Revising Strategy Instruction in Inclusive Settings: Effects for English Learners and Novice Writers

De La Paz, S., Sherman, C.K., Revising strategy instruction in inclusive settings: effects for English learners and novice writers, (2013), Learning Disabilities Reasearch & Practice, 28(3), 129-141

In this study, students were instructed on how to write a research paper.  They received 45 minutes of strategy instruction, three times a week for four weeks.  Instruction included developing background knowledge on the genre of focus, defining characteristics and purposes of expository writing, and explanations on what it means to revise writing.  Students were taught how to make meaningful changes using “add,” “move,” “delete,” and “rewrite” revising techniques.  Teachers modeled this using sample writings.  Students made changes to sample essays before making changes to their own writing.

Teachers also taught the revising strategy FIX using a mnemonic device to help students remember the steps. The F stands for “Focus” on the essay elements.  The I for “Identify problems, and the X for “Execute changes.  Throughout the study, students were taught how to self-regulating procedures such as goal setting and self-reinforcements, how to use color coded strategy cards.  For example, yellow cards were used for self-statements that helped students identify problems, such as “I need to look for things that don’t sound right.”  The red cards helped students focus on essay elements.  There was plenty of modeling and collaborative practice before students revised on their own.

 

This study’s purpose was to evaluate a revising strategy, called “FIX,” for sixth-grade students. Student were to read their writing, focus on the elements of expository writing, identify anything that didn’t belong or anything that needed changing, and finally make those changes.  After learning this strategy, all students reported that the FIX revising strategy made revising easier by giving them steps to follow in the revision process.  Students also learned how to make meaningful changes to their writing.  In fact, the end results showed that struggling students made more meaningful changes that improved their writing, than students who wrote well.  “EL students who were low, average, or above average writers appeared to respond to the revising instruction as well as their native English speaking peers at the same writing achievement level….”

De La Paz, S., Sherman, C.K., Revising strategy instruction in inclusive settings: effects for English learners and novice writers, (2013), Learning Disabilities Reasearch & Practice, 28(3), 129-141

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Closing Literacy Gaps: Understanding the Interrelationships Between Bilingualism and Biliteracy Development

From 1998 to 2011 results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress show a gap of about 40 points between the reading achievement of emergent bilinguals and English-proficient students in the fourth, eighth, and 12^th grades.  The researchers of this article point out that researchers often focus on a single component of literacy, such as vocabulary development, when they should instead look to the following question for guidance and direction: “What programs and strategies work with which emergent bilinguals in what context, and under what conditions?”  This strategy takes a look at the complex relationships between bilingualism and the development of literacy.  It considers the contexts, media and content of literacy development.  Topics include; transforming power relationships in literacy instruction; language of Instruction; program models that support bilingualism and biliteracy; and home-school collaboration;

This article reinforces what research has shown for years about the benefits of developing literacy skills in both languages among bilingual students (bilingualism and biliteracy).  In traditional ESL programs, beginning English learners are asked to begin reading in a language they do not yet understand and speak.  Native-language instruction can more effective since beginning English learners can learn to read and learn content at the same time.   The transfer of literacy skills from one language to another will then occur more easily.  Not all bilingual programs have as a goal to promote true bilingualism and biliteracy however.  In some programs students receive instruction in the native language until students are ready to transition into an all English program. 

Ortiz and Fránquiz note that the choice in models a district makes to support ELLs speaks volumes of their willingness to support (or not support) bilingualism and biliteracy.  Research has shown for quite some time that dual language programs have a greater chance of closing the achievement gaps between emergent bilinguals and non-ELL students yet many schools rely on the English-as-a-second-language model in which students get no support from the native language.  In these cases, what schools can do is encourage families to continue to build first language literacy skills at home and through classes outside of school.  School libraries can stock books in other languages, and bilingual teachers can be allowed to use their first language as a scaffold whenever possible.

Home-School Collaboration is another topic in this article.  According to the article, research shows that even the slightest amount of parent involvement supports student learning and behavior, regardless of socioeconomic factors and parent education level.  Schools can better student achievement by involving parents in their children’s education.  Schools can take it a step further by incorporating the home-language and literacy contexts to ensure that curriculum and instruction is “meaningful and culturally responsive.”

Fránquiz, M.E., Ortiz, A.A. (2014) Coeditors’ introduction: Closing literacy gaps: Understanding the         interrelationships between bilingualism and biliteracy development. Bilingual Research Journal:         The Journal of the National Association for Bilingual Education, 37:2, 113-119, DOI: 

         10.1080/15235882.2014.938579

Link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2014.938579

Developing Teacher Capacity for Serving ELLs’ Writing Instructional Needs: A Case for Systemic Functional Linguistics

The growth in the ELL population over the last decade has presented many challenges for teachers.  Many schools are in need of training to adequately meet the needs of English Language Learners.   This article notes the increasing need for developing linguistic skills, especially the learning of academic language.   One concern mentioned in the article is that while attempting to make content comprehensible to students, instructors may not be exposing students to enough academic language which is key to Ell’s success in school.  The article suggests that it is necessary for teachers to learn and develop methods for teaching academic language.   Using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) as a guide, the researchers present the effectiveness of professional development in the linguistic features of academic language to address this issue.

Researchers blame the achievement gap between ELLs and native English speakers in part on the lack of instructional focus on academic language.  One of the needs is writing instruction that explicitly focuses on language to develop skills in academic areas to help them reach more advanced levels of English proficiency.   Students will need these skills to demonstrate proficiency on standardized tests.  In trying to shelter instruction, educators must be careful not to reduce opportunities for ELLs to develop academic language.

Researchers of this article also make a distinction between oral discourse, which relies on shared experiences and a different set of language structures, and language in academic texts, which requires a separate set of skills in order to gain meaning from them.  Explicitly teaching these differences to students will increase an awareness of the expectations of their learning.

Aguirre-Muñoz, Z., Amabisca, A., Boscardin, C.K., Park, J., (2009). Developing teacher

        capacity for serving ELLs’ writing instructional needs: A case for systemic functional 

         linguistics.  Bilingual Research Journal: The Journal of the National Association for             Bilingual Education, 31:1-2, 295-322, Retrieved from   

        http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15235880802640755

Habla con ellos -- Talk to them: Latinas/os, achievement, and the middle grades

     As of 2007, Latinos made up 15% of the total U.S. population, with about one-third self- identifying as Mexican.  The article Habla con ellos---Talk to them, in The Middle School Journal states the importance of culture, and the role it plays in middle school.  The emphasis must be to “develop our collective dispositions,” that is our attitudes about language and cultural differences which can play a major role in our youth’s achievement.  This is especially true in communities where culturally and linguistically diverse students are non-dominant. 

       Furthermore, educators of early adolescents are in a position to counter any negative stereotypes about Latinos which can be harmful.  Immigrant adolescents are especially vulnerable to attacks on their self-worth.  As the Association for Middle Level Education has stated, “Academic success and personal growth increase markedly when you adolescents’ affective needs are met.  Each student must have one adult to support that student’s academic and personal development.” 

     As the title of this article states, one of the best ways for educators to reach their students is by simply talking to them; finding their interests; talking about the similarities and differences of the cultures; and encouraging conversation among all students to openly discuss what they have in common.  Asking questions such as, "What do you like doing?" and "What are you good at?" might be  a good place to start.  The important thing is that educators make time for this type of dialogue in their quest to find out what motivates Latino students and how to engage immigrant parents.      

Fitchett, P.G., Jones,J.P., Kissau, S., Salas, S., (2013) Habla con ellos—Talk to them: Latina/os,

       achievement, and the middle grades. Middle School Journal. Vol 45. pp18-23          

Seeing How to Ask First: Photo Elicitation Motivates English Language Learners to Write

This article discusses the use of image based methods in writing with adolescent English language learners.  Some of the positive effects include growth in students writing proficiency and raising awareness of reasons to care about school. The article emphasizes the power of using visual materials in aiding ELL adolescent students who are at the beginning level of language learning.

The writing method describes several findings:

Finding 1. Asking ELLs to write. Instead of telling ELL students why school and writing are important, the researchers asked them what they believed about school.  Students documented this through photographs and writing.  Students revealed unexpected insights into their personal lives, which was sometimes negative, and they began to see the value in having an education thus increasing motivation.

  

Finding 2. Others’ images as engaging.  Using peers’ work helped with engagement and appreciation of writing activities.  The assignment students had was to analyze their peer’s photos or images and address certain questions about the photos/images.  Students were intrigued with one another’s work, especially in finding commonalities.  They learned from one another and were more likely to share more about themselves after looking at pictures from other people their age. 

Finding 3. Walking – photo walking – beyond the classroom.  In this activity, students and teachers ventured outside the classroom into other parts of the school and even outside the school into the community.  They took photos that they later reflected on and wrote about.  Students began to see that many things in their lives outside of school can have an impact on their lives.

Adolescent beginning language learners would benefit greatly from methods such as these, which incorporate visual materials into writing activities, especially if students are writing about their own life experiences.

Bell, A., Ewaida, M., Lynch, M., & Zenkov, K. (Nov 2012) Seeing how to ask first: Photo elicitation motivates English language learners to write. Middle School Journal v44 n2. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ990871

Contexts For Learning; English Language Learners in US Middle Schools

Contexts For Learning; English Language Learners in US Middle Schools

In the last few decades there has been a conceptual shift in the human sciences.  The term 'acquisition' is often replaced with the term 'participation' to emphasize the social the social aspect.

This article examines the learning culture within the schools as well as the community outside the school.  It also takes a look at the importance of engaging students in the community.  The researcher argues that in addition to the subject matter being taught, the following also help to shape learning opportunities available to ELL students.  

                     1) The teacher's conceptualization of the needs of second-language students

                      2) The ways in which they perceive their own role in the responding to these needs

                     3) The larger context of institutional practices

One study conducted in a Canadian high school identified 5 "interacting variables" that may have contributed to strong academic outcomes for ELLs

                     1) Administrative support

                     2) Collaboration among colleagues

                     3) Contact hours in the ESL class

                     4) Direct explicit instruction with respect to language learning objectives

                     5) A strong sense of advocacy for ELLs

Haneda,M. (2008) Contexts for learning: English language

       learners in US middle school. International Journal of

       Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Vol.II Iss.1

ERIC Article: Listening to Their Voices: Middle Schoolers' Perspectives of Life in Middle School by Mary Anne Steinberg and Erica D. McCray

This article examines life in middle school from a middle schoolers' perspective. A qualitative study involving 15 middle school students from three middle schools in the Southeast region in the United States, discovers what students are looking for in middle school. Students were asked, "If you could change one thing at your middle school, what would it be?"  Some of the students' responses included: More caring teachers, and more active classrooms.  Another important finding is the use of technology impacts students attitudes toward learning, and through its incorporation in everyday problem solving, and through recognizing adolescents as individuals, learning can be impacted in a positive way.ERIC Listening to Their Voices Article