Implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards Through Sheltered Instruction
Handout 1 (1 of 1)
Sheltered Instruction Practices
The following list of Sheltered Instruction practices is not meant to be exhaustive; instead, we
provide only sample practices that support the academic achievement of English language
learners (ELLs).
Practices that provide
access to content
Practices that build
academic English
• Set clear content objectives.
• Give clear instructions (oral, written, and
modeled).
• Structure materials and “chunk”
information.
• Provide visuals, manipulatives, graphic
organizers, notes, and other supports.
• Adapt materials for reading level.
• Use gestures.
• Adjust rate of speech and include pauses.
• Establish classroom routines.
• Set and teach language objectives.
• Provide opportunities to speak, listen,
read, and write about content.
• Provide models and sentence stems.
Practices that do both
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Connect to prior knowledge.
Provide structure for productive interaction.
Teach and promote the use of learning strategies.
Explicitly teach academic and functional vocabulary.
Create a low-anxiety environment.
Provide questions and tasks at a variety of thinking levels.
Provide encouragement and corrective feedback.
Echevarria et al., 2010; Hill & Flynn, 2006; Seidlitz, 2008
©2010 The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Education Agency
Implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards Through Sheltered Instruction
Handout 2 (1 of 1)
Using Sheltered Instruction to Implement the ELPS
For each student expectation from the ELPS, identify one to three sample Sheltered Instruction
practices from Handout 1 that would help students meet the expectation. This activity shows
only some of the many possible ways to help students meet the expectations in the ELPS.
Students are expected to:
(5)(G) narrate, describe, and explain with
So teachers should:
• Provide models and sentence stems
increasing specificity and detail to fulfill
content area writing needs as more English
is developed
(1)(E) use strategic learning techniques
such as concept mapping, drawing,
memorizing, comparing, contrasting, and
reviewing to acquire basic and grade-level
vocabulary
(2)(E) use visual, contextual, and linguistic
support to enhance and confirm
understanding of increasingly complex and
elaborated spoken language
(3)(D) speak using grade-level content area
vocabulary in context to internalize new
English words and build academic language
proficiency
(4)(D) use prereading supports such as
graphic organizers, illustrations, and
pretaught topic-related vocabulary and
other prereading activities to enhance
comprehension of written text
©2010 The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Education Agency
Handout 3 (1 of 1)
Implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards Through Sheltered Instruction
Differentiating by Language Level
Instructional Planning Guide
Advanced/
Advanced High
Intermediate
Beginners
• Visuals for academic
vocabulary and concepts
• Visuals for academic
vocabulary and concepts
• Visuals for classroom
vocabulary and academic
concepts
• Grade-level text
• Adapted grade-level text
• Native language and adapted
grade-level text
• Complex sentence stems
• Sentence stems
• Short, simple sentence stems
• Preteaching low-frequency
academic vocabulary
• Preteaching academic
vocabulary
• Preteaching social and
academic vocabulary
• Peer interaction
• Peer interaction
• Peer interaction (samelanguage peer as needed)
• Verbal scaffolding as needed
• Verbal scaffolding
• Extensive verbal scaffolding
• Grade-level writing tasks
• Adapted writing tasks with
scaffolding
• Adapted writing tasks with
drawing and scaffolding
• Gestures for memorization of
academic concepts
• Gestures for memorization of
academic concepts
• Gestures (basic and academic
concepts)
• Modeling
• Modeling
• Modeling
• Graphic organizers
• Graphic organizers
• Graphic organizers
• Manipulatives
• Manipulatives
• Manipulatives
• Preteaching functional
language (stems for social
interaction)
• Pronunciation of
social/academic language
• Slower, simplified speech
• Instruction in high-frequency,
concrete social vocabulary
• Use of native language for key
concepts
• Verbal cues
• Chunking of information in
print
• Word bank
Adapted from Seidlitz, 2008.
©2010 The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Education Agency
Implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards Through Sheltered Instruction
Handout 4 (1 of 1)
References
Center for Applied Linguistics. (Producer). (2002). The SIOP model: Sheltered instruction
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Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. (2010). Making content comprehensible for secondary
English learners: The SIOP model. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Hill, J., & Flynn, K. (2006). Classroom instruction that works with English language learners.
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Samway, K., & McKeon, D. (2007). Myths and realities: Best practices for language minority
students. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Seidlitz, J. (2008). Navigating the ELPS: Using the standards to improve instruction for English
learners. San Antonio, TX: Canter Press.
Sherris, A. (2008). Integrated content and language instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and
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Short, D. (2000). Training others to use the ESL standards: A professional development
manual. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Snow, M., Met, M., & Genesee, F. (1989). A conceptual framework for the integration of
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217.
Texas Education Agency. (2007). Chapter 74. Curriculum requirements subchapter A.
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Retrieved from http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/ch074a.html#74.4
Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts at The University of Texas at
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Author.
©2010 The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Education Agency