Scaffolding Instructions for English Language Learners
The 91ÉçÇø Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) offers these scaffolds for English Language Learners (ELLs) and Multilingual Learners (MLs) as part of an initiative to develop resources for ELL and ML educators to support language learning through content as students work to meet the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards
In association with American Institutes for Research (AIR), OBEWL has developed a series scaffolds from Pre-K to tenth grade that allow students in Integrated ENL/Co-teaching environments to access select units from optional ELA curricular modules published on EngageNY. With a focus on vocabulary development and background knowledge, these ELL and ML supports will also provide a framework to assist educators in using these strategies and routines when creating their own lessons.
Although all students will need support at the word, sentence, and text levels to meet the New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards, ELLs and MLs will benefit from additional support because they are simultaneously learning language and content in a new language.
Following is an inventory of resources and their respective links:
Specialists at the Center for English Language Learners at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) have developed routines and scaffolds for English Language Learners (ELLs) who are using English language arts lessons developed by Core Knowledge, Expeditionary Learning and Public Consulting Group.Ìý
The American Institutes for Research specialists developed two units from the ground up that support ELLs and MLs in understanding and writing about the texts in two Expeditionary Learning Units--Grade 7: Module 4a: Unit 1–This Is Your Brain Plugged In and Grade 7: Module 4b: Unit 1–Water is Life. The stand-alone units developed by AIR model how ELLs and MLs can be helped to understand and write about lessons focused on two complex topics--brain development and water sustainability.
Scaffolding ELA Instruction for ELLs and MLs includes exemplars that demonstrate ways to support ELLs and MLs in mastering the lessons listed in the table below developed by Expeditionary Learning and Public Consulting Group. The introduction also explains conventions used to support the lessons.
Specialists at the Center for English Language Learners at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) developed background activities and glossaries to support ELLs and MLs in understanding grade-level anchor texts used in Expeditionary Learning and Public Consulting Group lessons. The AIR lessons include hyperlinks to the anchor texts. Attaing Core Compencies for ELLs and MLs (ACCELL) is an approach that was used to scaffold these lessons. ACCELL was developed by AIR staff to support ELLs and MLs in mastering course content delivered in English. This approach is described fully in the Overview of Resources. In the following section we describe ACCELL methods used to build background knowledge and develop vocabulary in ELLs and MLs.
This introduction to the samplers describes the content of the two samplers, explains the model used to scaffold the lessons for English Language Learners and Multilingual Learners in the samplers, and provides information on the conventions used to scaffold the lessons. The purpose of the samplers is to showcase lesson exemplars across the grade levels.
PowerPoints and Printable Handouts for Professional Development
In order to share this information with teachers and coaches, we have developed the following PowerPoints and printable handouts associated with each.
Developing Background in ELLs/MLLsÌýprovides information related to the techniques used for developing background knowledge in ELLs and MLs, demonstrates the use of the techniques through examples, and provides participants with opportunities to try out the methods.
Scaffolding Instruction for ELLs/MLLs to Support Close ReadingÌýprovides background information related to the scaffolds that have been added to Core Knowledge, Expeditionary Learning, and Public Consulting Group lessons; demonstrates the use of the scaffolds through examples; and gives participants opportunities to create their own scaffolds.
Developing Vocabulary in ELLs/MLLsÌýprovides information related to the techniques used for supporting vocabulary development in ELLs and MLs, demonstrates the use of the techniques through examples, and provides participants with opportunities to try out the methods.
