serving districts in

Volume 4, Issue 6, February 2015 Page 1

What is a “language objective”? In Explicitly Designed Instruction for English Learners (2013, pp. 69-70), Hollingsworth and Ybarra describe language objectives as statements of how the teacher will intentionally advance the use of the English language during the lesson and further students’ language development through structured listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. Echevarría, Vogt and Short in Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners (2012, pp. 33-34) recommend thinking about four major categories when creating language objectives: academic vocabulary; language skills and function; language structures or grammar; and language learning strategies. In other words, language

Every year teachers are confronted with new challenges as new students with unique needs enter their classrooms. Students who are English Language Learners, or ELLs, are a growing population that can present new challenges to even experienced teachers. As of 2012, 19% of ELLs were classified as students with disabilities, compared to just 14% of their non-ELL peers. The general consensus is that this overrepresentation is due to limited knowledge on how to effectively instruct these students. This article describes one of the first steps in effective instruction for ELLs and students with language difficulties: ensuring that, in addition to a content objective, every lesson has a meaningful language objective as well.

Supporting English Language Learners Through Language Objectives

By John Boniello, Bilingual Special Education Specialist

RSE-TASC REPORTER LOWER HUDSON REGIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT CENTER

Inside this issue:

Supporting ELLs Through Language Objectives

1

RSE-TASC Workshops 2

Community Events 3

School Tool 3

Bright Spot 4

Contact Information 4

(cont. on pg. 3)

objectives describe the vocabulary students will need to understand and use during the lesson; the language skills and functions students will need to engage in during the lesson; the language structures and grammar they will be expected to use; and the meta-cognitive strategies

School-Wide Systems

Instructional Interventions

Improving the Sentence: Research-Based Writing Strategies for

Struggling Students: 2/2 *Wait

List*

Effective Instruction for English Language Learners: Specially

Designed Academic Instruction (3

days):2/3, 2/10 & 2/24

Improving the Sentence: Research-Based Writing Strategies for

Struggling Students: 2/25

Explicit Instruction: Providing Access to Curriculum for

Struggling Students (3-Day): 3/2,

3/17 and 4/9

Specially Designed Instruction: 3/12

Explicit and Specially Designed Instruction Lesson Study Group (2

of 3): 3/23

Technology Supports for Students with Disabilities: 3/26

Research-Based Comprehension Strategies for Struggling Students:

4/20

Explicit and Specially Designed Instruction Lesson Study Group (3

of 3): 4/30

Effective Instruction for English Language Learners: Specially

Designed Academic Instruction (3

days): 5/6, 5/11 & 5/18

Behavior & Discipline

Supports

PBIS Coaches’ Forum for Specialized School Settings: 2/4

PBIS New Coaches’ Forum: 2/25

Tier 3 Interventions for Students with Disabilities who are English

Language Learners in PreK-5; 2/26

Data-Based Decision-Making for School-Wide PBIS: 3/3

Tier 3 Interventions for Students with Disabilities who are English

Language Learners in 6-12; 3/3

PBIS Advanced Coaches’ Forum: 3/10

PBIS Forum for Administrators: 3/24

Developing Behavior Improvement Plans for Preschoolers (2-Day): 4/8

& 4/22

PBIS Lesson Planning: 4/14

PBIS New Coaches Forum: 4/24

Alternatives to Suspension: 5/4

Transition Planning and

Post-Secondary Supports

CDOS Commencement Credential for Principals: 2/24

Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS)

Commencement Credential: 3/12

Skills and Achievement Commencement Credential

(SACC): 3/25

Transition Planning: 4/13

Graduation Options: 4/17

Assessment, Transition Planning and IEP Goals for High School

Students: 4/23

Individualized Educational

Planning & the CSE Process

Measurable Annual IEP Goals: 2/13 *Wait List*

Language Acquisition vs. Learning Disability, 2/23

Progress Monitoring in the IEP: 2/25 *Wait List*

Educational Benefit: IEP Self-Review Process: 3/10

Educational Benefit: IEP Self-Review Process: 3/24

Language Acquisition vs. Learning Disability: 4/13

To Register for our Regional Workshops

Please go to

www.pnwboces.org/catalog to

register online. Click on the

down arrow next to the box that

says “Click one or more

options…”, then select

RSE-TASC and click

“Search”. Scroll down the

webpage until you see the

workshop in which you are

interested and then click on its

name to see details and enroll..

Lower Hudson RSE-TASC Regional Trainings What Works for Students with Disabilities

Mark Your Calendar

RSE-TASC REPORTER LOWER HUDSON REGIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT CENTER

Volume 4, Issue 6, February 2015 Page 2

Leadership for Struggling

Learners

CSE Roundtable: 2/5 *Wait

List*

Rockland County Regional Early Childhood Administrators

Forum for Promoting Social-

Emotional Development; 3/4

Administrator Training: Teaching Writing Skills Across

the Curriculum: A Pathway to

School Improvement: 3/5

Putnam/Northern Westchester Regional Early Childhood

Administrators Forum for

Promoting Social-Emotional

Development; 3/13

Southern Westchester Regional Early Childhood Administrators

Forum for Promoting Social-

Emotional Development: 3/25

CPSE Colloquium: 3/26

CSE Roundtable: 4/29

Please register for workshops in which you

are interested even if they have a wait list.

Whenever possible, we will add additional

sessions for registrants on the wait list.

Understanding Your Child’s Individualized Education Program; 2/3/15, Putnam Independent Living Services, nsaturn@putnamils.org

Learning Style Approaches in Teaching English Language Learners, Grades K-5; begins 2/6/15, PNW BOCES, www.pnwboces.org/catalog

Learning Style Approaches to Behavior Management for Special Needs Students, Grades 3-8; begins 2/6/15, PNW BOCES, www.pnwboces.org/catalog

Volume 4, Issue 6, February 2015 Page 3

RSE-TASC REPORTER LOWER HUDSON REGIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT CENTER

they will need to plan and monitor their learning.

Language objectives can be conceptualized around the four language functions: Listening: Listening objectives are

needed when students are purposely exposed to spoken language, including vocabulary words or sentence structures. The vocabulary may be a content word (e.g. mitochondria, photosynthesis, tectonic plate) or a general academic word (e.g. analyze, formulate, statement). An example of a sentence

structure would be if the teacher is reading a text with passive voice and the teacher plans to explicitly tell students to listen to how the sentence is phrased and what it means to use passive voice.

Speaking: Speaking objectives are needed when there is a structured speaking activity requiring students to use new vocabulary or academic content. Structured academic talk has been shown to play a major role in language development for students and should be included in lessons whenever possible (Francis, Lesaux, Kieffer & Rivera, 2006).

These objectives might include how students will use sentence frames or starters, rehearsal strategies, or language structures in conversation.

Reading: Reading objectives describe how the teacher will facilitate student reading of an academic text rather than how the teacher will teach reading. These might include objectives for having students read for a purpose or to identify new information and vocabulary words.

Writing: Writing objectives are

(cont. from pg. 1)

(cont. on pg. 4)

For more information on writing language objectives you can visit http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/49646/, which has a great description of language objectives and some examples.

John Hollingsworth’s Explicit Direct Instruction for English Learners was the source of most of the information in the main article. For more on explicit direct instruction visit http://dataworks-ed.com/ where you can find videos, the research backing for EDI, and many other materials you may find helpful.

School Tool: Writing Effective Language Objectives

Community Events for February

Strategies for Working with Students with Emotional Disabilities; begins 2/9/15, PNW BOCES, www.pnwboces.org/catalog

Schools That Really Care: Expanding RTI to Address Social & Emotional Needs; 2/10/15, PNW BOCES, www.pnwboces.org/catalog

Transition from CPSE to CSE: Going to Kindergarten; 2/11/15, Greenville Elementary School, Scarsdale, Contact: Paula Ceddia 914-472-7769

Flipped Classroom; begins 2/16/15, PNW BOCES, www.pnwboces.org/catalog

Dyslexia: What It Is and What to Do About It!; starts 2/16/15, Everyone Reading, https://pci.nycenet.edu/aspdp/PublicPages/login.aspx

The Close Read: A Vehicle for ALL STUDENTS to Read Complex Text; 2/26/15, SW BOCES, www.swboces.org/support.cfm

Volume 4, Issue 6, February 2015 Page 4

(cont. from pg. 3)

RSE-TASC REPORTER LOWER HUDSON REGIONAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT CENTER

needed when the teacher is explicitly teaching writing skills or strategies, such as the structure of paragraphs or sentences, essay writing, outlining, or editing. The purpose of the writing activity must be made explicit and intentional, and students need to be taught self-monitoring strategies to ensure that their writing achieves that purpose.

Language objectives are the first step to creating effective lessons for ELLs. They are needed for all language

Patti Slobogin, Coordinator Leslie Zedlovich, Jr. Administrative Assistant Pamela DiCioccio, Workshop Specialist Felecia Morris, Sr. Office Assistant Regional Trainers: John Boniello, Bilingual Special Education Specialist Kit Casey, Transition Specialist Sara Fienup, Behavior Specialist Jennifer Gensior, Regional Special Education Trainer Dale Langley, Behavior Specialist Erin Leskovic, Preschool Behavior Specialist

Laurie Levine, Regional Special Education Trainer Stephanie Wozniak, Transition Specialist Special Education School Improvement Specialists (SESIS): Randy Ascher, Yonkers City Schools Andrew J. Ecker, Putnam Northern Westchester Denise Jaffe, Southern Westchester Barbara Kestenbaum, Rockland John McCabe, Special Act and Approved Private Schools Ann Narcisse, Special Act and Approved Private Schools Martha Trujillo-Torp, Yonkers City Schools

RSE-TASC Staff—Contact us at 914-248-2289

learners at all grade levels and in all content areas. For English language learners, as well as for any student who struggles with listening, speaking, reading and writing, we are all language teachers and must plan accordingly. While this article just scratches the surface of this important topic, readers can use the references and the School Tools on page 3 to learn more. References Echevarria, J.J., Vogt, M. & Short, D.J., Eds.

(2012). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP® model (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Francis, D., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Practical guidelines for the education of English language learners: Book 1: Research-based recommendations for instruction and academic interventions

(pp. 27-28). Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center of

Instruction. Hollingsworth, J., & Ybarra, S. (2013). Explicit

Direct Instruction for English Learners.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2012, January 1).

UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN® FRAMEWORK. Retrieved January 5, 2015, from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/publications/UbD_WhitePaper0312.pdf

Bright Spot Our February Bright Spot comes from Elizabeth Peralta from Scholastic Academy in Yonkers City Schools.

Elizabeth has been working with Special Education School Improvement Specialist, Martha Trujillo-Torp to

implement Explicit Instruction in her classroom. Here are the strategies Elizabeth has been implementing and

the improved student outcomes she has observed:

White board and dry erase marker for each student: “I love how I can immediately monitor all of my students’ responses and reteach the skill right away if needed. All students are actively engaged and they

love them!”

Non-volunteers with popsicle sticks: “First, I ask a question and then select a stick. Students are all engaged because they don’t know whose name will be chosen. In the past, I used to call on the same

students because those students were willing to participate. When I used to call on students who didn’t

want to participate, they thought I was picking on them. Now, it is simple and fair. I also notice students get

excited when their names are selected.”

Think-Pair-Share: “I have noticed that my students are formulating better responses since they have time to think. Students who are usually reluctant to speak out loud are now more comfortable sharing their

responses with a classmate. I love to see all of my students engaged and becoming better active listeners.”

Sit up, Listen, Ask/Answer, Nod/Notes and Track the Teacher (SLANT): “I am amazed at how effective this command can be. It is brief and I get my students’ attention immediately. Most of the time it works, but

there are times that some of my students are distracted so they do not respond to the command. When this

occurs, I then begin to praise the students who are exhibiting the behavior and the students who were not

responding begin to follow.”