Differentiated Instruction for Student Readiness - Essay Example

A statewide assessment of teachers in California recognized the top three challenges facing high school teachers regarding English language learners (Gibbons, 2002). The leading problem is communicating with English-language learners regarding academic, personal and social issues. The second challenge is motivating and encouraging English-language learners. The final challenge is addressing the diverse and individual needs of English-language learners in both English-language acquisition and academic skills.

Critics have, however, proved that if teachers improve on their skill, then they will be in a better position to teach these ELL students (Cruz, 2005). Therefore, on to the thesis, this article is addressed particularly to teachers, as well as administrators in schools, which have bilingual, or dual language programs, but lack proper strategies of implementing them. The article will describe strategies that will help educators scaffold content along with language learning for ELLs. It will also suggest likely steps in implementing some of the vital elements of the strategies and direct educators to additional resources.

These strategies are derived from numerous research studies from the past years that recognize effective methods for improving English language learners’ content knowledge. It also focuses on ways of improving English along with other subjects such as math, history, literature and science. Vocabulary and Language Development Content Knowledge The first strategy is vocabulary and language development whereby teachers or educators introduce fresh concepts through discussing vocabulary, which is vital to the concept being taught (Helmer & Eddy, 1996).

Exploring crucial academic terms, such as algorithm, starts a sequence of lessons on greater math concepts, as well as the student’s background knowledge. Educators could join student-accessible concepts or synonyms to the essential vocabulary. Educators could also help students in differentiating word meanings and their uses for subject-specific duties and prerequisite language skills (Gibbons, 2002). Academic Language It is essential to engage beginning-level learners in using the basic social and school phrases, vocabulary, as well as sentence structures (Gibbons, 2002).

As the ELLs progress, educators should continue to contextualize instruction of complex language forms and uses. Teachers can, at this point, incorporate subject-specific vocabulary, sentences and grammatical forms in the readings and writings in the class (Helmer & Eddy, 1996). Sample Activities and Assessments Assessing the progress of these students could be done in a variety of ways such as word analysis and interactive editing (Hu & Nation, 2002). Word analysis involves practices such as ELLs dissecting words into their parts like prefix, suffix and root.

Interactive editing, on the other hand, involves noting cloze paragraphs, reading subject-specific journals and dictations. Finally, when assessing the progress of ELLs, it essential to give them journals or A-B-C books to read out loud to the educators to check on their progress (Nation, 2001). Guided Interaction Content Knowledge Guided instructions assist teachers to structure lessons for students to learn together so as to understand what they read (Nation, 2001). This can be achieved through, speaking, listening, reading, as