Language Skills Within The Siop Model

English Language Learners (hereafter referred to as ELLs) currently comprise 10% of the total school population in the United States (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005). It is a population that is going to continue to increase in American public education and their specific needs for learning literacy are of great importance to teachers. Since schools and teachers are increasingly judged based upon the academic achievement of students, then the success of the growing population of ELLs is going to be increasingly important. In the present paper the role of the teacher and specific research-based literacy strategies for ELLs is investigated.

Upon completion of the research for this paper, I am able to see how comprehension is embedded throughout all of the ELA standards of Common Core. The importance of teaching students in a way in which they are exposed to all components of reading, and in a way which offers the potential to teach students at all present levels was made clearer. Through the reading of this week’s sources, I see now how the

Overall “Where’s Literature in the Common Core?” by Barbara Bartholomew is easily determined as a good example of technical communication in the form of a persuasive essay. The essay not only meets communication standards but also displays a positive example of analyzing and understanding one’s audience. The educational field in 2012 could have definitely benefitted from reading the essay after the enforcement of common core, and I certainly benefitted myself in knowing more about my future

“To Dumb for Complex Texts?”, an essay by Mark Bauerlein, states high schools are at fault for students inability to comprehend complex texts. Bauerlein starts by noting students who enter college are not as prepared as they should be, evidenced by their placement exam scores. Bauerlein goes on to state the lack of readiness is due to high schools increasing focus on digital reading, rather than the physical form. Additionally Bauerlein writes that complex reading is not thoroughly integrated in to student curriculum. Bauerlein believes that because of the high schools simple literature curriculum, students beginning college have not been properly exposed to complex texts, and as a result cannot properly comprehend the readings assigned in

In chapter seven of Pathways to the Common Core by Lucy Calkins, Mary Ehrenworth, and Christopher Lehman (2012), the authors explain that teachers often dismiss the Common Core writing standards as unrealistically high demands for their students, but clarify that through examination of the standard in a horizontal fashion, the standards are ultimately realistic and attainable. Calkins, Ehrenworth, and Lehman encourage teachers to begin with reading the kindergarten standards (no matter which grade level you teach) and look at the trajectory through next grade levels. The chapter continues by explaining that viewing the standards in this fashion and collaborating with teachers across grade levels will not only create a more realistic view of the standard, but allow students to meet the learning objectives through smaller steps across each grade level (Calkins, Ehrenworth & Lehman, 2012).

Sheltered Instruction is an approach to teach English language learners which integrates language and content instruction. To develop grade-level content area knowledge, academic skills, and increase English proficiency. Sheltered English Instruction has been used since the 1980’s, and the way the connection was made with English learners, was when students were considered “sheltered” because they studied in classes separate from “ the mainstream” and did not compete academically with native English speakers. Today the majority of ELLs study among side to native English speakers, and accommodate to the same curriculum and high-stakes tests. Teachers now see sheltered instruction of a way of teaching English language and content in English.

Differentiating instruction for ELLS is extremly inportant for their success in school. Sheltered Contenent Instruction state, "REsearch suggests that English learners benefit from a seperate block of time for ELD or ESL." They also stated that sometimes this can not happen due to the large amount of ELL's in a classroom. In this case the teacher can co teach with an ESL teachers to help these students.

With the new common core established, researchers believed that nonfiction or information works should be implemented into the classes starting at a young age. They believed this will help improve students chances of being more well equipped for college. Even though fictional works will be used less frequently, it will help the students understand how they will progress in college.

Everything we learned about literacy in elementary school was a lie. I remember taking a reading comprehension test each year. I was timed on how fast I could read a selected passage, and time was added each time I made a mistake. My teacher would take my time, evaluate it, and categorize me into a certain grade’s reading level. According to revolutionary educational reformist E.D Hirsch, all of this was pointless. He theorized that literacy is not simply based on ability to read words on a page, but on a background of extensive topics that allows one to understand all texts and draw value from them. To expand the nation’s literacy, Hirsch proposed in his infamous book, Cultural Literacy, that there is a base list of terms and concepts that every student should know in order to be literate. Although the common core has been implemented in 46 out of the 50 states, it is still controversial. While it has positive effects such as uniform state education and better preparing students for college and post high school life, it also has negative effects such as too high an emphasis on testing and a lack of depth and diversity in the material. In theory, Hirsch’s ideas on education are good;but overall, the negative effects outweigh the positives.

I enjoyed our conversation about the Common Core literacy standards. I cannot overstate the importance of working to ensure that all teachers have the skills necessary to identify literature and informal text with the appropriate text complexity. The Common Core standards assume that students are

examine the features of text that are the major sources of complexity and learn why they pose particular challenges for readers.

They are capable of preforming grade level core material up to but not including Basic level in ELL-IV for reading concepts. In other words, this student is performing at an Emergent level in EEL IV and therefore has reached all the performance indicators in the Pre-Emergent levels of skill progression ("ELPS Guidance Doc.," 2015, p. 2). Now the teacher can review all the domains and performance indicators to adjust and implement sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) methods of instruction, activities, and assignments to accommodate the lack of English skills need to perform at grade level. By using the AZELLA an instructor has the tools in order to facilitate achievement among the English Language Learners in their classroom.

In secondary education, the Common Core is expecting reading, writing, speaking, and listening to be taught in a variety of subject areas, not just ELA. Students should be reading an assortment of texts and writing and speaking about the texts in social studies, science, and technical subjects as well. Having class discussions and using writing to share ideas are simple ways to teach about nonfiction and informational texts in any subject area. By exposing students to a variety of nonfiction pieces in different subjects, it is broadening their

Ms. Sullivan is a third grade teacher at an elementary school where English language learners (ELLs) make up approximately 85 percent of the student population. The majority of the third graders she teaches are of Asian, African American, and Hispanic ethnicities and seem to be within the intermediate stages of English language proficiency. In the video lesson, Ms. Sullivan presents a whole group math lesson measuring temperature using a thermometer. In this lesson, Ms. Sullivan utilizes a wide variety of sheltered instructional strategies to improve her ELLs’ language development.

To meet the literacy objectives under the Common Core State Standards, ESL and content-area teachers must work together in teaching STEM content-area vocabulary (Crumpler, B., 2013). ESL students should be provided with access to STEM curricula regardless of the difficulties they might find. It is important for core teachers and ESL teachers to work in collaboration to teach STEM content area vocabulary in order for students to understand the concepts and succeed in the program (Crumpler, B.) . The use of the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) method along with a variety of strategies and techniques are effective to teach STEM vocabulary to ELLs. It is vital for teachers to