Essential Actions 13-15

For those following along, the final post regarding the 15 Essential actions as noted by
Colorin’ Colorado is here. Moreover, this is the final post of the semester!
13. INTEGRATE language domains to provide rich, authentic instruction.
The language domains include listening, reading, speaking, and writing. To provide information to your students, you will want to provide listening and reading assignments. Overlapping essential vocabulary between these domains will allow multi-modal information processing, which means there is a more likely chance that the student will retain the information. Incorporating all four domains increases that probability even further.
Speaking and writing will be more challenging domains for students to work with, but it is essential that the students are practicing vocabulary in these ways. For lower ability students, focus on the content. Did the student provide the key word in response? Excellent! Next, provide a sentence frame (which we talked about previously). Struggling intermediate level students should be asked to give corrected responses. Develop the habit of using Standardized English as the situation demands.
14. COORDINATE and collaborate in planning for language and content teaching and learning.
If you are working with other instructors on similar topics, as often English and social studies programs often integrate. Be sure to include the use of essential vocabulary into the planning.
For example, Prohibition and Sufferage era concepts can be taught into the social studies course, and then related readings, such as The Great Gatsby or A Room of One’s Own, could be used to discuss the social forces at play in the writing, including the vocabulary that was used in the social studies class.
15. SHARE responsibility so that all teachers are language teachers and support one another within communities of practice.
My school has approximately 80 ELLs, and I only get a few minutes everyday to interact with them. Their ability to succeed is spread between myself, the students, my aides, and the rest of the teachers and parents who work with these kids. I am not alone in a vacuum. My students are also your students. I want to do my part to help, but you cannot point at me alone for the child’s success or failure. We need to share that responsibility. Every student that fails a class is not a mark on that child, but a mark on the teachers that are not able to do enough to help that child.
We are together in this for 180 days. We can do this together. However, at Day 177, all I can really say is: Enjoy your summer! I look forward to working with you together when Day 1 rolls back around.
For more information, check out the original article here: http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/essential-actions-15-research-based-practices-increase-ell-student-achievement

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