S.I.O.P.

1. S.I.O.P. SHELTERED INSTRUCTION OBSERVATION PROTOCOL Presented by Irma Guadarrama, University of Houston Email: iguadarrama@uh.edu

2. The SIOP Components • Lesson preparation • Building background • Comprehensible Input • Strategies • Interaction • Practice and Application • Lesson Delivery • Review and Assessment 8

10. Lesson Delivery • Teach and Model • Assess Student Comprehension • Review Key Concepts and Vocabulary • Reteach, Making Modification • Repeat Cycle

19. Chris’ Third Grade Class • 11 ESL Students (24 total) • 2 beginners, 5 intermediates, 1 advanced, 3 advanced highs • Spanish-5 • Vietnamese-3 • Chinese-1 • Ibo-1 • Amharic-1 • Kiswahili-1

20. Lesson Preparation1. Content Objectives • I use a cable to connect my computer up to my television using a scrolling power point to display and review my content objectives daily.

21. Rainforests • TLW (the learner will) activate background knowledge on rainforests by creating a KWL chart. (Science TEK 3.8A) • TLW describe the habitats of organisms in a rainforest by taking notes on In the Rainforest by Howard Rice. (Science TEK 3.8A, Language Arts TEK 3.20C) • TLW organize information about rainforests by categorizing notes on KWL chart. (Language Arts TEK 3.9I) • TLW pre-write paragraph about rainforests using a web. (Language Arts TEK 3.18A) • TLW develop draft about the rainforest using the KWL chart as a reference. (Language Arts TEKS 3.18B, 3.12E) • TLW revise and edit paragraph about the rainforest by integrating suggestions from peer conference. (Language Arts TEKS 3.18CD)

22. 2. Language Objectives • TLW develop key vocabulary about topic: rainforest, tropical, temperate, equator, forest floor, understory, canopy • TLW participate in read alouds of books and poems about the rainforest from different genres. • TLW independently read the texts that were read aloud (as desired by students) • TLW buddy-read In the Rainforest by Howard Rice • TLW take notes on stickies from In the Rainforest by Howard Rice. • TLW pre-write paragraph about rainforests using a web. • TLW develop draft about the rainforest using the KWL chart as a reference. • TLW revise and edit paragraph about the rainforest by integrating suggestions from peer conference.

23. 3. Content Concepts • In the Rainforest (the text provided by the district) is written at a third-grade level, therefore the content will not be accessible to all students without modifications. Introducing key vocabulary from the text as well as buddy reading are techniques to make it more accessible. Students already have experience with the content due to the intensive study of plant growth and development we just completed. • The additional read alouds provide another means to make the information more accessible.

24. 4. Supplementary Materials • I used additional, related literature to support the content teaching.The additional texts included the following: At Home in the Rain Forest by Diane Willow and Laura Jacques, Rain Forest Babies by Kathy Darling, Flashy Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent as well as several poems about the rainforest. • I had multiple copies of the books listed above, providing students with opportunities to re-read the texts as they desired. All of the books used in this unit have pictures to help the reader understand the concepts. • Maps and globes were used to show locations of rainforests as well as to indicate where the equator was. We made an imaginary equator to divide the classroom to help students grasp the content.

25. 5. Adaptation of Content • We constructed a large (approximately 6 feet tall by 10 feet wide) KWL chart divided into the categories of Definition, Location, Layers, Animals, Protecting the Rainforest, and Fascinating Facts, and Other to help students organize the information. K stood for “What We Think We Know,” W for “What We Want to Find Out,” and L for “What We Learned.” • We began each lesson by referring to the KWL chart. The students posted their stickies from their note-taking on the chart so that each individual’s thinking was accessible to all students and that the stickies could be moved from one category to another upon review. The categories on the KWL chart paralleled (though did not match exactly) the chapters of In the Rainforest to help students see the connections. (next)

26. We did a book walk of the text as a whole group, first previewing the pictures, captions, chapter titles and highlighted terms to make the content more accessible during buddy reading. • One of my (monolingual English) special education students loves writing, but he has a lot of difficulty putting his thoughts on paper. I checked on him frequently, and usually he would tell me what he wanted to write, I would jot it down for him, and then he would copy it onto his paper. This way he was able to participate as the other students could and showcase his own thinking.

27. 6. Meaningful Activities • The language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing were used throughout this week-long unit. It was scaffolded to build upon what students have learned throughout the plant growth and development unit. Each day we referred to the KWL chart as records of the learning from the previous lesson. All students are expected to meet the grade-level content standards, with the various steps before the final culminating published piece scaffolded to help ensure success among all students.

28. Building Background7. Concepts Linked to Students’ Background • We started out the unit by working on the K section of the KWL chart, which we labeled “What We Think We Know.” This prompted students to access their background knowledge on rainforests while encouraging them to take risks. We followed that up by previewing the In the Rainforest text. Students already have extensive background knowledge on plants due to our science unit and they referred to the work we had done while working on the K section.

29. 8. Links Made Between Past Learning and New Concepts • Daily, we reviewed the KWL chart that served as an ongoing record of our learning. When we reviewed the chart prior to each lesson, several students frequently wanted to add additional information to the chart. This continually reinforced the past learning and helped provide a bridge to the new concepts. • In addition, throughout the year we have listed every book, poem, or article that I have read aloud or used as shared reading. This is posted on the wall with the genre and purpose indicated next to the title and author. This served as a record of the supplementary texts we used.

30. 9. Key Vocabulary Emphasized • The key vocabulary words (rainforest, tropical, temperate, equator, forest floor, understory, canopy) were posted next to the KWL chart, in what we called our “rainforest word wall.” These same terms appeared in the different texts we used.

31. Comprehensible Input10. Appropriate speech • I make efforts to modify my sentence structure and the vocabulary used to help ensure all my students are able to understand the content. I also make sure to be very explicit about what I intend for them to do, and both explain the directions orally as well as provide it to my students in writing. • When I ask questions, I make sure to focus on one question at a time to help ensure that students are clear as to exactly what is being asked. • One area that I am continually working on is my rate of speech. I am a fast talker by nature, and when I am excited, as often happens when I am teaching an area I am passionate about, I tend to speak quickly. I explain this to my students and most of them will raise their hands or make a gesture to me to slow down when I am talking too quickly.

32. 11. Explanation of Academic Tasks • I explained each step of the project explicitly and in simplified wording. I always posted the expectations on the board or provided it on a handout to students in addition to oral explanations. • After explaining the directions, I will ask a student to explain the directions to the class as well to help ensure understanding. I work with my students to help them feel comfortable asking if they need additional clarification. • As students worked independently or in pairs, I circulated throughout the classroom, providing students with additional opportunities to seek clarification as well as for me to identify students who seemed to have difficulty. • In addition, my students understand that during partner work, it is accepted and encouraged to seek additional clarification from classmates if necessary.

33. 12. Use of Techniques • I used a variety of techniques to help make the content accessible to my ESL students. I modeled what I expected of each assignment. For example, I modeled recording a piece of information from the reading on a sticky and then categorizing it on the KWL chart. I also modeled selecting one topic of the KWL chart to develop a web as a prewriting technique. • The KWL chart served as an ongoing visual for students to refer to throughout the unit. Their background in the intensive plant growth and development unit provided them with hands-on experiences on plants, which helped anchor their new knowledge about rainforest vegetation.

34. Strategies13. Provide Ample Opportunities for Students To Use Strategies • I did not teach this unit through lecture or recitation. I used a variety of teacher-assisted strategies, such as whole group discussions and brainstorming. I used peer-assisted strategies, notably cooperative learning and peer tutoring techniques. I also used student-centered strategies, notably repeated readings and graphic organizers. I work to foster metacognitive strategies in my students, especially helping them to develop the ability to monitor their own comprehension and recognize when meaning breaks down. I do this through extensive modeling. • This unit also involved cognitive strategies, such as note taking. I provided each pair of students with six stickies to note information they thought was important or interesting to categorize on the KWL chart. I encouraged the students to first seek assistance from their partner or another classmate to help develop social/ affective strategies.

35. 14. Scaffolding Techniques • I use verbal scaffolding with my students, including paraphrasing and think-alouds. The different grouping techniques I used in this project included whole group, small group, partners, and independent, which led to increased independence by students. Some students require more extensive scaffolding than others, and different and flexible grouping configurations facilitate this. • For example, I had a parent volunteer working with my two ESL beginners while the other students worked in partners or independently while developing their final paragraphs.

36. 15. Questioning • Throughout the different grouping configurations in this unit, I asked students questions from different levels of Bloom’s taxonomy to assess their understanding and promote high-level thinking. Students asked questions at different levels as well, as are indicated by the W for “What We Want to Know” on the KWL chart. • In my classroom we have ongoing conversations about “thin” and “big, fat, juicy questions” and when prompted, the students like to try to develop the latter.

37. Interaction16. Opportunities for Interaction • Throughout this unit I created numerous opportunities for students to interact with each other. Throughout the year I have worked to encourage and prompt students to give extended responses, and to help encourage them to do the same with each other. I encourage my students to request assistance when they need help explaining a concept. • In a small group setting, quite a few students are eager to ask if a peer is “stuck” or needs assistance, while in the whole group setting many of my students are comfortable asking others for assistance when they need it.

38. 17. Grouping Configurations • Typically we began and ended each lesson in a whole group setting, giving students an opportunity to share their work and their thinking. During the lesson, they worked in small heterogeneous groups at some points. Students worked in pairs, which I selected, pairing a more able reader with a less able one. I did not pair the highest reader with the lowest: I paired students who were closer academically though one was the stronger. • Once or twice during the week I pulled a small group of students who were struggling with the reading to re-teach in a guided reading format. They also had opportunities to read and write independently. Usually I chose the grouping strategy, but at times I provided them with the option of working independently, with a partner, or in a group of three.

39. 18. Wait Time • Usually when I ask a question, especially in a whole group format, a few students will raise their hands almost immediately, but after waiting a few moments, many more students will volunteer. • Wait time 1 is the amount of time a teacher allows after asking a question until calling on a student. I am comfortable with practicing that wait time. • Wait time 2 is the amount of time a teacher allows after a student responds before either responding him or herself or calling on another student. I have more difficulty with wait time 2, especially with my students who are more reluctant to participate in class.

40. 19. Clarify Key Concepts in L1 • I teach a class with a mixture of ESL and monolingual English speakers, and my students have a variety of home languages. I do not have the ability to clarify concepts in L1. One of my ESL beginners is a native Spanish speakers, and two of my native-Spanish speaking ESL students with higher levels of English proficiency help explain concepts to him at times. • Unfortunately, my other ESL beginner is a native Amharic speaker, the only such speaker in the entire school. That makes it difficult for him, as utilizing his L1 is not an option.

41. Practice/Application20. Hands-on and/or Manipulatives for Practice • During this unit, we did not utilize hands-on materials or manipulatives. During the preceding plant growth and development unit in science we did, ranging from observing lima bean seeds to dried honeybees the students used to cross-pollinate their plants. This unit, particularly as it lasted only one week, did not lend itself to hands-on work, though considering the difficulty with some of the vocabulary, I think it may have been time well spent to have a short review game or activity with the key vocabulary terms.

42. 21. Application of Content and Language Knowledge • After students took notes on their stickies from In the Rainforest, they shared them with the whole class and posted them where they felt they belonged on the KWL chart. The pairs had the option of deciding to each share some of the stickies, for one partner to share them all, or to ask me to read them for them. Most of them opted to divide the stickies so they all had the chance to share individually with the entire class. None of them opted to have me read them instead. • Students also had the option of reading directly from their stickies or talking about what they wrote instead. Most students opted to read from their stickies. I did not correct any English usage errors unless they made the meaninginaccessible to the rest of the class. In that case, I simply restated it for the class. (next)

43. After reviewing the completed KWL chart, students selected one category from the chart to write up a paragraph. They started by making a web, which is a prewriting technique. Students used the KWL chart as a reference, but they were free to include other relevant information, The paragraph was the culminating project, which allowed them to showcase their learning, but also gave them a choice in the process.

44. 22. Integration of Language Skills • Students had many opportunities to use the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Specifically, the opportunities included the following: • Listening: read alouds (books and poems related to rainforest unit), during whole group discussions reviewing KWL chart, to mini-presentations when student pairs presented their notes and posted them on the KWL chart; to peers when they share writing • Speaking: answering and asking questions before, during, and after read alouds, during whole group discussions reviewing KWL chart; presenting stickie notes to class: giving suggestions and asking questions when peers share writing (next)

45. Reading: buddy reading In the Rainforest, using KWL chart as a reference for writing paragraph, re-reading texts that were read aloud; reading paragraph to peers • Writing: taking notes on stickies while buddy reading; creating web for prewriting; writing one paragraph on one topic from KWL chart

46. Effectiveness of Lesson Delivery23. Content Objectives • The content objectives (TLWs) are posted daily, and I review them with my students. This helps me focus on the objectives. However, I did not necessarily review each objective each day with my students to discuss whether we achieved it or not. • Also, I was explicit in discussing our daily goals with my students, but I did not consistently provide closure at the end of each lesson.

47. 24. Language Objectives • As discussed earlier, generally I do not state the language objectives separately. I usually state them within the content objective (except of course in language arts). For example, in this unit, an objective with covered both a science objective and a language skill was “Describe the habitats of organisms in a rainforest by taking notes on In the Rainforest by Howard Rice.”

48. 25. Student Engagement • The students were very enthusiastic about this unit and their engaged time was extremely high. • I had one student who refused to participate, however, she has behaved in this manner before. I conferred with her after the fact when she was willing to cooperate, but that lesson was lost time with her. I later spoke with her mother during my lunch time.

49. 26. Pacing • Initially I wanted the final project to be several paragraphs, integrating information from multiple areas, but it was more realistic to allow them to focus on one topic. This made it easier for beginning and intermediate ESL students as well as other struggling students since much of the information was already categorized on the KWL chart. • At times I find it difficult to provide time for closure at the end of each session, and the students typically do not want to stop when it is time to move on. We are very confined by scheduling constraints however, and this is something I can continue to work on.

50. Lesson Review/Evaluation27. Review of Key Vocabulary • Unfortunately, this is something I omitted during the project. As I mentioned earlier, I did not place as much emphasis as I feel I should have in explicitly pre-teaching the key vocabulary that I wanted the students to master.