1. Supporting ELL
Students with the
MAISAUnits ofStudy
Kendra Seitz, Rochester Community Schools

2. What are the needs of
ELL students in a
workshop model?

3. Language
Acquisition
Basic Interpersonal
Communicative Skills (BIC)
 Social Language
Cognitive Academic
Language Proficiency (CALP)
 Academic Language
• Context Matters!
• How much is the learner focusing on the
language itself vs. concepts being taught
If the concept (cognitive demand) is difficult but the
language and the environment are supportive, the
learner can then focus on the concept to be learned.

4. Quadrants of
Cognitive
Demand
From English Language Learners in
LiteracyWorkshops by Marsha
Riddle Buly, adapted from
quadrants described by Cummins
(1994, 2001)
A
• Lunch
• Art, Music, PE, Shop
• Face-to-face conversations
C
• Texting
• Email
• Copying instructions
• Newspapers
• Magazines
B
• Modeling
• Demonstrations
• Think-aloud with sketch
• Science experiment
• Book on a known topic
D
• Science text
• Writing a timed essay
• Lectures with few or no
illustrations
• Standardized tests

5. Instruction
 Cognitively demanding
 Context-embedded
 High expectations
 Don’t change the standards for content learning
 Do change the context and support in which instruction and
expectations are presented
 Safe and motivating environment: Low affective filter

6. Instructional
Considerations
 Level of language knowledge in one language may mask
knowledge expressible in another language
 Students will develop literacy skills more easily and rapidly if we
can identify their level of literacy in both their home language and
English
 Connect students to books, materials, and topics they are already
familiar with or care about

7. ApplyingTheory and
Research
How the SIOP model can fit into literacy workshops

8. TheSIOP
Model
 Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol
 Research-validated protocol
 Provides teachers a way to maintain cognitive demands while
choosing from concrete strategies to modify or plan instruction
 Eight components:
 Lesson Preparation
 Building Background
 Comprehensible Input
 Strategies
 Interaction
 Practice/Application
 Lesson Delivery
 Review/Assessment

9. Building
Background:
Activating
Prior
Knowledge
 Sometimes, we will have to support units of study with additional
mini-lessons to build background
 “Immersion” lessons using mentor texts for writing
 Building context and vocabulary before read-aloud novels
 WATCH:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/activating-prior-
knowledge
 Turn &Talk:What did you see? How did this teacher support the
language learners in her classroom?

10. Writing
Content &
Language
Objectives
 Should evolve from the lesson topic and be part of the
instructional plan
 Must be posted
 Must be discussed at the start of a lesson
 An objective is not a by-product of an activity but the foundation
of one
 Content objectives are usually drawn from the state subject area
standards (the “what” of the lesson)
 Language objectives should be planned to meet learning goals
and prepare students for the type of academic language they need
to understand the content and perform the activities in the lesson
(the “how” of the lesson)

11. Writing
Content &
Language
Objectives
 Generally, the content objective will match up with the “Teaching
Point” of the MAISA unit sessions
 Example:
Content Objective:We will pay attention to what is happening in
our books, and notice how we care about the characters
LanguageObjective: We will turn and talk with our partners to
express how we felt about the characters after we read in our books.
Reading with Independence: Grade 3- Session 11
Concept: Readers learn strategies for reading accurately and with deep comprehension
Teaching Point: Readers care about the characters and what is happening in their books

12. YouTry It
 Use the Content & Language ObjectiveVerb Sheet & the lessons
on your table to write a content and language objective for one
lesson
 Share with your table
Content Objective: Formulate content and language objectives for MAISA
lessons
Language Objective: Write a content and language objective for one lesson.

13. SIOP &
theWorkshop Model
How can we integrate SIOP components within the workshop
framework?

14. Workshop
Feature:
Connect/
Purpose
(adaptedfromEnglishLanguage
Learnersinthe LiteracyWorkshop,
MarshaRiddleBuly)
SIOP Features
 Clearly state and display content
and language objectives for
students
 Speak appropriately to
accommodate proficiency levels
(slower rate, enunciation, simple
sentence structure)
 Emphasize key vocabulary and
concepts (introduced, written,
repeated, and highlighted)
 Explicitly link concepts to
students’ backgrounds and
experiences
 Explicitly link past learning and
new concepts
 Explain academic tasks clearly
How it may look in your
classroom:
 Try the “sandwich” technique
for vocabulary
 Tell students why you have
chosen this mini-lesson, what
you have seen in their work
or in the standards that
suggests this is a good next
step
 Include why this is important
(link to the real world)
 Include the what, why, and
when in your explanation

15. Workshop
Feature:
Model
(adaptedfromEnglishLanguage
Learnersinthe LiteracyWorkshop,
MarshaRiddleBuly)
SIOP Features
 Use supplementary materials
to a high degree to make
lesson clear and meaningful
 Use scaffolding techniques
throughout the lesson
 Use a variety of techniques to
make concepts clear
 Emphasize key vocabulary
 Consistently use scaffolding
techniques assisting and
supporting student
understanding (think-alouds,
models, visuals, more and less
support as needed)
How it may look in your
classroom:
 Use of mentor texts, show
students how a more
knowledgeable other uses the
strategy
 Make sketches during think-
alouds
 Less talking more showing
 Additional modeling
 Use visuals
 Sandwich vocabulary
 Check for understanding
(formatively assess) in a way
that lowers affective filters

16. Workshop
Feature:
Guided
Practice
(adaptedfromEnglishLanguage
Learnersinthe LiteracyWorkshop,
MarshaRiddleBuly)
SIOP Features
 Provide meaningful activities that
integrate concepts with language
practice
 Provide ample opportunities for
students to use learning strategies
 Provide frequent opportunities for
interaction and discussion
 Emphasize key vocabulary
 Provide sufficient wait time
 Use group configurations that
support the objectives
 Consistently use scaffolding
techniques assisting and
supporting student understanding
(think-alouds, models, visuals,
more and less support as needed)
How it may look in your
classroom:
 Include turn and talk and other
interaction strategies
 Purposeful group configuration for
ELLs
 Remember 10 and 2!Two minutes to
process for every 10 minutes that
you’ve provided input
 Allow students to clarify with a peer
in their home language if possible
 Check for understanding
(formatively assess) in a way that
lowers affective filters
 For writing workshop, it is
appropriate to model and write in
whole-group, small-group, and
partner settings before moving to
independent practice

17. See it inAction
 Watch how this teacher used modifications to support ELLs with
essay structure
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/ell-essay-structure-lesson

18. Workshop
Feature:
Independent
Practice
(adaptedfromEnglishLanguage
Learnersinthe LiteracyWorkshop,
MarshaRiddleBuly)
SIOP Features
 Adapt content to all levels of
student proficiency
 Provide hands-on materials for
students to practice using new
content knowledge
 Provide activities for students
to apply knowledge in the
classroom
 Provide feedback to students
regularly
 Conduct assessments of
comprehension and learning
throughout the lesson
How it may look in your
classroom:
 Actively teach, assess, and support
students during independent work
 Conference
 Small group instruction
 Formatively assess and take notes
 Keep ELL students in the whole-
group meeting area a little longer
for further modeling if needed –
model what the teaching point
looks like in independent work
 Practice with a student you have
selected for share time
 For reading workshop, it’s okay to
allow students to read in their own
languages as well, especially to
practice comprehension strategies

19. Workshop
Feature:
Share time &
Closure
(adaptedfromEnglishLanguage
Learnersinthe LiteracyWorkshop,
MarshaRiddleBuly)
SIOP Features
 Use a variety of thinking skills
throughout the lesson
 Review key vocabulary and
concepts
How it may look in your
classroom:
 Choose students to share
that will reinforce the
teaching point
 Allow partners to share and
discuss in shared home
languages if possible, as this
helps deepen understanding
 Use sentence frames

20. Using
Sentence
Frames
 WATCH:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/jumpstart-student-writing
 Make your own!

21. Reflect
 What are you already
implementing in your
classroom?
 What can you add?