MISD BilingualESL Department SIOP Comprehensible Input Tina Kelman

MISD Bilingual/ESL Department SIOP Comprehensible Input Tina Kelman Bryann Caldwell

How have you been doing? We’ve had two sessions so far: Lesson Preparation Refining Building your language objectives Background Activating background knowledge Building background knowledge

Share an idea & a challenge Now, share a strategy that you have implemented this past week for lesson preparation and building background knowledge. Take 1 -minute each to share what went well and what challenges you may have had. If your group finishes before time, others may interview.

Objectives for Comprehensible Input Content Participants will evaluate the significance of intentionally infusing comprehensible input strategies into their lessons. Language Participants will discuss a reflection on the progress of their implementation of the components covered thus far with the group.

SIOP Component 3 Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible input means that students should be able to understand the Comprehensible essence of what is Input being said or presented to them.

Comprehensible Input This does not mean, however, that teachers must use only words students understand. In fact, instruction can be incomprehensible even when students know all of the words.

What you put in is what you get out!

Teacher Talk Making teacher talk comprehensible to students goes beyond the choice of vocabulary and involves presentation of background and context, explanation and rewording of unclear content, and the use of effective techniques such as graphic organizers.

Comprehensible Input Physics

Context or Visual cues By using context or visual cues, or by asking for clarification, students enhance their knowledge of English.

When input is comprehensible, students understand most aspects of what is required for learning, and the learning experience pushes them to greater understanding

Think About It… Just because the students can’t speak English proficiently … doesn’t mean they can’t think! Just because the students can’t read English… doesn’t mean they can’t think!

Language is mostly acquired when: Lessons are interesting and relevant Instruction Input The follows natural language patterns is provided in sufficient quantity message is clear so the learner can understand There is appropriate monitoring of errors, since overcorrection increases student anxiety There is sufficient wait time to allow for internal translation

Language Acquisition Teachers need to make content comprehensible based on the English Language acquisition level of each student. Stages of Language Acquisition Beginner Intermediate Advanced High (same level as native speakers)

Beginner I don’t speak any English Intermediate I speak conversational English only, no academic English Advanced I can use some academic English Advanced High I speak English comparable to native speakers Stages of Language Acquisition

Food for Thought…. It is critical that students know what is expected and that step by step instructions are written for students to see and use. Many students will begin to disengage or misbehave because they are not certain what they are expected to do, even if you have verbally told them everything they need to know.

Low SES Students Research shows that consistency and an orderly, predictable classroom environment create a safe setting for our low SES students. Feeling safe at school increases productivity, comprehension, language acquisition, and test scores.

Continuum of Strategies Type of Strategy Teacher- Centered Teacher- Assisted Student- Centered Peer- Assisted

Rate of Speech In focus group research, middle school students reported that teachers talked too fast and they couldn’t understand the directions. Lack of clear explanation – due to teachers’ impatience, speaking too fast, or poor instructions – was consistently cited as a problem by English Learners, Low SES students, & Special Education students. Variety of techniques to make the content comprehensible….

Techniques What do you already do in your classroom to help students understand what you are saying? Use gestures Use body language Use pictures Use realia MODEL, MODEL Preview materials Allow for alternate forms of expressing their understanding of info & concepts

Techniques cont. Multimedia Technology Repeated exposure to words, concepts, skills Be succinct Graphic organizers

Stephen Krashen Comprehensible Input

Turmoil Anxiety Confusion Violence Disturbance Riot Strife Trouble Tumult Turbulence Unrest Synonyms How many words can you give them that mean the same thing? (Remember those 17 new words a day they need to be learning to catch up to native English Speakers? Here are 11 new words with the same definition!)

Scaffolding Activity Find a partner at a different table Write a definition of scaffolding using no more than 8 words. Go back to your table. Compare your sentence with those at your table This forces you to think about the most important words and concepts

Scaffolding Verbal scaffolding Paraphrasing Using “think-alouds” Reinforcing contextual definitions Procedural scaffolding Practice with others One on one teaching Small group instruction Partnering or grouping with more experienced ones

Verbal scaffolding Examples of verbal scaffolding include paraphrasing, repetition of key points, summarizing, and using think-alouds. When the verbal is paired with the nonverbal in the form of facial expressions, gestures, picture, charts, graphs, maps, or realia, this strategy is particularly effective. Using a variety of visual aides and teaching to all learning styles are the most effective approaches.

Think-Alouds What is a think-aloud? When teacher’s think-aloud - they are providing mental models for comprehension of content text. Mental modeling gives students an insight into how good readers make sense of text. It allows students to see options that are available to them and how good readers decide what to do. It also helps students understand the complexities of reading and that it is an ongoing thinking process.

Outcomes of the Think-Aloud Approach Students change their view of reading. They realize that reading is a purposeful activity. They are more involved in actively building their comprehension. Verbalization More skills increase. opportunities for cooperative learning. Students become more independent readers

TPR Activity Choose a word from the word bank With your table group, make up an action or draw a picture to help you remember the word/phrase Word Bank Lesson Preparation Building Background Comprehensible Input Strategies Scaffolding What you put in is what you get out

Strategies are typically taught at a young age (not always true for our ESL students) Teach the strategy using a text that is 2 -4 reading levels below the students’ reading levels They are practiced throughout their school careers Provide ample opportunities for students to use and practice strategies Consistently use the scaffolding techniques throughout the lesson A variety of question types used* *Refer to Bloom’s Taxonomy

Relevant Background Knowledge One way teachers can ensure that material is sufficiently comprehensible is to provide relevant background knowledge and content. Teachers should try to explain ideas or concepts several times using slight variations in terminology and examples.

Consistent Language To increase the likelihood that students will understand what is being said to them, the use of consistent language from the teacher is a necessity Comprehensible instruction requires that teachers carefully control their vocabulary and use graphic organizers, concrete objects, and gestures when possible to enhance understanding.

Let’s talk about gestures!

Expressing Ideas To increase the likelihood that students will understand what is being said to them, provide frequent opportunities for students to express: their own ideas in their own way What ways can students express their own ideas in your class? Share Find at your table a partner at another table and exchange 2 ideas

Accuracy of Content During instructional dialogs, the focus should be primarily on accuracy of content, not rigid requirements associated with correct language use Spending time defining, discussing, and clarifying vocabulary words unlikely to be familiar to the students prior to reading a passage has demonstrated consistently positive effects on reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension for students with learning, speech, and language disabilities

En géométrie euclidienne, un triangle est une figure plane, formée par trois points appelés sommets, par les trois segments qui les relient, appelés côtés, délimitant un domaine du plan appelé intérieur. Lorsque les sommets sont distincts deux à deux, en chaque sommet les côtés délimitent un angle intérieur, d'où vient la dénomination de « triangle » . Le triangle est aussi le polygone le plus simple qui délimite une portion du plan et sert ainsi d'élément fondamental pour le découpage et l'approximation de surfaces. De nombreuses constructions géométriques de points, droites et cercles associés à un triangle sont liées par des propriétés qui étaient en bonne part déjà énoncées dans les Éléments d'Euclide, près de 300 ans avant Jésus-Christ. Les relations entre les mesures des angles et les longueurs des côtés sont notamment à l'origine de techniques de calcul de distances par triangulation. Le développement de ces techniques constitue d'ailleurs une branche des mathématiques appelée trigonométrie. Hors de la géométrie euclidienne, les côtés d'un triangle sont remplacés par des arcs géodésiques et beaucoup de ses propriétés sont modifiées (voir Trigonométrie sphérique).

Using Analogies for Teaching Simple presentation of concepts help students to make connections with new knowledge. An analogy allows students to form a mental model of concepts to be learned based on what they are already familiar with, then transposing it to new knowledge. This process is called mapping. An analogy works best when the concept is new Make sure the students understand the analogy Explain the specific similarities Be aware of misconceptions the analogy may leave

Manipulatives and Experiments Manipulatives are concrete objects that are used to demonstrate learning concepts and to enhance the meaning of presented information. Students have the opportunity to hear, see, and touch manipulatives to promote the learning process and language acquisition. Realia, or real objects, are the best manipulatives to make learning concrete.

Casual vs. Academic (BICS vs. CALPS) Casual Academic mistake speed underground tarriff Encounter friendly Smell Peers elect Now…take 5 minutes with a partner or team and create one for your classroom

Word Study Verbal-Visual Word Association Definition in student friendly terms with a translation in L 1 Personal Association Word Specific Examples Relevant Non-Example

Word Analysis Ruler Ruled Ruling Rulable

Bull’s Eye ______ Clue #1 ______ Clue #2 ______ Clue #3 ______ Clue #4 ______ Target Word

Pictionary…sort of! Pick words the class is working on As you (or the student) draw the picture for the word…TALK your way through the picture, explain the picture as you talk Easier for ESL students to guess when they hear familiar words in context Even low level students can find something to say about the picture as they draw

Comic Books Comic books use the pictures to tell ½ the story Give tremendous amounts of background knowledge reading is mostly dialogue between characters

Side by Side Reading Use books that have the story in English and another language in the same book Ask your librarian to buy books in students’ native languages Check out the English version and the other language book for the students to read

Re-tell Have students watch something or read together Ask the students to re-tell what they saw/read to the other partner Start with the stronger language student

The Dumb Smart Question

Culturally Related Lessons tell stories that talk about culture will broaden all students’ global awareness makes students more willing to share their own stories can lure shy students into participating consider a culture sharing day where they can bring food, personal items, pictures, etc.

Before we go on… Silent Period – What is it? (discuss) Psychological phenomenon Not a choice Not a behavior Not an issue of defiance Don’t push the student at this point Be patient!

Homework Assignment Make input comprehensible!!! Bring examples of how you are doing this in your lessons. First fifteen minutes of our next meeting will be devoted to sharing with the class. Next Meeting: Email us any time if you need additional support, have questions, or need advice – bcaldwell@mckinneyisd. net – Bryann Caldwell, Faubion MS tkelman@mckinneyisd. net – Tina Kelman, Boyd HS