1. Explain how understanding specific English language learners' needs guided the choice of instructional strategies to support the content and language learning.

Knowing and understanding the WIDA scores was important in the development of my Capstone. I found that the WIDA Can Do descriptors helped me differentiate for my lesson. I chose the instructional strategies based on what areas of the WIDA my EL needed to grow in. My El has low scores in both listening and speaking; therefore, I incorporated a lot of the partner and group discussion strategies that allowed them to practice with different modes of differentiation woven in depending on their level.

2. Explain how the differentiation of tasks or activities supported the English …show more content…
For example, the Level 2 EL was provided sentence frames, word banks so they would be able to participate in in the speaking activities. They were provided samples sentence during the Reciprocal Teaching to assist them with their role and provide them the confidence to take part in the discussion with confidence. Additionally, they were provided opportunities to have sentence frames to help with the write-around activity. Most activities there was an additional opportunity to both speak and listen to their classmates to have a stronger understanding of the content and provide them greater opportunities to practice their speaking skills. The Level 4 EL had opportunities to a reference sheet with tier 2 and tier 3 vocabulary words, models provided for the write-around task and sentence starters provided for the Reciprocal Teaching activity. These supports allow the student to be able to successfully participate in understanding the content and increase their language development with a great deal of discussion built into the …show more content…
I had them read a page and then do their role and I felt it was too disjointed and took longer than necessary. I think having taking this course I would try to utilize more feedback from students on strategies they have found beneficial in their learning. I know based on informal observations, partner reading, think aloud and RAFT writing tasks have seem more appealing to the students. Having the students more “vested” in the activities, certainly should help. I also feel that for this unit previewing concepts prior to starting the novel and discussing important concepts such as the Depression, Reconstruction period, slavery, sharecropping makes the content in the historical novel much more understandable to the