LITERACY AND LANGUAGE: LESSONS FROM AN ELEMENTARY ESL TEACHERKristina Robertson, ESL/Literacy Teacher

Goals Presenter will:

Review research regarding the impact of language skills on literacy development for ELLs Demonstrate/share lesson activities that support literacy skills and language development for ELLs in grades K 3 Share methods used for student assessment and collaboration with mainstream teachers Offer a model of Asset-based instructional planning

Background Information

Placed as literacy interventionist K-2 Concerned

about scripted literacy program and assessments Reality: No required instructional model, resources or assessments. Focus on meeting student academic needs in collaboration with classroom teacher.

mid-year added ESL teaching and decreased literacy intervention time. Currently enrolled in University of Minnesotas Curriculum and Instruction doctoral program

Goldenberg research review

Claude Goldenberg (2008)60 percentare in essentially all-English instruction 12 percent receive no instruction or support Meta-analysis of National Literacy Panel (NLP) concluded that teaching ELLs to read in their first language and their second language, compared with teaching them to read in their second language only, boosts their reading achievement in the second language. ELLs learning to read in English, just like English speakers learning to read in English, benefit from explicit teaching of the components of literacy, such as phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing.

Chall research the 4th grade slump

Chall & Jacobs (2003) Low-income

students (30 studied) did well on word knowledge up to 3rd grade After 3rd grade they began to decline in word knowledge, especially in more specific academic vocabulary Language and linguistic complexity stayed strong Vocabulary and comprehension continued to decelerate and by 11th grade students were in the 25th percentile

Research ReviewA synthesis of 15 research studies to find out if L1 oral language skills predict L2 reading comprehension skills in elementary grades? 5 studies found a correlation between L1 oral language and L2 reading comprehension. Age may be a factor. Majority of studies demonstrated native language basic literacy skills transfer to English literacy skills phonics, decoding Majority of studies found correlation between development of English language skills to increase English reading proficiency None of the studies found a negative correlation between L1 literacy development and L2 reading Jill Rentmeester proficiency Disher, CCC-SLP, Betsy Koop, Bilingual Immersion Teacher,

literacy skills instruction (K - 3) letter

sounds phonemes - nonsense words words - sight and spelling pattern Reading/decoding Writing

Language

asking questions language structure Sentence

& word cards sentence auction

Vocabulary expressing thoughts and opinions sentence

frames

Comprehension skills

Sequencing Strip stories Retelling checklist of main ideas partner share (chunk and chew) Monitoring reading Feedback on fix-ups and looking at pictures for context Making connections Background knowledge circle map

Assessment

Quick write JEOPARDY Running Record ACCESS Skills Oral

Reading Fluency (ORF) Letter Sound Fluency (LSF) Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF)

Collaboration

Collaboration PD No time to meetof the Week kindergarten 1st grade spelling words and literacy strategies 2nd grade themes (author, friendly letter) Peek

Collaboration/communication chart

Asset-based PlanningDefinition: Asset-based instruction is derived from literature outside of education on asset-based thinking, which encourages focusing thoughts on what currently is working and what is available rather than what it is missing, which requires a cultural shift in the way people interact with one another.Paek, P. L. (2008, January). Asset-based instruction: Boston Public Schools. Case study from Practices worthy of attention: Local innovations in strengthening secondary mathematics. Austin, TX: Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin

Two assumptions*

Each persons talents are enduring and unique. Each persons greatest room for growth is in the areas of his or her greatest strength.

Paek, P. L. (2008, January). Asset-based instruction: Boston Public Schools. Case study from Practices worthy of attention: Local innovations in strengthening secondary mathematics. Austin, TX: Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin *Buckingham and Clifton (2001)

strengths literacy, language and personality

age, talents and interests

Describe 2 activities that will draw on student's strength and address academic need.List 2 academic concerns

How do you know? What evidence do you have?

1. Chunk and Chew: invite classmate to read with her. One reads, other summarizes/asks questions. 2. Kitty Countdown with sight words.

Try it out

Think of an ELL student Complete the asset-based chart with what you know

What else do you need to know?How could you find out?

If youre not sure what activities will work bestfor the student, what resources or colleagues might you consult?

Sharing

A few final thoughts.Ive tried a lot of activities this year - some things worked well, some things didnt but I learned a lot and I think my students did too. Heres what I recommend for teachers.

Thank You!This slideshow and handouts will be available on my blog: English Language Advocacy Network eladvocacynetwork.blogspot.com You may also reach me by email: kmrobertson@burnsville.k12.mn.us

References

Chall, J.S. and Jacobs, V.A. (2003). Poor Children's FourthGrade Slump. American Educator, Spring, 2003. Retrieved Oct. 24, 2007, from http://www.aft.org/pubsreports/american_educator/sprin g2003/chall.html Goldenberg, Claude. Teaching English Language Learners: What the research does - and does not say. American Educator, Summer 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2012, from http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/summer2008/inde x.cfm Koop, B., Rentmeester Disher, J., Robertson, K. Oral Language and Reading Comprehension in Bilingual Children: Do L1 oral language skills predict L2 reading comprehension skills in elementary grades? University of Minnesota Twin Cities 2012

We did a lot on the test and got to eat animal crackers.

But a small ant came and he was a human ant boy

Language objective: Complete this sentence My favorite character was ________ because _________ One connection I made with this story is _________ because ___________ If the same thing happened to me I would _____________

Monda y 3/5/12 (out)

Tuesday 3/6/12 Content: Civil War Strategy: tree map as group Language: describe setting Content: Spelling words - ed and -ea Strategy: sort spelling pattern Language: These words are similar because _______

Wednesday 3/7/12 Content: Civil War Strategy: tree map on own Language: describe setting of Civil War picture Content: Spelling words - ed and -ea Strategy: cloze passage key words Language: Read cloze sentences and explain answer. I chose ________ because it means ___________. Content: letter writing Strategy: Language:

Thursday 3/8/12 Content: Civil War Strategy: paragraph from tree map of setting Language: adjectives Content: Reading DRA 3/4 Strategy: memoir writing Language: One time my family went to dinner ________.

Friday

3/9/12

3rd Grade Academic Literacy

Content: Marley Strategy: tree map of setting Language: describe a scene sight, sound, smell, hearing Content: Phonemes Strategy: sounds Language: ______ makes the _________ sound. Ex. 'ch' makes the "'ch" sound

1st Grade Meagher/Sel by

5th grade ELL academic language (Sproul)

3rd Grade ELL math

Content: The Memory Box Strategy: QAR Language: This is a _________ connection because __________ __ Content: Review math vocabulary and test Strategy: Language: The answer is ________ because

Content: preview, "The Memory Box" Strategy: QAR Language: This is a _________ connection because _____________ __. Content: Review multiplication facts Strategy: doubles and 3 plus 1 Language: The way to multiply by _______ is to

Content: vocabulary Strategy: word meaning/associati on Language: ______ is like _______ because ___________.

Content: Review math vocabulary Strategy: write in math dictionary Language: _______ means ____________

Content: Review math vocabulary and concepts Strategy: Jeopardy Language: _____________ means ________. "To solve