This session will give teachers new tools to make text comprehensible for ELLs including various ways to scaffold reading and increase comprehension. Strategies include pre-teaching vocabulary, scaffolding textbook readings, and selecting alternative readings as well as interaction with the text to increase comprehension.

1. Making Reading Comprehensible
for ELLs
Crystal Jastzabski
Lee County Schools
July 23, 2014

2. “Learning to read is a little bit
like learning to ride a bike —
while you are balancing a
person on the handle-bars,
holding a pole, spinning
plates, and focusing on the
destination at the same
time!”
Kristina Robertson
http://www.colorincolorado.org
/article/33830/

3. Margarita Calderón &
Associates, Inc.
Instructional Sequence - For every teacher action there is
a student reaction!
Teacher Students
1. Introduces concepts/vocab Provide examples, questions, usage
2. Thinks aloud to model
comprehension strategies Apply the strategies with partners
3. Reads aloud for fluency Read along silently or whisper
4. Models how to partner read Conduct partner reading for fluency
5. Monitors & records partners Partners reread to practice strategies
6. Conducts cooperative activity Work in teams to process & summarize
7. Conducts debriefing Discuss words, concepts, summaries
8. Models writing strategies Do content-related writing using vocab
9. Assesses vocabulary & content Analyze their test results and go back
to learn the missing pieces
10. Assesses a second time All students should be successful

4. Susan B. Anthony
K W L

5. Reading Text
Text: Susan B. Anthony Speech to Jury
Text Structure: Persuasive
Purpose for reading:
To Explain Susan B. Anthony’s role in women’s
rights and justify the movement for women’s
voting
Belief
Reason
Reason
Reason

6. Susan B Anthony
Susan B. Anthony Mini Biography

7. Building Background Knowledge
Build background with visuals, videos, text
summary/previews
Pre-teaching strategies
• “Native speakers who are not strong decoders
can often comprehend text that is read to them
better than text that they read themselves.
That's because when someone else is doing the
reading, they can focus on meaning without
having to struggle to get the words off the
page.”
• “With ELLs, however, comprehension problems
tend to be associated with limited vocabulary
and limited background knowledge. Thus,
listening to text read by someone else won't
enhance comprehension.”
BE SURE YOU ARE GIVING BACKGROUND AND NOT
ACTIVATION PRIOR KNOWLEDGE!
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/33830/

8. Vocabulary
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Ordain
Odious
Insure
Sovereigns
Subject
Bill of Attainder
Ex post facto law
Disenfranchisement
Oligarchy
Aristocracy
Saxon

9. Classifying Vocabulary
Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
•Basic words that are a
part of everyday language.
•Needed to communicate,
read, and write
•Academic words
•Polysemous Words
(Words with multiple
meanings)
-Homophones
(words that sound the
same but have different
meanings)
•Information Processing
Words
•Transition Words
•Connectors
•Idioms
•Phrasal / Compound
words
•More sophisticated words
•Subject specific words
•Infrequently Used
Academic Words
(Usually words bolded in
textbooks)

10. Subject
1. Repeat it 3x.
2. “but this oligarchy of sex, which makes
father, brothers, husband, sons, the
oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the
wife and daughters, of every household -
which ordains all men sovereigns, all
women subjects, carries dissension,
discord, and rebellion into every home of
the nation.”
3. Definition: Being in a position or in
circumstances that place one under the
power or authority of another or others.
4. Student friendly Definition: controlled by
someone else
5. Grammar:
Verb- subject ( to expose to something)
Polysemous: Subject in school
Cognate: sujeto

11. Subject
I am a subject of _________________.

12. Oligarchy
• Repeat 3x.
• “It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful
oligarchy of sex; the most hateful
aristocracy ever established on the
face of the globe; “
• Definition: Government by a few,
especially by a small faction of
persons or families.
• Student Friendly definition: a small
group of people makes the rules
• Grammar:
Noun (oligarch) ruler
Cognate: oligarquía

13. This (is /is not) an oligarchy because…

14. EXC-ELL 7 STEP PROCESS FOR
PRE-TEACHING VOCABULARY
1. Teacher says the word.
2. Teacher asks students to repeat the word 3
times.
3. Teacher states the word in context from the
text.
4. Teacher provides the dictionary definition (s).
5. Teacher explains the meaning with student
friendly definition.
6. Engages students in activities to develop word
/ concept knowledge.
7. Teacher highlights grammar, spelling,
polysemy, cognates, false cognates, prefixes,
tense, homophones, etc.

15. How can you help build a vocabulary?
• EXPLICITLY Pre-teach
vocabulary
• Post vocabulary in
classroom
• Require them to interact
with the vocabulary
(Both oral and written
interaction)

16. Reading strategies and vocabulary for texts must be
taught EXPLICITLY!

17. Read Aloud /Think Aloud
Teacher selects a portion of the class text and
reads it aloud o the class. The teacher models
the reading/monitoring strategy that they
wish for students to learn.
Text to World

18. Pair Reading
OPTION 1 OPTION 2
• Partners read the entire
paragraph/page alternating
sentences
• Partners read page alternating
paragraphs
• Teacher leads short discussion
of paragraph to check
comprehension
• Partner A retells/summarizes first
paragraph
• Students place post-it notes on
unfamiliar words
• Partner B retells/summarizes
second paragraph
• Students place post-it notes on
unfamiliar words

19. Paragraph Summary Text to World
Connection
1
2
3
4

20. What do ELLS need to build native like
reading skills?
“There is no such thing as silent learning,
especially with EL students. Students
must all participate 100 percent of the
time—and they must practice, practice,
practice if they are going to reach
academic and linguistic parity with their
English only peers.”
Dr. Margarita Calderon
http://www.scoe.org/docs/ah/AH_caldero
n.pdf

21. Build fluency by…
• “In order to improve fluency in English,
provide independent level texts that
students can practice again and again, or
read a short passage and then have the
student immediately read it back to
you.”
• “Have the student practice reading a
passage with a certain emotion or to
emphasize expression, intonation, and
inflection based on punctuation.” (great
way to teach point of view)
• Pair readings
• Close readings
• http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/
33830/

22. Let’s get together in corners!
• Count 1 to 4
• Numbers 1 go to one corner, #s 2 to
another, and so forth.
• Within corners, form triads (groups of
three).
• Timed Team Share (30 seconds each):
First student answers question, next
student adds to the answer, next
student does the same, process
continues (90 seconds).
• Share out! REMEMBER USE YOUR
VOCABULARY!
Margarita Calderón & Associates,
Inc.
NC Guide to ExC-ELL

23. Debrief!
Vocabulary
Questions
Opinions
Things
learned

24. ALWAYS
DEBRIEF!

25. Debriefing Strategies• Roundtable
Students write one word on paper and pass around the
table. This continues until the teacher calls time. Students
develop a strategy to get more words and a second round
is completed. Have students write a paragraph/graphic
organizer/ sort words into categories from word list
created.
• Numbered Heads
Students create 2 questions each on a note card about the
reading. BE SURE TO MODEL WHAT GOOD QUESTIONS
LOOK LIKE (I.E. TEXT DRIVEN QUESTIONS). This can be
done in groups or individually.
Collect the questions and assign the students in each
group a number from 1-4. Ask a question from the note
cards and name a number that will be responsible for
answering the question.

26. Debriefing Strategies
• Corners
Number students 1-3,4,5 ( as
needed) . Send all 1s to a corner,
all 2s to a corner and so forth. You
will form triads. Teacher asks a
question to class. One student
answers, then the 2nd student
adds to the answer, and then
student 3 adds to the answer. The
share with class or write down
their complete answer.
• Inside /outside circle
• Socratic Seminar

27. Debriefing Strategies
Entry/Exit Pass
Name: Date:

28. Post Reading Activities
• Whole Class
concept/semantic maps
• Retell text using key
vocabulary
• Team discussions / open
ended questions
• Writing sentences (use new
vocabulary)
• Content related writing

29. Now show me what you got!
GROUP ACTIVITY Scaffold
A Write a letter to the government
justifying Susan B. Anthony’s attempt
at voting.
B Write a letter to the government
justifying Susan B. Anthony’s attempt
at voting using prompts and sentence
starters.
C Write a letter to the government
justifying Susan B. Anthony’s attempt
at voting using a word bank to
complete a cloze letter.
Be sure to use 2-3 vocabulary words in your
writing!
Reasons
why
injustice
is wrong.

30. Margarita Calderón &
Associates, Inc.
Instructional Sequence - For every teacher action there is
a student reaction!
Teacher Students
1. Introduces concepts/vocab Provide examples, questions, usage
2. Thinks aloud to model
comprehension strategies Apply the strategies with partners
3. Reads aloud for fluency Read along silently or whisper
4. Models how to partner read Conduct partner reading for fluency
5. Monitors & records partners Partners reread to practice strategies
6. Conducts cooperative activity Work in teams to process & summarize
7. Conducts debriefing Discuss words, concepts, summaries
8. Models writing strategies Do content-related writing using vocab
9. Assesses vocabulary & content Analyze their test results and go back
to learn the missing pieces
10. Assesses a second time All students should be successful

31. Take Aways?
• Students must be explicitly taught skills
and vocabulary.
• Students need to read text multiple
times to build fluency, comprehension,
and vocabulary!
• Students need to practice and engage
with text/vocabulary numerous times.
• Always debrief to make sure that all
students comprehend reading and
vocabulary!
• Students need to interact with peers and
work in all language domains.(reading,
writing, speaking, listening)
• Assess comprehension multiple times!

32. Resources
• Reading 101 for English Language
Learners
By: Kristina Robertson (2009)
• Effective Instruction for English
Learners
Based on a presentation by Margarita
Calderón, Ed.D.Senior Research
Scientist and ProfessorJohns Hopkins
University’s Center for Data-Driven
Reform in Education
• Margarita Calderon and Associates –
ExC-ELL Model
• NC Guide to ExC-ELL By NC DPI