misd bilingual/esl department siop comprehensible input february 5, 2014 tina kelman
TRANSCRIPT
MISD Bilingual/ESL Department
SIOP Comprehensible Input
February 5, 2014Tina Kelman
How have you been doing?We’ve had two sessions so far:
Lesson Preparation Building Background
Share an idea & a challenge
Now, share a strategy that you have implemented this past week for building background knowledge.
Take 1-minute each to share what went
well and what challenges you may have had.
If your group finishes before time, others may interview.
Objectives for Comprehensible Input
Content Participants will
evaluate the significance of intentionally infusing comprehensible input strategies into their lessons.
Language Participants will
discuss a reflection on the progress of their implementation of the components covered thus far with the group.
SIOP SIOP Component Component
33
ComprehensiComprehensible Inputble Input
Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the essence of what is being said or presented to them.
ComprehensibComprehensible Inputle Input
Comprehensible Input
This does not mean, however, that teachers must use only words students understand.
In fact, instruction can be incomprehensible even when students know all of the words.
What you put in is what you
get out!
Teacher Talk
Making teacher talk comprehensible to students goes beyond the choice of vocabulary and involves presentation of background and context, explanation and rewording of unclear content, and the use of effective techniques such as graphic organizers.
Context or Visual cues
By using context or visual cues, or by
asking for clarification, students enhance their knowledge of English.
When input is comprehensible, students understand most aspects
of what is required for learning, and the learning experience pushes them to greater understanding
Think About It…
Just because the students can’t speak English proficiently …
doesn’t mean they can’t think!
Just because the students can’t read English…
doesn’t mean they can’t think!
Language is mostly acquired when:
Lessons are interesting and relevant
Instruction follows natural language patterns
Input is provided in sufficient quantity
The message is clear so the learner can
understand
There is appropriate monitoring of errors, since
overcorrection increases student anxiety
There is sufficient wait time to allow for internal
translation
Language AcquisitionTeachers need to make content
comprehensible based on the English Language acquisition level of each student.
Stages of Language Acquisition- Beginner Intermediate Advanced Advanced High (same level as native
speakers)
Beginner I don’t speak any
English Intermediate
I speak conversational English only, no academic English
Advanced I can use some
academic English Advanced High
I speak English comparable to native speakers
Stages of Language
Acquisition
Food for Thought…. It is critical that students know what is
expected and that step by step instructions are written for students to see and use.
Many students will begin to disengage or misbehave because they are not certain what they are expected to do, even if you have verbally told them everything they need to know.
Low SES Students
Research shows that consistency and an orderly, predictable classroom environment create a safe setting for our low SES students.
Feeling safe at school increases productivity, comprehension, language acquisition, and test scores.
Continuum of Strategies
Type of Strategy
Teacher- Centered
Teacher- Assisted Peer- Assisted
Student- Centered
Rate of Speech In focus group research, middle school
students reported that teachers talked too fast and they couldn’t understand the directions.
Lack of clear explanation – due to teachers’ impatience, speaking too fast, or poor instructions – was consistently cited as a problem by English Learners.
Variety of techniques to make the content comprehensible….
Techniques
Use gestures Use body language Use pictures Use realia MODEL, MODEL, MODEL Preview materials Allow for alternate forms of expressing their
understanding of info & concepts
What do you already do in your classroom to help students understand what you are saying?
Techniques cont. Multimedia Technology Repeated exposure to words, concepts, skills Be succinct Graphic organizers
Turmoil Anxiety Confusion Violence Disturbance Riot Strife Trouble Tumult Turbulence Unrest
SynonymsHow many words can you give them that mean the same thing?
(Remember those 17 new words a day they need to be learning to catch up to native English Speakers? Here are 11 new words with the same definition!)
Textbooks
What are some assumptions textbooks makes about English Learners, their backgrounds, language proficiency and abilities?
In pairs, create a chart showing the assumptions you feel/see textbooks make.
Discuss whole group
Scaffolding Activity Find a partner at a
different table Write a definition of
scaffolding using no more than 8 words.
Write it on the sentence strips.
Display around the room.
This forces you to
think about the most important words and concepts
ScaffoldingVerbal scaffolding
ParaphrasingUsing “think-alouds”
Reinforcing contextual definitionsProcedural scaffolding
Practice with othersOne on one teaching
Small group instructionPartnering or grouping with more
experienced ones
Verbal scaffolding Examples of verbal scaffolding include
paraphrasing, repetition of key points, summarizing, and using think-alouds.
When the verbal is paired with the nonverbal in the form of facial expressions, gestures, picture, charts, graphs, maps, or realia, this strategy is particularly effective.
Using a variety of visual aides and teaching to all learning styles are the most effective approaches.
Think-Alouds What is a think-aloud?
When teacher’s think-aloud - they are providing mental models for comprehension of content text.
Mental modeling gives students an insight into how good readers make sense of text.
It allows students to see options that are available to them and how good readers decide what to do.
It also helps students understand the complexities of reading and that it is an ongoing thinking process.
Outcomes of the Think-Aloud Approach
Students change their view of reading.
They realize that reading is a purposeful activity.
They are more involved in actively building their
comprehension.
Verbalization skills increase.
More opportunities for cooperative learning.
Students become more independent readers
TPR Activity Choose a word from the word bank With your table group, make up an action or
draw a picture to help you remember the word Describe, in your own words, what the word
means on a piece of chart paper
Word Bank Lesson Preparation Building Background Comprehensible Input Strategies Interaction
Strategies Strategies are typically taught at a young age (not
always true for our ESL students) Teach the strategy using a text that is 2-4 reading
levels below the students’ reading levels They are practiced throughout their school careers Provide ample opportunities for students to use
and practice strategies Consistently use the scaffolding techniques
throughout the lesson A variety of question types used*
*Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy
Relevant Background Knowledge
One way teachers can ensure that material is sufficiently comprehensible is to provide relevant background knowledge and content.
Teachers should try to explain ideas or concepts several times using slight variations in terminology and examples.
Consistent Language To increase the likelihood that students will
understand what is being said to them, the use of consistent language from the teacher is a necessity
Comprehensible instruction requires that teachers carefully control their vocabulary and use graphic organizers, concrete objects, and gestures when possible to enhance understanding.
Expressing Ideas To increase the likelihood that students will
understand what is being said to them, provide frequent opportunities for students to express: their own ideas in their own way
What ways can students express their own ideas in your class?
Share at your table
Add ideas to our chart paper
Accuracy of Content During instructional dialogs, the focus should be
primarily on accuracy of content, not rigid requirements associated with correct language use
Spending time defining, discussing, and clarifying vocabulary words unlikely to be familiar to the students prior to reading a passage has demonstrated consistently positive effects on reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension for students with learning, speech, and language disabilities
Using Analogies for TeachingSimple presentation of concepts help students to
make connections with new knowledge. An analogy allows students to form a mental model of concepts to be learned based on what they are already familiar with, then transposing it to new knowledge. This process is called mapping.
An analogy works best when the concept is new
Make sure the students understand the analogy
Explain the specific similarities
Be aware of misconceptions the analogy may leave
Manipulatives and Experiments
Manipulatives are concrete objects that are used to demonstrate learning concepts and to enhance the meaning of presented information.
Students have the opportunity to hear, see, and touch manipulatives to promote the learning process and language acquisition.
Realia, or real objects, are the best manipulatives to make learning concrete.
Casual vs. AcademicCasual Academic
mistake
speed
underground
tarriff
Encounter
friendly
Smell
Peers
elect
Word StudyVerbal-Visual Word Association
Definition in student friendly terms with a translation in L1
Personal Association
Specific Examples Relevant Non-Example
Word Analysis
RuleRulerRuledRulingRulable
Bull’s Eye___________Clue #1
___________Clue #2
___________Clue #3
___________Clue #4___________T
arget Word
Pictionary…sort of! Pick words the class is working on
As you (or the student) draw the picture for the word…TALK your way through the picture, explain the picture as you talk
Easier for ESL students to guess when they hear familiar words in context
Even low level students can find something to say about the picture as they draw
Homework Assignment Make input comprehensible!!!
Bring examples of how you are doing this in your lessons.
First fifteen minutes of our next meeting will be devoted to sharing with the class.
Next Meeting:
Email us any time if you need additional support, have questions, or need advice –
[email protected] – Wendy Burt, Scott Johnson MS [email protected] – Tina Kelman, Boyd HS [email protected] – Dina Davenport, Malvern
ES