Comprehending Primary Sources: Making text accessible to English Learners and ALL students

1. Comprehending Primary Sources: Making text accessible to English Learners and ALL students One Nation Many Faiths July, 2012 Presented by Deborah Granger & Leslie Smith

2. Paired Verbal Fluency • TOPIC: Everything you know about/have experienced with English Language Learners and their instructional needs. • TASK: at the cues, • Find a partner for a stand up conversation. • Designate one as “A” and the other as “B.” • Partner A shares first (20 seconds). Partner B continues, with no repetition of what A has shared. • Repeat with slightly longer time increments.

3. Academic Language is a Second Language for Most Students!

4. Outcomes • Increased understanding of characteristics of English Learners • Awareness of SIOP • Experience with strategies to support comprehension of text for ALL students

5. Agenda • Input on Reading Comprehension and English Learners • Introduction to the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol • Introduction to and Practice with Comprehension Strategies • Putting It All Together

6. About English Language Learners & Reading Comprehension What the experts and research have to say

7. To Build Reading Comprehension - basics • Phonemic awareness: words are made of sounds • Opportunity for interactive practice • Materials at reading level

8. Upper Elementary Range of Skills MOST NOVICE • Recognize basic affixes and suffixes Recognize basic affixes and suffixes • Recognize 50-75 sight words (including irregular words) • Know what homophones are (e.g., too, two, to) • Read aloud familiar passages with fluency • Comprehend one or two content terms MOST ADVANCED • Recognize basic affixes and suffixes Recognize basic affixes and suffixes • Recognize 50-75 sight words (including irregular words) • Know what homophones are (e.g., too, two, to) • Read aloud familiar passages with fluency • Comprehend one or two content terms

9. Upper Elementary Range of Skills MOST NOVICE • Identify organizational features of text (e.g., Table of Contents) • Decode single-syllable words aloud • Read inflectional forms of words including exceptions (wife/wives) MOST ADVANCED • Use organizational features to find information; identify topic and concluding sentences. • Read silently and make meaning. • Actively apply understanding of rules of spelling (and exceptions) to correctly pronounce and understand words (oil/toy, badge/cage) .

10. Middle Grades Range of Skills MOST NOVICE • Follow the sequence of a simple narrative • Identify characters • Identify main ideas • Identify persuasive words • Access specific information through TOC, glossary, etc. • Navigate factual text with a few unfamiliar names • Interpret a few sources of graphic information (e.g., maps, charts, timelines) MOST ADVANCED • Draw conclusions about plot, theme, point of view, conclusion, etc. • Compare characters. • Make inferences based on evidence and synthesize expository text. • Evaluate effectiveness of arguments/recognize features of propaganda. • Compare text structure and organization (e.g., cause-effect, sequential, problem-solution, comparison) and evaluate as to their effectiveness. • Navigate factual text replete with unfamiliar info and names. • Interpret many sources of graphic information including political cartoons.

11. High School Range of Skills MOST NOVICE • Distinguish fact from opinion and cite evidence from a simple persuasive text • Locate specific information in functional text through knowledge of text structure • Interpret graphic information MOST ADVANCED • Evaluate quality of author’s argument, including fallacious and unsupported elements. • Consistently use knowledge of text structure to make meaning of text. • Use graphic information to support ideas, solve problems, and draw conclusions.

12. Research Points re: English Learners (Research Points, 2004, p. 3) • Word recognition (phonics): With explicit instruction, English language learners can acquire skills equivalent to native speakers in two to three years. • Vocabulary: English language learners start with many fewer words than native speakers, and the gap can grow during schooling without intervention. • Comprehension: English language learners, like other students, need to be taught strategies for making sense of the texts they read. • Speech: Most English language learners lag behind classmates in oral language skills necessary for success in reading and in higher academic achievement.

13. About Teaching English Learners, HernÁndez, p. 126 “Language is the medium for learning and communicating important subject matter. For students learning in the language rather than about the language, effective communication is interactive, authentic, and meaningful, with ample opportunities to hear and respond in the target language and to get feedback from native speakers, the teacher, instructional assistants, volunteers, and other English language learners.”

14. A Bit from the Theorists • Vygotsky: Zone of Proximal Development (1978) – Learning takes place when students can complete the task with assistance. • Krashen: Input hypothesis (1985) - Understand more than can produce, therefore, continually stretch learning with instruction at a slightly higher language level than students’ abilities to produce. • Cloud, et al: Three goals for content instruction – 1) content, 2) language, 3) general skills

15. Instructional Aides Teachers can Provide to make text accessible • Vocabulary • Text structure (e.g., cause-effect, chronological, etc.) • Advance organizers: graphic organizers • Word families (e.g., democracy, democratize, democrat, democratic) • Morphemes: words and word elements (e.g., ing, ed)

16. Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) • Preparation • Building background • Comprehensible input • Strategies • Interaction • Practice/Application • Lesson delivery • Review and assessment

17. I) Preparation Knowing Your Goals and the Tools You Plan to Use • Learning Goals: • Content Goals • Standards • Translated into student-friendly learning objectives • Further translated into essential question for the lesson • Language Goals • Common Core • Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing • General Skills Goals • Study skills, etc. • Resources/materials

18. II) Building Background Setting the Stage to Make Text and Content Accessible • What • Vocabulary • Personal experience • Content • How • Direct questioning • Vocabulary strategies • Images • Structured conversation (e.g., Paired Verbal Fluency)

19. Building Background through Vocabulary Development description image May substitute sentence using the word, part of speech, essential characteristics. word antonyms synonyms

20. Vocabulary Development - Example In my own words: Conscience is knowing right from wrong and preferring what is right. Source: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.webanswers.com/post-images/C/CF/32A32CA1-A8C1-405D-B2EF6D481C4C938D.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.webanswers.com/entertainment/tv/what-cartoon-character-had-an-angel-and-a-devil-pop-up-on-either-shoulder-and-try-to-convince-them-f0fb83&usg=__C2Y0JlzMljXaPVs7KpjxgFUIEVw=&h=190&w=256&sz=7&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=NJKnSsSqdJki6M:&tbnh=129&tbnw=161&ei=zFEoTuPSOnTiALOndCvAg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhomer%2Bsimpson%2Bangel%2Band%2Bdevil%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26biw%3D1008%26bih%3D571%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=596&vpy=264&dur=3151&hovh=152&hovw=204&tx=141&ty=73&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0&biw=1008&bih=571 conscience Synonyms: Morals Duty Ethical Principled Antonyms: Immoral Shameless

21. Vocabulary Development – Your Turn description image With a partner, complete the Frayer Box. Reformation essential characteristics antonyms

22. Vocabulary Development – Teacher Exercise with Tier 2 & 3 Words • Review Document 9 (Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom), p. 21, Section II • Identify the words you could offer as parentheticals (e.g., molested [bothered]). • Identify the words students need to know to understand the concept of religious liberty. • Identify the words students need to know as college and career ready individuals (e.g., words an educated person should know). • From #s 3 & 4 above, narrow the list to 3 words. Be prepared to share your rationale. • How would you teach those 3 words?

23. Want to Learn More about Word Tiers? Beck, I., McKeown, M., Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. NY: The Guildford Press

24. III) Comprehensible Input Providing information in ways ELs/All Students can comprehend. • Visual aides, graphic organizers • Processing time • Clear, slow speech • Pauses • Few pronouns • Few idioms • Examples & descriptions NOT definitions • Redundancy, key words, outlines • Gestures

25. IV) Strategies Using tools to support increased independence • Cognitive Tools • Text structure • Text aides (headers, index, captions, graphics, etc.) • Vocabulary in context and with tools • Summarizing • Word order, grammar • Metacognitive • Self-questioning regarding understanding • 5Ws, H • Most Important Point (in the passage)

26. V) Interaction Students speaking about content with others (occurs throughout the lesson) • Listening and speaking examples • Paired verbal fluency • Think-Write-Pair Share • Paraphrase • Question asking – for clarification, elaboration • Responding to questions • Turn taking

27. VI) Practice/Application Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing about Content • Student(s) (Co)develop responses to teacher-provided, content-based prompts and share with groups. • Teacher provides scaffolds (e.g., sentence/ paragraph frames)

28. Practice/Application Predicate: religion and government should be separated. all men are created equal. God wanted him to build a “city on a hill.” only Christians should lead the colonies. all religions should be “tolerated.” • Names/Subject: • George Washington • John Cotton • William Penn • Peter Stuyvesant • John Locke • James Madison • John Winthrop • Roger Williams Verb Phrase: believed that Frames Example and Your Turn: George Washington believed that all religions should be “tolerated.” In Document __, he stated, “__________.”

29. VII) Lesson Delivery Providing a focused, relevant lesson that allows students to access the content, process it, and achieve the lesson goals • Supports learning objectives • Engaging (90 – 100% of lesson) • Appropriate pace • Meaningful learning activities

30. 8) Review and Assessment Checking on students’ understanding of both content and language acquisition • Consider both content and language acquisition goals. • Interactive – between teacher and student – not whole class • Use scoring guide/performance rubric(s) • Methods: • Conferences • Take-home reflections • Oral retell • Learning logs • Graphic organizers • Content inventory • Cloze exercises • Dictations

31. More on Strategies Text Structures

32. Strategy Examples – Pre-Reading George Washington’s Letters to Minority Religious Communities 1789-90 (Document 11) • Observing and predicting – Teacher-provided questions • What do you know about George Washington? • What are some possible examples of “minority religious communities” from George Washington’s time?

33. Document 11 • Looking at the layout/headers/organization of the text and making predictions about its source • What are the excerpts originally from? a) songs, b) news articles, c) letters • Who wrote the letters? • To whom were the letters written?

34. Document 11 • Discussing the title/heading of the text • This document is titled “George Washington’s Letters to Minority Religious Communities 1789-90.” • What do you think it’s about? • Do you think GW belonged to a minority religious community? • How do you think GW felt about people of religions different than his own? • Using pictures, photographs, cartoons, diagrams, etc. to predict what the text is going to be about • What would you use?

35. Text Tea Party • What: • Opportunity for students to engage with just a small bit of text while interacting with others to make predictions, co-construct shared understanding, and pique curiosity. • How (Preparation): • Snip excerpts of selected text into individual text strips and distribute to students – may differentiate for different language acquisition levels and should “cross-pollinate” by having multiples of at least selected, if not all text strips.

36. Text Tea Party • Instructions for Students: • Explain the notion of a “tea party”- decorum, introductions, politeness, mingle • Explain that students will be participating in a learning activity in which their behavior will be like that at a “tea party.” • Distribute text strips and instruct students to read them silently in preparation for reading them aloud. • Reminding students that they will be reading the words aloud and will want to pronounce words correctly, ask which words they would like to hear pronounced by the teacher – go to students and have them point to the words as you pronounce them and provide a quick definition for the class to hear. • Model the activity: Students will pair up. Each will read his/her text strip to the other. The two will talk briefly about what the bigger piece of text might be about. Students thank each other, split apart and pair up with other students to repeat the process until the teacher calls time.

37. After the Text Tea Party • Options/Combinations: • Each student writes what he/she thinks the larger piece of text is about – pairs – shares with a partner. • Whole group, teacher-guided conversation in which the teacher solicits multiple predictions as well as the “evidence” that led to the predictions. • ETC!

38. Strategy Examples – During Reading Create a purpose that makes reading manageable • Skimming – quickly running one’s eyes over a text to get the gist of it. • Predict what you think Washington is going to write to people of different religions. Write your prediction. After reading, see how close you were. • What’s the big idea? • Scanning– quickly going through a text to find a particular piece of information. • In his letter to the Baptists of Virginia, August 1789, Washington promises to protect citizens from something – what is it? • When did Washington write his letters? • Quote Washington’s words from his letter to the Baptists of Virginia, August 1789, that explain what every man who is a good citizen “ought” to have. Begin with the word “ought.”

39. Text Structure – H-SS Making visible the structure of the text to help students make meaning from it Most Common History-Social Science Text Structures • Sequential/chronological • Cause-effect • Categories • Description • Comparison

40. Text Structure – Trigger Words Specific words signal different text structures • Sequential/chronological: first, next, then, following, before, second, lastly, finally, in 1693, etc. • Cause-effect: if/then, because, caused, as a result of, etc. • Comparison: similar to, unlike, along with, uniquely, just as with, opposite, in opposition to, in common (with), etc.

41. Processing Sequential/chronological Text You may wish to use a graphic organizer that reflects the specific kind of text structure students are reading. This may be used as a note taking tool, or a way to highlight the key ideas that emerge. It helps students understand how the author is presenting his/her content and can help students with subsequent writing tasks.

42. Cause(s) – Effect(s) “THEN” It’s possible for one cause to have many effects OR for several causes to lead to one effect/ result/consequence. EFFECT 1 “IF” (CAUSE) EFFECT 2 EFFECT 3 “BECAUSE” (CAUSE) EFFECT “BECAUSE” (CAUSE)

43. Cause - effect • IF I lie in the sun too long, THEN I will get sunburned. • BECAUSE I spent too much time in the sun, I got a sunburn.

44. Cause – Effect: Document 1 • “Now if the Lord shall please to hear us, and bring us in peace to the place we desire, then hath He ratified this covenant and sealed our commission, and will expect a strict performance of the articles contained in it…” • (Interpreted/Simplified): If we make it to America, then the Lord blesses our plan to create a “city on a hill” and expects us to keep this promise.

45. Cause - Effect • Three factors led to the Civil War: 1) Slavery, 2) Issues of states’ rights, and 3) Southern concerns that the North was benefitting from the Industrial Revolution and they were not.

46. WHY DOES TEXT STRUCTURE MATTER? • Intention of reading – create an environment in which students interact with text. • Interaction includes asking questions of the text, summarizing it, finding key points, etc. • Using knowledge of and graphic organizers related to specific text structures makes the author’s thinking explicit, helps students “chunk” information in a meaningful way, and supports student writing development.

47. Cause – Effect, Document 1 – Your Turn • “…but if we shall neglect the observation of these articles which are the ends we have pronounced, and, dissembling with our God, shall fall to embrace this present world and prosecute our carnal intentions, seeking great things for ourselves and our posterity, the Lord will surely break out in wrath against us, and be revenged of such a people, and make us know the price of the breach of such a covenant.” • IF…THEN… • Highlight most important terms. • Simplify and create sentence that includes “if” to introduce the cause and “then” to introduce the effect.

48. Comparison • 2 or more people, events, eras, etc. with similarities and differences A B A & B

49. Comparison

50. Comparison – Separation of Church and State John Locke Peter Stuyvesant Colonial Leaders Yes, Keep Church and State Separate No, Church and State are One Individu-als’ religious beliefs don’t harm the state. Control through one religion Strong religious beliefs John Cotton XXXXX John Winthrop Roger Williams XXXX XXXXX XXXXX