SLA/ELA Cycle

Scope and Sequence

English OR Spanish Language Arts Teachers

For teachers who teach only one of the two subjects, there is a need to collaborate with your opposite language partner to ensure different standards are being taught in each class simultaneously. One teacher will cover all of the standards in Unit 1 and the other teacher will cover all of the standards in Unit 2. Instead of taking one week for each unit, they will last two weeks simultaneously because the teacher has half of the time to teach that a Gen Ed teacher has. 

Bilingual Classrooms

When planning units, plan Unit 1 in one language and Unit 2 to happen simultaneously in the second language. We should not be reinforcing one class in the opposite language, but instead teaching two different things.

90% Rule for ELA/SLA

Many times, teachers are afraid to move on from teaching a standard due to students not quite getting it. Don't Worry!!! Most ELA/SLA standards overlap and come back again and again. 

This rule illustrates that each time you come back to the standard, you continue practicing at the "Comprehension" level until 90% of your students are successful. Once they have reached that level of success, then the next time you teach the same standard, give practice at the "Application" or higher level. 

For more information on these levels, see the section on Building Objectives.

What am I Supposed to Do with These Baskets?

Each week in ELA or SLA, the teacher has 2 opportunities for Bilingual Pair Activities. (See Bilingual Partners) This means that a bilingual classroom teacher has 4 opportunities for bilingual pair activities; two in English, two in Spanish. 

The activities are to be collected and held in this basket. Some assignments will be posted as recent bilingual partner work, and others will be sorted and sent home with partners. Students can decide who takes home work through a system of the teacher's choice (ie. Rock-Paper-Scissors).

Day 1

45 minute block

5 Minutes - Focus and review of Objective

20 Minutes - Direct Instruction of Reading Standards

20 Minutes - Bilingual Pair Activity 1 (Comprehension Level)

Day 2

45 minute block

20 Minutes - Direct Instruction of Grammar Standards

20 Minutes - Bilingual Pair Activity 2 (Comprehension Level or Application+ Level depending on 90% rule)

5 Minutes - Review/Closure

Daily

30 Minutes - Formal Writing

Students will complete one project in English for each 3 weeks and one project in Spanish for each 3 weeks. The bilingual teacher will switch writing language of instruction every 3 weeks. The collaborating teachers will switch student groups every 3 weeks.