During my time in Professor Moodys class I was able to explore various

scaffolds for English Language Learners. Some scaffolds I have already done and uses

constantly in the classroom; sentence starters, sentence frames, pre-teach vocabulary,

use graphic organizer etc. However, I never knew that the New York State ESL

standards or New Language Arts Progressions had ideas for scaffolding a lesson based

on the common core standards.

Taking our time to look at these and create lessons according to their

suggestions changes the way I prepared my lessons. It gave me a better understanding

of certain language and content objectives students should be able to complete based

on the ENL progression; entering, emerging, transitioning, expanding and commanding.

Based on their level it gives a suggestion on how to modify the work to help them

learning the English Language. For example, based on Common Core Grade 7

Standard (RI.7.1): Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what

the text says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text, a student who is

entering needs a scaffold that helps them organize pre-taught words and phrases on an

evidence based graphic organizer to cite textual evidence that supports analysis of a

text. While a student who is expanding needs; a scaffold to help them organize

information on an evidence based graphic organizer, after teacher modeling, to cite

textual evidence that supports analysis of a text.

Understanding the students progression and capability helps the teacher modify

the work to their level. It gives a better understanding of what the student should be able

to do. These are only suggestions but often times we get stuck using the same

scaffolds. Looking at the New Language Art Progressions gives some new ideas or
reminders. This helped me the most when I taught my tutee who is in the seventh

grade. I was able to provide them with many scaffolds and differentiate it for both of

them. I taught them about the American Revolution, specifically the Battle of Saratoga.

As I was planning the lesson I knew I needed to find a text that they would be able to

read and comprehend. Then I decided to use word cards with pictures to help them

learn new vocabulary words. I taught them how to go back to the text to identify the text

information but using highlighters and then transferring the information to a graphic

organizer. Analyzing the text, through scaffolds, was critical in this lesson sequence

because it prepared the students to write a two paragraph response.