The Purpose of Systematic ELD Instruction

Academic achievement requires having the language tools to fully participate in all aspects of classroom life listening
with comprehension, speaking about ideas and concepts with accuracy and confidence, reading for varied purposes with
understanding, and writing capably for a wide range of purposes.
A comprehensive approach for developing English proficiency is essential to ensure the academic achievement of English
learners. In addition to well-designed instruction using proven instructional techniques, a comprehensive English learner
instructional program includes:
Explicit support in acquiring the language needed
to comprehend and express understanding of
grade-level work.
Instruction in the English language as its own
subject of study: Systematic English Language
Development (see Blueprint for English Learner
Instruction at right).
Systematic ELD instruction is dedicated time
for language instruction. It is driven by students
assessed English proficiency level and builds a solid
foundation in English. Systematic ELD teaches the
language that English learners:
are not likely to learn outside of school or
efficiently pick up on their own,
will not explicitly be taught in other subject areas,
and
need to be able to use every day for effective
academic learning and classroom participation.
Systematic ELD does not replace literacy or other
content instruction, but rather it supports subject
matter learning by strengthening language skills.
Systematic ELD instruction challenges English
learners to explore the English language in compelling
and playful ways, continually growing their ability
to use it flexibly, fluently, and accurately. The goal of
Systematic ELD is to ensure that English is a bridge to
academic success rather than a barrier.

Systematic ELD
Instruction

English Language Arts Instruction

Reading Intervention

Mathematics, Social
Studies, Science, Physical
Education, Arts

Grade Level ELA

Goal

Goal

Goal

Goal

Develop solid English

language foundation needed
to fully engage in academic
and real life situations. Teach
language necessary to move
from one proficiency level to
the next.

Gain literacy skills to

accelerate achievement (for
students currently performing
below grade level).

Achieve grade level

content standards.

Achieve grade level content

standards.

Content
Taught in functional contexts
following a scope and
sequence of oral and written
language skills; balances
focus on form and focus on
meaning.
Beginning/Early Int.
basic foundation, everyday
topics
Intermediate increasing
specificity, building
toward ELA standards
Early Adv./Advanced
increasing precision, indepth genre work for
meeting ELA standards

Teachers Need
Knowledge of L2 levels,
L2 learning and pedagogy
Tools to assess and plan
instruction
Collaboration time
Scheduled time

Teachers Need

Teachers Need
Diagnose and teach
phonological awareness,
decoding, fluency,
comprehension, spelling,
oral language
development, and writing
Pedagogical knowledge
for accelerating learning
and achievement

Assess and teach

skills of reading and
writing
Pedagogical
knowledge

Teachers Need

Knowledge of content
being taught

Pedagogical knowledge

E L E M E N T A R Y

Constructing Meaning:
Language Instruction for Content Learning
Purpose

Teach language needed to construct and express meaning of

content concepts.

Content

Determined by demands of lesson, students English, and

students English proficiency levels.

Teachers
Need

Tools to identify essential language demands of lesson

Tools to plan language instruction for content learning
Support through collaborative planning

Grounding Instruction: Comprehensible Delivery of Instruction - Either content or language is in the

foreground:

Utilizes instructional strategies and techniques to make content comprehensible, e.g., SIOP, GLAD, Sheltered
Maximizes teachable moments throughout the entire instructional day for both content and language

Critical Research-Based Features of Systematic ELD Instruction

1. Puts language learning and exploration squarely in the foreground.
2. Groups students by assessed proficiency level as determined by multiple sources, such as state language assessments,
the Express Placement Assessment, analysis of writing samples for vocabulary and grammatical knowledge (using ELD
Matrix of Grammatical Forms or language-focused writing rubric), and recorded observations of oral production.
3. Uses a functional language approach organized around essential purposes for communication. Language tasks are
highly applicable to real world and academic interactions that students must adroitly navigate. Instruction draws students
attention to a variety of aspects of English (e.g., rhythm and cadence, pronunciation, colloquial expressions, formal and
informal registers).
4. Provides an organized method of language instruction to help prevent gaps and fill existing gaps in language
knowledge that can hinder students achievement of full English proficiency. Follows a developmental scope and
sequence of language skills identified in ELD standards and the Systematic ELD Handbook.
5. Is explicitly taught, emphasizes oral language development, and includes substantive oral and written practice to
ensure students develop an in-depth understanding of how English works and acquire fluency and an accurate command
of the language.

2012

Systematic ELD Instruction

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Systematic ELD Instructional Units

Rationale
The Systematic ELD Instructional Units were written in response to district requests and a need for ELD instructional
materials that follow an articulated scope and sequence of language skills that equip students to meet grade-level content
standards. Having instructional units allows districts and schools to shift time and resources from lesson development to
refining instructional practice. Rather than using their scant planning time to create materials, the units free teachers to focus
on differentiating and customizing lessons. Teachers can fine-tune lessons, plan engaging ways to revisit learning, and prepare
extensions that make sense for their students.

Organization
Systematic ELD Instructional Units are organized around broad themes, such as Virtual Field Trip, Hows the Weather, and
Visual and Performing Arts. Themes are geared specifically for each grade span, and units can include a range of topics. For
example: the Virtual Field Trip destination for kindergarten is the farm, first and second graders visit the city, third and fourth
graders go to the snow, and fifth and sixth graders visit the beach.
There are three proficiency-level units for each grade span: Beginning/Early Intermediate, Intermediate, and Early Advanced/
Advanced (excluding kindergarten, which has units for the first two proficiency levels only).
While each unit is free standing, collectively they teach the competencies of each English proficiency level as outlined in
the Systematic ELD framework. There is an advantage to teaching the units sequentially. They build on one another and are
organized to teach and practice key patterns and functions in increasingly greater depth throughout the year.

Implementation
These units are intended for teachers in schools and districts committed to implementing Systematic ELD. Effective use of
the units depends on the understanding of explicit language instruction provided through Systematic ELD institutes, grade or
cross-grade level collaboration, and use of the Lesson Observation Tool to reflect and fine-tune instruction.
The Lesson Observation Tool helps align support and accountability at all levels throughout the system: district, school, and
classroom. A shared vision of quality instruction ensures that feedback, support, and professional development are focused in
ways that provide value and move practice forward. It also provides guidance for individual teachers and grade-level teams to
set goals for instruction and learning.

Vision of Effective ELD Instruction

The lesson narratives lay out a vision of what effective instruction looks like. Systematic ELD lesson architecture is brought
to lifeto create a picture of how to teach language and engage students not only in learning the language, but also in
becoming conscious and meta-cognitive about how they use language in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Build background knowledge Essential to becoming successful students and understanding American cultural contexts.
High-leverage language Focus on vocabulary and patterns that apply to real-life situations and to grade-level work.
Vocabulary learning moves from general to increasingly specific and precise.
Strategic mapping Clear objectives are backward mapped from unit, weekly, and daily measurable goals to determine
how well students have learned language in the context of ELD. Assessment tasks are designed with an eye toward oral
and written grade-level demands.
Gradual release of responsibility Language is taught and demonstrated. Monitored practice is woven into every
phase of the lesson and becomes increasingly independent, gradually shifting responsibility from the teacher to students:
I do We do You do together You do on your own.
Oral to print Language is taken to print consistently through reading and writing applications of oral language.
Practice moves from:
accurately repeating or responding to well-constructed examples to
generating original sentences using taught topic-specific bricks and functional mortar to
applying language to authentic purposes in new discussions and taking it to writing.
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Systematic ELD Instruction

2012

Components of Instructional Units

The Role of Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of instruction. It is how we gather information to know whether:
our pacing and delivery are on track,

we are losing students and need to slow down to build more background, re-teach a key point, and provide additional
examples, or
students already know most or all of what we are presenting, so we need to speed it up and increase the rigor to provide
more of a challenge.
We also use ELD assessment to ensure that our instruction supports students in transferring what they can say to what they can
write. Our instruction must lead English learners to proficiency in all language domains: reading, writing, listening, speaking
and thinking.
Systematic ELD Instructional Units include three levels of assessment:
1. Daily monitoring of language practice
Adjust daily instruction by observing and listening in on student language practice. Note level of participation during
whole group responses; monitor accuracy and fluency during interactive practice (I Do/We Do).
Use the Ongoing Assessment Tool to code whether students are producing new language accurately, with or without
support (You Do Together).
Collect brief written responses (e.g., Ticket Out the Door). Review language logs informally during lessons or collect
them at regular intervals to monitor how well students are transferring oral language to written language (You Do on
Your Own).
2. Weekly Language Application Task Check how well students have learned the language taught and practiced
throughout the week. The Weekly Assessment Task often includes a writing component.
3. Unit Assessment A formal pre- and post-assessment.

Unit Overview/Assessment (first tab)

Unit
Overview

Describes the unit goal and charts the weekly application (language production) goal for each week of
instruction. The weekly goals build to the unit goal.
Along with the unit assessment, the unit overview provides a road map of what students will be
talking and writing about, and what they will be expected to do at the end of the unit.
Unit assessments provide teachers with evidence as to whether students are able to use the language
taught and practiced throughout the unit. There are three types of prompts:

Unit
Assessment

Focus on Vocabulary Items that demonstrate knowledge of topic-specific unit vocabulary.

Focus on Forms Items that compel students to apply grammatical knowledge.
Application of Functional Language A rubric-scored written response to a prompt or activity

that requires the use of functional language taught during the unit.
Protocol & Scoring Directions are included for administering the unit assessment.

Analysis
Tool

2012

Once you record scores for each student, you can read across the rows to see what each student used
well or needs more work on. You also can read the columns vertically for a whole-class view of what
the majority of students have mastered and what needs revisiting.

Systematic ELD Instruction

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Components of Instructional Units

Along with the generic interactive language practice tools in the Systematic ELD Support Kit, each unit includes virtually
all the materials needed for instruction. Additional resources to supplement instruction can be downloaded from the
Systematic ELD Participant website at www.elachieve.org. Electronic versions of instructional materials are available to
partner districts teaching Systematic ELD units. The materials can be downloaded from unit web pages with the common
password elachieve.
Teachers must provide each student with a language log to store the notes and work samples they generate during lessons.
They serve as a cumulative, self-created language reference during writing and class discussion, in ELD and other classes.

Weekly Lessons (one tab per week)

Instruction is backward-mapped from the weekly language application task. Each week consists of four lessons and a
session devoted to the assessment task.
The work of the week: 1) what will be taught 2) application task 3) rationale
Language Objectives An objective guides each of the four lessons.
Week
Vocabulary & Grammatical Forms Target language tools reflect each days objective.
Summary
We sometimes use symbols to denote: O = Review, ~ = Challenge, = Gap to fill or alternative
approach. Instructional points are explained in the lesson narrative.

Functional Language Patterns Several examples of what students will learn to say
(May require
(and write, as applicable). Language examples are always italicized.
more or fewer
than five days)
The target part of speech for the language purpose is color-coded:
Nouns and noun phrases
Pronouns
Descriptive word and phrases
Verbs and verb phrases
Adverbs
Conjunctions
Prepositions

Materials
for the
Week

Many units include a poster or trade book for whole class instruction.
Multiple sets of student picture and/or vocabulary cards for small group practice are included.
Some lessons include student handouts (templates, dialogues).
The vocabulary cards and handouts are organized as word banks or mini-construction charts to
emphasize relationships between words and to provide support for generating language.

Lesson architecture brought to life:

Open the Lesson bring language to life, link to prior learning, state lesson objective
Teach the Language for the Lesson introduce, model, demonstrate (I Do/We Do)
Practice the New Language in Context ample guided practice (We Do)
Instructional Take Language to Application apply in realistic ways (You Do Together/On Your Own)
Sequence
Close the Lesson - summarize lesson objective, discuss application in other contexts
The Materials Column along the right-hand side of the page lists everything needed to teach that
lesson, such as the book, poster, student cards, CD, items from the Support Kit, or teacher-made
charts. Additional language examples may be included here, as well.
Each lesson intentionally includes more teaching than will fit in a standard ELD session so that teachers
can make decisions about what their students need now and what they need next.
Assessment
Task

Tasks may include writing responses to a prompt (rubric-scored), conducting a structured interview, playing a
board game, creating a story box or story board, writing a comic strip, acting out a skit or scenario, recording
a four-part A/B Conversation, writing a dialogue, or participating in a mini-performance.

Ongoing
Assessment
Tool

By moving around and listening in on students throughout every lesson, teachers can identify during the
week who needs extra support and who needs an extra push. Teachers collect evidence during interactive
practice and writing tasks to: 1) track student progress and 2) monitor and adjust instruction.

Re-teach
Planner
Page 4 of 6

Use to provide additional support as assessed needs indicate, such as to re-teach a grammatical pattern
with additional examples, practice the same language with a new application task, create an activity or
game to gain practice unlearning a habitual error, or incorporate other methods of support.
Systematic ELD Instruction

2012

Systematic ELD Support Kit

Tools for Interactive Language Practice
This Support Kit is intended for use by teachers who have participated in a threeday Focused Approach to Systematic ELD institute and implement ELD using that
instructional framework.
The primary purpose of Systematic ELD is to ensure English becomes a tool, rather than a barrier, for English
learners. Effective ELD provides engaging instruction that results in learning to use English to communicate for
authentic purposes about relevant topics in both everyday and academic settings.
To learn language well to know it so it is fluid and accurate requires lots and lots of practice. Thats why
50 percent of Systematic ELD time should be dedicated to student-to-student interaction. As James Britton
eloquently noted, Reading and writing float on a sea of talk. We must provide students opportunities to fill
their seas with talk to support reading and writing.
Interactive practice adds interest and meaning to the challenge of learning a new language. Effective Systematic
ELD instruction provides many opportunities for monitored practice that gradually shifts responsibility from the
teacher to students.

Materials List

Practice moves from:

Accurately repeating or responding to

well-constructed examples to

Generating new sentences using taught

topic-specific bricks and functional mortar to

Applying language to authentic purposes in new

discussions and taking it to writing.

This Support Kit is designed to streamline

preparation for teachers by providing tools
needed to structure engaging, purposeful student
interactions. The tools are generic and can be used
with any Systematic ELD lesson or instructional unit.
All you need to add is lesson content and students.
Systematic ELD Instructional Units may be purchased
from E.L. Achieve or created by teachers using planning
tools provided in the Systematic ELD Handbook.
CueCardFrontCover2.pdf

8/16/11

The Systematic ELD Support Kit includes materials

for 40 students:

Cue Cards for Student Interaction Routines
(booklet with stand)

Game Boards with Pawns & Dice

Talking Chips (200)

Wipe-off Sentence Strips (60)

Aspects of Speech Spinners (4 faces; 8 each)

Blackline Masters with 40 plastic Lets Talk Folders

Ticket Out the Door (2 pads of 250)

A/B Partner Cards (20 each)

Lanyards with clips (40)

Dry Erase Markers

Sand Timers (8)

12:56 PM

SUPPORT KIT:
TOOLS FOR INTERACTIVE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Cue Cards
Student Interaction Routines

Cue Cards: Student Interaction Routines

The Cue Cards booklet provides detailed guidance for twelve (12) structured,
collaborative language practice routines divided into whole group, small group, and
partner interactions.
For each routine, there are two cards:
Directions for the teacher with variations to keep it fresh
A graphic illustration that serves as a visual cue for students

The Cue Cards booklet is designed with a stand along the bottom for the teacher to see the directions while
displaying the full-page visual cue for students.
Game Boards
Once students know the target language well enough to practice together independent
of the teacher (You Do Together), board games are a motivating and fun way to provide
multiple opportunities for practice listening to and using target language.
Cards for play can include vocabulary and/or target language structures. Suggested
language patterns can be posted on charts or handouts. You will find more detailed
information in Cue Cards booklet and the Handbook.
2012

Systematic ELD Instruction

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Talking Chips
Talking Chips are great management tools used as signals.
Monitoring pacing: During quiet time for thinking, reading, or writing, each student has
the red side up, then turns the chip to the white side when ready to talk. The teacher
sees when most students are ready. In small groups, others wait quietly for rest.
Red side up means to ask for teacher help.
Talking Chips also can be used as tokens to ensure democratic and accountable
participation. Provide each small group member a set number of Talking Chips to spend
during small group discussion. More detailed information is in the Cue Cards booklet, p. 21.
Wipe-off Sentence Strips
Teachers use to display sentence frames, patterns and vocabulary.
Students use to practice and display language learned.
For monitoring accuracy of practice, students hold strips up for quick scan by teacher.
Aspect of Speech Spinners

Creating Effective Systems for English Learners

The spinners are designed for small group independent practice. Students play with
language by changing:
Verb tenses
Adverbs of frequency
Subject pronouns
Your choice use the blank spinner to customize with a Dry Erase Marker
There are two sets of eight reversible spinners (for a total of four faces) with detachable
spinners. Use with game boards, with a card game, or with other activities. A sample
template is included in Blackline Masters.

2009

Blackline Masters

SUPPORT KIT:
TOOLS FOR INTERACTIVE LANGUAGE PRACTICE

Ticket Out the Door

Name:

This set of masters includes:

Instructional supports, sample charts and organizers
Generic people silhouettes
Student templates for interactive language practice
Student templates to record their work, such as language logs,Ticket Out the Door, etc.
Student pages can be duplicated as handouts and collected for assessment purposes. They
can be slipped into plastic Lets Talk Folders for students to record on with a Dry Erase
Marker and to be reused multiple times.

Date:

Blackline Masters
Includes Directions For Teacher Use

2010

Ticket Out the Door

Name:

Date:

Ticket Out the Door

Name:

Date:

SYSTEMATIC ELD SUPPORT KIT BLACKLINE MASTERS

Ticket Out the Door

39

Students complete a ticket to turn into the teacher on the way out the door. Teachers
use information for monitoring learning and to guide instructional planning. Suggestions
for use included in Blackline Masters.
A/B Partner Cards
Cards are distributed to randomly assign each student as either an A or a B within small
groups or in Lines of Communication or Give One, Get One to assign roles for interviews or
role-play, or a myriad of other activities.
Lanyards
For holding A/B Cards so students keep them and to free their hands for writing.
Hang picture cards on students backs for verbal description games.
Sand Timers
For teachers to time games and writing activities

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Systematic ELD Instruction

2012