Taking Action
The information and resources on Teaching Literacy to K-5 English Learners are designed to support improvements in policy and practice for districts, schools and classrooms. You can explore Doing What Works to understand the recommendations from the research and decide on changes in your own practice. Or, as a technical assistance provider or improvement team member, you may be in a position to help others examine their practice and make changes.
If you are looking to use Doing What Works resources as part of an improvement initiative, the tools in this “Do What Works” section may be especially helpful because they show how to use the resources in the “Learn What” and “See How” sections to develop a vision of desired practice, conduct a needs assessment, and develop local action plans. (Some of these tools link to materials on other parts of the website; here all the tools related to academic English are collected for easy reference.)
Whatever your role, there’s probably something here for you. Some suggestions targeted to specific role groups are provided under the heading “Uses by Role.”
Practice Tools
These tools help you use the materials in the “Learn What” and “See How” sections, as you tackle the hard work of school improvement. Each tool is a downloadable Word document that you can edit and adapt to serve your needs.
Learning Together About Teaching Academic English
Convene a school team to review the Learn What Works resources for teaching academic English, using these discussion questions.
Download Tool | WORD | 109 KB
——————————————————————————–
Observing Gaps in Academic English
Teachers can gain insight into the specific academic English words and structures that trip up English learners by observing how students respond to instruction and practice activities. This guide is an aid to conducting observations to learn more about students’ needs for academic English instruction.
Download Tool | WORD | 125 KB
——————————————————————————–
Reviewing Test Items
Which words are tripping up your students on state assessments? An analysis of test items and responses can target academic words that require extra instruction.
Download Tool | WORD | 118 KB
——————————————————————————–
Preparing to Teach Academic English
This tool shows how two schools approached the question: What is the academic English that should be taught at different grade levels and in different classes?
An activity with five steps is suggested to guide school staff who wish to work together to develop, adapt, and refine a framework customized for their school.
Download Tool | WORD | 115 KB
Planning Templates
Developing Academic English is also included in each of three comprehensive planning templates that include all five practices for Teaching Literacy to K-5 English Learners. An overview describes how these planning templates can be used by a technical assistance provider or other support provider working with schools on comprehensive needs assessment and planning.
Overview of Planning Templates
Download Overview | WORD | 107 KB
——————————————————————————–
Planning Template #1: Working with State Education Agencies
Download Template | WORD | 135 KB
——————————————————————————–
Planning Template #2: Working with Districts
Download Template | WORD | 131 KB
——————————————————————————–
Planning Template #3: Working with Schools
Download Template | WORD | 134 KB
Uses by Role
Educators at all levels of the system can use the information and tools on this site to ensure that English learners are being taught the content words and language structures of academic English.
Classroom Teacher:
Graphic organizers are useful techniques for conveying related concepts and vocabulary to English learners. Adapt new graphic organizers into your teaching: story map, thinking map, and transition word organizer.
Teaching Academic English to English Learners
——————————————————————————–
Curriculum Coordinator:
To familiarize principals and teachers with academic English concepts, convene a short professional development session and show them the presentation on Teaching Academic English to English Learners (9 minutes) and the short interview with Robin Scarcella (5 minutes). As a follow-up reading assignment, provide copies of the academic English recommendation in the Practice Guide.
Classroom Applications of Academic English
Teaching Academic English to English Learners
——————————————————————————–
ESL/ELD Teacher:
Provide assistance to classroom teachers in pinpointing the specific content words and language structures that are difficult for students who are English learners. Use this systematic observation strategy to identify the academic english strengths and needs of individual students.
Observing Gaps in Academic English
——————————————————————————–
Math Coach:
If you are concerned that English learners do poorly on tests even though they know the material, consider teaching more explicitly the academic English vocabulary and language structures used in assessments. Learn how to systematically review assessment items to identify the categories of academic English vocabulary that trip up English learners.
——————————————————————————–
Principal:
If test results show weaknesses related to particular language arts standards, the problem might be due to alignment issues across elementary grades. Learn a process for developing complementary teaching strategies across several grade levels to address standards that are posing challenges to students.
Cross-Grade Activity: Vertical Planning
——————————————————————————–
Reading Coach:
Prepare a plan for teaching academic English in your school. Read about how two elementary schools with large numbers of English learners (Cahuenga and Heritage) approached developing similar plans. Consider which of their approaches to adapt or recommend for your school.
Preparing to Teach Academic English
——————————————————————————–
School Leader:
Form a study group on academic English. Have the group review the media presentation, Teaching Academic English to English Learners (9 minutes) and the short interview where Robin Scarcella lists the components of academic English, Classroom Applications of Academic English (3 minutes). Begin to investigate whether your school addresses all the components Scarcella identifies. Use the tool, Learning Together about Teaching Academic English, as a source of discussion questions for your inquiry.
Classroom Applications of Academic English
Learning Together About Teaching Academic English
Teaching Academic English to English Learners
——————————————————————————–
School Leadership Team:
Get the whole school staff committed to standards-based teaching by involving everyone in a series of practical activities at the beginning of the year that help them understand the intent behind particular standards. Learn about a staff meeting activity from Warfield’s principal that creates materials that can be used throughout the year.
Working as a Team on Standards
——————————————————————————–
State ELD Consultant:
Provide training to school districts on building a district wide framework to guide academic English instruction. Use Robin Scarcella’s PowerPoint to explain basic concepts and the examples of academic English frameworks in the Practice Guide as samples to build from.
Robin Scarcella Presentation on Academic English
——————————————————————————–
Superintendent of Schools:
Adopt policies that facilitate the daily teaching of academic English in all content areas. See examples of policy areas.
Planning Template #2: Working with Districts
Getting the Most From This Area of the Website
For the most powerful effect on achievement, state, district and school leaders should work in concert to implement all five of the practices in Teaching Literacy to K-5 English Learners. The five research-based practices are inter-related parts of a schoolwide core literacy program. As all teachers use data to monitor the progress of all students, they can provide differentiation and extra support for English learners as needed.
The three Planning Templates are wide-ranging tools designed to support application of these ideas at the state, district, and school levels. Each encompasses all five practices for teaching literacy to English learners. These templates can provide a guiding framework whether you are initiating an improvement effort or want to review and strengthen an existing one.
Become familiar with the Learning Cycle structure that underlies this website (Learn to understand the research-based practice; See some ways the practice has been implemented; Do take action to align your practice with research.) A media presentation explains the Learning Cycle structure. Consider using this structure to guide your group’s extended investigation of the Doing What Works content.
Caution: Doing What Works provides suggestions, not prescriptions! You are the best judge of what will work in your particular setting.
Return Links
Return to “DEVELOP ACADEMIC ENGLISH” Page
Return to “PROVIDE READING INTERVENTIONS” Page
Return to “RECOMMENDED PRACTICE” Page
Return to Main Teaching Literacy Page