Creating a SIOP Lesson Plan Part II: Assessment and Extension

Corrie Biles-Brown

GCU: ESL 223N

16 November 2014

Introduction

According to Benchmark Education (2014), English Language Learners (ELLs) entails students who have acquired their listening and speaking skills in languages other than English. Such students require support and attention in order to merge their cultures, background, and experience with those of their new environment. Apparently, English Language Learners in all academic levels face the double challenge of learning academic content while at the same time learning the language in which is presented. This poses an extended challenge to teachers, who have to design their lesson properly in order to cater for this special need. Traditionally, teachers have treated language learning as a process of imparting words and structure to students. Nonetheless, this approach is continuously fading with the advent of complex texts and the academic types of language that is required to engage in content area practice. For this reason, teachers are expected to be innovative while designing their lesson plan for this group of students. Ostensibly, an English lesson plan for all levels entails teaching students on reading, writing, listening, grammar, speaking and pronunciation skills. This paper will thus discuss a lesson plan for ELLs that integrates language objectives, content objective, and best instructional practices.

Standards

The lesson plan expects all students to be held to the same high expectations as those outlined in the Common Core State Standard of Arizona. In this case, ELLs may require additional time, appropriate instructional support, and aligned assessment as they acquire their new language and content area knowledge.

Theme

The theme of this lesson plan is reading. Apparently, the process of learning how to read may be challenging, especially for ELLs, who have little or no formal schooling on the language. Nonetheless, the lesson plan will focus on why the component is important as well as strategies for ELL instructions.

Lesson topic

Based on the theme, the topic of the lesson will be reading. There is a strong correlation between reading and academic success. Like in any other language, students who understand the individual sentences and organizational structure are able to comprehend ideas, follow arguments, and detect implications.

Objective

The main objective of learning how to read is to activate and reinforce other skills. This is through putting into practice grammatical structures, new lexical items, and elements of pronunciation. Another objective is to become a better reader, which will enable the student to transfer advanced reading skills to the second language classroom. In addition, this lesson plan will assist in developing critical thinking skills. The last objective is for enjoyment.

Learning strategies

Various strategies will be used for teaching ELLs how to read. First is keeping an open mind, where students are expected not to make decisions before starting to read anything. Being patient is another strategy, where students are expected not to put pressure on themselves in order to understand every single word on a page. Likewise, students need to choose something that interests them. This not only glues them to the article but also boosts their understanding. Reading as much as possible is another way of assisting ELLs. Lastly, students are expected to talk about what they read with their peers as this enhances their understanding of the context (Jarmolow, 2011).

Key vocabularies

ELLs will be taught key words that will enable them comprehend texts, learn the contents in the text, and pass the tests. From tier 1 words to tier 3 words, the words will be taught through direct instructions of word meaning as well as through discussions about the words. It is good to note that all the key words will be essential to know, important and nice to know.

Materials

Several materials will be used to teach English Learners how to read. The first set of materials will be handout and quizzes. These materials will be tailored according to the students’ needs. In addition, the students will be required to answer a set of question that will gauge their proficiency in reading. Use of internet will also be practical in this teaching. The students are required to visit online sites that will guide them in their reading. YouTube channels will also serve a great deal in sharpening the students’ reading. In such channels, the students will be able to see and hear what is being communicated to them.

Motivation

To motivate the students, the teacher is expected to use pair work or group work, which entails learning through close collaboration and communication among students. In this case, each student feels a sense of belonging. Another way to motivate the students is placing more emphasis on each student’s strength. This not only bring relevance to whatever the students are doing but ensures that each student has something to be proud of in class.

Practice and application

The first step in applying this lesson plan is activating prior knowledge and building background knowledge. This not only enables the teacher to understand the potential of the students but also know their weak points. Using classroom technology is another way of ensuring implementing the teaching lesson. Lastly, there should be total physical response, where the teacher connects with the students at a higher level. This makes the students feel at ease and participate more in class (Robertson, 2014).

References

Benchmark Education. (2014, November 15). Read about best practice in supporting English-Language learners in Reading and Writing. Retrieved from www.benchmarkeducation.com/best-practices-library/supporting-english-language-learners-in-reading-writing.html

Jarmolow, D. (2011). Teach Like a Pro: The Ultimate Guide for Ballroom Dance Instructors. Oakland: Ballroom Dance Teachers College.

Robertson, K. (2014). Essential Actions: 15 Research-based Practices to Increase ELL Student Achievement. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/61084/