Content Area Challenges for ELs

1. Content Area Challenges for ELs Adapted and Presented by Meko Venegas

2. Challenges in Reading • Most literature is culture bound: • We expect students to have prior knowledge of literary genres such as fairy tales, myths, legends, and tall tales • The teacher has to activate prior knowledge or build background; memorizing vocabulary will not solve the problem • ELs may be able to read the words but it doesn't mean they understand the text

3. Challenges Learning to Read in English: • Abundance of idioms and figurative language • Density of unfamiliar vocabulary • Use of homonyms and synonyms • Grammar usage especially "exceptions to the rules" • Word order, sentence structure and syntax • Difficult text structure with a topic sentence, supporting details and conclusion • ELs may not have practice in expressing an opinion about text. • Use of regional U.S. dialects • Fear of participation and interaction with mainstream students • Story themes and endings can be inexplicable • Literary terms for story development not understood • Unfamiliarity with drawing conclusions, analyzing characters and predicting outcomes • Imagery and symbolism

4. Challenges in Math • Math is not just arithmetic • ELs sometimes use a different process to arrive at answers • Problem solving is not just language but a thought process • Students from other cultures may be more concerned with getting the correct response than with the process

5. Difficulties in Math • Formation of numbers varies from culture to culture • Use of decimal point and comma vary from culture to culture • Students have little or no experience with our measurement system • Math is not spirally taught in many cultures. So students may not know a lot about geometry, for example. • Many students have never seen or worked with manipulatives. They may not take a lesson using manipulatives seriously. • Students learn math by rote memory. • Math curricula in their countries may be primarily calculation. • Word problems may not be introduced until much later. • Estimating, rounding, and geometry are not often taught as early in other cultures. • Mathematical terms do not always translate well. • Mental math may be the norm. Students may not show work in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division or they may show work in a different way

6. Challenges for ELs in Science • May lack background knowledge in science • Our "hands-on" approach is different from what they are used to • Drawing conclusions on their own may be difficult. In their own culture students may not have been trained to make guesses.

7. Challenges studying science • The vocabulary of science presents a huge difficulty • There are special terms to learn. *Even simple words that the student may know, could have another meaning in science • Material is covered very fast • Directions are often multi-step and difficult • There are too many concepts explained on each page of a science text • Cooperative learning may not fit in with students experiences in learning • Sentence structure is complex and the passive voice is used in textbooks • What was taught in class does not always match the assessment • ELs are not used to science labs or equipment • Students lack background

8. Challenges in Social Studies • Social studies and U.S. history provide the biggest challenge to ELs in their content classes • Limited background knowledge 2. Lack prior knowledge of U.S. history, geography, and current events 3. Students will memorize information for a test, but nothing to connect information…quickly forgotten

9. Difficulties studying social studies • Higher level thinking skills necessary for reading and writing • Lack of familiarity with historical terms, government processes, and vocabulary • Text contains complex sentences, passive voice, and extensive use of pronouns • ELs may not be used to expressing their personal opinions • Nationalistic and cultural focus of maps • Concepts which do not exist in all cultures are difficult. • This includes privacy, democratic processes, rights of citizens, free will • No concept of movement within the structure of a society • ELs are seldom asked to contribute an alternate view that reflects conditions in other countries • “Timeline“ teaching vs. learning history by "dynasty" or "period." • Difficulty understanding what is said by the teacher and being able to take notes • Amount of text covered and the ELs' inability to tell what is important in the text and what is not important

10. What Now???!!!

11. SIOP: Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol • Developed by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt and Deborah J. Short to make content material comprehensible to English Learners • Strategies for classroom organization, delivery of instruction, teacher preparation, instructional indicators such as comprehensible input and building background knowledge

12. Teacher/Lesson Preparation • 1. Write content objectives clearly on the board for students. These objectives are reviewed at the beginning of a lesson and students should state at the end of the lesson whether the objectives have been met • 2. Write clearly defined language objectives on the board for students at the beginning of a lesson. Students state at the end of the lesson whether the objectives have been met • 3. Content concepts should be appropriate for the age and educational background of students, Teachers must consider the students' L1 literacy, second language proficiency, and the reading level of the materials

13. Teacher Preparation • 4. Supplementary materials used to promote comprehension. • Including: charts, graphs, pictures, illustrations, realia, math manipulatives, multimedia, and demonstrations by teacher and other students • 5. Adapt content to meet EL’s needs through use of graphic organizers, outlines, labeling of pictures, study guides, adapted text, and highlighted text • 6. Plan meaningful activities integrate lesson concepts with language practice opportunities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing

14. Building Background • 1. Concepts should be directly linked to students’ background experience. This experience can be personal, cultural or academic. • 2. Links should be explicitly made between past learning and new concepts. • 3. Key vocabulary is emphasized. New vocabulary is presented in context. The number of vocabulary items is limited.

15. Comprehensible Input • 1. Use speech that is appropriate for students' language proficiency. • Slower rate, enunciation, simple sentence structure for beginners • 2. Explain academic tasks step-by-step • 3. Use variety of techniques to make content concepts clear. • Modeling • Visuals • Hands-on activities • Demonstrations • Gestures • Body language

16. Strategies • 1. Provide ample opportunities for students to use learning strategies. • Problem solving • Predicting • Organizing • Summarizing • Categorizing • Evaluating • Self-monitoring • 2. Consistent use of scaffolding techniques throughout the lesson. • Introduce a new concept by scaffolding and decrease support as time goes on. • Restate a student's response or use think-alouds • 3. Use of a variety of question types, including those that promote higher level thinking skills. • Literal • Analytical • interpretive

17. Interaction • 1. Frequent opportunities for interactions and discussions which encourage higher level thinking skills and elaborate responses. • Teacher/student • Student/student • 2. Grouping which supports language and content objectives. • Cooperative groups, buddies, pairs, large and small groups • 3. Ample wait time for responses • 4. Opportunities for clarification in native language (L1), if possible.

18. Application • 1. Hands-on materials or manipulatives. • 2. Activities for students to apply content and language knowledge. • 3. Activities that integrate all language domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

19. Lesson Delivery • 1. Content objectives supported by lesson delivery. • 2. Language objectives supported by lesson delivery. • 3. Students engaged 90% to 100% of the period. • 4. Pacing of the lesson appropriate to students’ ability level.

20. Review/Assessment • Comprehensive review of key vocabulary • Comprehensive review of key content concepts • Provide feedback to students regularly on their output • Language • Content • Work • Conduct assessments of student comprehension and learning throughout lesson on all lesson objectives (outcomes) • Spot checking • Group response

21. “Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” ~Plato

22. Comments…Questions??