Lenski Reading Response, Due Feb. 21, 2017
Appropriate assessments for ELLs
"Process of collecting and documenting evidence of student learning and progress to make informed instructional placement, programmatic and/or evaluative decisions to enhance student learning."
Teachers need to consider all "educational stakeholders" when planning to assess students of different cultures and backgrounds.
Assessment activities should help to make instructional decisions.
Strategies should help find out what students know and can do...NOT WHAT THEY CANNOT DO
-activities should grow out of authentic learning activities.
-Best assessments of student learning are longitudinal...they take place over time.
-Each activity should have a specific objective-linked purpose.
Standards play a key role in the linking or relationships between assessment expectations and lesson objectives.
Teachers should investigate their students prior schooling and knowledge before assessing.
Learning about ELLs literacy backgrounds
Teachers should never assume that students who share the same language also share the same culture and background.
ELLs fall into four categories: 1.newly arrived students with adequate formal schooling, 2.newly arrived students with limited formal schooling, 3.students exposed to two languages simultaneously, and 4.long-term English-language learners.
By completing a predictability log (PL), teachers can gain understanding of their students’ prior literacy experiences and the factors that helped form them
Teachers must use target questions that are relevant to the students current situation. Bilingual specialists can assist the teacher in completing PLs
Similarities to a students L1 and English can play a big impact on their initial grasp of literacy development. Ex: reading left to right, in Spanish this is done just as in English. However, in Arabic they read from a different direction.
Purposes of assessment can range from student placement and instructional decisions all the way to program evaluation. So making sure there is an understandable clear purpose is important.
Multiple forms of assessment should be performed in a variety of authentic ways.
Teachers should consider alternative assessments(AA's) when documenting ELLs reading growth, because reading is more than just decoding, word recognition and comprehension. Its the mental process of actual understanding as well.
Evolve naturally from regular classroom activities.
provide teachers with the opportunity to identify what students need regarding instruction and support.
The key is through planning and organization.
Need to ensure that assessment addresses the linguistic components of learned continuum.
Assessment materials, activities and language use
Rule of thumb: teacher written tests can be modified to meet the needs of ELLs
“Literacy is intimately bound up with their lives outside the classroom in numerous and complex cultural, social, and personal ways that affect their L1 and L2 identities”
Materials for assessment should be adjusted to the student's English literacy level, because if not it will end up being based on their development of vocabulary knowledge.
If a students determines that a text is authentic then their thinking process with be more deeply triggered. Books that they can relate too are good for this connection.
Collaborative work between students can increase communication skills as well as provide scaffolding on the topic being discussed.
During this time code switching should be allowed.
Parent involvement, through bilingual conversation (if available) can help form connections on content through communication as well.
Having students partake in self-assessment activities can help them see the connection with how their past learning is shaping their new learning.
This can be dificut at first, so make sure to model and provide support throughout.
Webcast Notes: Preschool for English language learners
Facts about ELLs in the US school system.
It is important that they develop English competence and acquire content knowledge simultaneously.
These students bring a wide range of educational experience and background into the classroom.
ELLs make up 4.5 million, or 9.6% of students in the public school system. This number is continuing to rise annually.
No Child Left Behind (2001) mandated that ELLs be assessed on various language domains including: writing, speaking, reading, listening. It also states they must be included in state standardized testing.
It is important that classroom teachers know the effective way to assess ELL literacy development.
High quality pre-school programs are important; being well rounded and developing language and literacy components, engage in family involvement, have a planned curriculum.
Informal assessments at the beginning can help the teacher get a gage of where they should be. Planned grouping for students interactions where they can learn from one another help with knowledge development for both ELLs and English speaking students.
Environmental materials should support students play and creativity. And being print rich is important!
Make sure the environment is welcoming and comfortable, maybe letting students come in for an orientation before classes start so they feel more at ease.
Allow activities to be in both L1 and learned language.
Know the parents and family background to have a better understand of students culture. Include this in the classroom and with the families.
The "Silent Period" is when students are being "sponges," observing all the new aspects of English and the environment when they are taking it all in.
Have a variety of family programs at a variety of different times during the year, so include the families into the classroom as well as help them build relationships with other families in the class.