TIII Back-to-School Series: Visual Orientation Handbook
I absolutely love this idea of a visual orientation handbook, shared with me by Silvia Tamminen, coordinator at the Aurora Public Schools (APS) Welcome Center in the Denver suburb of Aurora, Colorado.
The Aurora Public Schools (APS) Welcome Center supports one of the most diverse student populations in the country. This demographic includes a large number of folks resettled refugee status. The district is now home to students from all over the world, with especially robust cultural representation from Bhutan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Myanmar, Côte d’ Ivoire, and Eritrea.
Families with school-aged children who are new to the district and also new to the English language are directly referred to the APS Welcome Center. Staff guide Newcomer families through the processes of student registration and school orientation.
Sylvia Timmenem heads this effort. She’s a human rights professional with a concentration on refugee and migration issues. Her knowledge of policy and practice is evident. But she’s also approachable and down-to-earth, with a bold, welcoming smile. As I glance through her workspace, I notice elements of her Fin culture.
“Immigration is something I share with our clients,” she tells me. But she’s also quick to point out that while there are some parallels, her path to America was smoother than many of those she sees in her day-to-day work. Sylvia is deeply aware of the privilege that comes with choice, with a previous knowledge of the English language, and even her appearance. Nonetheless, she does have an understanding of just how complex and overwhelming the immgration process can be. This awareness adds an additional layer of humanity to her interactions.
Sylivia came on board with the APS Welcome Center program in its inaugural season. She and her team built the organization from the bones up. The visual orientation handbook is among the group’s creative, solution-seeking efforts.
The handbook is a non-consumable resource with a permanent home in Sylvia’s office. It is composed of full-page photos and illustrations, slid into sheet protectors and organized into a three-ring binder. Each image is captioned with a simple explanation, which is (or can be) easily translated into a preferred language. Sylvia or another APS staff member reads the book alongside incoming families (and a translator, if requested). Page by page, the tool lays out the expectations for a typical school day.
For example, one picture shows a group of students sitting on the ground listening to a read-aloud. The caption reads, “Sometimes, students sit on the carpet during the school day.”
This was an important inclusion, Sylvia assured me. “Many times our parents cannot believe that their child would sit on the floor to learn anything. In some of their own countries, that would be very strange and maybe make a parent very angry.” She points out that often these seemingly “everyday” aspects of the school day can be overlooked. But in the context of welcoming families from culturally diverse backgrounds, taking the time to explicitly detail various aspects of the school experience can go a long way.
Here are some other situations included in the APS visual orientation handbook:
Kids receiving lunch on a tray (many recently arrived learners would have gone home for lunch or packed their own meal)
Young adults putting their supplies in lockers (this may be a first-time experience for many)
Students arriving for school at or before the scheduled time (concepts of time and urgency around timeliness varies greatly from one culture and context to another)
Photos of co-ed teaching staff (learners and their families may have culturally influenced expectations about the appearance of those in teacher and leadership roles).
There are plenty more great ideas. Check them out in the Aurora Welcome Center’s comprehensive list below!
Could you duplicate this resource at your site? As long as you have a camera and a few hours to spare, of course! (Just be sure to send out a thank you to the APS Welcome Center for the idea. Find them here: http://welcomecenter.aurorak12.org)
This version was created by staff. But other great options might include:
Inviting former Newcomers to take this on as a project (a modernized “buddy” system)
Creating a digital and/or interactive version of the handbook
Engaging teacher teams in creating grade-level welcoming handbooks
And here are a few examples of what that might look like in actuality!
(Adapted with permission from Aurora Welcome Center: Refugee, Immigrant and Community Integration. Photos copyright @DiversifiED Consulting)
What Is Sheltered Instruction?
Effective Recent Arriver programming is structured with the principles of sheltered instruction in mind. These techniques are not tethered to an exclusive program or curriculum. Rather, they are tools for teaching and learning that can be applied to and incorporated into any existing program to explicitly promote language development. All sheltering strategies are centered around the primary goal of increasing Emergent Multiinguals’ access to (and demonstrated mastery of) essential knowledge- without compromising the integrity of the content lesson.
Strategies that are associated with this pedagogy foster academically focused student talk, intra and interdependent problem-solving skills, effective collaboration, and healthy cross-cultural communication skill development. These practices benefit Recent Arriver and traditional students alike and can be modified to support learners across a range of language, grade, and skill levels.
Where Did the Term Sheltered Instruction Come From?
Sheltered instruction is a manifestation of the Comprehension Hypothesis for language learning. The Comprehension Hypothesis is rooted in the idea that “we acquire language when we understand messages containing aspects of language that we have not acquired, but are developmentally ready to acquire.” (Krashen, 2013). That is, language learning best occurs in natural settings, drawing holistically from what we hear and read. It develops via exposure to comprehensible input, or bite-sized digestible pieces of language understanding.
This is in direct contrast to the skill-building theory, which presses for direct, rote learning of grammar, vocabulary and spelling knowledge. Briefly, skill-building strategies are conscious measures, while comprehension-based learning is subconscious and indirect. Research overwhelmingly indicates that language learning is enhanced and accelerated when Comprehension Hypothesis methods are applied. In fact, evidence shows that,
“Students in beginning-level second language classes based on the Comprehension Hypothesis consistently outperform students in classes based on skill-building tests of communication, and do at least as well as, and often slightly better than, students in skills-based classes on tests of grammar.” (Krashen, 2003)
Sheltered instruction is directly representative of Comprehension Hypothesis ideals. Its primary goal is to provide language learners with a comprehensible input through the implementation of specific instructional tools and practices. Sheltered instruction is critical in the context of Newcomer instruction in that it focuses on content over language.
When students are exposed to content knowledge in comprehensible ways, appropriate language output is a holistic byproduct. Additionally, anxiety and pressure to learn the new language may be significantly diffused in sheltered subject matter settings. In fact, “Students in sheltered subject matter classes acquire as much language or more language than students in traditional [ESL-direct] classes and also learn impressive amounts of subject matter”. (Krashen, 2013, 1991; Dupuy, 2000)
So, what does sheltered instruction look like in the classroom?
Sheltered, or scaffolded, instructional practices engage emergent bilinguals and multilinguals in the rigorous content investigation. It can encompass a wide range of instructional techniques, each aimed at guiding and directing language learners toward proficiency, within an environment that endorses safety and facilitated risk-taking.
At the crux of impactful scaffolded instruction are effective content language learning objectives, which can be incorporated into every subject, each day. These cornerstones provide a powerful sense of directionality for both the educator and the learner and fuel a focused sense of productivity.
Basic elements of sheltered instruction include:
appropriate pacing;
modified speech;
routine and predictability;
use of visuals, realia, and manipulatives;
explicitly introduced body language, gestures, and facial cues;
sentence stems;
relevant language supportive technology;
modeling;
traditional or interactive word walls;
interactive notebooking;
multiple modes of assessment/means of demonstrating understanding;
graphic organizers (such as Frayer models, Venn Diagrams or word-mapping);
co-operative talk structures, such as inside-outside circles, fishbowls, numbered heads (download your cheat sheet here);
SIOP lesson planning, or “Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol” (Echevarria & Short), is frequently implemented as part of sheltered-instruction instruction.
When we integrate sheltering techniques into existing curricula and classroom protocol, we invite emergent bilingual and multilingual students to engage with intention and purpose, in ways that highlight existing funds of knowledge. We also support team building and interpersonal skills, which lend themselves to healthy integration. Perhaps most importantly, sheltering strategies can be overlapped with other pedagogies, such as culturally responsive teaching and learning, leading to especially dynamic socio-academic student outcomes.
For detailed information on Sheltered Instruction techniques, see The Newcomer Student: An Educator’s Guide to Aid Transition, Chapters 6-8
Download your Co-Operative Learning Cheat Sheet HERE.
Newcomer / Recent Arriver Classroom Reminders
We’re into the thick of the year. It’s a great place to pause and reflect on our practice so far this school year and how we will grow our students in the remainder of our time together. It’s a great time for Newcomer/Recent Arriver classroom reminders! Here, we’ll look at the non-negotiables.
What would you add? Be sure to share your thoughts below.
FOUNDATION
Classroom culture drives learning. Newcomer students thrive in classrooms that are safe, structured and predictable. In fact, predictability is a cornerstone of positive school engagement. Predictability breeds trust, trust lends itself to safety, and safety opens students up to entertain curiosity, absorb content and practice positive risk-taking in the classroom.
DIRECTION
It is important to lead with a plan and to ensure that the plan supports equitable participation for all students, including students who are new to the English language. Content–Language Objectives (CLOs) are an effective tool for creating a specific language focus (with the purpose of enhancing content accessibility for ELLs). They are widely flexible and can be implemented across all grades/subjects and for any number of ELs in a class. Content–Language Objectives guide lesson planning and ground student understanding throughout the lesson.
PLANNING
In preparing for English Language instruction, there is a tendency to over plan. When it comes to lesson planning, aim for relevance and quality, not quantity. Return to the Content-Language Objectives. Ask: 1. What one strategy will be most useful to my learners in making the key content more digestible? 2. What one strategy will my students use to demonstrate the language objective within the target language domain (reading, writing, speaking, listening)?
Can more than one strategy be implemented? Of course! Just be sure to aim for clarity. If things start feeling jumbled or unclear, return to your one original focus for each question. Our students will always perform better when they know exactly what is expected of them.
COMMUNICATION
It’s important to keep in mind the amount of fo language that students encounter in a given school day. Beyond the conversational language that must be learned to navigate the bus, playground or lunchroom, learners encounter languages within the language throughout the entire school day.
Let me explain. If conversational English (with its slang, reduced speech and media influences) is a tongue, so is the Language of Mathematics. Isosceles, divisor, and equation are not words students are likely to pick up in their informal conversations. This type of (academic) vocabulary must be explicitly taught. And if Math is a tongue, then so is the Language of Social Studies, the Language of Music, the Language of English Literature, and so on.
Our students encounter thousands of words in a day. For ELLs, this can be especially overwhelming. To reduce the language load, we can be intentional about listening to ourselves. How might we describe the rate and complexity of our speech? How can it be modified for clarity?
In short, here’s what we’re aiming for: Speech should be clear, deliberate and unrushed. (Side note: Louder or painfully elongated speech is not helpful.)
EXPRESSION
Language encompasses so much more than just vocabulary. Tone, register, slang, cultural cues, humor, sarcasm, reduced speech, body language, facial expressions, and gestures must all be negotiated in the context of learning a new spoken language. Gestures, or the motions and movements Gestures can be used to enforce an idea but should become less exaggerated with time, as understanding grows. Where possible, normalized conversational gestures are optimal.
PACING
ELLs often require a longer “wait-time” to produce a response. After questioning, allow up to two minutes of unprompted thinking time. If a student is not yet ready, offer cooperative opportunities for production. Partner-Pair-Share, Numbered Heads, or Rally Table are great approaches; and sentence starters can be embedded into any of these strategies. Just be sure that the student who was originally asked does, ultimately, have the opportunity to share his or her response with the class.
APPROACH
Labeling, visuals, realia, manipulatives, graphic organizers, sentence frames and hands-on exploration are essential to the ELL classroom experience. Each is a language-building path toward content accessibility. Additionally, we can be especially mindful that our curriculum and class reading materials reflect the diverse nature of our classrooms. Where do our students recognize themselves in the school day? How are students invited to express themselves using the four language domains?
PROCESS
Students, including English learners, should have guided agency over their own learning. Work with students to set goals, create viable paths toward these aims, and to monitor their success along the way. Cooperative structures are an important part of this process, as they encourage language development, enhance positive classroom culture and put students in the drivers’ seats of their own learning. Yes, our ELLs CAN meaningfully participate in student-led instruction and Project-Based Learning (PBL). Learn to establish supports… and then get out of the way!
CONSIDERATIONS
Newcomer students may be working through trauma, shock or other stressors. Monitor external stimuli to help mitigate significant stress. Learn to recognize symptoms and know when to ask for help. Work to recognize, celebrate and practice Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills throughout the school day and school year. To build background on newcomer Trauma start HERE. For more tips on trauma-informed care for ELLs (and all students) take a peek at an RC article for Edutopia, found HERE.
INVITATION
You may be a child’s first teacher of their school career, their first teacher in America, or the first teacher to breakthrough. Smile. Show welcoming. Be an example of the possibility that exists for them.
10 Vocab Strategies for ELLs (and all learners!)
Vocabulary Strategies
Vocabulary development is an important component of language acquisition. If you’re ready to explore new strategies, jump into any of these. They are teacher tested (self-included!), cross-curricular and can be modified to suit all grade and language levels. Best of all, each strategy is low-prep and places students at the center of their own learning- which is exactly where we want them.
4-PLEX
This activity encourages vocabulary development, especially that which builds throughout a unit or text. Students draw a set of perpendicular lines on a paper to create four equal segments (or fold a piece of paper into fourths).
In the upper left section, students will write a vocabulary word. In the upper right quadrant, they will illustrate the word. The lower left section will contain a sentence with the vocabulary word underlined or highlighted. In the last quadrant, students will produce a definition.
Older students may create smaller versions of this exercise in a personal notebook, with multiple 4-square organizers per page. Alternatively, students can work to complete these organizers in groups of 2 or 4 to encourage cooperative talk and collaborative skills.
CAPTAIN
This activity allows students to study content vocabulary and practice speaking and listening skills in a fast-paced game format. Begin by dividing the class into two teams. Arrange teams so that all but one student from each group is facing a whiteboard or Smartboard. Position two chairs (one for each team) so that they face the members of their group, with the backs to the whiteboard or Smartboard.
One student from each team sits in the chair so that he or she can see their teammates, but not the writing space. He or she is the "captain". The remaining team members form a line facing the chair. The facilitator records a vocabulary word from a familiar unit of study on the board. The student at the head of each line aims for the captain to name the correct response without actually saying, drawing, or spelling the target word. The team whose "captain" says the word first gets a point. Line leaders from both lines move to the end of the line and the next student steps up, repeating the process.
Once all students have described a word to the captain, the chairperson moves to the end of the line and the line leader becomes the next captain. This process repeats until all vocabulary words are used.
CLOSED SORT
Closed sorts allow students to process new information and vocabulary in a guided, structured way. Sort decks can be made ahead of time, and for very young learners this may be ideal. Generally, it is best to have students create their own sort decks as a means of practicing reading and writing skills. Sorts can be completed independently, but partner work is even more beneficial in that it encourages collaborative problem solving and exercises listening and speaking components. To create sort decks, students can use a class generated list, personal dictionary or unit vocabulary wall to write individual vocabulary words on index cards (or halved index cards).
In a closed sort, the facilitator clearly defines the sort groups for students in advance. For example, an animal sort might include the categories: mammal, reptile, bird, fish, amphibian. An earth sciences sort might include the categories: rock, mineral, fossil. Students work to organize their cards in alignment with the pre-determined categories. Students’ work should be validated by a teacher, textbook or pre-made answer key.
OBJECT-VERB MATCH
The Object-Verb Match activity reinforces the relationship between nouns and verbs. It encourages students to share existing vocabulary knowledge and to explore new language in an interactive context. The activity is best suited for students up to 5th grade and emergent higher-grade learners.
Facilitator uses sentence strips or sticky notes on pieces of butcher paper to post various nouns around the room. As an alternative, images of various nouns (ex: horse, towel, archaeologist) may be posted. *Note: vocabulary that is specifically related to a text/topic of study is suggested.
Students are invited to walk the room, visiting each noun. Learners use the space on each piece of butcher paper to identify and record as many corresponding verbs as possible for each noun posted. Once completed (a timer is recommended), students may be invited to compose sentences using the identified vocabulary, act out the verbs at each station, or discuss contributions in an inside-outside circle format. Examples- Horse: gallop, trot, run, glide, prance, jump, leap, eat, walk, canter, race. Towel: wipe, dry, clean, mop, wring, wash, dry, hang, use, share, spread. Archaeologist: dig, explore, discover, search(ing), examine, think, brush, study, write/record, travel, talk, save/preserve, protect, carry, store.
OPEN SORT
Sorting activities allow students to process new information and vocabulary in a guided, structured way. Open sorts are similar to closed sorts but differ in one critical area. In a closed sort, the organizational categories are pre-determined by the facilitator. In an open sort, students will work independently or in workgroups to devise, define and label their own categories, with only limited guidance from a teacher.
This process encourages critical thinking, rationalization, and problem-solving skills. For this reason, open sorts are best suited to older learners and intermediate/advanced language learners. It is best to have students create their own sort decks as a means of practicing reading and writing skills.
To create sort decks, students can use a class-generated list, personal dictionary, or unit vocabulary wall to write individual vocabulary words on index cards (or halved index cards). Within small collaborative workgroups, learners strategize a rationale for organizing cue cards. *Note: group end products do not need to mirror each other. Groups may be asked to present their sort and rationale to the class. Student work should be validated by a teacher, textbook, or pre-made answer key. For limited proficiency modification, see "Closed Sort" activity.
SYNONYM RACE
Synonym race is a collaborative activity that guides students in exploring similar-meaning words. To prepare for this activity, create identical sets of play cards to be used for groups of students working together (3-5 groups recommended). Cards can be printed and cut or written on index cards. Play cards should contain adjectives that students may or may not be familiar with.
To play, divide students into working groups and distribute a play deck to each group. For each round of playing, facilitator calls out one adjective that is not included in the decks but is a synonym for a word in the deck. (Ex: Silly: Amusing. Interesting: Fascinating. Run:Dash). Groups of students must shuffle through their decks, locate a synonym, negotiate a word (if necessary), and either hold up the selection or write it on a white board. The first group to do so gets a point. Facilitator or a student records all synonym matches in a visible location.
This process continues until decks are exhausted. To close the exercise, students independently write the list of synonyms (and, for upper level students, come up with additional synonyms for each word) into their personal dictionaries, synonym study book, pre-made worksheet or alternative space.
THIEF IN THE MIX
This is an engaging game that allows students to practice the use of verb conjugation while exercising all four language domains. Prior to the start of the lesson, the facilitator creates a class set of index cards with sentence clauses that students will use to construct complete first-person sentences. (Ex: trombone player, last year; dance teacher, 6 years; Lego expert, 4 years old). For early language learners or very young students, sentence stems will be more appropriate.
Pass out index cards to students. Explain that something is now missing from the classroom and that there are a designated number of "thieves" in the class (3-5). The students must now become detectives and seek out the thieves.
To do this, students will need to circulate the room. When they encounter a partner, they have two roles. First, if using a clause card, they must share the detail about themselves. (I have been a trombone player since last year. I have been a dance teacher for 6 years. I have been a Lego expert since I was 4.) Then, the partner records the information in the third person. (He has been a trombone player since last year. She has been a dance teacher for 6 years. She's been a Lego expert since she was 4.) Roles reverse.
When this process is complete, students find a new partner. The game continues for a designated amount of time or through a set number of partners. Finally, the facilitator reveals the details of the "thieves". Those students whose index cards match a description of a thief come forward and read their sentences to the class. As an alternative, all students can practice reading their sentences in an Inside-Outside Circle or similar format.
WORD EXCHANGE
Word Exchange is a strategy that engages learners in all of the language domains. To begin, distribute index cards with vocabulary words written or printed on them. The other half of the class receives index cards with matching vocabulary definitions. Have students read and become comfortable with the cards, offering assistance where needed. Next, students are prompted to circulate the room interacting, exchanging ideas, and problem-solving to match each new word with its corresponding definition.
Once pairs are set (is it wise to have students confirm definition using text glossary, picture dictionary or another resource), they can move to the next step. Partners may compose and display labeled drawings, graphic organizers (such as the Frayer model), songs, or skits to explain the target word. For added linguistic practice, allow each pair an opportunity to present their word set to the class.
WORD RELAY
This activity incorporates kinesthetic engagement as it encourages students to actively demonstrate collaborative skills, content understanding, and sentence building. To begin, students are divided into teams of three to six participants. Each team assumes a “home base” in a corner or side of the room. The facilitator places one deck of cards in the center of the room. This deck of cards contains content/unit-specific words. A second set of cards is placed next to the first. This deck contains sentence building cards, including various prepositions, conjunctions, punctuation marks, and “double underline” cards (indicating the use of a capital letter).
When cued, one person from each team approaches the cards, selects one from each pile, and returns to his or her “base”. This process continues until one team has constructed a full, meaningful sentence, complete with appropriate sequencing and punctuation. Members of the finished team may join other teams as they continue to play until completion.
WORD STRENGTH
Word Strength is best suited for intermediate and advanced language learners. The exercise helps students to better understand subtle gradients in adjectives within like categories. The facilitator's role is to guide students in the process of ordering feeling words from the least to the most exaggerated meaning. This can be achieved in a group or independent context.
To complete the group version on a smartboard or large piece of chart paper, begin with a horizontal line stretching from one side of the workspace to the other. Distribute index cards with pre-recorded target adjectives. In the early stages, it is best to begin with a limited number of cards (3-5), working up to as many as twenty.
Students work collaboratively to organize words on the gradient of intensity. The use of personal dictionaries, anchor charts, contextual text or other resources is encouraged. Example 1: icy, frigid, cold, chilly, lukewarm, warm, toasty, hot, scalding. Example 2: evil, wicked, mean, aloof, indifferent, cordial, friendly, affectionate. The same process can be repeated on a smaller scale for independent work and/or station work.
Ready to dig deeper? These activities (and many others) were created by Refugee Classroom as part of the comprehensive EduSkills platform. Learn more at eduskills.us.
EduSkills is an educational services and school data analysis company serving schools and districts Pre-K through 12th grade. EduSkills collaborates with schools and districts in order to help teachers and administrators become high-performing outcome-based educators with a clear focus on high-level student achievement.