Thank you to everyone who has had info/books/articles/researchers to recommend - I have my reading cut out for me! The listserv came through for me, again, as I desparately hoped you would!
If you have more advice/readings, keep 'em coming! Heather Wall/ 3rd grade/ Georgia NBCT 2005 Literacy: Reading - Language Arts ----- Original Message ---- From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org Sent: Sunday, May 6, 2007 5:17:01 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] 2nd language learners-for Heather In a message dated 5/6/07 4:34:43 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > I'm looking for some books/articles that share success stories in > situations similar to this. I can find info on schools that work with lots of > economically disadvantaged kids, but we're unique in that we have so many 2nd > language learners with so few 1st language students to serve as models. We're > going > to be working a lot on balanced literacy next year, with a focus on writing > workshop, and so I feel like we're heading in the right direction. > Heather, I'm in a similar school as yours with a high population of L1 students with NEP/LEP status and few native English speakers. We are also in comprehensive school reform because our school has not met the state standards (frustrating when our LEP students have to take the state assessment as NCLB mandates) and because of this have adopted a design model that focuses on the workshop approach to reading and writing. We found Reeves work on 90/90/90 schools helpful. His study, conducted at school sites with 90% economically disadvantaged, over 90% ethnic minority, and over 90% achieving at high standards (students MET reading standards), categorically analyzed trends and patterns in instruction. Besides a strong focus on continuous improvement and student achievement, he found that these schools emphasize non-fiction genre study and non-fiction writing. I agree with you that your focus on writing will be beneficial because as the teachers at my school found, non-fiction reading and writing increases our students' vocabulary, academic language, schema and prior knowledge base. Along with the MOT strategies that this list-serv supports, we find both explicit instruction in non-fiction and MOT comprehension strategies have been extremely helpful. You can download a pdf at http://www.makingstandardswork.com/Downloads/AinA%20Ch19.pdf and his email is at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Kenji Hakuta's work out of Stanford Univ. has also been insightful. He edited the comprehensive report Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children and we found the entire document (497 pages worth!). helpful as they survey all the empirical studies done on English language learners and on schools that serve them. Especially helpful were chapter 6 on program evaluation, chapter 7 on school and classroom effectiveness, and chapter 8 preparation and development of teachers serving ELLs. After their review of 33 schools, they (like Reeves above) identify effective schools and classrooms that have similar attributes-- one of these attributes include explicit instruction in reading and writing strategies. This document can be found at the National Academies Press website at www.nap.edu/catalog/5286.html Finally, through Hakuta's work, we found a reference to Claude Goldenberg's work out of UCLA helpful for the practical application of ICs or instructional conversations that promote comprehension through oral discussion. His article on this can be found in The Reading Teacher Vol. 46, No. 4. Instructional Conversations came out of Tharp & Gallimore's work and in Goldenberg's article, he outlines a discussion-based lesson geared toward creating opportunities for ELL's conceptual and linguistic development. Along with the MOT strategies, I use this IC discussion lesson template, especially when determining importance for the author's message/theme. You can email me off-line for the the Goldenber'gs pdf from the issue of The Reading Teacher that my librarian located for me. Kathy Gr. 2 ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
