Making Reading Comprehensible for ELLs

Crystal JastzabskiLee County Schools

July 23, 2014

“Learning to read is a little bit like learning to ride a bike — while you are balancing a person on the handle-bars, holding a pole, spinning plates, and focusing on the destination at the same time!”

Kristina Robertson

http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/33830/

Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.

Instructional Sequence - For every teacher action there is a student reaction!

Teacher Students

1. Introduces concepts/vocab Provide examples, questions, usage

2. Thinks aloud to model

comprehension strategies Apply the strategies with partners

3. Reads aloud for fluency Read along silently or whisper

4. Models how to partner read Conduct partner reading for fluency

5. Monitors & records partners Partners reread to practice strategies

6. Conducts cooperative activity Work in teams to process & summarize

7. Conducts debriefing Discuss words, concepts, summaries

8. Models writing strategies Do content-related writing using vocab

9. Assesses vocabulary & content Analyze their test results and go back to learn the missing pieces

10. Assesses a second time All students should be successful

Susan B. Anthony

K W L

Reading TextText: Susan B. Anthony Speech to JuryText Structure: Persuasive

Purpose for reading: To Explain Susan B. Anthony’s role in women’s rights and justify the movement for women’s voting

Belief

ReasonReasonReason

Susan B Anthony

Susan B. Anthony Mini Biography

Building Background KnowledgeBuild background with visuals, videos, text

summary/previewsPre-teaching strategies

• “Native speakers who are not strong decoders can often comprehend text that is read to them better than text that they read themselves. That's because when someone else is doing the reading, they can focus on meaning without having to struggle to get the words off the page.”

• “With ELLs, however, comprehension problems tend to be associated with limited vocabulary and limited background knowledge. Thus, listening to text read by someone else won't enhance comprehension.”

BE SURE YOU ARE GIVING BACKGROUND AND NOT ACTIVATION PRIOR KNOWLEDGE!

http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/33830/

VocabularyTier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3OrdainOdiousInsure

SovereignsSubject

Bill of AttainderEx post facto lawDisenfranchisementOligarchyAristocracySaxon

Classifying VocabularyTier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3

•Basic words that are a part of everyday language.•Needed to communicate, read, and write

•Academic words •Polysemous Words (Words with multiple meanings)-Homophones(words that sound the same but have different meanings)•Information Processing Words•Transition Words•Connectors•Idioms•Phrasal / Compound words•More sophisticated words

•Subject specific words•Infrequently Used Academic Words

(Usually words bolded in textbooks)

Subject1. Repeat it 3x.2. “but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father,

brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters, of every household - which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord, and rebellion into every home of the nation.”

3. Definition: Being in a position or in circumstances that place one under the power or authority of another or others.

4. Student friendly Definition: controlled by someone else

5. Grammar:Verb- subject ( to expose to something)Polysemous: Subject in schoolCognate: sujeto

SubjectI am a subject of _________________.

Oligarchy• Repeat 3x.• “It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful

oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; “

• Definition: Government by a few, especially by a small faction of persons or families.

• Student Friendly definition: a small group of people makes the rules

• Grammar:Noun (oligarch) rulerCognate: oligarquía

This (is /is not) an oligarchy because…

EXC-ELL 7 STEP PROCESS FOR PRE-TEACHING VOCABULARY

1. Teacher says the word.2. Teacher asks students to repeat the word 3

times.3. Teacher states the word in context from the

text.4. Teacher provides the dictionary definition (s).5. Teacher explains the meaning with student

friendly definition.6. Engages students in activities to develop

word / concept knowledge.7. Teacher highlights grammar, spelling, polysemy,

cognates, false cognates, prefixes, tense, homophones, etc.

How can you help build a vocabulary?• EXPLICITLY Pre-teach

vocabulary • Post vocabulary in

classroom• Require them to interact

with the vocabulary (Both oral and written interaction)

Reading strategies and vocabulary for texts must be taught EXPLICITLY!

Read Aloud /Think AloudTeacher selects a portion of the class text and reads it aloud o the class. The teacher models the reading/monitoring strategy that they wish for students to learn.

Text to World

Pair ReadingOPTION 1 OPTION 2

• Partners read the entire paragraph/page alternating sentences

• Partners read page alternating paragraphs

• Teacher leads short discussion of paragraph to check comprehension

• Partner A retells/summarizes first paragraph

• Students place post-it notes on unfamiliar words

• Partner B retells/summarizes second paragraph

• Students place post-it notes on unfamiliar words

Paragraph Summary Text to World Connection

1

2

3

4

What do ELLS need to build native like reading skills?

“There is no such thing as silent learning, especially with EL students. Students must all participate 100 percent of the time—and they must practice, practice, practice if they are going to reach academic and linguistic parity with their English only peers.”

Dr. Margarita Calderonhttp://www.scoe.org/docs/ah/AH_calderon.pdf

Build fluency by…• “In order to improve fluency in English,

provide independent level texts that students can practice again and again, or read a short passage and then have the student immediately read it back to you.”

• “Have the student practice reading a passage with a certain emotion or to emphasize expression, intonation, and inflection based on punctuation.” (great way to teach point of view)

• Pair readings• Close readings

• http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/33830/

Let’s get together in corners!• Count 1 to 4

• Numbers 1 go to one corner, #s 2 to another, and so forth.

• Within corners, form triads (groups of three).

• Timed Team Share (30 seconds each): First student answers question, next student adds to the answer, next student does the same, process continues (90 seconds).

• Share out! REMEMBER USE YOUR VOCABULARY! Margarita Calderón & Associates,

Inc.

NC Guide to ExC-ELL

Debrief!

Vocabulary Questions

OpinionsThings learned

ALWAYS DEBRIEF!

Debriefing Strategies• Roundtable

Students write one word on paper and pass around the table. This continues until the teacher calls time. Students develop a strategy to get more words and a second round is completed. Have students write a paragraph/graphic organizer/ sort words into categories from word list created.

• Numbered HeadsStudents create 2 questions each on a note card about the reading. BE SURE TO MODEL WHAT GOOD QUESTIONS LOOK LIKE (I.E. TEXT DRIVEN QUESTIONS). This can be done in groups or individually.Collect the questions and assign the students in each group a number from 1-4. Ask a question from the note cards and name a number that will be responsible for answering the question.

Debriefing Strategies• Corners

Number students 1-3,4,5 ( as needed) . Send all 1s to a corner, all 2s to a corner and so forth. You will form triads. Teacher asks a question to class. One student answers, then the 2nd student adds to the answer, and then student 3 adds to the answer. The share with class or write down their complete answer.

• Inside /outside circle• Socratic Seminar

Debriefing StrategiesEntry/Exit Pass

Name: Date:

Post Reading Activities

• Whole Class concept/semantic maps

• Retell text using key vocabulary

• Team discussions / open ended questions

• Writing sentences (use new vocabulary)

• Content related writing

Now show me what you got!GROUP ACTIVITY Scaffold

A Write a letter to the government justifying Susan B. Anthony’s attempt at voting.

B Write a letter to the government justifying Susan B. Anthony’s attempt at voting using prompts and sentence starters.

C Write a letter to the government justifying Susan B. Anthony’s attempt at voting using a word bank to complete a cloze letter.

Be sure to use 2-3 vocabulary words in your writing!

Reasons

why injustice is wron

g.

Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.

Instructional Sequence - For every teacher action there is a student reaction!

Teacher Students

1. Introduces concepts/vocab Provide examples, questions, usage

2. Thinks aloud to model

comprehension strategies Apply the strategies with partners

3. Reads aloud for fluency Read along silently or whisper

4. Models how to partner read Conduct partner reading for fluency

5. Monitors & records partners Partners reread to practice strategies

6. Conducts cooperative activity Work in teams to process & summarize

7. Conducts debriefing Discuss words, concepts, summaries

8. Models writing strategies Do content-related writing using vocab

9. Assesses vocabulary & content Analyze their test results and go back to learn the missing pieces

10. Assesses a second time All students should be successful

Take Aways?• Students must be explicitly taught skills

and vocabulary.• Students need to read text multiple

times to build fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary!

• Students need to practice and engage with text/vocabulary numerous times.

• Always debrief to make sure that all students comprehend reading and vocabulary!

• Students need to interact with peers and work in all language domains.(reading, writing, speaking, listening)

• Assess comprehension multiple times!

Resources

• Reading 101 for English Language LearnersBy: Kristina Robertson (2009)

• Effective Instruction for English LearnersBased on a presentation by Margarita Calderón, Ed.D.Senior Research Scientist and ProfessorJohns Hopkins University’s Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education

• Margarita Calderon and Associates – ExC-ELL Model

• NC Guide to ExC-ELL By NC DPI