VIDEO: STORYTELLING TO SUPPORT ELLs IN WRITING AND READING

This video of Kyle Smith at Think College Now in Oakland Unified showcases a strategy from Teacher's College staff developer Amanda Hartman. It is a brief and engaging activity that supports both writing and reading and develops language in alignment with the new California ELD Standards.

You can read all about it first below or go straight to the video: Kyle Smith's Class: Storytelling-11-21-13

Category of Inquiry: Writing Workshop Tie-ins, Building Reading Strategies, Integrated ELD.

Post Written by: Kyle Smith, Michael Ray and Jennifer Kaufman, Oakland Unified School District

Source: Kyle Smith, 2nd Grade Teacher Leader at Think College Now as he implements an idea from Amanda Hartman's DVD Up Close: Teaching English Language Learners in Writing Workshop

Problem of Practice: ELLs may have difficulty with narrative writing due to the many language structures and supporting vocabulary that underpin this work. They might also find it difficult to summarize the key points of a story they read, both for language reasons, and because it is difficult to choose the key events in a narrative, particularly if you are a bit overwhelmed by language. In addition, using or comprehending rich vocabulary in writing and reading can be a challenge for students tackling general English knowledge and academic English at the same time.

Instructional Strategy: In writing workshop, before the mini-lesson, do a Storytelling activity that is repeated and elaborated further over the course of a week. The procedure is as follows:

1. Establish language partners so that the more proficient English speakers are paired with less proficient ones. These intentional language partnerships will give the less proficient speakers opportunities to hear models of higher levels of academic language besides the teacher (this is often called "academic eavesdropping"). In some cases there might even be instances when the higher level student provides corrective feedback for the lower-level student.

2. Choose a common experience or event that the class has participated in to serve as your practice for Storytelling. You may "stage" or "act out" the event with the students at the beginning. For example, in the Hartman video, and in Kyle Smith's class when he launched the Storytelling activity, the students learned to sing Isty Bitsy Spider. Once they were finished, that became the event that students could narrate. Examples of events that might have been experienced without intentional staging are a field trip, a fire drill, a party or a P.E. game. Other possible experience can be a teacher created situation where the teacher purposefully spills sometime or some other teacher or person outside of the class comes in and does something disruptive. 

3. The teacher narrates the event, touching one of five fingers for each new event, and modeling and posting key transition phrases for narrative such as "after that..." or "Finally..." that mark the beginning of each new section of the event narration when the new finger is touched. It is also helpful to have a gesture, hand motion, or movement for each part of the story.

4. Usually, the teacher has the more proficient member of the language partners begin, asking them to narrate the event while touching their fingers. The less proficient partner listens. The teacher circulates to offer support and gather information about how students are doing. Prompts to use while circulating:

• Tell it across your fingers.
• What happened next?
• Go back and tell all the parts
• Try and start the story with the action.
• What did you hear / say / see? 

5. Once the first partner has finished the narration, the teacher calls the group back together and narrates the events again, saying, "I heard people saying something like this," and then saying the whole thing again while touching fingers. Sometimes the teacher will add richer language to the narration, or add dialogue, etc.. 

6. It is the other partners turn to narrate. The teacher circulates again.

7. The teacher retells once more, referring to things he "heard." The whole thing is over in five to seven minutes. 

8. As the week progresses, the teacher returns to the same event and makes the narration progressively richer. The teacher may also support students with some in-context grammar, for example, regular and irregular past tense verbs anchored with vocabulary cards that the students might use in a particular narration. At the end of the week, the Storytelling can be turned into a shared or interactive writing experience:

• Shared Writing: Teacher directed, but student created. The teacher provides prompts, students provide the content. The teacher writes and draws.
• Interactive Writing: Focus on comprehension and conventions. The students provide the content and write the story together. 

9. This "story telling practice" can now be transferred to the student's own writing during workshop time. The teacher now has a common reference point to remind students how to sequence a story or reproduce any other structures they have practiced during story telling. The teacher might say, “Remember how we started the story of singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider? Can you start your story off in the same way? Remember when we added dialogue to the story about singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider? What do you think the character in your story might say here?”

Rationale: This lesson allows students to learn critical academic language related to both reading and writing supported by an engaging oral activity that then can lead right into the writing workshop. The common experience allows students to use their own memory to retell the story so that they do not have to make it up. Also, this common experience fosters a community since it is "our story," not the teacher's story. The activity supports students with lower levels of language because they have multiple opportunities to hear and practice the academic language in an authentic context related to a real-life experience. The opportunity to transfer the language to their own writing or re-tell is immediate. Finally, there are continuous opportunities to revisit the language throughout the week to firm up and expand the vocabulary. The Storytelling strategy is a great example of how ELD can be embedded into content outside of designated ELD time. Storytelling is also quite short, five to seven minutes, so it can be used right before a mini-lesson without being too intrusive.

Tensions and Areas for Further Inquiry: This activity is designed to support writing workshop, and is often done right before the mini-lesson. Could it also be done right before the mini-lesson for a Reading Workshop, and what might be some other genres you could use it with besides narrative? Could you do description of a character? Summarizing the big ideas and supporting details from a non-fiction piece? Compare and contrast two events or stories?

LET STUDENTS (NOT JUST THE TEACHER) READ THE COMPLEX TEXT!

Image credit: http://t1.gstatic.com/images

 

Category of Inquiry: Complex Text

Post Written by: Michael Ray 
 
Source: Lesson Study in RALLI schools

Problem of Practice: ELLs often find complex text, at grade-level or higher, difficult to comprehend and process, particularly when they must do so with little or no teacher support.

Essential Question: What can we do to make complex text more accessible for ELLs?

Instructional Strategy: Beginning in 2nd grade, when student reading of complex shared content text begins to increase, give students the bulk of the responsibility for reading the text, rather than just having them track while the teacher reads.

Consider these three approaches as your during reading defaults to help students practice reading and be accountable for what they read. Notice that we offer three levels of scaffolding:

A. Extremely-Scaffolded During Reading

1. The teacher reads a part of the text with no commentary (except step-asides to explain vocabulary as in RALLI)

2. The teacher gives the students a text-based question (e.g. from the RALLI During Reading planner, or from an SWT text) and has the students read the question themselves if it is available (as it is in the SWT--this may increase their investment and understanding of the question). 
3. Students reread the text  (alone aloud, alone silent, in pairs aloud...) and answer the question (in pairs, tables, or whole class)

4. The teacher has students reread if necessary to clarify misunderstandings so that they get the meaning from the text as much as possible

 

B. Very-Scaffolded During Reading

1. Students read a part of the text (alone aloud, alone silent, in pairs aloud...) with no teacher commentary (except step-asides to explain vocabulary as in RALLI)

2. The teacher gives the students a text-based question (e.g. from the RALLI During Reading Planner, or from an SWT text) and has the students read the question themselves if it is available (as it is in the SWT--this may increase their  investment and understanding of the question). 

3. The teacher rereads the text and then students answer the question (in pairs, tables, or whole class)

4.The teacher has students reread if necessary to clarify misunderstandings so that they get the meaning from the text as much as possible

C. Lightly-Scaffolded During Reading

1. Students read a part of the text (alone aloud, alone silent, in pairs aloud...) with no teacher commentary  (except step-asides to explain vocabulary as in RALLI)

2. The teacher gives the students a text-based question (e.g. from the RALLI During Reading Planner, or from an SWT text) and has the students read the question themselves if it is available (as it is in the SWT--this may increase their  investment and understanding of the question). 

3. The teacher has students reread if necessary to clarify misunderstandings so that they get the meaning from the text as much as possible.

Rationale:
If the teacher reads the whole text, students miss practice opportunities or may adopt the idea that the teacher, and not they, are responsible for reading and comprehending the text.

In addition, too much teacher mediation in the "during reading" portion of work with complex text may actually impede comprehension and engagement. Or we might say that too much teacher mediation can disrupt the students ability to be fully responsible for the flow and content of the text. This focus on student grappling with text is consistent with Close Reading protocols. 


Tensions and Areas for Further Inquiry:
Having students read silently or aloud will sometimes be a stretch for kids reading below grade level, but much less so when you have provided the types of before and during reading supports offered in the RALLI approach (see Overview of the Complex Text tab on this blog) or in cohesive units of study (such as FOSS water planet or a 2nd grade unit on species survival) where ongoing content knowledge and vocabulary development  support meaning-making as below-grade-level students struggle with a text. 

Of course there may also be times when the teacher is fully responsible for reading a chunk of the text, or other times when she asks students to read the text with no teacher assistance whatsoever. 

Finally, consider stopping popcorn reading all together. This practice takes time that the entire class could spend practicing their own reading and substitutes a student model for expressive reading that is inferior to yours. In addition, popcorn reading can lead to decreased student engagement since most student reading is less comprehensible and engaging than teacher reading.

Please let us know what you think of our ideas, and share your during reading ideas for your work with complex text!

VIDEO: QUALITY ACADEMIC DISCUSSION IN A 5TH GRADE READING WORKSHOP

This is an exciting video that shows the Reading Workshop "Talking Curriculum" in action. It was filmed in the Spring of 2013 in Madeline Noonan's 5th grade class at Think College Now in OUSD, a school with a high percentage of ELLs as well as redesignated ELLs. At this point in the year, the class was engaged in a unit on historical fiction. One of my favorite aspects of this video is the way Madeline pushes her students to elaborate, clarify and defend with evidence. Notice the constant use of phrases like, "Can somebody build on what ______ just said?" Or "I love how you ________. I want to push you to _______."

Part 1 
The first section shows teacher moves and scaffolded student output and interaction during the Reading Workshop mini-lesson:
Academic Discussions and the Reading Workshop Mini-Lesson


Part 2 
The second section shows students interacting in a book group around an historical fiction novel called Daniel's Story:
Academic Discussions in a Book Group


Part 3
 The final section consists of the workshop closing plus reflections and comments from Madeline Noonan:
Workshop Closing and Closing Comments


Please contribute your thoughts and questions!

Posted by: Mike Ray, Bilingual and English Learner Specialist

WELCOME TO THE BLOG, OAKLAND UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT!

We've tinkered long enough! We now formally launch this

Photo credit: from the Oakland North website, December 29th, 2009

blog, and if you are here reading this, it may be because you received an email invite. There is still much to be done on the site, but there is enough to get our conversations started. We hope that your enthusiasm for Reading Workshop and building a vibrant reading life for ELLs brings you here often to comment, connect, think and perhaps even contribute a post!

We recommend you start with the ABOUT US tab to see how the site is structured and then start exploring.

A shout out to the four schools in Oakland that form the core of the ELLs in Reading Workshop Inquiry Collaborative: Acorn Woodland, Ascend, Think College Now and Greenleaf. Thanks for your talent, dedication and your past and forthcoming contributions. And thanks to Leah Jensen for helping Mike Ray get up to speed on the blogging format.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SPREAD THE WORD AND FOLLOW US BY EMAIL IF YOU FEEL SO INCLINED! The sign-up box is on the right column of this screen. 

And stay tuned for these new posts in the coming weeks:

• ELLs and Visualization in Reading Workshop by Dale Rogers-Eilers, OUSD Bilingual and ELL Specialist and former Manzanita SEED teacher
• Storytelling by Kyle Smith, 2nd Grade Teacher Leader from Think College Now--video included
• Yours-Mine-Ours: Choosing Just Right Books with Students by Chuck Erdmann, 4th Grade Teacher Leader from Greenleaf Elementary School
• Matching Students with Text: All Things Teacher's College by Jennifer Kaufman, Bilingual and ELL Specialist, OUSD

Look forward to working with you soon!

Michael P. Ray, Bilingual and ELL Specialist, OUSD
Jennifer Kaufman, Bilingual and ELL Specialist, OUSD

GUIDED INDEPENDENT READING

Category of Inquiry: Building Reading Strategies

Post Written by: Michael Ray, Bilingual and English Learner Specialist at Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction in Oakland Unified School District

Source: Emily Rinaker, 4/30/13, Chuck Erdmann 9/26/13, coinage by Mike Ray, 4/30/13

Problem of Practice: There is sometimes a lack of evidence that ELLs are learning and using the many skills taught in Reading Workshop mini-lessons and conferences.

Essential Question: How can we provide instruction that allows ELLs to learn and fluently utilize the reading strategies taught in mini-lessons?

Instructional Strategy: After the mini-lesson, ALL students practice the skill from the mini-lesson for five to ten minutes and later use it in paired talk. This approach is analogous to the Six Traits "guided writing" in which a mini-lesson on a author tool such as dialogue is followed by kids going to their writing folder, pulling out an existing piece of writing, and applying the mini-lesson skill to that piece of writing. In this way, all the teacher conferencing during the independent portion of the Reading Workshop focuses on the teaching point from the mini-lesson.

Rationale: Though the Teacher’s College mini-lesson format includes time for practice, it does not usually hold students accountable for practicing the skill during their independent reading time, instead inviting students to use the new strategy if they want to or if they find it useful in their reading. This approach mirrors what good readers do, and ultimately it is what we want our students in Reading Workshop to do. However, given the many challenges ELLs are facing as they build their independent reading life, largely related to grappling with vocabulary, background knowledge and language structure, they may be too overwhelmed to apply a new strategy unless we give them sufficient practice and feedback. With this instructional strategy, students know that they will be held accountable for practicing and using the skill from the mini-lesson that day. 

Tensions and Areas for Further Inquiry: Not every “independent” encounter with text should be “guided,” since that might undercut the independent reading life and make independent reading less authentic. Perhaps alternating between the guided approach and the “use it if you want” approach would be helpful. Also, not all mini-lessons will translate very well to classwide independent practice immediately following a mini-lesson.  

NOT “JUST RIGHT BOOKS”

Category of Inquiry: Matching Students with Text, Building Reading Strategies

Post Written by: Jennifer Kaufman and Michael Ray, Bilingual and English Learner Specialists at Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction in Oakland Unified School District

Source: Monica Purdy (Kinder) at Think College Now in OUSD

Problem of Practice: Often the texts that pre-readers and early readers have in their book boxes are too simple to provide meaningful practice and interaction with the objective of the mini lesson.

Essential Question: How can pre-readers and early readers engage with meaningful text to practice strategies in mini-lessons when their just right books are too simple?

Instructional Strategy: Use rich picture books above students' level in kinder to make conversations richer and more aligned to more complex content of mini-lesson.

Rationale:  Using familiar picture books and popular read alouds during independent reading time gives students more points of entry with engaging with rich text to help the mini lesson come to life.  These texts also foster meaningful partner talk and motivation. 

Tensions and Areas for Further Inquiry: The tension is ensuring that students have time to spend reading books that are on their level as well.

PROCEDURES, PROCEDURES, PROCEDURES...

Tessa Strauss in her 2nd Grade Class 
at Ascend in Oakland
Category of Inquiry: Cross-Cutting Practices

 

Post Written by: Michael Ray, Bilingual and English Learner Specialist at Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction in Oakland Unified School District

Source: Chuck Erdman, Tessa Strauss, Sarah Horwitz, Edy Scripps, Kate Snyder, Monica Purdy

Problem of Practice: ELLs often have trouble orchestrating the many routines and habits around Reading Workshop that will help them build a vibrant reading life.

Essential Question: What can we do to make the procedures and habits of Reading Workshop support the vibrant reading life of ELLs?

Instructional Strategy: Make roll-out of procedures and reader strategies methodical and thorough by:

• repeating really important procedures
• practicing the procedures with familiar material
• using visuals and posters
• keeping vocabulary consistent and clear

We have noticed many of our Oakland teachers treat each mini-lesson as a precious, unrepeatable moment to clarify some vital aspect of building the reading life. We wish we could have videotaped it all so far!

Rationale: A focus on procedures introduces a level of predictability into the structure for students so that they can understand what they are supposed to do, and be held accountable for it. 

Tensions and Areas for Further Inquiry: We don’t want to make things so simple or move so slowly that we are withholding the richness and challenge of Reading workshop. In some sense it’s the old question of “When do I take away the scaffolds?”

Completed Poster from Mini-Lesson on Solving Problems in Reading Workshop from Kate Snyder's 2nd grade at Ascend in Oakland

Poster from Mini-Lesson on Reading Behaviors

from Kate Snyder's 2nd grade at Ascend in Oakland

A "JUST RIGHT" BEGINNING

 Poster from Kate Snyder's 2nd Grade class at Ascend Elementary in Oakland

Category of Inquiry: Matching Students with Text

Post Written by: Michael Ray, Bilingual and English Learner Specialist at Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction in Oakland Unified School District

Source: Joyanne Mcclamroch and Megan Hatschek, TCN, Spring, 2013, in conversation after an observation of Joyanne's class.

Problem of Practice: Often ELLs seem to not comprehend, be able to accurately decode or read at basic rate the books they choose even when they are within their identified independent level as measured by a running record.

Essential Question: How do you make sure ELL students are matched with a just right book?

Instructional Strategy: Begin the year with four to six weeks of conferences focused on "just right books."

Rationale: The main justification for this strategy is that the Reading Workshop depends on students having access to and knowledge about how to choose a "just right" book. All the richer conversations and conferencing that you might focus on later depends on this as well. In particular for ELLs, they need to gain an awareness of what gets in their way as they read and what helps them, and then become proficient at getting a book that works for them. It is a responsibility that they will have to assume if they are to build an independent reading life, and knowing that the teacher is going to be focusing on just right books will hold them accountable. In addition, exploring with ELLs why a book feels just right or not to them will provide a more complete picture of what they need to take into account to get a really strong match with a book, and this in turn will lead to important mini-lesson and focuses for conferencing.  On-the-go running records (or RALLI one-minute tallies, see P 31 of RALLI binder) during the research phase of conferencing before the teaching point can add important data to conferencing about just right books.

Tensions and Areas for Further Inquiry: There are a lot of other things to work on early in a Reading Workshop, so it might be hard to dedicated the kind of focus to this instructional strategy called for in this description.