Ashley Gorecki

Reading Notes for Access to Academics

You can work with colleagues as long as you have a deep understanding of the content
in each chapter. Use the Key Issues Chart at the beginning of each chapter to guide your
thinking. Read and tab/underline key points in each chapter. Add descriptions, page
numbers, or lists as part of your note keeping. This is the foundation for your study for
teaching English as a second language and is very important that you come to a deep
understanding of this material.

Ch. 1:

Ch. 2:

Take notes on these key points and add missing points based on the Key Issues Chart at the
beginning of each chapter. Your notes must be sufficient for you to attain and retain the basic
information in each chapter and to effectively lead a class group discussion when asked to do so.
You will be defining, summarizing and/or describing the various key components in each chapter.
Dimensions of academic language
Vocab
Grammar/syntax
Discourse
Types and examples of vocab
General academic vocab
Specialized academic vocab
Technical academic vocab
Discourse across content areas
Emphasize that academic language involving terms, convention and genres.
Cultural knowledge about ways of being in the world, ways of acting, thinking, interacting, valuing,
believing, speaking, writing and reading.
Language proficiency
Ability to use language accurately and appropriately in its oral and written forms.
Language domains
Listening= Eng. Language learners process understanding, respond to spoken language.
Reading [= learners process, interpret and evaluate written word.
English language proficiency levels
Students progress through the stages of language proficiency at different rates.
Levels of language proficiency
Level 1; starting
Level 2; emerging
Level 3; developing
Level 4; expanding
Level 5; bridging

Ch. 3

Communicate competence; knowledge and appropriate application of particular Lang in a specific context.
Elements of communicative competence
Grammatical or linguistic competencies
Socialistic competencies
Discourse competencies
Strategic competencies
Approaches for using the Native Language in the classroom
Organize primary language clusters
Label classroom objects in different language
Assign a bilingual buddy to your newcomer
Support the use of the native language by using classroom aids or volunteers.
Encourage primary language development at home.
Use bilingual books

Ch. 4

a. All teachers are language teachers.

1. In a sense, all teachers are language teachers to some extent even if they teach the
language of only one content area as they often do at the secondary level.

b. Students language and content strengths and needs provide a foundation for creating learning
objectives.
c. The content objectives should influence the language objectives. Although some content
standards and curricula do address general language and communication goals, language
objectives are specifically based on helping students access the content of a particular lesson.
Content objectives support facts, ideas, and processes.
Objectives are statements of attainable, quantifiable lesson outcomes that guide the activities
and assessment of the lesson.
Objectives follow a typical format which is usually Students will be able to + concrete,
measureable outcome + content to be learned
Content Objectives support the development of facts, ideas and processes. The objectives the
teacher choices may depend on the standard of the grade level.
Language Objectives support the development of language related to the content and process.
4. Language objectives support the development of language related to the content and process.
Categories:
Vocabulary
Language functions
Grammar
Discourse

Language learning strategies

5. Objectives are statements of attainable, quantifiable lesson outcomes that guide the activities and
assessment of the lesson.
Formula for objectives: (SWBAT) Students will be able to + concrete, measurable outcome +
content learned.

Content Objectives: ideas, facts, and content processes students will learn because of the
lesson. SWBAT identify three attributes of visual art.
Language Objectives: support the development of language related to the content and
process.
Use measurable verbs when writing objectives.

Ch. 5
All students bring experiences and knowledge to school

Although providing language objectives and teaching to those objectives based on the student's
language needs are excellent for helping students access lesson content, these steps may not be
enough for students with diverse backgrounds. (67)

Making initial connections to students backgrounds helps students create a link to their previous
learning and to their lives outside of school. (67)

Making connections can make learning more meaningful for students. (68)

Learners may be more motivated to learn the content and language that they need in order to work
toward life goals. (68)

Teachers who connect new learning to students backgrounds increase student comprehension. (68)

An important result of making connections is the ability of students to use their learning in new,
unfamiliar situations. Understanding students needs, interests and backgrounds allow for the opportunity
to make clear connections. (68)

The three main types of connections that are important to students include: (1) personal connections
a clear connection to students lives outside of school; (2) Academic or content Connections a
connection to a previous school learning so that transitions are clear and learning builds on previously
addressed academic language and experiences and (3) Pedagogical or Instructional Connections
includes strategies and choices that the teacher makes to address student needs, interests and
background directly. (68-69)

Connections between students lives and the task demonstrate to students reasons for listening and
participating in tasks
-Helping students make personal connections to topics
Start by thinking of what the main topic/idea of the lesson is
o Thanksgiving, penguins, addition, Washington D.C.
Think of ways that students may have had experience with the topic
If no real link between topic and student, go more general with the topic
Example: If the topic is Thanksgiving, and you have ELD students who never celebrated it, you can
generalize the topic to feasts or celebrations.
Once a connection is made, teachers can involve students in a discussion of their personal
connections
Connecting tasks and topics to students lives increases engagement
There are 3 main types of connections important for students
o 1. Explicitly linking to the students background experiences
o 2. Explicitly linking past learning and new concepts

o 3. Pedagogical or instructional connection

Also, in regards to helping the students make personal connection to the lesson content, it is
important for the teacher to:
o Start thinking about the main topic or main idea,
Think of ways, based on knowledge of students backgrounds
o If there is no link between the lesson, and personal life, the teacher can:
Go more to a general exploration of the experiences included within the topic
1. Specific Focus
2. More general Idea
3. Most Common Idea

Once this has been established, the teacher can involve the students in discussing their
personal connections and narrow the topic to the specific focus of the lesson.
Connections can be made by teachers or students
Making personal and academic connections from instruction to students background and
interest is key to building their ability to access the language and content of a lesson. Teachers
should be willing to adapt lessons so that connections between themselves and the students
are able to be made.
Guideline for making connections
Guideline 1: Be Deliberate
Teachers should carefully plan to make academic and personal connections and help
students build any background necessary for each lesson.
Confirm that the students have made the connection and that it has served its purpose of
gaining students interest and preparing students for engagement.
Guideline 2: Help students transfer connections back to their lives.
Connections should be obvious and ongoing throughout the unit.
Techniques include keeping a journal so they can link their learning to their lives.
Guideline 3: Consider culture
The connections made will be dependent on the students culture.
Ch. 6

Designing Engaging Tasks

Key: the amount of time the student spends on task is related to the amount of engagement that they
feel. It is important to keep the student engaged and make sure connections between the students
interest are being met.

Understanding Engagement and tasks

Engagement
Making connections to students lives= tasks should be authentic and relevant for learners.
Having students interact= tasks should be cooperative and collaborative in both focusing
on language and using language for authentic purposes.
Creating responsive classrooms=consider students needs, wants, abilities and interest.
Tasks should remain differentiated, challenging and scaffolder.
Elements of Task
Task Process=what is happening when learning is taking place

- Elements

- Instructional grouping= grouping students by ability level, first language, interest,

and or skills.

Ch. 7

- Modes= the skills it takes to complete the learn the main subjects.
- Task structure= tasks can be open, partially structured or highly structured.
- Scaffolding= pulling students and grouping those who need additions assistance.
-resource/ texts= lessons texts and other content and language resources have to
remain at level.

- Teacher/ student role= who is the expert, who provides help, who asks questions,
who talks.
Elements of Task Product
Task Product= be be seen as the outcome of what was learned.
- Audience= Students are typically more engaged when they know that
their products will be viewed by an audience other than their teacher.
- Modes= As the task process modes have an important role. Speaking,
writing, drawing, acting, singing, constructing and creating are among
the many choices choices.
- ----- Assessments of both process and the product should help students
see relationships among objectives, connections and the task.
Pedagogical Connections.
- Engagement comes when task elements- of both process and productare designed to work for students
- To design effective tasks teachers can make pedagogical connections in
other words, they should think about the backgrounds and interest of the
students while designing the task.
- Techniques for making pedagogical connections= culturally relevant, use
research that has been proven effective, make it relevant, integrated
cultural facts, design the tasks that support achievement for all leaners,
work with personal and academic connections to provide students with
both access and reasons to engage.
Guideline for task design
- Guildline 1: Give students a reason for listen, have students take notes,
work with puzzles or create games that relate to the subject that is being
taught.
- Guideline 2; Do not do what students can do = the more they invest in a
task or lesson the more engaged they tend to be. Teachers who give
students choices and allow them more autonomy in making their own
decisions the students will be more engaged.

Assessing Tasks, Lessons, and Students

Understanding Assessment
- Assessments should be created by first identifying the desired results or
learning targets, after then deciding what evidence would be effective in
measuring those results.
- Teachers can certainly consider the guidelines when constructing and
using classroom- based assessment or those that are developed by the
teacher for the classroom.
- Assessments= the general process of gathering data about something
or someone.
- Evaluation= a final judgment.
- Not all assessments are evaluations. Teachers can use assessment to
make an evaluation, or they can use the data they gather for goals such
as changing instruction, supporting students, and reviewing real
achievements with students.
Purpose of Assessment
- Many purposes that include.

- some are administrative or programmatic; others pertain mainly to the

classroom teacher.
- reviews of lesson design, students progress and student products
-motivate student progress and thus helps learners move forward,
-develop an awareness of their abilities and figure out what goals they
should aim for.
-Traditional classroom assessment= typically used for evaluation
purposes, include quizzes, tests, and structured paper.
--usually the same for every student
usually a required part of the curriculum, but teachers can also add a
variety of alternative assessments in order or capture the varied and
complex learning that takes place.
Provides a score that designates how students have mastered individual
content or language items.
Alternative assessments= alternative to traditional assessment and
consists of any open-ended method that uncovers wat students know
and can do.
--these assessments include verbal reporting, observing, oral interviews,
demonstrations, retelling, role playing, portfolios, journaling, and many
other activities.
-They are used to design or redesign instruction.

Assessing Students Process and Product

- Adapting Traditional Classroom Assessments
- -- Problems with traditional assessments includes the idea that all
students should be measured in the same exact way.
- Hybrid test or quiz= this includes features of both traditional and
alternative assessments.
- Students Role in Alternative Assessment
- - Students should be involved in the creation and review of classroom
assessment. This involves the creation and review of classroom
assessment. This will help them understand their objectives, empowers
them by engaging them in their own evaluation, and provides clear
direction for the language and content that they need to access during
the lesson.
- -Rubrics; students should have access to rubrics so that they
understand what is expected.
Lesson Examples
- Lessons are formal and less formal
- All assessments follow some of the guidelines.
Homework
- Practice for assessments
- ELL learners do not typically benefit from homework.
Additional Guidelines for Assessment
- Guideline 1= transparent
- --- teachers need to help students see the relationships among the
lesson parts (connections, objectives, tasks, assessment)
- Students should also be aware of how task element affect process and
outcomes.
- Guideline 2= Reconsider Grades
- --Grades do not indicate actual knowledge and performance which
typically are goals for many assessments.
Assessing the Lesson
- Teachers can evaluate lesson design to make sure that the lesson is
appropriate and relevant and meets students needs.
- ---1. Before

--------Use a checklist based on ideas in the chapter. Teachers can

create their own checklist with the components including objectives,
connections, engaging tasks and assessment.
- --2. During
- --------- Teachers can use observation and discussion with students to
determine whether the lesson is going as planned and whether that plan
is appropriate for the students. If there are problems the lesson can be
adjustments.
- ---3. After
- ----------Teachers can review the lessons, taking notes of individual
students or the whole class. Teachers should review the lesson as a
whole and make changes were needed for the next time they teach the
lesson.
Unlocking the Language of science

Ch. 8

Science Educations: A focus on inquiry.

- The science classroom is an ideal setting for ELLs to learn both
language and content because of the emphasis in on inquiry-based
learning and activities are hands on and experimental.
- Science for all
- ---- Making observations
- ---- posing questions
- ---- examining books and other sources of info to see what is already
known.
- Planning investigations
- Reviewing what is already known in light of experimental evidence.
- Using tools to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
- Proposing answers, explanations and predications.
- Communicating the results.
The Specialized Language of Science
- Students cannot conduct experiments, write reports, or study the human
body without using appropriate terminology and language structures that
characterize the specialized language or science.
- --- Describe relations or taxonomy, comparison, cause and effect,
hypothesis and interpretation.
- --- Describe procedure explicitly via the use of language.
- ---Connect abstract ideas illustrations by various media.
- --- Use generalized verbs in the present tense to describe phenomena,
how something occurs and why.
- ---Appear to be highly objective
- ---Use many new big words with new meaning, many of which are
nominalization.
- Language functions used in science include, classify, compare, describe,
detect, discover, hypothesize, investigate, infer, measure observe and
record.
Vocabulary
- Vocab plays a huge role in science.
- ---Students use vocab to understand the topic of discussion and produce
written explanations about the material read or about the experiment
performed.
Grammatical Features
- Grammatical features include: grammatical metaphor, syntactic
ambiguity, complex noun phrases, causes and effect, time order,
compare and contrast, formulas and symbols.
Discourse
- Science books are often hard for English learner to discern between

main ideas and supporting ideas.

Strategies for learning and talking Science
- All students, particularly ELL students need to practice in using
structures.
- Learning the Language of Scientific inquiry.
- ---this provides an opportunity to develop an enriched understanding of
the physical and natural science.
- One way to assist students in talking and writing about the science
process is by having examples of sentience starters or stems.
- --------this can be done in the way of a poster.

Ch. 9

Unlocking the Language of Mathematics

Mathematic reform; The New Math
- In 1989the National Council of teachers set standards for teaching math.
- ---- five standards
- -------To understand and value mathematics.
- -------To reason mathematically.
- -------To communicate mathematics
- -------To solve problems
- -------To make connections to context and other academic subject areas
- -----Top documents
- --------Select mathematical tasks to engage students intellect and
interest.
- --------Orchestrate classroom discourse in ways that promote the
investigation and growth of mathematical ideas.
- --------Help students use technology and other tools to pursue
mathematical investigations.
- --------Help students seek connections to previous and developing
knowledge.
- -------Guide individual, small group, and whole class work.
- Activities need to steam from the real world and be relevant to the
learner.
- Placing communication center. This poses a challenging for ELL
learners.
The specialized Learning of Mathematics
- Math is a language by itself
- ELL learners may find connections between the math they learned in
their home country/language because of the commonalities.
- Vocab= Math includes a lot of specific words, expressions and phrases.
- Challenge for ELL learners is that math uses many words that refer to
the same mathematical operation. Teaching students to identify key
words in word problems and display the prominently will assist students
in identifying the kind of operation needed to solve the problem.
- Math terms have precis meaning
Mathematical Disclosure
- Thee areas of language difficulties: the density of mathematics
textbooks, word problems and teacher talk.
- Textbooks often expand a basic problem into more sophisticated
versions illustrating new concepts.
- Word problems require recognition of how many numbers are involved,
the relationship between them and which numbers needed to be
identified.
- Teacher talk= teachers may find it difficult to clarify problems and
expressions in an ongoing and systematic manner.
Teaching Strategies for learning and talking Mathematics
Use a variety of instructional formats and supports
- Design multisensory lessons (visual, audio, tactile, kinesthetic)
- Use visuals (graphs, charts, diagrams, models) when possible
- Use graphic organizers to visually represent mathematical concepts.
- Point to or explicitly connect terms with visual representation.
- Design hands on activities
- Use different technology
- Vary grouping thorough tout the lesion (independent work, pairs, groups,
whole class)
- Use real-life problem-solving situations to teach new concepts.
- Make connections across content areas whenever possible.
Introduce New Vocabulary in a thoughtful and integrated manner
- Vocab should be introduced in the activity and not separate.

Ch. 10

Break lessons into smaller units and pausing or stressing key terms is
helpful.
Identify and highlight key words with multiple meanings
- ELL learners can have difficulties with this concept.
- Use academic language
Modify your speech
- Provide comprehensible input
- Teachers can modify their speech to facilitate communication and
enhance understanding
- Enunciate clearly and slowly without speaking louder
- Pause between sentences or concepts
- Use gestures and visuals to enhance meaning
- Avoid using idioms and slang
- Use key words frequently
- Repeat, rephrase, restate
- Simplify the language used rather than the mathematical concept
- Allow non-English speakers a chance to discuss or help of teaching
assistants.
- Focus on the content, not on the form, of students responses. Respond
to inappropriately phrased language by modeling the appropriate
grammatical form instead of correcting.
- Be aware that additional wait-time may be needed when teaching ELL
students.
Use preview and review
- Give a handout prior to teaching, this can include ab outline of the entire
lesson on the board or overhead and list of key words.
Search for Cognates: Validating students
- Cognates are related in origin and occur most often in English Greek,
Latin, and German
- Students home language can play a significant role in learning complex
material, including content encountered in mathematical classrooms.
Use cooperative learning and promise
- Collaborative groups provide opportunities for students to hear and use
the math register, while at the same time developing mathematical
understanding.
Teach organizational and study skills
- Demonstrate how to read a math textbook.
- Point out key sections and resources in the textbook
- Teach students how to organize notebooks and binders and record
homework assignments.
- Teach study and test-taking skills
- Teach note-taking skills. For beginner English language learners, copy
notes in an effective way to begin learning writing conversations.
Create an atmosphere for risk taking and making mistake.

Unlocking the language of English Language Arts

Preparing students for the literacy Demands of Today and Tomorrow.
- Starts at birth with a childs earliest experience with language.

Language arts focuses on the four language domains of listening,

speaking, reading and writing.
Included punctuation, spelling and grammar usage.

Ch. 11

Six language arts= Reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, visually representing
- Diversification of school systems due to demographic changes
- Changes in technology that in turn have resulted in new forms of literacy
(text, blogs)
Effective literacy practices for ELLs in the Elementary Grades
- Theoretical orientation= deciding on the kind of theoretical orientation to
reading instruction to guide the program is a very important first step.
- Language-rich environment= surrounding ELLs with ample opportunities
to hear and use langue for meaningful purpose fosters the acquisition of
English. Continues modelling, ongoing feedback, a stress-free
environment, and reasons to use the target and the notice language all
help students become better language users.
- Meaningful literacy= learning how to read and write should not be
equated with disconnected skill-and drill practices.
- Culturally relevant literacy practices= Cultural practices are central to
literacy learning. A classroom environment that acknowledges, responds
to and celebrates different literacy practices offers students opportunities
to benefit, in just and equitable manner, from the schooling experience.
- Additive perspective on language= the goal should be to add English to
students linguistic repertoire rather than to replace it.
- Emphasis on Academic language.
Prereading Strategies can be one of the most successful strategies.
Reading strategies for Beginning readers
- Read from left to right, top to bottom, comprehending the text beyond
the sentence level.
Reading strategies for intermediate readers students that are more familiar with a variety of text for a
variety of purposes.
- Students still have difficulty reading text, practically if the texts are about
familiar topics and have many new vocab words. Strategies include:
story mapping, shared reading with big books, readers theater,
predictable and pattern books, literature circles, language experience
approach, guided reading, choral reading, cognitive mapping, directed
reading, individual student conference, learning logs, literature response
journal, thing-aloud.
Effective writing instruction for ELLs
- Writing well in English is often a difficult skill to master.
- ELL learners are not familiar with vocab
- Key elements are as followed. Add photo
The language of English language arts
- General academic vocab, specialized academic vocab, technical
academic vocab
- Vocab teaching strategies+ root words, personal vocab journal word
games and word play, word or concepts maps, acting out, word sort,
focus on cognates, vocabulary hiders, key word method
Grammatical features= classroom is the prime location to learn and use
correct grammar structures.

Unlocking the Language of Social Studies

Field of studies
- Include many disciplines each with its own set of language demands.
- Social studies refer to the overarching group containing diverse

disciplines such as anthropology, geography, and political science.

Subjects and locations in the context of K-12 public schools.
The field of social studies within the U.S. context has three important
distinctions: (1) it is designed to promote civic competence as
determined by U.S. norms. (2) it is cumulative, building on content
learned over many tears. (3) it is integrative incorporating many
disciplines such as anthropology, archelogy, economics, geography,
history, law, philosophy, political science, psychology, religion, and
sociology.
- All of these characteristics contribute to making the diverse disciplines of
social studies difficult subjects for ELLs.
Subjects that are the most difficult for English learners.
- Social studies may be the most difficult content area for English learners
because they may be unfamiliar with many of the topics, particularly in
relation to history.
- Potential challenges for ELLs in Social Studies Classrooms include the
following, social studies vocab can be highly technical and abstract, ,
learners may not be familiar with historical concepts, terms, or U.S.
governmental processes, social studies require high literacy skills
because much of the instruction comes through teacher lectures and
textbook reading, textbooks often lack clear and complete explanations
of the topics they present, textbooks often use passive voice, intricate
sentences, and pronouns that can make it difficult for ELLs to
understand passages.
-

Terms
-

Many terms in social studies are abstract, hard to translate, and

culturally based.
Context may be new= terms may be completely unknown to students
coming from countries with long-term dictatorships or dictatorial regimes.

Textbook and curricula

-

Social studies textbook and curricula assume that students have a great
deal of background knowledge- knowledge that U.S. students
accumulate over time from one grade to the next.

Many strategies and approaches are available for enhancing the

learning experiences of English language learners (ELLs) in social
studies classrooms of all types.
Three broad practices to support ELLs in high school social studies
classrooms: (1) developing socially supportive classrooms (2) teaching
of academic skills explicitly (3) reducing cognitive load and increasing
accessibility of complex content knowledge.
Developing socially supportive classrooms: link the unfamiliar with the
familiar by tapping students previous knowledge; use collaborative
groups for tackling complex reading materials; level the field by making
students the teachers and teachers the learners; build on the funds of
knowledge of students, families, and communities; promoting an oral
history approach.
Explicit teaching of academic skills= offer explicit instruction of learning
strategies; plan of academic classroom discussions; encourage students
to practice how to ask questions and request clarification; use deliberate
instruction about how to navigate textbooks; use graphic organizers.
Reduce cognitive load and increasing accessibility of complex content

Strategies and approaches

knowledge; use role plays to make abstract concepts concrete; preview

reading assignments; provide or encourage students to locate materials
and information in their native language; use cognates with your
Spanish-speaking students.

Ch. 12

Putting it all together

Every lesson must be accessible to all students.
o Creating a new lesson includes: find and create the learning targets,
make initial connections; create engaging tasks; assessment.
Lessons that focus on content and language, connections to students, engaging tasks, and authentic
assessments are more accessible than those that do not.
Every lesson can be improved in some way.
- Evaluate the lesson, consider the assessments, set goals, and have a
purpose.
- Adapting lessons: do not reinvent the wheel, share.