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Oral language often takes a backseat to other subjects in the curriculum. We do curriculum mapping to make sure we cover all of the reading, writing, and math standards for our students, but how often do we map out a plan for addressing oral language skills? In my state, Illinois, we use the Common Core Standards, and I have to admit that I almost always look at the other literacy standards and only infrequently glance at the “Speaking and Listening” standards. But guess what? THIS IS NOT GOOD!! Recently, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in some professional development and learn more about students’ oral language and literacy development. I want to share what I’ve learned so far with you, because oral language development is definitely something worth paying attention to – whether you teach ELLs or students whose first language is English. Read on for some of the facts that I’ve learned about how students’ oral language affects their literacy development, as well as some tips to help develop your students’ oral language. 1. Oral language is one of the most powerful tools young children have to help them learn about the world. As babies and toddlers learn to understand and produce language, their knowledge about the world around them grows exponentially. For example, they may first call all small pets “dogs,” only later learning about the categories of “dog” and “cat.” When students begin school at the age of 5, their oral language development is far from finished. If we don’t allow our students opportunities to grow their oral language, we are impeding their learning. Which leads me to… 2. Oral language develops through use. We can talk all day until we are blue in the face, but students’ oral language will only develop when they have opportunities to use it. That means we gotta let ’em talk! 3. There are ways we can assess students’ oral language development. One 3-minute assessment I was recently introduced to is an Oral Language Assessment by Mondo. Click {here} to download the assessment for free (scroll down to where it says “Let’s Talk About It! Oral Language Assessment”). In this assessment, you say aloud sentences of varying lengths, and students have to repeat back the sentences to you (one at a time). Students are supposed to be able to correctly repeat back at least 14 of the 15 sentences by the middle of first grade. But… 4. Many struggling readers also struggle with oral language. If you give the assessment that I linked to above to struggling readers (even those in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade), they will likely not achieve the score that a 1st grader is supposed to have achieved. Eek! If you transcribe what a child has repeated back to you during the assessment, you can look for patterns. Is the child missing verb phrases? Subjects? Pronouns? Prepositions? These gaps will also show up in the child’s reading and writing. 5. Listening comprehension precedes reading comprehension. If a student can’t repeat back what you said during the assessment, then they will likely not comprehend the same sentence in text, EVEN if they can decode it. Let’s take a look at this sentence from the assessment: The car and the truck were carrying some large boxes. This sentence might seem pretty simple at first glance. But it contains all of the following ideas: – There was a car – There was also a truck – The car and the truck were carrying some boxes – The boxes that they were carrying were large If a child cannot repeat back the sentence exactly as it is spoken, he/she likely does not grasp all of those individual ideas that make up the sentence. Missing many small details like this adds up to poor reading comprehension and inferential thinking. 6. Oral language ability impacts students’ writing. Do you have any students whose writing consists of one big run-on sentence, a bunch of thoughts connected by “and,” “and,” “and?” They likely sound the same way when they talk. I feel like I’m sharing lots of bad news here!! And, honestly, poor oral language development can be really bad news for students when it comes to their literacy development. However, there ARE things that we can do to support students’ oral language development. Here are a few ideas: – Simplify directions given orally. Students who struggle with listening comprehension / oral language likely will not be able to understand or follow directions that are include lots of clauses, prepositional phrases, etc. You can’t stop giving multi-step directions just because you have students who struggle with their oral language. You can, however, give those directions in simple language, one step at a time, with pauses in between. – Have students engage in “turn and talks” (think-pair-shares) every 4-5 minutes. This sounded like a lot to me, but again, oral language develops through use – kids need to talk about what they are learning! – Provide low-risk opportunities for kids to practice talking. Kids need to feel comfortable talking about non-academic topics before they will take risks when talking about their learning. Low-risk activities can take the form of having students share about their activities over the weekend or asking them to talk to each other about what they see in a funny/strange picture. During these “practice sessions,” act as a participant or observer in the conversation, rather than bombarding kids with questions. Encourage kids to use specific vocabulary words during the discussion. – Help students extend their oral language with prompting. Here’s a sample conversation between a child (C) and teacher (T): T: Where did you go this weekend? C: The park. T: Oh, you went to the park? What did you do there? C: Played on the swings. T: Ah, you played on the swings. Who did you play with? C: My brother! T: Great! You could say, I went to the park and played on the swings with my brother. Can you say that with me? C & T: I went to the park
Dual language education provides a unique and powerful opportunity to strengthen children's highest cognitive brain potentials.
Update 2021: This item is now included in the comprehensive Activity Studio+ __________________________________________________________________________________ 40-page downloadable home topic activity list + documentation guide to address language and cognition goals through a functional/participation-based lens.
Learn about the reasons why autistic children always cry and discover helpful ways to soothe & understand their emotions. Find comfort and support in our guide.
M., who I met on the facebook, in connection with MEC, advised me to have a look at the MAKATON signs that she uses with her daughter to connect the two languages. No matter which language you use, use the same sign for the same thing, so the child can learn to connect the meaning. You can make up your own signs as well, or do a signing course in Hungarian. I don't want to recommend any courses as we didn't take them. Just google it: baby sign language course Budapest. Here are some examples, signs we use on a daily basis: Though we sign the horse in a different way: You can find more signs here. You can also learn from a special BBC programme for kids with special needs. The programme itself is called Something Special. Each programme sees Justin and Mr Tumble (played by Justin) out and about applying signing in a variety of places. Topics covered include babies, pets, toys, weather, clothes, shops, food, all about me, where I live and colours. Mr Tumble always dresses up, wearing brightly-coloured clothes and even big shoes! He moves around clumsily and has lots of fun. The language used throughout each programme is supported by Makaton signs and symbols and is designed to be understood by children in the early stages of language development. Full episodes are 15-20 minutes long. What I did with this programme is that I watched them one by one on youtube. I learnt the signs (they are very straight forward and easy to learn) and started using them both in English and in Hungarian (same sign for the same thing). E. was 6-7 months old when I introduced signing to her. (4-5 signs at a time). When she was familiar with these (after about 2-3 weeks) I introduced new ones. Sometimes I picked a short part of an episode (max. 5-6 minutes long) and we watched it together. This could have begun earlier as well. But never cry over split milk. Click on the link, the first video I saw and really was fascinated by it - Something Special- Baby I don't do the signing all the time only if E. is not paying attention or I really want to link a new expression in both languages. Most of the time signing draws her attention. In the next post I'll write about some songs which can be followed with signing. It's a hit with kids. They love it! You'll love it too. -------------------------UPDATE 2016 ------------------------------- The programme Something Special (Mr Tumble) got renewed still it's great. On Something Special youtube channel you can even find songs signed by Mr Tumble (Justin)
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“What are your student engagement strategies? Your answer matters.”
You can teach language arts without a curriculum. Get ideas for how you can use inexpensive resources to easily teach language arts in your homeschool!
Are you searching for engaging and educational worksheets to help your students understand the different states of matter? Look no further! In this blog post, we have gathered a collection of fun and interactive worksheets that will capture their attention and enhance their learning experience. Designed for students in elementary and middle school, these worksheets cover the entity and subject of states of matter in a creative and engaging way.
Card talk is one of the easiest activities to give your students more comprehensible input in language class, no matter what your class structure looks like now!
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These free handwriting worksheets will help your child master their letters! Download these free Handwriting Practice for kids Sheets, today!
Valentina Gonzalez, Sarah Said, Mary Ann Zehr, Dr. Jeff Zwiers and Dr. Maneka Deanna Brooks share strategies for encouraging English Language Learners to practice speaking their new language.
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This article explores the most common rhythm syllable systems used in elementary music classrooms today and works through pros and cons for each method.
Teaching states of matter in kindergarten can be a tricky! Here are some resources to help students gain a solid understanding of the topic!
UPDATE : A Solid regular version is now included by popular request :) Kindness matters...it really does. Here is hoping that every time you use this font, it serves as a little reminder for you :) Kindness Matters is a quirky All-caps SVG font - with built-in watercolour texture that looks so very real. Perfect for quotes, posters, flyers, social media posts and so much more :) SVG fonts are supported by Photoshop CC 2017 or Illustrator CC 2018 (or newer). For those of you without either of those - the regular font is also included :~) **EXTRAS : ** - 4 Handy 'underlines' are also included in the Glyphs set - you can access them via the Glyphs panel in Photoshop or by making sure you have your Ligatures on ( in your Character panel) and type out and of the four brackets on your keyboard : (), {}, [], and - Also included are two bonus Photoshop Duotone Watercolour styles - one click to add real watercolour overlay to your SVG font which really makes it pop :) Current Language Support - English Character set only. Happy Creating!
When it comes to complex sentences, things quickly become... well... complex. At the mere mention of independent clauses, dependent clauses, and subordinating conjunctions, many young eyes immediately glaze over. One year, when I was about to introduce the topic of complex sentences to my fifth graders, I decided on a whim to use an image of a nurse helping a patient walk. I was amazed by how much this simple image helped my students. I told them that the nurse in the picture was like the independent clause. Just as the nurse can stand alone, so also can an independent clause "stand alone" as a complete sentence. Then I told my students that the patient with the crutch leaning against the nurse was like the dependent clause. The patient could clearly not stand on his own, just as a dependent clause cannot stand alone, either. A dependent clause depends on the independent clause to help it be part of a complete sentence. This idea resonated so well with my students that I've used this explanation ever since. As you can see, I discarded the nurse/patient image I had previously used. (Although it did the trick, it wasn't very visually appealing.) When I ran across the image below when I purchased a clip art set by Educlips, I upgraded my image to this one. A FREE PARTNER ACTIVITY As you can see, there is a lot of information on this anchor chart. Students will only retain these concepts if they get an opportunity to interact with the various elements of complex sentences. Therefore, I created an interactive exercise where students can manipulate each clause and then write complex sentences using the clauses. Personally, I would have students complete this activity with a partner, but students can also do it independently, if you wish. (CLICK HERE if you would like to download this free activity to use with your students.) First, give each student the two worksheets and the writing mat. (This photo shows only the first worksheet, and the writing mat printed on yellow paper.) They follow the instructions written at the top of the worksheet: 1. Read the clauses in each pair. 2. Underline the dependent clause with a green marker. 3. Underline the independent clause with a red marker. 4. Circle the subordinating conjunction with a blue marker. 5. Use the two clauses to write a complex sentence that starts with a dependent clause in the first box of the writing mat. 6. Use the two clauses to write a complex sentence that starts with an independent clause in the adjacent box. **Don't forget to use capital letters and punctuation! Although it's not written in the directions, if you want, you can add a step between Step 4 and Step 5 where students cut out the strips. This might be helpful for students who would benefit from physically moving the dependent clause directly in front of the independent clause before they write the first sentence on their mat. Then, students can move the independent clause to the front before they write the second sentence. Once students are done, they will have eight complex sentences written in both formats. I recommend checking all of the sentences to make sure students used commas in the first column, and that they refrained from using commas in the second column. If you are looking for additional resources for teaching about compound and complex sentences to your upper elementary students, feel free to check out the following resource. I have placed my bundle image here, but all of these items are also available for individual purchase in my TpT store. Finally, I wrote a related blog post at my own blog about compound sentences. Click HERE to check it out! Thanks for stopping by today! FREE Newsletter! Blog TpT Store Instagram Facebook Pinterest My YouTube Video Pin for future reference:
Check out the top ESL conversation activities for adults—make your English speaking classes fun, engaging and filled with happy students.
Let’s teach 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students about physical properties of matter. What are physical properties of matter? Physical properties of matter are characteristics that describe appearance of a substance without considering its chemical composition. Physical properties can be used to identify and distinguish one substance from another. Examples of physical properties include: ... Read more
Download, preview & design with Nothing Matters font using our powerful text font generator for free, or purchase the full version with a commercial license here. Nothing Matters Script Font Free Download License: Personal, CommercialFormat: OTF, TTFTotal Files: 2
Stop Traffic Sign, Height 18 in, Width 18 in, Sign Material Aluminum, Sign Mounting Style Mounting Holes, Printed Language English, Sign Shape Octagon
Today I wanted to fill you in on how I teach the verb GUSTAR but, first, a real life message. ;) I feel like I've reached THAT point. You know the point I'm talking about, right? The one where you're just trying to make it until the next break? For me that next break is Christmas (4 weeks and counting!). I'm sure I'm not alone in my feelings because it seems the same thoughts are shared often in the staff room at break and lunch each day. I think this is combined with the fact that this upcoming week is just a normal week. I'll go to work this Thursday (Thanksgiving) and teach on just like an average day. While it has gotten easier since this is our third Thanksgiving in Grand Cayman, it's still tough because, as an American, Thanksgiving is BIG. It's difficult not to be surrounded by lots of family on this day. We have amazing friends though and still put on a big get together with the traditional meal. This year, our friends that are hosting are even DVRing the Macy's parade, so we can all watch as we eat our Thanksgiving dinner after work on Thursday. :) Another reason I'm longing for a break is that it's just been a jam packed couple of weeks! The week before last was Pirates Week. It's a fun week long event that starts and ends with amazing fireworks and included a landing parade where the pirates officially take over the island. All week long you can see people walking around town sporting their pirate gear. The week ends with the pirates being kicked off the island until the next year. You can conveniently see the fireworks from our balcony, so that's a plus to where we live as we get a front row seat without having to fight the crowds. During the parade, people young and old dress up. Watch your children too as you never know when they might be kidnapped by a pirate. ;) This past week was the annual Reading Week at school. Teachers kicked off the week by dressing up as story book characters. Activities included: guest authors, reading buddies, an evening "bedtime story night", book exchange and a book fair. At the end of the week, students dressed up as their fav book character. We are also in the middle of practicing for the upcoming Christmas program that takes place in a couple of weeks. I am "fortunate" to be working with the 9th and 10th graders as they play the roles of King Herod and Roman soldiers, Getting them to take this semi-seriously is an exhilarating challenge...(to be read with sarcasm). :) So, what, you ask has been going on in Spanish class with the verb Gustar? Beats me?! I'm struggling to remember what I ate for breakfast 2 hours ago. Back to being serious...we just finished up a unit on GUSTAR. Gustar is always a fun topic because students naturally love to talk about what they like and don't like, so I find it's easy to put this grammar point into a contextual situation to which they can relate. We added some foldables and flip books to our interactive notebooks. We used characters cards to play an introduction game where the characters spoke about their pastimes, while students recorded the information. Using the cards, they introduced, gave basic information and said what they liked to do. I, of course, forgot to take more pictures because of everything else that's been going on. Students are also writing dialogues where they will speak about what they like and want to do. I tagged on the topic of QUERER + Infinitives with this unit as well, so that students are able to speak and write about what they like/don't like as what they want/don't want to do. I found a some good YouTube videos that are engaging and the students enjoy that I incorporate into my Gustar unit. Me gusta-mis pasatiempos Sí, sí me gustan I have used the "Sí, sí me gustan" one for years, but recently found the other and really like it too. Both of these guys have other fun Spanish videos as well, so I encourage you to check those out too. Be encouraged! Thrive while you survive! ;)
Educators across the country are using Latin as a means of unlocking English for their students and harnessing the power of its words.
