SESSION 5: EFFECTIVE PHONICS AND SPELLING INSTRUCTION FOR DIVERSE STUDENTS Introduction | Literacy Skills of Diverse Students | Specific Needs of English Language Learners | Self-Assessment | Look Ahead |

Introduction “In addition to the challenges involved in learning a new language, ESL students are also faced with the challenge of learning a new culture.” — Watts-Taffe and Truscott Overview What are effective phonics and spelling instructional strategies for diverse students? How do “teachable moments” help to reinforce learning? In this session, you will use your understanding of the developmental stages of spelling and how to assess phonics and spelling to explore the ways in which language and culture influence the development of reading, writing, and spelling for english language learners (ELLs) and students with diverse learning styles. You will also discover instructional practices that support language development and literacy for these students. At the end of this session, you will share your online journal reflections with your facilitator. Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to: • •

Discuss the methods that enable teachers to best use “teachable moments” to teach spelling and phonics. Describe specific methods that may support the reading, writing, and spelling development of students who are english language learners (ELL students) and students with diverse learning styles in your classroom in your online journal.

In an integrated language arts program, reading, writing, and spelling are very much interconnected. Session 5 focuses on practices that support literacy learning for students of diverse backgrounds, who historically have had lower literacy achievement than mainstream students. As you move forward in Session 5, think about instructional interventions that you use, or would use, to support students who struggle with reading, writing, and spelling. If you haven’t done so already, download and print the Assignment Checklist to keep track of your assignments for this course.

SESSION 5: EFFECTIVE PHONICS AND SPELLING INSTRUCTION FOR DIVERSE STUDENTS Introduction | Literacy Skills of Diverse Students | Specific Needs of English Language Learners | Self-Assessment | Look Ahead | Literacy Skills of Diverse Students

Increasing Literacy Achievement for All Students In the next reading, Au explains five dimensions of balanced literacy instruction and their importance for the literacy achievement of students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles. She discusses the need for both direct instruction in the skills of language and literacy, such as phonics and spelling, and the need to teach students strategies they can apply independently. She also provides examples of teaching skills and strategies so that students can see how spelling and phonics are connected in meaningful ways to ongoing reading and writing activities. Read "Balanced Literacy Instruction: Addressing Issues of Equity," (focusing no pp.3-16). As you read, think about if you agree with the statement, “Teachable moments provide the best opportunities for the learning of skills, because they are often associated with high levels of student motivation and interest. A teacher who wants to deliver powerful skill instruction will always want to make the most of these moments” (K. Au, 2002). In the video "Guided Reading: Applying Phonics and Spelling Knowledge," a first-grade teacher takes advantage of a teachable moment during guided reading. Notice how the teacher prompts the students to use knowledge of an orthographic spelling pattern and visual cues to figure out unknown words. As you watch the video, observe how the teacher reinforces successful use of decoding strategies. Read the lesson plan illustrated in the video. Think about the role of direct instruction as opposed to the “teachable moments” portrayed in the video. Engage in an online discussion about this issue by responding to the following: What methods enable teachers to best use “teachable moments”? Share some specific examples of “teachable moments” when delivering spelling and phonics instruction that you have used in your own classroom or have observed in a classroom or in this course.

As you complete the rest of the readings and assignments for this session, you should go to the discussion forum at least two or three times to continue the discussion. Refer to the discussion rubric to review the expectations for participating in online discussions in this course. Instructional Interventions for Struggling Students Read "Analyzing Words and Making Discoveries About the Alphabetic System: Activities for Beginning Readers," (pp. 6-20). Gaskins and her colleagues describe word learning activities to help delayed first-grade readers develop foundational knowledge about our language

system to use strategically when reading and spelling words. As you read, think about how to engage students in conversations about the alphabetic system while emphasizing specific strategies for decoding and spelling. Return to the online discussion and expand on your comments about direct instruction to include methods for supporting the learning of english language learners and students with diverse learning styles. Using information from the readings, consider ways to link phonics and spelling instruction to meaningful opportunities for oral and written language at the students’ developmental level that reflects their cultural identities and specific needs. In your online journal, reflect on the following: Describe specific methods that you might use in your present or future classroom to support students with diverse backgrounds and learning styles who lag behind in developing and applying their phonological and orthographic knowledge. Incorporate methods for students whose developing foundational knowledge supports both reading and spelling.

SESSION 5: EFFECTIVE PHONICS AND SPELLING INSTRUCTION FOR DIVERSE STUDENTS Introduction | Literacy Skills of Diverse Students | Specific Needs of English Language Learners | Self-Assessment | Look Ahead | Specific Needs of English Language Learners

Supportive Classroom Environments for English Language Learners Read "Focus on Research: Using What We Know About Language and Literacy Development for ESL Students in the Mainstream Classroom." This reading focuses on the specific instructional needs of english language learners. Please note that the term “english language learners” refers to children who are acquiring English as a second language. A range of terms has been used to describe these children, including second–language learners, bilingual students, ESL (English as a second language), and students who are limited–English proficient. As you read, think about what teachers need to know about language and literacy development for english language learners. Using current research in language learning, the authors apply what we know about literacy development and effective literacy instruction to teach english language learners. They also help teachers understand the challenges of learning a new culture and the emotional and psychological impact on immigrant students. Differentiated Instruction Personal Writing Spaces •

•

When computers are available to students within the classroom or a computer lab, encourage them to start personal online journals. Students that have “electronic writing spaces” and basic editing and keyboarding skills will explore spelling words and writing in a non-threatening environment that is comfortable and private. ELL students can spell and write in their native languages as they begin to transition to the English words and concepts they are learning.

SESSION 5: EFFECTIVE PHONICS AND SPELLING INSTRUCTION FOR DIVERSE STUDENTS Introduction | Literacy Skills of Diverse Students | Specific Needs of English Language Learners | Self-Assessment | Look Ahead | Self-Assessment (not required) Complete the following self-assessment to determine whether you understand the concepts in Session 5. 1. Which of the following is a characteristic of social language? 1.

a. informal style of communication

2.

b. use of body language to aid in communication

3.

c. lack of standard grammatical features

4.

d. clues to comprehension embedded in a context

5.

e. all of the above

answer 2. Which of the following is an example of academic language proficiency? 1.

a. asking directions

2.

b. participating in whole group discussion led by the teacher

3.

c. participating with friends in a game

4.

d. talking on the telephone

5.

e. all of the above

answer 3. Which of the following literacy skills and strategies can most ELL students transfer from their native language to English? 1. 2.

a. knowledge of text structure b. emergent reading skills such as book handling and symbols representing meaning

3.

c. use of pictures to support meaning

4.

d. comprehension strategies

5.

e. all of the above

answer

4. Which of the following is an example of gradual release of responsibility? 1.

a. explaining the CVVC pattern to a small group of students

2.

b. modeling how to use the word wall to help spell a word

3.

c. reviewing a strategy and only prompting when help is needed

4.

d. peer editing of a writing draft

5.

e. all of the above

answer 5. Lydia is writing a story about cooking with her mother. She figures out how to spell cook from a known word “book” on the word wall. This is an example of 1.

a. letter-sound spelling.

2.

b. using analogy.

3.

c. memorization.

4.

d. contextual guessing.

5.

e. all of the above

answer

Additional Activities (not required) Language Variations among Speakers of English Read "A Chinese Boy’s Joyful Initiation into American Literacy." Creating a classroom environment that supports english language learners can also enrich the language learning of all students. Townsend and Fu conducted a case study of one child's reading and writing development. As you read, notice the ways in which linguistically diverse students acquire new literacy skills. The following activity may be useful as you complete your final project, but it is not required. Using ideas from discussions, the readings, and your online journal notes, design a two-day instructional plan that you would like to use in your classroom (or future classroom) to develop a diverse student’s knowledge of the alphabetic system for reading and spelling. 1. Describe your student, and explain how your two-day plan meets the student’s instructional needs. 2. Describe how you would scaffold instruction over the two-day period. Include how you intend to connect direct instruction with application to meaningful classroom reading and writing tasks. 3. Address each of the three areas on the Watts-Taffe and Truscott questionnaire: 1) Using Language Purposefully to Make Meaning

2) Supporting Communication in Your Classroom 3) Supporting Instruction in Your Classroom.

References Au, K.H. (2002). Balanced literacy instruction: Addressing issues of equity. In Cathy M. Roller (Ed.), Comprehensive Reading Instruction Across the Grade Levels: A Collection of Papers from the Reading Research 2001 Conference (pp. 70–87). Used with permission. Townsend, J., & Fu, D. (1998). A Chinese boy’s joyful initiation into American literacy. Language Arts, 75 (3), 193–201. National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission. See website, www.ncte.org. Watts-Taffe, S., & Truscott, D. (2000). Focus on research: Using what we know about language and literacy development for ESL students in the mainstream classroom. Language Arts, 77 (3), 258–265. National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission. See website, www.ncte.org. Used with permission from the International Reading Association. Additional Readings (not required) Abbott, S. & Grose, C. (1998). ‘I know English so many, Mrs. Abbott’: Reciprocal discoveries in a linguistically diverse classroom. Language Arts, 75 (3), 175–184. National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission. See website, www.ncte.org. Gaskins, I., Ehri, L., Cress, C., O’Hara, C., & Donnelly, K. (1997). Analyzing words and making discoveries about the alphabetic system: Activities for beginning readers. Language Arts, 74, pp. 172–184. National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission. See website, www.ncte.org. Joseph, L. (1999). Word boxes help children with learning disabilities identify and spell words. The Reading Teacher, 52 (4), 348–356. Used with permission. Strickland, D., et al. (2002). Supporting struggling readers and writers: Strategies for classroom intervention 3- 6. Used with permission of Stenhouse Publishers. Wilde, S. (1997). What’s a schwa sound anyway? Heinneman: Portsmouth, NH. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

SESSION 5: EFFECTIVE PHONICS AND SPELLING INSTRUCTION FOR DIVERSE STUDENTS Introduction | Literacy Skills of Diverse Students | Specific Needs of English Language Learners | Self-Assessment | Look Ahead | Look Ahead In the next session, you will complete the final project for the course. At this time, you may want to review your online journal entries and assignments that you completed in Sessions 1– 5 in preparation for the final project. If you have questions or would like some advice, this is a good time to ask your facilitator. © 2004, PBS. All rights reserved.