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What one company is saying about Strategies for ELL Students
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ELL Strategies
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Research
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Taking Notes and Using PowerPoint Slide Shows
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PowerPoint slide shows and taking notes support students’
comprehension of oral language used during instruction. English-language
learners need greater contextual support for academic language. During note
taking, students develop content-area vocabulary by recording algebra terms
and expressing their understanding of those terms with definitions and
examples. Note taking is a learning strategy that English-language learners
can utilize in other content areas to facilitate their language acquisition
and understanding of reading, writing, and discussions.
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James Cummins describes the degree of contextual support for comprehending
language two ways. Context-embedded language is supported by a wide range of
clues. Context-reduced language has very little extra support and is
dependent on the words used. (Curtain and Pesola 1994) “Teachers must develop
students’ academic language proficiency consistently and regularly as part of
the lessons and units they plan and deliver.” (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short
2000)
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Using Hands-on Manipulatives and Graphing Calculators
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Hands-on manipulatives and graphing calculators provide visual support
for the explanations of abstract concepts presented in algebra. This visual
support develops students’ understanding of the difficult concepts. There are
many opportunities for students to use manipulatives and graphing calculators
in small groups and pairs. During these interactions, students are using
content-area language in an authentic context and developing greater
understanding and retention of that language.
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Teachers can make cognitively demanding tasks more accessible to
students through the incorporation of extensive visual and concrete materials
and by establishing a context in which the language is used. (Curtain and
Pesola 1994) “Practicing by manipulating materials is what is important for
ELLs because it enables them to connect abstract concepts with concrete
experiences.” (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short 2000) “English-language learners
make more rapid progress in mastering content objectives when they are
provided with multiple opportunities to practice with hands-on materials
and/or manipulatives.” (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short 2000)
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Working in Cooperative Groups
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In Active Algebra, students frequently work in cooperative groups.
These interactions give students the opportunity to use content-area
language, peer tutor, and model problems. All of these learning opportunities
make the content more accessible to English-language learners.
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Content can be made more comprehensible for English-language
learners through techniques such as visual aids, modeling, demonstrations,
vocabulary, cooperative learning, and peer tutoring. (Echevarria, Vogt, and
Short 2000) By pairing students to support one another in the successful
completion of the tasks or to review materials and prepare for an assignment,
the students are given opportunities to interact verbally, practice relating
facts and concepts, monitor each other’s understanding, or provide home
language support. (Herrell and Jordan 2004)
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Engaging Students in Repeated Practice and Application
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In Active Algebra, students practice a concept in multiple lessons
to build procedural proficiency before being assessed. During the repeated
practice, students take an active role in modeling problems on the board or
working in small groups to understand and refine the procedures they are
using. For English-language learners, the repeated practice allows students
to gain proficiency with content-area language and algebra concepts so they
can use the language and conceptual understanding in application problems.
This repeated practice and group interaction also reduces anxiety that
students may feel when having to perform on an assessment.
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Procedural scaffolding is an effective
teaching method for English-language learners because it includes explicit
teaching, modeling, and practice opportunities with others, and expectations
for independent application. (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short 2000)
Researchers suggest that “teaching a variety
of strategies is not enough. Rather, learners need not only declarative
knowledge (What is a strategy?) but also procedural knowledge (How do I use
it?) and conditional knowledge (When and why do I use it?). When teachers
model strategy use and then provide appropriate scaffolding while children
are practicing strategies, they are likely to become more effective strategy users.”
(Echevarria, Vogt, and Short 2000)
“For students acquiring a new language, the
need to apply new information is critically important because discussing and
‘doing’ make abstract concepts concrete.” (Echevarria, Vogt, and Short 2000)
“For English Language Learners, application must also include
opportunities for them to practice language knowledge in the classroom.”
(Echevarria, Vogt, and Short 2000)
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Playing Games and Singing Songs
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The games and songs in Active Algebra increase motivation for English-language
learners to use and learn content-area language, interactional language,
heuristic language (language to acquire knowledge), and regulatory language
(language to control events and behaviors of others). The games and songs
also lower English-language learners’ inhibitions and help them feel more
comfortable interacting in the algebra classroom.
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In the book Fifty Strategies for Teaching
English Language Learners, one of the five premises for effective language
instruction is for teachers to provide opportunities to increase verbal
interaction in classroom activities. (Herrell and Jordan 2004)
“In addition to context, games also provide motivation and a sense
of play that brain research and teacher experience indicate can enhance both
learning and memory . . . Games can also provide a structured setting for the
practice of common social and conversation-starting formulas for which there
is not sufficient authentic opportunity in the everyday classroom.” (Curtain
and Pesola 1994)
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