Setting a powerful early foundation
of language and literacy for English
Learners
Laurie Olsen, Ph.D.
Alameda County Office of Education
English Learner Institute
Definition
• Six or more years (cumulatively or
continuously) in U.S. schools
• Not yet reclassified
• Stuck in progressing towards English
proficiency
• Tend to be orally fluent in social English
• Reading and writing below grade level
• Insufficient development of primary language
• Struggling academically
Resulting in typical profile
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
High functioning socially with weak language
Often English dominant – think they are fluent
Discouraged and struggling in classes
Don’t ask for help
Don’t complete homework
Are not readers
Either stay under the radar, invisible and silent
or act out
• Non-engaged and non-participants in class
The continuum:
learning English as a second language
1
– 3 years


years
7 – 10



_______________________________________________________________________
No English
I
II
Oral,
social
English
III
CELDT
Proficient
CST Basic
IV
V
Proficient
for
Academic
work
Review: Contributing conditions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Weaker forms of English Learner programs
No ELD
Just ELD and no other special instruction or services
Mainstream placement
Reliance on core E.L.A. program for language
development
Supposed to be “SDAIE” but doesn’t really happen
Inconsistent program placements
Inconsistent program implementation
Narrowed curriculum
Use of interventions that aren’t designed for ELs
Review: Need to ensure….
• Clearly defined EL program models (ELD plus
access), consistently implemented
• Consistency in placement and EL language
approach (no ping-pong)
• Full academic curriculum
• Strategies that promote student engagement as
active learners
• Scaffolding instruction
• No more “Interventions = EL Program” –
especially interventions designed for native
English speakers
From the research…..
• Begin with preschool programs
• Active outreach/recruitment to English
Learner communities
• Attention to supporting the transition from
preschool into kindergarten
• Articulation, alignment between the two
systems (preschool and K-12)
From the research…..
• Multiple and frequent structured opportunities
for students to be engaged in producing oral
language
• Emphasize complex vocabulary development
• Model rich, expressive, amplified oral language
• Identify key academic vocabulary and discourse
patterns – and explicitly teach them
• Monitor the rigor and complexity of the language
used in text and instruction
• Set a high bar for sophisticated, complex, precise
language in both social and academic domains
From the research……
• Intentional language development across the
curriculum
• Full curriculum
• Language objectives for content lessons based
on analyzing the linguistic demands
• Identify key academic vocabulary and
discourse patterns and explicitly teach them
• Home language support
• Home language instruction when possible
Echoing Common Core
• More focus on structured, rich oral language
• More focus on writing
• More emphasis on language in and through social
studies and science – a full academic curriculum
• More focus on interaction, collaboration,
discussion
• More focus on academic vocabulary and
discourse
• More engagement with complex, rigorous text
The SEAL Model
Sobrato Early Academic Language
PreK-3
A Case Example
The Sobrato Early Academic Language (SEAL)
model is……
• A PreK-3 model – piloted for Spanish-speaking
English Learner children
• Research-based
• Age-appropriate, coherent and articulated preschool
through third grade approach that prepares children
for academic success in elementary school and
beyond.
• The vision is children with high level cognitive,
language and literacy skills – and who are confident,
motivated, engaged learners
FOUR PILLARS
Alignment
of PreK
and K-3
systems
Focus on
Academic
Language &
Discourse
• Oral language
• Biliteracy
• Language
development
through enriched
thematic
curriculum
• Text
Engagement
Parents and
Teachers
Working
Together:
Parent
Engagement
Affirming
Environment
FIRST PILLAR
Alignment
of PreK
and K-3
systems
• Summer Bridge programs
• Joint professional development
• Articulation of instructional
strategies
• Observation and classroom
visits
• Transition activities for students
and families
• Outreach from elementary
campus to preschool families
• Pre LAS/LAS assessments
SECOND PILLAR
Focus on
academic
language
and
discourse
• Development of rich and
complex oral language
• Simultaneous development of
English and home language
whenever possible
• Text-rich curriculum and
environments
• Academic language
developed through an
enriched and full
thematic curriculum
Language development throughout an
integrated curriculum


Thematic Connection
Core ELA
Arts
Math
High leverage strategies
Academic vocabulary

ELD




Sci & SS





Thematic planning
• Begin with core program themes
• Sort the grade level Science and Social Studies
standards
• Develop a yearly thematic plan
High Leverage Instructional Strategies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Complex, precise, academic vocabulary development
Structured oral interactions (e.g., Think Pair Share)
Read Alouds
Narrative/Story Retell
Children as Readers
Checks for Comprehension – Adapting Instruction
Graphic Organizers and visuals
Dramatic Play
Children as Writers/Authors
Collaborative practice/ skills of teamwork
Language through Arts Infusion
THIRD PILLAR
• Environment bridges home and
Parents
and
Teachers
working
together
•
•
•
•
•
school
Home-school connection in the
curriculum
Family Science and Literacy
Nights
Parent education
Book bag/book loan program
Cadre of parent volunteers
focused on language and
literacy
FOURTH PILLAR
• Environment reflects children
Affirming
Environme
nt
•
•
•
•
and families
Parents in the classroom
Bilingual authors/illustrators
Focus on building community
within classroom – and the
language to talk about feelings
and experience
Climate supportive of
bilingualism and cultural
diversity
SEAL has had a significant impact on parents
and on literacy activities in the home
• Majority of SEAL parents participate in literacy-related
activities at least a couple of times a week – and read
books with their child on a daily basis.
• SEAL parents as or more likely to engage in literacyrelated activities than a national study of parents
(including Hispanic parents and college-educated
parents).
• SEAL parents were more likely than Non-PreK
(“Partial”) SEAL parents to participate frequently in
parent-teacher conferences
• SEAL parent involvement was highly correlated with
various measures of children’s language development.
21
STUDENT IMPACTS
• Statistically significant achievement gains in all
academic, cognitive and social areas
• High gains in language and literacy
• Significant rate of progress towards English
proficiency (34% moved two levels; 79% one)
• Significantly greater growth than comparison groups
of demographically similar in district and state
• Close gap (equal or higher) achievement outcomes
• One year of SEAL provides benefits; benefits are
cumulative
22
English CELDT
first grade entry
Listening
Speaking
Reading
Writing
Total
Bilingual
318.9
295.7
278.8
357.0
307.9
English/S
EI
310.8
292.5
272.2
338.9
301.4
Transfer from L1 to English, and benefit of strong
foundation of home language shows by end of
kindergarten year
23
Spanish PreLAS
First Grade Entry
Bilingual
English/S
EI
24
Level 1
Not
fluent
2%
18%
Level 2-3 Level 4-5
limited
fluent
33%
65%
82%
0%
L1 language loss/gap significant by end of
kindergarten
English (CELDT) correlated to
proficiency in Spanish
25
Infrastructure of support is essential
•
•
•
•
Professional development
Planning and collaboration time
Two years per grade level
Materials to supplement (e.g., informational,
hands-on, enrichment, bilingual)
The Common Core and SEAL –
the match
• Language addressed across the curriculum
• Emphasis on building rigorous, complex
academic language
• Oral language skills are important
• Active engagement in discourse, and
collaborative/team academic tasks
• Career ready emphasis
• Standards based planning
• Take your photo to the “corner” that best
represents what you see
• Divide into groups of 4-6 people
• Discuss how your pictures represent research
on effective EL practices; discuss how they
represent what we know about preventing
LTELs; discuss how they represent
implementation of the Common Core
standards
Steps
• Put definitions, expectations, data and
identification system in place
• Program definition and coherence
• Select a few high-leverage strategies to go schoolwide
• Support professional development and databased collaborative planning
• Build by grade-level
• Link CCS and EL work
Lennox After School
A case study of project-based,
differentiated ELD intervention
program during after-school hours
designed to prevent the creation of
LTELs
Lennox
• District serves 7,200 K-12
• 95% are Latino, 78% receive free and reduced
lunch, 61% are English Learners
• Large number of LTELs
• Decided to focus on emerging LTELs (English
Learners in grades 3 – 7, been in district at
least four years, at CELDT Levels I, II or III)
• Afterschool intervention program
• Project-based, student centered curriculum
focusing on speaking/listening, collaborative
practices and authentic writing – integrating
language learning with content learning
• Journalism: focused writing and technology –
and genre specific syntax
• Community partnerships: real word
application/fieldwork
• Active engagement
• Strong language models
• Authentic opportunities to connect language with
students communities and social realities
•
•
•
•
•
Eleven week cycle
Two days a week for two hours each day
Small groups (4-7 students per teacher)
Community business/location for fieldwork
Culminating project: publication of Lennox
Voices newspaper
Professional development
• ELD Standards
• Strategies for vocabulary development, oral
language development in context of journalism
(questioning, interviewing, paraphrasing,
synthesizing information, collaborative planning),
lesson planning, journalism as a genre
• Selecting expository reading materials to support
research and inquiry
• Differentiating ELD instruction
• Use of varied grouping strategies
Impacts
• Pre and post CELDT: higher % attain 1 or more
levels of English proficiency
• CST: higher % of growth on CST/ELA
• Teacher surveys: heightened awareness and
implementation of effective practices for LTELs
in school day
• Parent program satisfaction surveys: high level
of satisfaction (4.1 on 5 pt. Likert scale)
• Increased student motivation, confidence,
willingness to speak, read and write in English
Basic Principles
• Attention oral language, engagement –
moving into writing
• Hands-on, authentic, project-based (for young
children play-based)
• Intentional, rigorous, expressive language
• Science, social studies standards-based
curriculum
• Investment in teacher p.d. and collaboration