ELLs and Social Studies If you think of yourself as a social studies teacher, keep in mind that when you have one or more ELL students in a class, you also become an English language teacher. ‘Meeting the needs of today’s heterogeneous student bodies is challenging, particularly when it comes to social studies, which requires proficiency in English and knowledge of American culture to facilitate new learning. Since Social Studies is a national-focused subject, students everywhere learn about people, places, and events from a nation-centered viewpoint. This means that ELLs in particular are at a disadvantage because of several factors: * Limited Background Knowledge of the U.S. ELLs are at a disadvantage because the traditional way students learn social studies may be blocked by cultural obstacles and prior educational models. Concepts that a U.S. born student knows through enculturation may be completely foreign to the ELL. Cultural differences preclude ELLs from asking questions of the teacher or even making eye contact in some societies. Also, in certain Asian cultures the primary method of learning is through rote memorization. Therefore, when these students are put into cooperative groups this is, usually considered non-academic and a waste of time. In addition, in some immigrant cultures sharing work and helping classmates is thought, of as an important part of learning; yet when students from these cultures share their work during a test this is viewed as cheating. Difficulty learning from textbooks. In social studies texts, facts and details are often condensed and authors often omit the type of concrete or anecdotal detail that can help ELLs relate to unfamiliar concepts from their own experiences. Textbooks often contain a high concentration of new vocabulary or sophisticated sentence structure. Difficulty learning from lectures. Some ELLs find it difficult to understand different teachers’ accents and pronunciations. Others may have lived in the U.S. too short a time to have developed sufficient listening skills. Words, like people, play various roles depending on the context. Moving a word from the vernacular to the academic style is tricky. Source: Jodi Reiss. Teaching Content to English Language Learners: Strategies for Secondary School Success, Longman, 2005.Five Ways to Best Support ELL Students in the Regular Education Classroom 1) Teachers must work 10 maintain a mindset that no two ELL students are alike. ‘+ Teachers must make an effort to not to limit and stifle ELL students by grouping them all together. ‘+ Even if two students come from the same background, that does not mean they have the same worldviews, beliefs, background knowledge or experiences. What works well for one student in the classtoom will not necessarily work well for another ELL student. ‘+ In order to best support each student and promote the development of ELL students, educators must take the time and effort to build personal relationships with each student, 2) In order to best support ELL students in the classroom culturally, educators must first reflect on their own personal ethnic identity, prejudices, and communicative practices. ‘+ Educators must not allow our experiences to color how we believe our students see the world. + Educators must overcome their tendencies as humans to be uncomfortable with differences or unfamiliar situations if they wish to help ELL students be successful in the regular education classroom, ‘Educators cannot model to their students how to treat everyone with respect if we are nervous or unsettled by differ © We must be aware of cultural communication differences among our ELL students. For example, in some cultures, it is inappropriate for students to ask questions or disagree, so often times ELL students will nod their heads and say yes out of respect even if they do not understand the material being taught to them. 3) Educators must work with an undying determination to build positive relationships with the families of ELL students ‘* Educators tend to overlook parent-teacher relationships with the families of ELL studemts because they can be challenging and frustrating due to the language barrier ‘+ Yet the research shows that family relationships are essential to the suecess of ELL students, ‘© Involving translators and students in communicating with ELL students can prove to be invaluable tool, 4) Educators must intentionally plan for ELL students and implement effective strategies for ELL students in the classroom. «Research reveals that strategies which work well for ELL students also work well for all other students in the classroom, especially struggling readers. In planning for ELL students, educators are also supporting all other students + Be creative and innovative in using new technology as a scaffold for ELL students. One teacher in our school uses, Syrie on her phone as a tool to help students learn how to pronounce words and find out new information, growing students’ communicative skills. ‘+ Use pictures, audio books, graphic organizer teach content to ELL students, ‘+ Pair ELL students with students who are proficient in English and would be willing to be a “language buddy” for the ELL student ‘manipulatives, field trips, and other hands on strategies to best 5) Educators must work to authentically value the heritage and language of ELL students in the classroom. * Educators sometimes try to be “multicultural” and attempt to appreciate students’ culture by celebrating holidays or planning lessons about different cultures. While this is useful, it will not effectively help support the language or content development of ELL students. # Instead, teachers must allow students’ different cultures and needs to make up the classroom environment by respecting and valuing students’ first language use, actively encouraging students to share their different perspectives, and planning for group activities that allow students to safely share their experiences with one another. © Research reveals that second language acquisition can be strengthened and improved by using and students’ use of their first language as a tool in learning English. Link content to students’ prior knowledge and experiences. neouragingHere are some effective strategies for teaching ELL students in the regular education classroom, 1. Importance of modeling. Don't just tell student what to do and expect them to do it. Teachers should show them. 2. Teachers need to pay attention to their rate of speech and wait time. Don’t talk too fast. Use gestures and pay attention to your intonation. 3. Teachers should not just stand in front of the class and lecture. Make sure to put verbal and written instructions for students on the board. 4, Teachers need to regularly check for understanding 5. Teachers need to encourage students to build literacy skills in their home language. 6. If possible, teachers need to be aware of the relationship between students’ native language and English. For example, word order, cognates, and sentence structure. 7. Teachers need to avoid slang or the use of idioms. 8, Teachers need to support the use of academic vocabulary in content areas. 9, Teachers do not need to correct all errors, but focus on a few at a time. It is important to balance between encouragement and error correction. Let students know what you are focusing on so they can too. 10. Teachers need to try to find non-fiction books in the library written in a lower level about a topic they are teaching, 11, Teacher need to use close caption if possible. 12. Teachers need to use sentence starters 13, Teachers need to modify and adapt assignments. 14, Teachers need to give students a choice in extended response questions. 15. Teachers need to give a word bank. 16. Teachers need to give visuals, charts, maps, word walls, pictures, and tables whenever possibleGeneral Suggestions for Helping English Language Learners The following suggestions will help mainstream, content area. ESL, or special needs teachers in providing support for English Language Learners: 1 Seat an ELL student in the middle of the classroom so that he/she can see what other students are doing. Assign a peer tutor (buddy) to help explain what is happening in the classroom. 4, Provide pictures to illustrate new words and terms, Use a consistent vocabulary for daily routines. 5. Use pictures, tables, maps, diagrams, globes, and other visual aids often to help make comparisons. 6. Present clear illustrations and concrete examples to help students understand complex concepts and skills, 7. Adapt difficult passages from textbooks and record on tape for listening activit 8, Create a library of supplementary books and workbooks written in simple English 9. Provide simplified biographies of significant men and women from various cultures. 10. Develop interests and stimulate curiosity of pictures, newspaper clippings, and periodicals. students through hands-on exp 11. Use outline maps for students to practice writing in the details and label 12, Use cooperative groupings in your classroom and assign the ELL student a task in the group. 13. Prepare a list of vocabulary words you will be using in class and give them to an ESL teacher assistant, bilingual aide, or parent volunteer to teach the ELL student before the lesson begins. 14, Make the ELL student a part of the class as much as possible by acknowledging hinvher often. 15. Keep ELL students on task by checking to see that they know what the lesson objective is and how to complete the assignment. 16. Help ELL students to verbalize an answer or statement they know but are having problems communicating in English. 17. Respond with appropriate statements to answers given by ELL students and try to always keep the remarks focused on the task. 18. Paraphrase and model correet grammar for ELL students” responses.Grading Guidelines for ELL Students* In order to promote high, yet realistic, expectations for ELL students in our classrooms it is necessary to inelude them in the grading process. However, itis important to remember that the goal should be for ELL’ to attain their maximum level of success while being held accountable for the learning for which they are capable, yet, at the same time not being penalized for their limited English proficiency. The following recommendations will assist you in determining appropriate instructional levels as well as awarding grades. General Guidelines for Awarding Grades to English Language Learners Mainstream and Content Area Classrooms 1, ELL’s should receive a grade for every elass in which they are present and/or participate. All teachers involved in instruetion should jointly determine reading and writing grades. 3. Teachers must know student's level of English proficiency at time of assigning grade, 4. A student's level of English proficiency should be indicated on the report card. 5. A possible grading scale could be as follows: A-student meets all of the criteria listed at his/her proficiency level at least 90% of the «a By student mets allo the ertera iste at isherprficcney evel at least 80% ofthe a Cv etudent meets all ofthe criteria listed at his/her proficiency level at least 70% of the 4a D ~atudent meets ll ofthe criteria iste at hisher proficiency level at leas 608% ofthe 4 studoot has very limited English language skills and awarding eny other eed would not truly represent student’s efforts or abilities 6. Accommodations and modifications should be made for students who have not developed literacy skills in the primary language. Considerations in Awarding Grades to English Language Learners Under Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, all students are held to the same high standards as their English speaking counterparts, therefore, it is necessary to ensure that all students have fair and equitable access to the curriculum and the teaching/learning process. In order to make this happen, it is important to remember the following, considerations: 1. Basic interpersonal/communication skills (BICS), i.e. social language skills, usually take up to three years to develop.2. Cognitive inms academic language proficiency (CALP) necessary to compete academically with peers tream classrooms usually takes from five to seven years to develop. 3. Factors affecting the rate of second language acquisition include: first language literacy skills prior educational background Mv) attendance at school “) innate cognitive ability cultural and family background personality and motivation family support and expectations of child sense of identity in the classroom learning style moeegoe 4, Best practice is to evaluate the student's progress taking into account his/her individual limited English proficient status and/or interrupted schooling. 5. Best practice tells us that students are taught at their instructional level with accommodations such as: modified assignments b. oral language testing c. cooperative learning groups d. hands-on learning activities e. peer tutoring 6. Best practice says that teachers use instructional practices that include an emphasis on: a. pre-teaching vocabulary with an emphasis on meaning b. teaching concepts in context and through content (not in isolation) €. using real objects such as, concrete objects, artifacts, pictures, posters 7. Students who appear to be functioning in a specific subject either at, close to, or above grade level should be graded as any other English speaking student who has demonstrated proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. 8, Grades in reading and writing should be awarded as a result of collaboration between the classroom, ESL, special education teacher, etc. 9. When the student is functioning below grade level due to his/her limited English proficiency and/or his/her interrupted schooling, the grade could be recorded as a modified A, B, C, D, ot F. (A circle around the grade could indicate that the grade is not on-grade level) “Summarized and adapted from "Grading Guidelines and Performance Expectations Rubric" from the Spring 1999 draft of the “Policies for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students in the Areas of Grading, Assessment, Gifted Education, and Special Education” by the lowa Department of EducationSOCIAL STUDIES BEGINNER © Relies on hands on visual instruction to retain basie facts © Shows knowledge of concepts through demonstration, drawing, and participation © Completes projects with teacher or peer group help © Atends to discussions for a short period of time ADVANCED BEGINNER ‘© Relies on verbal and visual instruction to retain limited facts Tested only over basic facts Able to help with projects Needs to be drawn into class discussions for a short time Demonstrates understanding of basic facts INTERMEDIATE © Relies mostly on verbal and visual instruction to learn the material # Testing situations are modified to test basic concepts * Able to complete modified projects with guidance and assistance * Beginning to pay attention to class discussion ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE © Understands some comprehensible parts of the textbook but relies mostly on. verbal clues and study guides ‘© Beginning to retain instructional information and can relate it in modified testing situations * Able to complete projects with some assistance © Pays attention to class discussion with limited participa ADVANCED * Can read comprehensible chunks of the textbook © Retains some facts from previous discussion and is meeting with success in modified testing situations Able to complete some "hands on" projects independently Attentive in class and participates in class discussionsLearning Activities for English Language Learners (ELL) Introduction to the Graphic Organizers by © Scott Foresman and Company Using a graphic organizer is a powerful strategy for helping all students and it especially helps English Language Learners with organizing and remembering information. Because graphic organizers are both visual and spatial, they help students retain concepts. The writer suggests giving a copy of the graphic organizer to the ELL who can then copy the information as the teacher writes on the overhead projector. The ELL can refer later to the organizer for study and translation to the first language. 3. T-Chart: This chart can be used to help students see relationships between information. It can be used to list cause (left column) and effect (right column) or to list words (right column) associated with a topic or story character (left column). A middle school teacher used the following T-Chart to compare and contrast Life in the United States Before the War. The teacher directed the students to use words and/or pictures to show things related to the North on one side and the South on the other side. She modeled how to scan the text for the words North, northern, South, and southern to locate information. Internet Connection: Ben's Guide to U. S. Government for Kids http://www bensquide.qpo.gov/ Click on ‘Site Map’ and find the Emancipation Proclamation at three levels of complexity..for elementary, middle, or high school students.T-ChartMain Idea ChartConcept circles are circles with words or phrases placed in sections of the circle and can be used in a variety of ways. You would use this instructional tool when you would like students to participate in concept thinking about content vocabulary. Concept circles can be used to help students’ discussions, to review word meanings and word families, and to provide support for students’ writing. Procedure Here are examples of four different uses for this strategy: Have students put words or phrase in each section of the circle and ask them to write about the connections they see between the words and phrases. Why are these words in a Concept Circle together? . Put vocabulary words in three of the sections of the circle. Students add a word in the fourth section and then write about why they chose that word to add and how the words in the circle form a concept. Ask students to choose four vocabulary words from their study of a topic or a text and use those four words to write about what they have learned about the topic. These can be teacher or student generated lists of words. Ask students to shade either the words that go together or the words that don’t fit with the others. Students can then talk or write about what attributes caused a word to be included or excluded. Application of Strategy Students use the four words in each quadrant to write about the chosen topic. MW Anwar LL ATWestward Expansion Traveling West caused many hardships. There were boosters, boosters men, who were trying to force people to move West. Your wagon would need to hold many things. For example, travelers carried food, clothes, medicine, and bedding. Another difficulty was the condition of the trail itself. It could be very rocky or muddy or even flooded. Diseases were killing the disease settlers. Hunting buffalo was one way of getting food. Bad weather slowed down the progress of the caravans. Source: Inside Words: Tools for Teaching Academic Vocabulary, Grades 4-12 by Janet Allen, Stenhouse Publishers, 2007. 12Application of Strategy This activity helps to open and maintain the lines of communication with ELL students. It empowers them by contributing to their own evaluations. The students’ insightful input can often help teachers find more effective techniques and approaches to facilitate the students’ comprehension. 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