Fostering Academic Language Development in Primary Grades

Newest Post from our friends at Keys to Literacy: 

Fostering Academic Language Development in Primary Grades

Language skills and literacy achievement are highly correlated. 

All students, but especially those with limited language exposure, benefit from classroom instruction that is designed to accelerate language learning and growth in the use of academic language.

Although this article is focused on primary grades, there are some good strategies that we can use at the secondary level too, especially in Everett.

Key Use WIDA Can Do Descriptors

Find the WIDA Can Do Descriptors 

by Language Domain (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening), Proficiency Level, 

and Key Use of Language (Recount, Explain, and Argue) 

for Grades 9-12 here

Find the WIDA Can Do Descriptors 

by Language Domain (Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening), Proficiency Level, 

and Key Use of Language (Recount, Explain, and Argue) 

for Grades 9-12 here

Bloom's Taxonomy Question Stems

Bloom’s Taxonomy provides an important framework for teachers to use to focus on higher order thinking. By providing a hierarchy of levels, this taxonomy can assist teachers in designing performance tasks, crafting questions for conferring with students, and providing feedback on student work. You can also begin to teach students how to develop their own good questions and how to determine whether a question is lower level or higher level.

Here are 2 lists of question stems to help you develop questions at progressively higher levels on Bloom's Taxonomy. Use the keywords as guides to structuring questions and tasks.

Question Stems

Being an English-Language Learner Is Hard. Here Are 5 Ways Teachers Can Make It Easier

Being an English-Language Learner Is Hard. Here Are 5 Ways Teachers Can Make It Easier.

Some suggestions for the Classroom

Making Thinking Visible Routines

The idea of visible thinking helps to make concrete what a thoughtful classroom might look like. At any moment, we can ask, "Is thinking visible here? Are students explaining things to one another? Are students offering creative ideas? Are they, and I as their teacher, using the language of thinking? Is there a brainstorm about alternative interpretations on the wall? Are students debating a plan?"

Even if you haven't taken the Making Thinking Visible PD, you can easily incorporate some of the routines published on their website that make thinking visible, like these:

What Makes You Say That? Interpretation with justification routine

Think Puzzle Explore A routine that sets the stage for deeper inquiry

Think Pair Share A routine for active reasoning and explanation

Circle of Viewpoints A routine for exploring diverse perspectives

I used to Think... Now I think... A routine for reflecting on how and why our thinking has changed

See Think Wonder A routine for exploring works of art and other
interesting things

Compass Points A routine for examining propositions

Connect Extend ChallengeA routine for connecting new ideas to prior knowledge

Explanation Game A routine for exploring causal understanding

Headlines A routine for capturing essence

Question Starts A routine for creating thought-provoking questions

*Think Pair Share A routine for active reasoning and explanation

*Think Puzzle Explore A routine that sets the stage for deeper inquiry

*What makes you say that? Interpretation with justification routine

3-2-1 BridgeA routine for activating prior knowledge and making connections

Colour, Symbol, Image A routine for distilling the essence of ideas non-verbally

Generate, Sort, Connect, Elaborate A routine for organizing one's understanding of a topic through concept mapping

Peel the Fruit A map for tracking and guiding understanding

MCAS Resource

MCAS Resource shared by Ben Francavilla

PARCC Released Items 

with scoring rubrics, released items, and answer keys