How ANY language is developed - From speakers - to readers and writers.

All the elements in the IDA infomap graphic apply to all languages.
Guzman writes: "Many believe Structured Literacy doesn’t work for Multilingual Learners (those with other language backgrounds)— and that’s true if applied through a monolingual lens. Structured Literacy principles can be adapted to support Multilingual Learners and gain actionable instructional practices to integrate explicit language and literacy instruction that leverages students’ linguistic diversity as a strength."

Teacher tip:

If teachers are not familiar with the components of a student's first language, use AI to assist.

If the teacher has English as their second language, ensure the sounds are modelled correctly when teaching students.

Emma Nahna (Sounds Foundations) has these free posters in both Te Reo Māori and English:

The Sounds of NZ English are modelled here on YouTube: (source Emma Nahna)

Check the auto generated momements clip to juimp to the separate sections.

Everyone has to build a "reading brain" - no one is born with a part of the brain able to read.

Dr Carolyn Strom.

YouTube: Melissa Chan-Green

Dr Carolyn explains a user-friendly "neighbourhoods working together in a city" metaphor for how areas in the brain work together to build reading networks.

She explains that strong oral language and phonemic (sound) awareness are crucial for good reading and writing.

Ways parents can help "set up" for learning (Dr Carolyn's tips)

focus on tuning into sounds in words, playing games
develop oral language -build vocabulary
get drawing, learn shapes of the letters and link to sounds
use 6 sounds e.g. (f/p/t/i/m/a) to make and break small words

Core research models that inform teaching.

Spoken language is essential to reading acquisition.

The Simple View of Reading (Gough and Tunmer 1986 ) reminds us that the language comprehension component means the ability to understand spoken language .

These two components of decoding and comprehension are taught side by side and not in isolation. When working on decoding, you are also working on meaning. This is especially true for diverse language learners.

The report of the National Reading PANEL identified five key concepts at the core of every effective reading instruction program: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. However, this report did not address needs of ESL learners and so a second report was commissioned:

This identified that Oral language practice (spoken language) is foundational to literacy acquisition.

Reading and oral language go hand in hand

We know that oral language benefits reading development, BUT our oral language can also benefit from our reading abilities. Exposure to new vocabulary through reading vastly outweighs anything teachers can provide in scheduled lessons. Readers are also exposed to a whole range of idioms, figurative language, concepts and more complex sentence structures than they would be in normal oral language situations.

Reading ability is closely tied to our spoken language ability.

What we can understand in our reading is based on what we can understand when listening. If (reading) miscomprehension occurs, it is often due to not being able to understand it in spoken language.

Scarborough's Reading Rope, is a model of the various strands of skills and knowledge that make up skilled reading.

While they are represented graphically as separate, the strands are integrated instructionally.

Teacher tip:

Language comprehension strands are to be taught at the same time as the word recognition strands.

Spoken language is a predictor of reading and writing ability

The foundation and walls need to be strong in order to support the roof.

Oral language skills of meaning, vocab and listening skills need to be continuously build upon throughout instruction, beyond the decoding stage. They do not stop being taught.

Teacher tip:

We do not need to wait for a level of proficiency - instruction in oral language and literacy instruction should occur simultaneously.

Explicit teaching of oral language should continue beyond the decoding stage, into later schooling.

Walking Towards Infinity: Oral Language Development and Reading

Pamela Snow Published at: November 27, 2024 https://spellcaster.education/posts/2024/11/27/walking-towards-infinity-oral-language-development-and-reading/

In this presentation, Professor Pamela Snow explores the powerful relationship between oral language development and reading, highlighting how mastering this connection opens corridors of opportunity for all learners.

Adaptations needed for all learners

What is Tier 1, 2 and 3 language?

Created by education researchers Isabel Beck and Margaret McKeown

For all learners (even those with English as their first language), there is a difference between academic language (English) and conversational language (English).

Tier 1 language is regular everyday language.
For any student to be able to access school learning, there is a need to give them practice accessing and using Tier 2 or academic language. This is particularly so for those with ESOL.

More about Beck and McKeown's tiers of vocabulary here

To improve a student's literacy in academic subjects - focus on Tier 2 words | language.

Pamela Snow shares some practical ways to Teach Tier 2 vocabulary.

Strengthening academic language (Tier 2 language) - the Mentor Sentence strategy.

Information from Unpacking Language Across Disciplines: The Mentor Sentence Strategy, (Unbound2024conference)

This Tier 2 language acquisition can be scaffolded and taught using mentor sentences; example sentences that give opportunity to paraphrase and summarise one complex sentence from the actual material students are expected to read and understand in a topic.

It can be across any curriculum area.
It can be particularly useful in maths classes where there is a high level of literacy required for understanding maths problems.
It give students multiple opportunities to read the sentence (fluency) and supports them to read and re-read and engage with the vocab (vocabulary development and therefore comprehension). The specifics of the structure of the sentence is examined, (grammar). They are then tasked with re-creating a similarly structured sentence of their own, but which is closely modelled on the mentor sentence (sentence generation).

Click Expand for the process.

The process is:

Teacher selects a suitable mentor sentence - ideally from the material being used in class. It needs to be challenging enough to give students a chance to stretch their current ability. It may be hard to understand due to the sentence complexity or the vocabulary used.
Students read the sentence out loud (or a volunteer does).
Students are invited to paraphrase: - use their own words to re-state what the sentence is saying (this may simplify the vocab used) - all have a go and then share with each other
Students are asked to summarise (use words to explain what the sentence main points are) - all have a go and then share with each other
Turn and talk to peers "What do you notice about the sentence? - about the structure/grammar, use of punctuation, word choice, etc"
Teacher points out and names the language features used (if not already identified by students)e.g. what makes it a complex sentence?, can we identify the dependent clause (aka subordinate clause ) and independent clauses? how is is the punctuation used?, any poetic features such as alliteration? etc.
The students then have a go at writing their own sentence, modelled on the mentor sentence structure (using 2-3 nominated language features used in the mentor sentence). Then share back. (Use "waterfall or cascade" responding if on-line (all write in chat and only press enter after a time limit given to write so all response come at one) - or use whiteboards where all are displayed at once)

Extra source : Grammar content by Bedrock Learning

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