Understanding Barriers: Teachers Experience Sheltered Instruction in a NonEnglish Language

1
Understanding Barriers Teachers Experience
Sheltered Instruction in a Non-English Language

• Mary V. Montavon, Ph. D.Department of
  Linguistics
• Carol J. Delaney, Ph. D.Department of Curriculum
  and Instruction
• Southern Illinois University
• Carbondale, Illinois USA
• September 29, 2006
• Reading Association of Ireland

2
Purpose of study

• Explore attitudes and understandings
• Develop awareness of second language learners
  issues
• Delivery in second language twofold
• Realistic approach
• Understanding of content enhanced through
  sheltered strategies

3
Background of study

• Changing Demographicsin the US
• Over 5 million second language learners
• High drop out rates
• Low literacy in English (Kindler, 2002)
• 16 above reading norm
• Most students in mainstream classrooms (Short,
  1999)
• Secondary schools have more foreign born students
  (Urban Institute)

4
ELL Enrollment in US
5
Teacher preparation

• 50 of teachers have ELL in class (Menken
  Atunez,2001)
• 27 feel prepared to teach an ELL (NCES, 2002)
• 3 have preparation or certification (NCES, 2003)
• 17 of IHE prepare teachers to work with ELLs
  (Menken Atunez, 2001)
• Few studies on effective teaching approaches
  (August Shanahan, 2006)

6
Need for quality professional development for
teachers

• Quality impacts student performance
• Credentials matter (Hayes, Salazar, Vukovic,
  2001)
• ELL teachers often not trained in content areas
  (August Hakuta, 1997)
• Important for all teachers, not just
  ELL/Bilingual (Wong Fillmore, 2000)

7
Why sheltered instruction?

• Research based
• Strategies
• techniques
• Focus on content and language development

8
What is sheltered instruction?

• Modification of teaching practices to make
  content understandable to ELLs and to promote
  academic literacy development
• Prepares students to enter the text
• Vocabulary
• Content concepts

9
Key sheltered lesson components

• Links instruction to students background
  knowledge
• Emphasizes key vocabulary
• Uses cooperative learning with key content area
  concepts
• Provides opportunities for instructional
  conversations (Tharp Gallimore, 1988)

10
Máquinas Simples
11
Las máquinas simples2 familias

• Familia palanca
• palanca
• polea
• rueda y eje

• Familia cuña
• cuña
• tornillo
• plano inclinado

12
Máquina simple

• (palabra)

(definición)
Una rampa
Plano inclinado
(dibujo)
(ejemplos)
Rampa Camión de descargos
13
Plano inclinado/Inclined plane
Una rampa o una superficie inclinada
escalera
14
Hands-on activities
15
Theoretical Framework

• Freirian approach
• Development of critical consciousness

16
Methodology

• 4 Pre-service
• 27 in-service teachers
• Range of teaching experience 0 26 (Avg. 5)
• Middle school Content area reading class
• 7th grade science lesson in Spanish

17
Data Analysis

• Constant comparative method
• 3 reading classes
• Trends themes
• Developed coding categories
• What learned
• Understanding ELLs barriers
• Feelings and emotions

18
Results

• 21/31 experience with ELLs in classroom
• 21/31 had never heard of Sheltered Instruction
• 29/31 said they would think differently about
  working with ELLs because of this experience

19
Results (cont.)

• Learned the content and vocabulary
• Felt frustrated and uncertain
• Most understanding came from those who themselves
  had experienced learning a second language
• Few shut down completely

20
Results (cont.)

• Similar to reading strategies
• Vocabulary cubes
• Prior knowledge
• Hands on activities
• Visuals/graphic organizers
• Repetition

21
Discussion

• Reflection (Darling-Hammond, 1998) tool for
  improving instruction
• Experiences of ELLs
• feelings
• Guide for instruction
• Thoughts for incorporating ideas into teaching

22
Implications for teacher educators

• Sustained long term exposure to issues
• Infused throughout courses
• More research on teacher education programs
• Freireian approach

23
References

• August, D. Shanahan, T., Eds. (2006).
  Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners
  Report of the National Literacy Panel on
  Language-Minority Children and Youth. Mahwah, NJ,
  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
• Darling-Hammond, L. (1998) Teacher learning that
  supports student learning. Educational
  Leadership, 55, 6-11.
• Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New
  York Continuum.
• Gandara, P., Rumberger, R., Maxwell-Jolly, J.
  Callahan, R. (2003). English learners in
  California Schools Unequal resources, unequal
  outcomes. Education Policy Analysis Archives,
  11(36). Retrieved August 22, 2006 from
  http//epas.asu.edu/epaa/v1136/.
• Garcia, G. E. Montavon, M. V. (in press).
  Making content-area instruction comprehensible
  for English Language Learners. In D. Lapp, J.
  Flood N. Fornan (Eds.), Content area reading
  and learning (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ Lawrence
  Erlbaum.
• Genesse, F. (1994) Integrating Language and
  Content Lessons from Immersion. Educational
  Practice Report 11. National Center for Research
  on Cultural Diversity and Second Language
  Learning.

24
References (cont.)

• Hayes, K. Salazar, J. J. (2001) Evaluation of
  the structured English Immersion Program Final
  Report Year 1. Program Evaluation Branch, Los
  Angeles City Schools.
• Korthagen, F. A. J. Kessels, J. P. A. M. (1999)
  Educational Researcher 28(4), pp. 4-17.
• Short, D. J. Echevarria, J. (1999). The
  sheltered instruction observation protocol A
  tool for teacher-researcher collaboration and
  professional development. CREDE
  http//www.crede.ucsc.edu/research/pdd/epr3.shtml
• Snow, C. E. Sweet, A. P. (2003). Rethinking
  Reading Comprehension. Guilford Publications
• Tharp Gallimore (1988). Rousing minds to life.
  New York Cambridge University Press.
• Wong Fillmore, L. Snow, C. E. (2003). What
  teachers need to know about language.
  Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics
  Special Report. US Department of Education.