, enhancing language practice opportunities and/or co-teach, sharing responsibilities with all students in a classroom.

     How Does SIOP Help Teachers Engage and Collaborate Within a Community of Practice?

• Just by reading this blog and following this website, you are engaging in a community of practice. And most SIOP teachers do. They are dedicated to their field and their learners and strive for new knowledge to improve their instruction.
• Some of you participate in book study groups and PLCs where you share your expertise with colleagues. You may help with lesson planning, with the selection of materials, or with explanations of language proficiency levels and interpretations of test results.
• Many of you act as mentors or coaches for other teachers and help them implement these 6 principles and features of SIOP in their classrooms.
• A growing number of you are co-teachers. In so doing you bring to life the SIOP Model every day and give students more access to language and content learning.

To sum up, remember that by implementing the SIOP Model you are giving students a leg up—helping them access the content they need in school and pushing their academic English development forward. You are also meeting the 6 Principles that TESOL has set out as universal guidelines for language teaching and learning.

References

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E. & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP^® Model, Fifth edition. Boston: Pearson.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E. & Short, D. (2000). Making Content Comprehensible for English Language Learners: The SIOP^® Model. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

TESOL International (2018). The 6 Principles for the Exemplary Teaching of English Learners. Alexandria, VA: Author.

 

 

The SIOP Model was designed as an approach for lesson planning and delivery of high-quality instruction for English learners. At the time SIOP was developed, teachers of English learners needed guidance on how to incorporate research-based practices into their teaching in a consistent and systematic way. They still do.

Because SIOP is an instructional framework, it’s promotion of culturally responsive teaching (CRT) may get overlooked. However, if you compare the tenants of CRT  to the features of SIOP, you’ll see that they intersect quite naturally. Some aspects of CRT are explicit in SIOP’s features and others are implicit. For example, SIOP teaching emphasizes high expectations for English learners by providing multiple ways for EL students to access grade-level content and participate fully in grade-level lessons. While there isn’t a specific SIOP feature, Have high expectations, it is a foundational principle of SIOP teaching. Every child deserves to be equally accepted as a part of her class and/or school, to be equally engaged in its academic and social fabric, to be an equal participant in lessons including having her language and cultural perspectives valued equally.

Let’s take a look at how each SIOP component explicitly promotes CRT:

Lesson Preparation. When English learners develop strong academic skills and content knowledge, they are empowered as individuals. They are better able to advocate for themselves and others and to pursue their dreams. Research confirms that well-planned, focused teaching is effective in promoting learning. As teachers begin to plan a SIOP lesson, they first design content and language objectives which will drive the lesson’s instruction and activities. Posting and reviewing objectives eliminates ambiguity for English learners about the lesson’s purpose and expectations.

During planning teachers ensure that students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds can access grade-level learning by making adjustments based on language proficiency and educational experiences. For instance, leveled reading passages and modified assignments allow all students to learn the same content, but through differentiated texts and tasks. Further, teachers engage students by planning meaningful activities to make the lesson’s content understandable and by choosing materials that are culturally relevant to student backgrounds.

Building Background. SIOP classrooms are student-centered and lessons build on students’ background knowledge and experiences. SIOP teachers capitalize on the funds of knowledge English learners bring to the classroom by integrating students’ realities into lessons. Using students’ own experiences to link to what they are learning not only emphasizes the legitimacy of their cultural heritage but also makes the lesson’s content more meaningful and relevant to them.

Comprehensible Input. SIOP teachers employ techniques such as speaking clearly, using visuals and multimedia, hands-on activities, modeling, and repetition to help students understand instruction at their level of language proficiency, thus providing access to the core curriculum.

Strategies. SIOP teachers recognize that although English learners may not yet be fully proficient in English, they can still think at high levels and respond to higher-order questions. When teachers provide opportunities for English learners to use higher order thinking and encourage them to think critically, not only is it more intellectually stimulating, it conveys high expectations for students. SIOP teachers also use a variety of scaffolding techniques to support students’ understanding of  lessons such as paraphrasing, use of graphic organizers, and showing a model of a completed assignment for reference.

Interaction. One of the best ways to create a caring community of learning is to teach students to interact respectfully and productively with one another. And, of course, provide them with lots of opportunities to do so. Having English learners and English speakers work together in small groups helps create mutual respect among students from different cultures and ethnicities. Developing relationships tends to break down walls and open communication as students learn about and from one another. At other times, English learners may be grouped by language so that they’re able to work together using the same home language. Having students interacting in groups allows the teacher to act as a facilitator, circulating among the groups and listening to students, gaining valuable information about their understanding of the topic as well as their opinions and perspectives. It’s a great opportunity to get to know more about your students in a way that isn’t as likely to occur in whole class teaching. SIOP’s interaction component also encourages ample use of students’ home language which demonstrates respect for students’ linguistic heritage.

Practice & Application. SIOP teachers enable students to practice and apply what they have learned by encouraging them to engage in activities of their choice that reflect their cultural identity. They might create a presentation, design a game, dramatize the topic, write and perform a song, or generate solutions to real-life problems that represent diverse perspectives. While integrating language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening), these activities also integrate students’  knowledge, experiences, language, and preferences. Activities such as these are an important part of SIOP lessons because they allow students to use their background in a way that enhances learning and at the same time honors their background and heritage.

Lesson Delivery.  As mentioned previously, well-planned, focused teaching is effective in promoting learning. Beyond merely posting content and language objectives, the lesson’s instruction and activities need to support those objectives. Also, in SIOP classes there is a high level of student engagement since SIOP lessons make content comprehensible for students and include activities, supplementary materials, adapted text, and other practices to help students access the same content their English-speaking peers are learning.

Review & Assessment. SIOP teachers consistently check for understanding to ensure that English learners are comprehending the lesson’s content and vocabulary and are participating fully in learning. Formative and summative assessments are multifaceted and take into consideration the various contexts of a student’s life including home, school, culture, home language, and literacy development in both their home language and English. Such assessments provide the most relevant and accurate information for the teacher to use in designing appropriate and culturally relevant instruction.

As you can see, providing high-quality SIOP teaching to English learners in and of itself is culturally responsive.

SIOP teachers have high expectations for English learners, they value students’ linguistic and cultural assets and integrate their language and experiences into lessons. Creating a safe community of learning in which students are encouraged to interact with one another and build relationships is a priority. Through SIOP teaching, students are empowered by their newly acquired knowledge and skills including the ability to think critically about topics and express their thoughts, beliefs, and ideas from their own cultural perspectives.

Based on: Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E. & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP^® Model, Fifth Edition. Boston: Pearson.

 

I’m a huge tennis fan and Rafael Nadal is one of my favorite players. Over the years he has become a fluent English speaker, but I found it interesting that when he was interviewed recently on the television show, 60 Minutes, he opted to use Spanish for the extended on-camera interview because “he expresses himself more freely in Spanish.” That is likely true for many second language learners. A friend made the remark that she feels like her IQ goes up 10 points when she uses her first language. Even when fluent in another language, one’s expression is often affected when using a non-native language.

In the classroom, teachers may underestimate English learners’ capabilities since these students may not be able to adequately express their thoughts, understanding of content, or ask questions in a precise way to get at the information they seek. As a result, teachers may confuse English proficiency with ability. In other words, just because a student can’t speak English fluently doesn’t mean she can’t think – and do so at high levels.

To advance academically and linguistically, English learners need to be sufficiently challenged and one way to do so is by providing ample opportunities to think at higher levels.

Research tells us that about 80% of questions teachers ask are at the literal level. That means students are asked to give back information that was given to them or memorized rather than engaging in critical thinking. Examples of literal or recall questions include:

When did ________ take place? and, What is the definition of __________________.

It’s pretty easy to see why teachers tend to ask questions at the lowest levels. Typically, we want students to remember or understand what we’re teaching, and basic comprehension questions reveal what students remember from a lesson. Studies also show that students of color, English learners, and those at lower income levels are more likely to be asked lower level questions than other students. If teachers believe that certain students are unlikely to be successful when engaging in higher order thinking tasks, they tend to teach in ways that make this expectation a reality.

Bloom’s taxonomy provides guidance for asking the type of questions that challenge students to think more deeply about information. The most recent version of Bloom’s sets the levels from lowest to highest as, Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. The graphic above provides ideas for engaging students at higher levels such as analyzing information: “Can students distinguish between different parts?” In this case students would be asked to compare, contrast, or test information.

There are lots of websites that have sample questions for Bloom’s higher order thinking but the challenge for teachers of English learners is to formulate questions that reduce students’ linguistic load while being cognitively challenging. For example, What is the relationship between ________ and ________ ? (analyze)), or Did ________ choose a wise course of action? Give reasons. (evaluate) English learners should be encouraged to demonstrate their knowledge about these and other higher order questions in a variety of ways such as drawing, through drama, building a model, using a graphic organizer, creating PowerPoint slide presentation, and so forth. The purpose is for students to engage in and demonstrate higher order thinking, not to show their level of English proficiently.

Some ways of increasing the use of higher order questions include:

• Plan for higher order questioning during lesson planning. Several SIOP lesson plan templates have a section for developing higher order thinking skills (HOTS). Planning specific questions ahead of time is important since it’s unlikely that teachers can come up with a variety of good higher order questions on the fly.
• Teach students about higher order thinking and higher order thinking strategies. Explain to students why they are being asked questions that provoke thought and require them to grapple with an idea or analyze a problem. Making students aware of HOTS helps them understand their own higher order thinking strengths and challenges.
• Post anchor charts with question stems representing each level of Blooms. These posted resources can be used:
  • To teach students about HOTS and to become familiar with questions at each level (see previous point);
  • By teachers to stimulate class discussions. The visual question starters remind teachers to go beyond literal questions and ask questions that deepen students’ thinking;
  • By students to refer to and use different levels of questioning when working with peers. The charts model how to ask good questions.
  • As students read, urge students to ask themselves questions from the charts to enhance comprehension and engagement with text.
• Use prompts to stimulate thinking.  Prompts can be placed purposefully throughout the text, asking questions of readers that intentionally emphasize different skills such as inference or analysis.

In post-match interviews, professional tennis players, most of whom are multilingual, are asked to analyze a point, compare their match to a previous one, evaluate their play or that of another. All these questions require higher order thinking and although the players’ English may not be fluent, they are able to think beyond literal levels — just like our students.