Language & Literacy Rich Practices
For the 20-21 SY, every SCEP Plan is inclusive of the Advanced Hallmarks of Literacy. RCSD has adopted these hallmarks as part of their improvement strategy in the areas of language arts and mathematics instruction. The Hallmarks of Advance Literacy are based on Nonie Lesaux's work, Teaching Advanced Literacy Skills.
NYSED Hallmark briefs (click here to expand)
Briefs 1 & 2: Advanced Literacies and Reading Comprehension
Brief 1: Advanced Literacies for Academic Success
• Why they’re important
• Instruction across years
• Expected Outcomes
Brief 2: Reading Comprehension
• Code based + Meaning based = Reading
Briefs 3 through 6: The Hallmarks of Advanced Literacy Instruction
Brief 3: Engaging texts with big ideas and rich content
• Text complexity guidelines
Brief 4: Talk and discussion to build conversational and academic language knowledge
• Shifting perceptions of classroom talk
Brief 5: Write to build language and knowledge
• Writing types to fuel content mastery
Brief 6: Small sets of high-utility vocabulary words to build breadth and depth of knowledge
• Five principals of effective vocabulary instruction
Briefs 7-8: Instructional Spotlights
Brief 7: Instructional Units of Study
• Depth of Learning
• Learning as a Process
• Interactive Learning
Brief 8: Language Production Projects
• Organize unit around a compelling topic
• Build on Context knowledge from unit
• Built in opportunities to use targeted vocabulary
Language & Literacy Rich Practices
Translanguaging
"Translanguaging is the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of what are described as autonomous languages, in order to maximize communicative potential. " - Ofelia Garcia
The Translanguaging Classroom by Ofelia Garcia
Description: NYSED New and Home Language Progressions supports the scaffolding of Common Core standards by student proficiency level in both their home and new language.
Benefit: Teachers are able to provide students with comprehensible input and create strategic opportunities for language development that is appropriate for the child's current language abilities in both their new and home language.
Content & Language Objectives
Description: Lessons for all culturally and linguistically diverse students should include both language and content objectives. Language objectives specify the learning target for language modalities (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) within a lesson and or unit. Content objectives specify content related skills and topics that students should be working towards mastery within the lesson.
Benefits: Identifying both content and language allows the teacher to create strategic opportunities for both content and language mastery. When content and language objectives are shared with students, they are able to be partners in working towards specific skills.
appendix_protocols_and_resources.pdfStudent Engagement Strategies
Description: Activities that provide authentic opportunities for speaking and listening.
Benefit: Students have authentic opportunities to engage in language modalities while expanding vocabulary and language structures.
Socratic seminars
Description: Structured discussion about a text facilitated through the use of open-ended questions. Students listen closely, think critically, and effectively communicate opinions grounded in evidence.
Benefit: Allows students to examine themes and ideas in text while developing a deeper understanding related to perspective and content.
Frayer model
Description: A graphic organizer used to develop vocabulary.
Benefit: Allows students to provide a visual representation of a new academic word and identify both examples and non-examples to increase comprehension.
anchor charts
Description: Visual tool that is co-created with students to support instruction and serve as a reference for students as they work on a task.
Benefit: Builds autonomy within students, as they are able to use anchor charts as a resource to expand language and content skills.
Gomez & Gomez Rochester adopted elements
Description: School adheres to language of the day for pledge of allegiance, transitions, and social conversations, etc. A student monitors student and teacher adherence. MWF=home language TR=English. Minority language is used more often (3x/week).
Example of Use:
Use the LOD daily to review:
calendar (days of week, months, etc.) 2. classroom vocabulary from labels, word walls, and student generated alphabets
Use the LOD daily to engage students in following academic activities:
1. Dialogue journal writing (have students use a red notebook for home language and blue notebook for English)
2. Informal Read-Alouds (not during reading instruction)
3. DEAR (Drop Everything And Read...students need to select a books in English & home language)
Benefit: Promotes bilingualism among all staff and all students (including general education rooms).
Color designation to support translanguaging
Description: Red is used for the home language and Blue for English in the classroom environment.
Benefit: Students who are learning two languages can quickly identify environment resources in each language.
Description: Classrooms should have word walls for English, home language, and each content area. English and additional language word walls should have words in designated colors (red=home language, blue=English) related to current learning. Separate walls should have equal prominence. Students and teacher should add/remove words together.
Benefit: Word walls are instructional tools using during reading, writing, and content learning by students. Visible representation of both languages demonstrates that both languages are important and equal in value.
Description: Classrooms K-12 should be labeled in both languages with grade appropriate vocabulary. (Red=home language, Blue=English)
Benefit: Labeling of classroom environment will support expressive language development (speaking and writing). Labeling promotes bilingualism in the classroom and school.
Cognate studies
Description: Students should spend 15-20 minutes a week learning about cognates (words that look similar in the romance languages and English).
Students focus on
1. Non-cognates
2. False cognates
3. Cognates.
Benefit: Students analyze similarities and differences in language. Students are able to transfer vocabulary knowledge in one language to another.
Bilingual Libraries
Description: All classrooms should have books for independent reading in both languages. Areas should be clearly identified and attractive to students. There should be a variety of genres and selections in grade level appropriate ranges.
Benefit: Promotes a love of reading and allows students to practice skills with a book they love.
Description: Centers for each core subject area (math, science, and social studies). Centers should be available in both languages with an emphasis on increased availability of materials in the Language of Instruction (LOI). Students should work in bilingual pairs.
Benefit: Students work together in center to develop the four modalities (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) independent from their teacher. Students are able to develop skills and learn content while acquiring language.
Description:
Students are strategically paired in a group of four (high-medium pair and medium-low pair) based on content/standard/skill/language proficiency.
Native speakers support second language learners while completing tasks with pairs. Pair leans on support of group when needed.
ELL uses a red pencil and Never-ELL uses a blue pencil to complete shared task during work-time.
Students complete exit ticket on their own to demonstrate their own understanding.
Benefit:
Students benefit from speaking and listening to native speakers.
Increases accountable talk.
Allows students to develop meaning of concepts/build definitions.
Shifts from teacher centered instruction to student centered.
Student generated alphabet
Description: Display of alphabet in both languages. With teacher support students create a grade appropriate alphabet in both English and home language. The alphabet can be thematic based on current learning (ex. Social justice words, community words, etc.) Alphabet should be updated quarterly to reflect current learning.
Benefit: Students attached consonant and vowel sounds to grade appropriate words. Students have a visible resource for academic vocabulary.