ExC-ELL
EXPEDITING COMPREHENSION
FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE
LEARNERS
Margarita Calderón, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita, Johns Hopkins University
Argelia Carreón, María Trejo, Elma Noyola,
Jeanne Cantú
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
1
ExC-ELL
LEARNING OUTCOMES
• Overview of on-going implementation of
ExC-ELL based on the coaches’
observations.
• Tips for making teaching more efficient
and effective.
• Review of instructional strategies that
ensure academic language, close reading,
and writing specific to the Common Core
State Standards.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
2
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
• Teachers were respectful of students and
worked to build good relationships with them.
• Students were cooperative and well-behaved.
The great majority were enthusiastic and strived
to please their teacher.
• Teachers were welcoming and reflective. Most
asked for ways to better implement ExC-ELL.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
3
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
Comments: In general, the most positive points were
100% student participation, use of the 7 steps and
appropriate use of cooperative learning.
Challenges: Limited use of interaction during step 6
and in some cases it was left out.
The purpose of Step 6 is verbal application in a friendly
context, practice of pronunciation, owning the word,
and preparation for using the word in the context of
reading.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
4
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
Comments: Partner Reading was observed in a few
classrooms after vocabulary instruction. We did not
observe teachers modeling via think alouds the
comprehension strategies for partner reading.
Challenges: Partner Reading was not used enough or
it was too casual. Partner reading needs to be
modeled by the teacher with a student. This helps
students see what is or isn’t appropriate while they
partner read. Modeling a comprehension strategy
through a teacher think aloud helps students focus on
that strategy during their comprehension practice.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
5
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
Comments: Bloom questions are rarely formulated by
students.
Challenges: Teach students how to formulate
questions.
The purpose of formulating questions is to help
students go back into the text and delve deeper into
comprehension. They also help them learn more
vocabulary. This should be complemented with an
activity such as Numbered Heads Together to make it
more challenging and fun.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
6
ExC-ELL CLASSROOM
OBSERVATIONS
After reading The Kapok Tree, students at
Winterfield elementary wrote 6 great questions per
team using Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Their questions ranged from level 1 to level 6 such
as: What did the monkey say to the man? State
the lesson that was in the story. What would be
another way… ? How can we stop the man from
cutting down the tree?
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
7
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
Comments: The WriteAround is being implemented
but the topic was not based on the reading.
Challenges: Writing needs to follow vocabulary
instruction and reading.
ELs need writing models – teacher modeling
structures, features, transition words and paragraphs;
they need to read texts that illustrate good patterns of
the assigned writing task; and, ample interaction with
peer writers, peer editors, peer authors.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
8
ExC-ELL
SOME CREATIVE ADAPTATIONS
• Used a smart board to present target vocabulary with
illustrations that she manipulated.
• Provided sentence stems for partners to take turns reading
and completing.
• Used realia for some of the terms.
• Classified tier 1, 2, and 3 as easy word, tricky word and
smart word for kindergarten.
• Used technology to gain access to word dictionaries as a
tool to find definitions for target vocabulary.
• Presented a powerpoint linked to internet to show definitions
and how words were used in sentences.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
9
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS: SOME
THINGS TO AVOID
• Having students find a page with the target word and read
the sentence to the class. This takes time, and in the
process, other students may lose interest.
• Having students read during pre-teaching of vocabulary. It
took time and created an opportunity for the "reader" to
make errors during reading.
• Asking students what they think the word means. It
creates confusion because students hear imprecise
definitions and it takes up precious time.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
10
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATION
Ms. Harris-Smith conducted an excellent literacy lesson,
beginning with the introduction of key vocabulary, moving
to pre-literacy strategies, such as previewing text,
skimming strategies, reading and stopping to discuss,
summarizing main ideas after each paragraph, checking for
understanding by asking students to paraphrase and
summarize what they had just read, and writing concrete
summaries at the end of the passage. She interspersed
cooperative learning strategies to ensure that all students
were participating, understanding, and feeling successful.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
11
ExC-ELL
CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS
Ms. F. modified the WriteAround activity
by providing the starter sentence stem on
ditto paper to save time and ensure all
had the same stem. She also had all
students pass papers at the same time.
I saw this in a K class at Winterfield
elementary (CMS) also! Precious!
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
12
ExC-ELL
Ms Yates had a class of 26 students. She was
observed doing a mathematics lesson. The topic
was, “How can I show multiplication through an
array?” She quickly reviewed Tier 1 (multiplication)
and Tier 3 (product) words, and explicitly taught
the Tier 2 word- array. She had a well-prepared
lesson, had excellent use of the Smart Board for
illustrating and processing the lesson. The lesson
was made relevant by pointing to examples of
groupings of ‘arrays’ of products found at WalMart.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
13
ExC-ELL
A LITTLE REVIEW
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
14
ExC-ELL
IT’S ALL ABOUT STUDENTS READING,
READING, READING!
• Words that support major ideas in a text, and are the
most useful, critical, to the major concepts.
• Content area texts have key terms that are Tier 3,
but not Tier 2 or Tier 1 that are new to ELs.
• Which words do you want to hear in their
discussions and see in their academic writing?
• Which words are most useful for ELs to learn?
• What are the syntax and grammatical features you
want ELs to learn from this text?
15
ExC-ELL
Summary of
Vocabulary Tiers 1, 2, 3 For ELLs
TIER 1 -- Basic words ELLs need to communicate,
read, and write. Those that should be taught.
TIER 2 -- Information processing words that nest Tier 3
words in long sentences, polysemous words, transition
words, connectors; more sophisticated words for rich
discussions and specificity in descriptions.
TIER 3 -- Subject-specific words that label content
discipline concepts, subjects, and topics. Infrequently
used academic words.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
16
ExC-ELL
PRE-TEACHING 5 TO 6 MOST
USEFUL WORDS FOR EACH
LESSON/EACH SUBJECT
EACH DAY.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
17
ExC-ELL
 ONLY 10 TO 15 MINUTES FOR
PRETACHING 5 TO 6 WORDS.
 STUDENTS MUST READ IMMEDIATELY
AFTERWARDS.
 VOCABULARY WITHOUT READING AND
SUMMARIZING ORALLY AND IN WRITING
DOES NOT ANCHOR VOCABULARY.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
18
ExC-ELL
PRE-TEACHING VOCABULARY
An Example for 2nd to 12th
1. Teacher says the word. Asks students to
repeat the word 3 times.
2. Teacher states the word in context from the
text.
3. Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s).
4. Explains meaning with student-friendly
definitions.
5. Highlight grammar, spelling, polysemy, etc.
6.  Engages students in activities to
develop word/concept knowledge.
7. Remind students how/when to use the word.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
19
ExC-ELL
Modeling Comprehension
Teacher Read and Think Alouds
•Fluency
M
O •Comprehension Strategies
D
•Self-correction
E
•Fix-it strategies
L
M
O
D
E
L
Extend comprehension
Teach more words
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
20
ExC-ELL
Partner Reading
• The teacher reads and models strategies.
• Partner A reads the first sentence.
Partner B helps.
• Partner B reads the next sentence.
Partner A helps.
• After each paragraph, partners “put their
heads together” and summarize what they
read.
• Partners continue until they finish reading
the section assigned.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
21
ExC-ELL
Formulating Questions
Students work in teams of four:
1. Construct 2 questions based on the
specific Bloom level assigned to you.
2. Write each question on a separate
card.
3. Give your cards to the teacher.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
22
ExC-ELL
THINKING PROCESS
(Knowledge-1)
Shallow processing:
drawing out factual
answers, testing recall
and recognition
R
E
M
E
M
B
E
R
Applying Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Cognitive Process – 1
VERBS FOR
OBJECTIVES
choose
describe
define
identify
label
list
locate
match
memorize
name
omit
recite
recognize
select
state
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
MODEL
QUESTIONS
Who?
Where?
Which one?
What?
How?
What is the best?
Why?
How Much?
When?
What does it mean?
INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGIES
• Highlighting
• Rehearsal
• Memorizing
• Mnemonics
23
ExC-ELL
Numbered Heads Together
• Number off in your team from 1 to 4.
• Listen to the question.
• Put your heads together and find the answer.
• Make sure everyone in your team knows the
answer.
• Be prepared to answer when your number is
called.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
24
ExC-ELL
•
Clear your desks.
•
Only one paper and pencil.
•
Each student writes one answer and passes the paper
to the right.
•
Everyone must write an answer.
•
Continue this process until the teacher calls time
out.

•
Count the number of correct responses by your
team. Delete repeated words and report your
numbers.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
25
ExC-ELL
• Form teams of 3 or 4.
• One paper and pencil for each.
• Each student completes the prompt and
passes the paper to the right.
• Each student continues to write one
sentence and pass the paper to the
right until the teacher calls time out.

Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
26
ExC-ELL
Humans are causing global warming
when they …
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
27
ExC-ELL
ASSESSMENT OF VOCABULARY,
READING AND WRITING
The ultimate proof -- at the end of the
block, day, week:
Write one or two paragraphs
summarizing what you learned about
_______________ using as many tier 2
and tier 3 words as you have learned.
Extra points if you use appropriate
connectors, transition or signal words.
Use compound sentences or different
types of clauses.
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
28
ExC-ELL
ELL Oracy Takes Place During Content
Instructional Sequences:
What is the amount of time for
student talk vs. teacher talk?
1. Pre-teaching of
vocabulary
2. Teacher read alouds
3. Student peer reading
4. Peer summaries
5. Depth of word
studies/grammar
6. Class discussions
7. Cooperative learning
activities
8. Formulating questions
and Numbered Heads
9. Round Table Reviews
10.Pre-writing & drafting
11.Revising/editing
12.Reading Final
Products
29
ExC-ELL
Vocabulary, Language, Literacy &
Knowledge Progressions
How do your students progress through the
different proficiency levels?
Does their vocabulary progress in the 4 language
domains – listening, speaking, reading, writing?
Does their vocabulary progress in the 4 core
subjects – math, science, social studies, language
arts?
Is their academic language differentiated and
targeted for each proficiency level and range of
schooling background?
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
30
THANK YOU!!!
ExC-ELL
Wishing you great success
in your endeavors!
mecalde@aol.com
www.margaritacalderon.org
202-368-4621
Margarita Calderón & Associates, Inc.
31