Phillips Friday Focus
February 1, 2019
Empowering English Language Learners Through Language Dives, part 2
Ask Students to Rearrange the Building Blocks of Language
As students deepen their conversations with each other, they become more playful with language and through speaking, discover how English works. You can encourage this language play through a routine we call "deconstruct-reconstruct-practice." This routine begins by breaking the language dive sentence into smaller "chunks" that contain academic language structures, such as noun phrases or prepositional phrases. Then students move the chunks around like a puzzle to alter the word order or substitute alternative words and phrases to discuss any change in meaning.
Conversations like this one are crucial for ELLs, and native and proficient English speakers also benefit. Through such play, and talking about their new sentences, students learn how to use parts of speech effectively and come to understand what a complete, syntactically sound sentence is. This close attention to syntax is a key to closing the achievement gap.
Create Opportunities to Practice and Apply
Once students become more comfortable playing with language and testing out their new understanding of English through talking, it's important for them to use the chunks of sentences they deconstruct and reconstruct in meaningful classroom tasks where "getting it right" counts.
Just as new English speakers are intrigued and empowered by learning a new idiom or slang greeting in everyday conversation, understanding how to use the academic constructions they read during school in their own writing strengthens both confidence and competence. In the process, students begin to lead classroom conversations as inquirers, experts, and collaborators. The rewards for students—and for educators determined to make their classrooms and the world a more equitable space for all students—are profound.
By enabling students to investigate and articulate how writers use language to communicate ideas, language dives boost ELLs up the ladder of text complexity so that they can meet grade-level standards, as well as state language proficiency standards for ELLs. In fact, some ELLs have gone from near silence in the classroom to leading conversations about English. Among the many important aspects to consider in teaching and learning a language, language dives should be a priority because they enable students to grasp the peculiarities and subtleties of academic language and to punctuate their own writing with powerful claims. As such, language dives are not just an effective instructional technique, they are a tool for equity.
Shout Outs!
Candice- filling in for Cole in the clinic, been a busy week there!
What's Ahead...
February 4- PLC Day (please bring mobile device/phone)
February 5- 4th grade GT day
February 6- 5th grade GT day
February 7- "It's Nacho Normal Math Night" 5:30-7:00, jean day
February 11- Telpas practice begins, Telpas writing calibration after school, 6:00 school board meeting (Dabbs will be honored for TOY)
February 12- GT Field Trip (grades 1-3),Writing calibration if needed after school
February 13- GT Field Trip (grades 4-5), 4:00 Teacher meeting
February 14- 8:05 Support staff meeting in room 2, Valentine exchanges, jean day
Testing Calendar
Benchmark Dates (we are working on a schedule for benchmark days that wouldn't shut down conference times completely)
February 20th
4th Grade Writing
5th Grade Math
February 21
5th Grade Reading
April 11
3rd Grade Math
4th Grade Math
5th Grade Science
April 12
3rd Grade Reading
4th Grade Reading
STAAR Test Dates:
April 9-4th grade writing/5th grade math
April 10-5th grade reading
April 11-12-make-up
May 13-3rd, 4th grade math, 5th grade math re-test
May 14-3rd, 4th grade reading, 5th grade re-test
May 15-5th grade science
Happy Birthday!
February 6- Natalie Tucker
February 7- Shelley TarrantFebruary 28- Shana Holder