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More About This Title How to Reach & Teach English Language LearnersPractical Strategies to Ensure Success
English
This book provides practical strategies and tools for assessing and teaching even the most hard to reach English language learners across the content areas. Syrja offers educators the latest information on working with ELLs (including using formative assessments) and provides a wealth of classroom-tested models and measures. These tools have proven to be effective with ESL students at all levels, including Long Term English Learners (LTELs). Throughout the book, the author shares powerful research-based strategies and clearly illustrates how they should be implemented in the classroom for maximum impact.
- Filled with proven ideas and easy-to-implement tips for teaching ELLs
- Designed to be a practical ELL/ESL resource for classroom teachers
- Syrja, a former teacher and ESL student, is a noted expert in English language learning and a Professional Development Associate with the Leadership and Learning Center
This value-packed guide offers educators accessible and research-based classroom strategies for reaching and teaching ELLs.
English
Rachel Carrillo Syrja, M.Ed., is a professional development associate with The Leadership and Learning Center. She has over eighteen years of experience in education ranging from classroom teacher and coach to professional development specialist. She has spent much of her career specializing in instruction for English language learners.
English
About The Leadership and Learning Center x
Acknowledgments xi
Preface xxi
Introduction 1
Where Are the Answers? 2
Using This Resource 2
PART ONE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Chapter 1: The Current State of Education for English Language Learners 5
What Works with ELLs 6
Is It Only About Degree of Implementation? 7
How Long It Takes to Acquire English 8
The New Wave of Immigration 9
A Growing ELL Population 9
Characteristics of the Current ELL Population 10
Chapter 2: The Case for Urgency 11
The Impact of the No Child Left Behind Act 11
State Concentrations of School-Age Children of Immigrants 13
Responding to the Challenges 14
Chapter 3: Long-Term English Language Learners 15
Chapter 4: How Children Acquire Language 19
Part One Resources 23
What Works with Long-Term English Learners 23
Discussion Questions 24
PART TWO
GETTING READY TO TEACH
Chapter 5: English Language Learner Instructional Programs 27
Some Issues with the Home Language Survey 28
English Language Learner Program Options 29
Bilingual Programs 30
Dual-Immersion Programs 30
English-Immersion Programs 31
EnglishMainstream 31
Support Programs for ELLs 31
English as a Second Language Instruction 31
Sheltered Instruction 32
Total Physical Response 32
Conclusion 32
Chapter 6: Levels of Language Acquisition 33
How the Four Language Domains Develop in ELLs 34
CommonMisconceptions 34
Conclusion 37
Chapter 7: Assessing English Language Learners 39
Formative and Summative Assessments 40
The Assessment Process 40
Monitoring Language Acquisition 40
Complexities of Monitoring Language Acquisition 40
Assessment in the ESL Classroom 43
Assessment in the Mainstream Classroom 43
Planning Differentiated Assessments 45
AWord of Caution to Mainstream Teachers 48
The Bottom Line 49
Chapter 8: Grading English Language Learners 51
Impact of an Inaccurate Grading System on Students and Parents 52
What About the Teacher’s Beliefs? 54
How to Solve the Grading Issues 54
Chapter 9: Identifying Language Acquisition Levels 57
Creating Language Proficiency Assessments 58
Using Assessment Results 59
Part Two Resources 61
Survey: Auditing Your English Language Learner Program 61
Sample Supplemental Grading Report 64
English Language Learner Profile Sheet 66
Using the English Language Learner Profile Sheet 68
Discussion Questions 69
PART THREE
REACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Chapter 10: Lowering the Affective Filter 73
Establishing a Low Affective Filter 74
Lowering the Affective Filter 75
Ensuring the Environment Is Conducive to Learning 75
Strategies for Lowering the Affective Filter 76
A Peek into Two Classrooms 76
Chapter 11: Connecting with Families of English Language Learners 81
Where to Begin 82
Making Parents and Families Feel Welcome 82
Educational Opportunities for Parents 84
Chapter 12: The Importance of Cultural Connections 87
Funds of Knowledge 88
Connecting with Families 89
Part Three Resources 91
Planning Resources for Family Nights 91
Sample Parent Letter 91
Parent Education Planning Checklist 92
Family Night Planning Checklist 92
Family Reading Night Parent Resources for Elementary Schools 93
Before-Reading Strategies 93
During-Reading Strategies 93
After-Reading Strategies 93
Family Night Parent Resources for Secondary School 93
Discussion Questions 94
PART FOUR
TEACHING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Chapter 13: What We Do Matters: The Importance of High-Quality
Instruction 97
Action Research to Identify High-Impact Strategies 98
Conducting Action Research 99
Chapter 14: Using the Four Domains of Language in Teaching 101
The Domains in Detail 102
Listening 102
Speaking 102
Reading 102
Writing 103
Engaging Students Using the Four Domains of Language 103
The Fifth Domain: Thinking 106
Chapter 15: Making Content Comprehensible 107
Chapter 16: Total Physical Response 111
Chapter 17: Sheltered Instruction 115
Examples of Sheltered Instruction 116
Graphic Organizers and ConceptMaps 116
Schema Building 117
Word Study 117
Sheltered Instruction Strategies 117
Conclusion 118
Chapter 18: English as a Second Language 119
How English Learners Are Placed in ESL Classes 120
ESL Programs 122
ESL Curriculum Materials 122
Content-Based Instruction for ESL 123
Content-Driven ESL 124
Content-Based ESL 124
Part Four Resources 127
Assessing the Effectiveness of Our ESL Program 127
PART FIVE
TEACHING STRATEGIES ACROSS THE CONTENT AREAS
Chapter 19: High-Impact Strategies for Teaching the Content Areas 131
Chapter 20: Strategies for Reading 133
Approaches to Reading for Elementary and Secondary English Learners 134
Assessing Preexisting Reading Ability 135
Comprehension: The Key to Accessing Content 136
Background Knowledge 137
The Strategy: Making Connections to Background Knowledge 137
The Strategy: Making Connections—Text to Text, Text to Self, Text toWorld 139
The Strategy: List-Group-Label 140
Motivation and Attention 142
The Strategy: Teaching Questioning 142
The Strategy: Teaching Students How to Predict 144
The Strategy: Tea Party 146
Comprehension Strategies 148
The Strategy: Reciprocal Teaching 148
The Strategy: Creating Mental Images Through Visualization 155
The Strategy: Interactive Reading 155
Word Recognition 158
Fluency 158
Vocabulary Development 159
The Strategy: Repeated Reading 160
The Strategy: Key Vocabulary Prediction 161
The Strategy: Word Maps 163
Wide Reading: The Importance of Independent Reading 165
The Strategy: Implementing Independent Reading 166
Chapter 21: Strategies forWriting 173
AWord About Grammar and Usage 174
Writing in the Content Areas 174
The Strategy: Implementing Writing Across the Curriculum 174
The Strategy: Connecting Reading and Writing Through Content 176
The Strategy: Developing Voice 178
The Strategy: RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, Topic) Writing 179
Chapter 22: Strategies forMath 183
How to Help English Learners Achieve in Math 184
Difficulties That English Learners Face in Math 185
Strategies for Math 186
Preinstruction Strategies 186
The Strategy: Previewing the Lesson 186
The Strategy: Vocabulary Instruction for Multiple-Meaning Words 189
During-Instruction Strategies 194
The Strategy: Group Solutions 194
Other Strategies 195
Postinstruction Strategies 196
The Strategy: Paired Summarizing 197
Chapter 23: Strategies for Other Content Areas 199
Teaching Text Features 201
The Strategy: Prereading Text 204
The Strategy: K-Q-L 206
Differentiation for Levels 1 and 2 English Learners 208
The Strategy: REAP 208
Part Five Resources 211
Elementary Interest Survey: My Favorite Things 212
Secondary Student Interest Survey 213
Discussion Questions 214
PART SIX
PUTTING THESE PRACTICES TO WORK
Chapter 24: How Can IMake These PracticesWork for My English
Learners? 217
The Strategy: Microteaching 218
The Strategy in Action 218
Part Six Resources 223
Microteaching Checklist 223
Discussion Questions 224
Notes 225
Definitions and Key Terminology 231
References 237
Index 243
For my beautiful Haley.
