Where Are You Right Now?

Assessing Your Current Use of Best Practices for English Learners

1. Lesson Preparation

2. Building Background

3. Comprehensible Input

4. Strategies

5. Interaction

6. Practice & Application

7. Lesson Delivery

8. Assessment & Feedback

Sheltered Instruction

Component 2: Building Background

Sheltered Instruction

Today’s Goals / ObjectivesContent Objectives• I can select and teach vocabulary effectively.• I can select appropriate text for my students

to read.Language Objectives:• Use Academic Vocabulary organizer.• Revise text to adjust its readability level.

“Access prior knowledge. NEVER skip this step. It is really important that students have something to tie the new information too. If the students have no prior knowledge then you will have to front load knowledge. Show a movie, take a walk, read a book, do something, ANYTHING to give them something to attach the new subject to.”

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1505761/top_ten_teaching_strategies_that_work.html

Who Cares?

Dog.What do you picture in your mind?

What emotions do you feel?

What is Background Knowledge?

• Background Knowledge is what a person already knows about a topic.

• ACADEMIC Background Knowledge (Prior Learning) is what students already know about academic content.

WITH YOUR GROUP, DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING: What is the difference between a topic, an objective, and an assignment?

Accessing Prior Knowledge

What is the difference between an objective, a topic, and an assignment?

Accessing Prior Knowledge

• General area of teaching/learning

• What students should know, understand, and/or be able to do after learning.

• How students will show that they’ve mastered the objectives through Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking.

• Topic:

• Objective:

• Assignment:

Content

Objective

Language

Objective

What is the difference between an objective, a topic, and an assignment?

Accessing Prior Knowledge

• Effective Teaching

• I can teach key vocabulary in order to increase student background knowledge.

• Read Chapter 3 on “Building Background” and summarize key points.

• Topic:

• Objective:

• Assignment:

Content

Objective

Language

Objective

What is the difference between an objective, a topic, and an assignment?

Accessing Prior Knowledge

• Verbs

• I can differentiate linking verbs from helping verbs.

• Write a paragraph that includes five helping verbs and five linking verbs. Underline helping verbs and circle linking verbs.

• Topic:

• Objective:

• Assignment:

Content

Objective

Language

Objective

Features of “Building Background Knowledge”

1. I explicitly link the concepts I teach to students’ background experiences

2. I explicitly link new concepts to past learning.

3. Key vocabulary is emphasized in my classroom (introduced, written, repeated, and highlighted for students to see)

Identify the Missing Words

The questions that p_____ face as they raise ch_______ from in_______ to adult life are not easy to an_______. Both fa________ and m_________ can become concerned when health problems such as co_______ arise any time after the e______ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch______ should have plenty of s________ and nutritious food for healthy growth. B____ and g___ should not share the same b_______ or even sleep in the same r_____. They may be afraid of the d_______.

1

2 3

4 5

6

7

8

9

10

11 12

13

14 15

Check Your Answers

The questions that poultrymen face as they raise chickens from incubation to adult life are not easy to answer. Both farmers and merchants can become concerned when health problems such as coccidiosis arise any time after the egg stage to later life. Experts recommend that young chicks should have plenty of sunshine and nutritious food for healthy growth. Banties and geese should not share the same barnyard or even sleep in the same roost. They may be afraid of the dark.

Importance of AcademicBackground Knowledge

• What students already know about academic content is one of the strongest indicators of how well they will learn new information relative to that content. In other words, there is a strong relationship between background knowledge and achievement.

• Academic background knowledge affects not only “school learning,” but occupation and status in life.

• Success in school has a strong bearing on students’ earning potential. (Marzano, 2004, p. 1-4)

Relationship Between Education & Yearly Income

Level of Education Yearly Income

High school dropout $10,838

High school graduate $18,571

Some college; no degree $20,997

Associate’s Degree $26,535

Bachelor’s Degree $35,594

Master’s Degree $47,121

Professional Degree $66,968

Doctorate $62,275

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, March 2003

Keys for Building Background

• Background knowledge manifests itself as vocabulary knowledge; therefore, teaching vocabulary is synonymous with teaching background knowledge.

• Vocabulary instruction that targets academic terms increases comprehension by 33 percentile points (69)

Marzano’s Six Steps to Academic Vocabulary Instruction

1. Teacher provides a description, explanation, or example

2. Students restate the explanation in their own words

• Do NOT have students look up words in dictionary or give a simple definition

• This is the description they write in their vocabulary notebook.

Marzano’s Six Steps to Academic Vocabulary Instruction

3. Students create a nonlinguistic representation of the term

4. Students periodically do activities that help them add to their knowledge of vocabulary terms

• A picture, pictograph, graphic organizer, symbol…

• Comparing terms, classifying terms, generating metaphors, generating analogies, revising initial descriptions…etc.

Marzano’s Six Steps to Academic Vocabulary Instruction

5. Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another

6. Periodically involve students in games that allow them to play with terms

• Compare information, descriptions, graphics…

• Use as entry task (bell work) or closure

• Use vocabulary word walls; vote off words when kids are ready

Vocabulary Study

BICS

CALP

L1

L2

Conversational Language

Academic Language

One’s native language

One’s second language

Vocabulary Study

EL or ELL

LEP

SIOP

ELD

English learner whose native

language is not English

Limited English Proficient (receiving services)Sheltered

Instruction Observation

Protocol Standards/instruction for EL’s, appropriate for

each developmental level of proficiency

Lexile MeasuresGrade Text Measures Grade 1 200 to 400 Grade 2 300 to 500 Grade 3 500 to 700 Grade 4 650 to 850 Grade 5 750 to 950Grade 6 850 to 1050Grade 7 950 to 1075 Grade 8 1000 to 1100 Grade 9 1050 to 1150 Grade 10 1100 to 1200 Grade 11 & 12 1100 to 1300

www.lexile.com

Review information on word walls (in folder)

Each E-log should clearly reflect the last class session.

• Details about *Case Study Student – BLUE font (2 pts).

• Successes / Aha Moments – GREEN font (2 pts).

• Reading, Writing, & Talking Activities in class– PINK font (2 pts).

• Use of Differentiation Strategies – ORANGE font (2 pts).

• Use of Cooperative Learning / Interaction – PURPLE font (2 pts).

• Academic Vocabulary Instruction – BROWN font (2 pts).

• Strategic Efforts to build community among your students – BLACK font (2 pts).

• Obstacles/Questions for Instructor – RED font (0 pts).

Register at www.lexile.com and analyze / adjust text for your students.