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 Scheduling Peer Learning 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 Peer-Assisted Learning
Convene grade-level teachers to review the Learn What Works resources for peer learning, using these discussion questions.
Download Tool | WORD | 117 KB
——————————————————————————–
Peer Learning Self-Assessment Inventory
Use this checklist to review the extent to which you are using research-based practices and identify ways to do more with peer-assisted learning.
Download Tool | WORD | 117 KB
Planning Templates
Scheduling Peer Learning is 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 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 can use the information and tools on this site to plan and structure peer learning opportunities that provide instructional practice for English learners.
Curriculum Coordinator:
Help teachers eliminate “busy work” from peer practice and maximize language use by students. Listen to Margarita Calderon describe some red flags associated with ineffective practice so you can take maximum advantage of practice time.
Implementing Peer-Assisted Learning
——————————————————————————–
ESL/ELD Teacher:
Teach English learners the academic English associated with structured peer routines, including how to give feedback. Here’s a list of language structures and words that are commonly used. (PDF File)
Essential Features of Structured, Inclusive Academic Discussions
——————————————————————————–
Grade-Level Teams:
Figure out optimal ways to incorporate peer learning into curriculum planning by making it a regular topic on the agenda for grade-level team meetings. Use this planning tool to generate ideas.
Learning Together about Peer-Assisted Learning
Peer Learning Self-Assessment Inventory
——————————————————————————–
Intermediate Grade Teacher:
Develop written protocols for students to use when they work in pairs on science and math practice problems. Trade these protocols with other teachers to build up your collection of peer assignments. (PDF File)
——————————————————————————–
K-3 Teacher:
Host a class meeting to generate suggested “rules” for working with peers. Talk about taking turns and giving feedback. Suggest that students compare their rules with the poster made by students at Heritage.
——————————————————————————–
Principal:
In a staff meeting, use the animated presentation, Connecting Peers (9 minutes), or the short interview with Margarita Calderon, Implementing Peer-Assisted Learning (5 minutes), to review the benefits of peer practice with teachers. Discuss ways to extend peer practice to all classes and subject areas so that all English learners experience at least 90 minutes per week in peer practice. For further ideas, see the tool on Learning Together.
Connecting Peers, Including English Learners, to Improve Learning
Implementing Peer-Assisted Learning
Learning Together about Peer-Assisted Learning
——————————————————————————–
Reading Coach:
Help teachers use literature circles to organize peer practice for developing reading comprehension and oral language. Share these written guidelines with students to help them run their own literature circles.
——————————————————————————-
Staff Developer:
Identify which teachers in the district are using peer learning approaches that exemplify research-based practice. Encourage them to mentor teachers who are interested in learning how to use peer learning. This checklist could be used to talk with teachers about their practices and also identify effective approaches.
Peer Learning Self-Assessment Inventory
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.