Name: Suzanne Hughes Date: February 12, 2016 Grade Level: All Day Kindergarten How does this strategy connect my content and language objectives? How does this strategy facilitate my students’ ability to access the content? How does this strategy facilitate my students’ ability to comprehend the mentor text, build essential knowledge, or produce oral or written discourse connected to the content objective? How does this strategy provide comprehensible input for my students? | Lesson Sequence:This week in Science we will learn about tadpoles and frogs. To help us organize our learning, we are going to use a KWL chart. An empty KWL chart will be displayed. The teacher will review the purpose of a KWL chart and then ask the students about what they already know about tadpoles and frogs. The students will turn and talk to discuss with their partner what they already know about tadpoles and frogs. The teacher will then call on one partner to announce what they know. The teacher will fill in the KWL chart with the students telling what they already know about tadpoles and frogs. The class will follow the same procedure discussing what they are wondering about the topic. The second partner will tell the teacher what they were wondering and she will write it on the chart.Mentor Text: From Tadpole to Frog by Wendy Pfeffer will be introduced. The teacher will describe the book as nonfiction and explain that a nonfiction book provides us with lots of information and can help us learn about a certain topic.The students will make predictions about what they think they will learn in the story based on cover and illustrations within the text. The 7 Step strategy to better vocabulary will be introduced through a pre-made chart illustrating each step. Pre-teach two tier 2 vocabulary words from the text: hibernation and cling using the seven step vocabulary instruction strategy. After the 7 steps have been implemented, the teacher will read the mentor text.When the text has been read, the teacher will explain that the class they will now discuss what they learned by listening to the text using the turn and talk technique. Then the teacher will hear responses and write down one or two things that they have learned on the KWL chart. The students will then determine one main idea that they learned from the text and would like to write/draw/dictate independently. The supports for all students are outlined above. | Content Objective:Students will be able to determine the central ideas from the text and write/draw/dictate an informational piece that includes key learned aspects. | | Language Objective: Language Objectives should be directly linked to the language skills students will need to be successful in achieving the content objective.With support and guidance, students will produce complete sentences and use extended instruction vocabulary as they discuss and write/draw/dictate about the story. Language Objective Differentiation for Proficiency Levels:WIDA 2: Students will be able orally produce complete sentences and use extended instruction vocabulary using illustrated sentence frames and a partner. Students will be able to draw objects about the story using picture models from the text. WIDA 4: Students will be able to retell the main idea of the story through pictures with emerging details. Students will be able to draw pictures and produce symbols and strings of letters associated with pictures to retell the story. | | |

Targeted Tiered Vocabulary from Mentor Text or SourceTier 2 & Tier 3 words should be integrated into student product/assessment.Pfeffer, Wendy. From Tadpole to Frog. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1994. | Tier 1 wordsBasic words most children know in their primary language: may include connectors or compounds | Tier 2 wordsEssential to comprehension: i.e., process & transition, specificity, sophistication polysemy, transitional terms, idioms, clusters, cognates… | Tier 3 wordsLow frequency, content specific, typically found in a glossary in the back of a text | frog (cover)pond (page 5) flowers (page 8)legs (page 8) | hibernate (pages 6, 29)whistle (page 6)appear (page 8)cling (page 10)carefully (page 14) | mate (page 8)gills (page 11)hatch (page 11)burrow (page 18)hind (page 21) |
Script for Implementing 7 Steps to Better Vocabulary
This is a pre-reading/pre-teaching vocabulary strategy to aide students in comprehending the target mentor text.
There should be 100% participation on all steps.
Steps 1-7 must be completed in order and during the same session.
Step 6 should be timed for 1 minute. Ping Pong style: students taking turns using the word in a sentence.
Step 7 is the accountability step. Remind students that they will be using the words as they summarize orally what they read, as they discuss what they read, and later in their writing. There should be no writing in the pre-teaching of vocabulary during 7 steps.
Before implementing, the teacher will: * preview the mentor text, tier the vocabulary and choose the words to pre-teach. * choose 3-5 words taken directly from the mentor text. * have the dictionary definitions ready to go. * have sentence starters/stems/frames ready for Step 6 as needed.
Word 1 Steps | Word: hibernate Tier: 2Why you picked it: Knowing and understanding this word will maximize the knowledge and instructional potential of the student. It will also help the student if they come across this word in other subjects to have more understanding of that subject. I chose this word because it is necessary for students to understand what it means to hibernate when introduced to a frog’s life cycle. | 1. Teacher says the word. Student repeats. | 1. Teacher says: “hibernate” Student says: “hibernate” (repeat this process for a total of 3 times) | 2. Teacher states the word in context from the mentor text. | 2. “Frogs hibernate in their hideaway all winter long.”Pfeffer, Wendy. From Tadpole to Frog. page 6. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1994. “Once again the pond creatures hibernate.”Pfeffer, Wendy. From Tadpole to Frog. page 29. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1994. | 3. Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s). | 3. Merriam-Webster Definition hibernate: intransitive verb1: to pass the winter in a torpid or resting state2: to be or become inactive or dormant | 4. Explains meaning with student-friendly definitions. | 4. Hibernate means “to stay still and rest for a long time in the winter.” | 5. Highlights features of the word: polysemous, cognate, tense, prefixes, etc. | 5. The word hibernate includes the chunk, “hiber”. Hiber in Latin means “winter”. The ending of the word hibernate, -ate, means to be in a state of something. To hibernate is to be in the state of sleep during the winter. | 6. Engages students in activities to develop word/concept knowledge. The 1 Minute TTYP (Turn to Your Partner) & use the word 5-6 times in complete thoughts or sentences, ping pong style. Ping pong style turn taking in the exchange so that no one partner dominates Once in a while, teachers can check in by asking, “Who wants to tell me what your partner said?” | 6. You are going to “turn and talk” to your writing partner about what it means to hibernate. You are going to take turns finishing the sentence, “When an animal hibernates, he ____________. You will have one minute to take turns sharing your ideas. While you are sharing ideas, I will be walking around to hear your thoughts. This will help me to show which words we still need to learn the meanings of. When I call on your group please be ready to share one of your partner’s examples. | 7. Teacher reminds and explains to students of how new words will be used. There is NO writing by students at this time. This is where the teacher explains that students should use this word in their homework, classwork, reading summaries, etc. | 7. Tonight for homework, I want you to tell a member of your family what the word “hibernate” means. Please ask your family member to write your answers down on this form and initial the space next to the word, “I shared what I learned about hibernation.” Telling others what you have learned about a word helps you to better understand and remember the meaning of a word and how it is used in a sentence. |

Word 2 Steps | Word: cling Tier: 2Why you picked it: Knowing and understanding this word will maximize the knowledge and instructional potential of the student. It will also help the student if they come across this word in other subjects to have more understanding of that subject. The word cling can be demonstrated to the children through acting out or pictures. This word has many Tier 1 synonyms that will help the students make connections and learn the word quickly. | 1. Teacher says the word. Student repeats. | 1. Teacher says: “cling” Student says: “cling” (repeat this process for a total of 3 times) | 2. Teacher states the word in context from the mentor text. | 2. “Thousands of soft jelly-covered eggs cling together in the cool water.”Pfeffer, Wendy. From Tadpole to Frog. page 10. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1994. | 3. Teacher provides the dictionary definition(s). | 3. Merriam-Webster Definition cling: intransitive verb 1. to hold together 2. to adhere as if glued firmly 3. to hold or hold on tightly or tenaciously 4. to have a strong emotional attachment or dependence | 4. Explains meaning with student-friendly definitions. | 4. Cling means “to stick together” | 5. Highlights features of the word: polysemous, cognate, tense, prefixes, etc. | 5. The word cling is a verb. The meaning of cling is to adhere as if firmly glued. In spanish, the word adherir, means to stick together. | 6. Engages students in activities to develop word/concept knowledge. The 1 Minute TTYP (Turn to Your Partner) & use the word 5-6 times in complete thoughts or sentences, ping pong style. Ping pong style turn taking in the exchange so that no one partner dominates Once in a while, teachers can check in by asking, “Who wants to tell me what your partner said?” | 6. Can I have two friends help me to demonstrate this word? We are going to have you two cling together.” Now you are going to “turn and talk” to your writing partner about what it means to cling to something or someone. You are going to take turns finishing the sentence, “When I cling to something I ________.” You will have one minute to take turns sharing your ideas. While you are sharing ideas, I will be walking around to hear your thoughts. This will help me to show which words we still need to learn the meanings of. When I call on your group please be ready to share one of your partner’s examples. | 7. Teacher reminds and explains to students of how new words will be used. There is NO writing by students at this time. This is where the teacher explains that students should use this word in their homework, classwork, reading summaries, etc. | 7. Tonight for homework, I want you to tell a member of your family what the word “cling” means. Please demonstrate what the word cling means with your family. Ask a family member to write your answers down on this form and initial the space next to the word, “I shared what I learned about the word cling.” Telling others what you have learned about a word helps you to better understand and remember the meaning of a word and how it is used in a sentence. |

Reflection on the strategy implementation: Each response should be a short paragraph that includes sufficient details. | How did this strategy help my ELLs achieve the content and language objectives?By using the seven step strategy to pre teach the vocabulary in conjunction with the sentence frame strategy the students are able to better comprehend new vocabulary introduced to them through the mentor text. This foundation prepares the students to listen to me as I read the story and “think aloud” or model what has been learned through this mentor text. The students are then asked to “put all the pieces together” and complete the KWL graphic organizer by summarizing what they learned. The students then choose one key element that they learned and write/draw/dictate an informational piece. Throughout this lesson, the students are integrating all four key domains of language: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. These strategies allowed my students the best possible chance for success in meeting the content objective. | How did this strategy help the ELLs in my classroom to produce academic language and discourse?The 7 step strategy helped my students access the tier 2 vocabulary presented in the mentor text. According to Calderon (2009), “strategies for learning vocabulary and strategies for reading comprehension should not be taught separately but in the context of the text students are about to read.” By utilizing the strategies that I have learned to teach vocabulary, my students were engaged in the four components of language they were better prepared to comprehend the text. Using the “turn and talk” method is a safe instructional model for my young students and ELL’s to not only hear language but also to practice speaking it. The students enjoyed the time they received to practice new vocabulary words that might be new to them. The repeating of the words helped my ELL’s know how to pronounce the words and feel confident in using the words in the lessons. Using the frame sentences helped my students have a connection to those words. They work really hard to find ways to fit them into the everyday classroom discussion. | To increase my ELLs’ engagement and interaction, these are the things I would change the next time I try this strategy:The next time I try this strategy, I would present it in a faster and more fluent manner. The more times this activity is done, the more natural it will become. Where I work with small children, I might have them sing or say the words in different voices to spice up the chant the word 3 times. The 7 steps to better vocabulary activity often occurs on the rug, but it really could be used anywhere. Last week we had a presentation and while the children were waiting for it to start I used the 7 Step activity to keep them busy. It is a wonderful strategy that keeps children engaged. |