Strategies for Struggling English Learner Readers in the Elementary Classroom 2018 MS English Learner Teacher Symposium July 27, 2018 Laurie Weathersby, M.Ed., CALT, LDT Student Intervention Specialist Mississippi Department of Education VISION To create a world-class educational system that gives students the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and the workforce, and to flourish as parents and citizens MISSION To provide leadership through the development of policy and accountability systems so that all students are prepared to compete in the global community 2 1
State Board of Education Goals FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2016-2020 1. All Students Proficient and Showing Growth in All Assessed Areas 2. Every Student Graduates from High School and is Ready for College and Career 3. Every Child Has Access to a High-Quality Early Childhood Program 4. Every School Has Effective Teachers and Leaders 5. Every Community Effectively Uses a World-Class Data System to Improve Student Outcomes 6. Every School and District is Rated C or Higher 3 AGENDA Five Components of Reading Appropriate Strategies Accommodations Tier I Overview Hands-on Materials 4 2
Five Components of Reading 5 Five Components of Reading 6 3
Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Phonological awareness encompasses a wide range of skills that lead to and include phoneme awareness 7 Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Phonological Awareness - Refers to a student s awareness of speech and speech segments that are larger than a phoneme - Students are able to manipulate units of oral language (syllables, onset and rime, phonemes) 8 4
Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Phonemic Awareness A conscious awareness of the identity of speech sounds in words and the ability to manipulate those sounds It does not require the use of printed words or letters Increases a student s awareness of the features of speech Being sensitive to rhyme 9 Phonological awareness and phonemic awareness EL students may not have enough experience with English to be able to distinguish sounds that differ from their native language. Incorporating these tips may help: Help students become familiar with the sounds of English by playing songs, poems, chants and read-alouds. Allow for more practice with sounds that can potentially cause confusion (short vowel sounds). Learn to discriminate sounds that are different between their native language and English. 10 5
Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Activities Compare or match sounds in words Which word does not begin with /h/? hat, hair, wind, house Isolate and pronounce separate speech sounds Say the last sound in rich. Put words together from their separate sounds (blending) /sh/ /ou/ /t/ - Say it fast (shout) 11 Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Activities Break words apart into their component phonemes (segmentation) Say the sounds in crash. (/k/, /r/, /a/, /sh/) Add, change, or delete phonemes from words (phoneme manipulation) Say heart. Change /t/ to /d/. What the new word? (hard) 12 6
Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Activity Onset and rime-recognition and production of rhyming words depend on the ability to break any syllable into two parts cat dog bat hat rat fog log hog 13 Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Activity Syllables-students should be able to segment and blend spoken syllables to remember, read, and compare longer words basket doghouse 14 7
Phonological Awareness and Phonemic Awareness Activity Phonemes-the individual speech sounds that distinguish words /s/ /m/ /ar/ /t/ /ē/ /t/ Provide additional work on English phonemes that are not present in the student s native language 15 Phonics Teaches the relationships between the letters (graphemes) and the individual sounds (phonemes) Systematic and explicit phonics instruction is more effective than non-systematic or no phonics instruction Effective for children from various social and economic levels 16 8
Phonics EL students benefit from having reading instruction combined with intensive development of the oral language Provide a print-rich environment that exposes students to appealing reading materials in varied genres Be aware if the students native language uses a nonalphabetic system. This can effect their ability to recognize the letters of the English alphabet 17 Phonics Most ELs need additional time to master phonics Provide extra time to hear and produce the sounds of English Learn multiple combinations of letters that make the same sounds 18 9
Phonics ee = (ē) feet three 19 Phonics (oi) = oi, oy coil boy 20 10
Fluency Ability to read a text accurately and at an appropriate rate to support comprehension Prosody Expression Repeated and monitored oral reading improves reading fluency and overall reading achievement 21 Fluency EL students must achieve fluency in speaking before they can become fluent in oral reading When using repeated readings make sure you use text the students are familiar with and can understand 22 11
Fluency Letter names Letter sounds 23 Fluency Sight Words 24 12
Fluency Passage 25 Vocabulary Instruction Plays an important part in learning to read Very important to reading comprehension Readers cannot understand what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean EL students need vocabulary to understand everything else 26 13
Vocabulary instruction Utilize specific word instruction that tie in with meaningful conversations Repeated exposure to vocabulary in many contexts EL students need high-quality vocabulary instruction throughout their day Use cognate words in the native language as synonyms when teaching vocabulary 27 Vocabulary Instruction Teaching common prefixes and suffixes prefix meaning example suffix meaning example Un- not uncover -less without hopeless Re- again recycle -ful Full of hopeful Dis- Not, opposite of disengaged -ive Having the quality of Creative, divisive 28 14
Comprehension Instruction The reason for reading If readers can read the words but do not understand, they are not really reading ~ word calling Use specific comprehension strategies 29 Comprehension Instruction EL students may lack background knowledge to the material Teachers can evaluate student s prior knowledge and fill in any gaps Provide opportunities for activities such as science experiments, role playing, and sharing predictions 30 15
Comprehension Instruction Provide nonverbal support, including pictures, diagrams, real objects, gestures, acting, and graphic organizers Explicit and direct (modeling and guided practice) 31 Appropriate Strategies 32 16
Language Arts Strategies Keep copying to a minimum, provide notes and handouts Allow students to make predictions while previewing the title, pictures, chapter names, and bold-faced 33 Language Arts Strategies Encourage students to visualize a mind movie while reading Encourage multiple readings of text Provide a visual for students to take notes and write down key concepts as they read: (story line, webs, map) 34 17
Language Arts Strategies Encourage students to use a line guide as he/she is reading to avoid skipping lines 35 Language Arts Strategies Give visual pictures for commonly reversed or flipped letters b/d 36 18
7/19/18 Practical Strategies Encourage good organizational skills: - use folders and dividers - write down exactly what is required - ensure that the appropriate worksheets/books are with the student to take home - encourage a daily routine - provide a set of textbooks for the students to take home. 37 Spelling Strategies Count the number of sounds in a word and then correlate the sounds with the letters Explicitly teach phonics rules and review them multiple times Group words into word families with multiple patterns of each phonetic sound 38 19
Writing Strategies Brainstorm key vocabulary prior to writing Group nouns, verbs, and adjectives together to ensure students are using a variety of words Emphasize the need to write in stages rather than completing a long narrative in one sitting 39 Handwriting Strategies Encourage students to study their writing and decide what needs more practice Discuss the advantages of good handwriting Improve penmanship with a larger pen, pencil grip and/or raised lined paper 40 20
At-Home Strategies Be your child s #1 fan Create a book together Take control of the TV Be patient Colorincolorado.org 41 Accommodations 42 21
Accommodations Do not change the actual content being delivered. They are add-ons, tools that ensure that students can demonstrate what they know without lessening their expectations. 43 Accommodations These are allowable accommodations for students in the general education classroom: - Allow extra time for completing tests - Shorten assignments - Provide books on tape - Provide a copy of the notes - Reduce homework load - Reduce copying tasks 44 22
Examples of Accommodations Alternate responses Advance notes Extended time Teacher modeling Simplified written and verbal directions Frequent breaks Use of dictionaries/glossaries 45 Tier I Overview 46 23
Tier I Tier I is the first line of defense. 47 Tier I - High Quality Instruction Use instructional strategies that address patterns of weaknesses among students ALL students receive instruction within an evidencebased, scientifically researched core program Differentiation occurs to meet the needs of ALL students Providing high-quality instruction can make a substantial difference for struggling students 48 24
Differentiation Four elements of the curriculum that can be differentiated: Content Process Product Environment 49 Tier I Behavior Universal Supports The core programs and strategies provided to all students within the school Agree upon 3-5 broad school-wide behavioral expectations 50 25
7/19/18 Tier I The classroom teacher is the first responder for students with academic delays. -Jim Wright 51 ALL Students 52 26
Teacher Growth Rubric 53 Hands-on Materials 54 27
7/19/18 Hands-on Materials 55 Hands-on Materials 56 28
7/19/18 Hands-on Materials 57 Hands-on Materials 58 29
Hands-on Materials 59 Activity 60 30
Resources ColorinColorado.org National Reading Panel Publication 2000 Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read 2003 Dyslexia Therapy Program at Mississippi College 61 Student Intervention Supports Secondary Specialist Jayda Brantley jbrantley@mdek12.org English Learner Specialist Sandra Elliott (PreK 12) selliott@mdek12.org Gifted Coordinator Jen Cornett jcornett@mdek12.org Technology Specialist Melissa Banks mbanks@mdek12.org Director of Student Intervention Services Robin Lemonis rlemonis@mdek12.org 62 31
Laurie Weathersby Elementary Student Intervention Specialist lweathersby@mdek12.org 63 32