English curriculum
Maria needs an integrated English Curriculum that will enable her to improve her reading and writing skills, and subsequently, improve her class performance. English language learners are usually non-native speaker meaning that English is not their first choice. Therefore, they are likely to experience problems in their schoolwork as they have not yet mastered English, which is the medium of communication and instruction in school. They need help with the language so that they can understand the concepts taught and that way; they will achieve the objectives set for their class work. Sometimes, these students may understand the concepts taught but lack sufficient vocabulary to help them pass their exams or answer questions in class or even pass the tests that seek to gauge their understanding.
One of the ways to ensure that students such as Maria benefit from teaching initiatives is to make sure that teachers and instructors focus on results rather than means. Doing so will enable the instructors' tailor learning activities that will ensure that the target students achieve the set objectives. Students need to meet the grade specific standards before they need to the next grade. Therefore, Maria will benefit from Curriculum and Instruction Multitiered System of Support initiatives which will help her improve her written, reading and spoken English, and contribute significantly to the attainment of standards that will facilitate her promotion to the next grade(Walker-Dalhouse et al,2009). Additionally, understanding English and being able to use it as well as native speakers will ensure that she understands other subjects, among them History. That is because English is the medium of instruction in her school and it is important that she is competent in the language if she is to benefit from learning initiatives in her school.
• Instructors and teachers should speak clearly in Standard English.
Speaking clearly and using the Standard English will help learners such as Maria and others in the class learn the correct pronunciation of words, as well as assist them to increase their vocabulary. That is because they will be familiar with the words and vocabularies used by their teachers and other students, helping them build their vocabulary. The use of Standard English will also put them at par with the native speakers in their class, and that will facilitate their learning of the language as well as attainment of objectives set by the curriculum(Bailey& Williams-Black, 2008).
• Instructors should position themselves so that they are visible to their students, especially the non-native speakers.
Research shows that language learners benefit from both verbal and nonverbal clues. The students will, therefore, benefit from watching their teacher’s speaking as they will not only learn the pronunciation of words but also see the words form in their teachers’ mouths(Walker-Dalhouse et al,2009). For that reason, the teacher should ensure that he is visible to all the students, especially the English language learners. Additionally, the students will also benefit from watching the teacher’s face and body for nonverbal clues to meanings of terms and words used.
• Use visual aids such as charts, maps, drawings and so on.
Visual aids help facilitate learning and retention of the learned information. It is prudent that tutors use visual aids so that their students benefit. For instance, English teachers while teaching vocabularies can use pictures and drawings of the vocabularies being taught to ensure that students learn to associate a vocabulary with the item it represents. For instance, when teaching musical instruments, the teacher should have drawings of items such as violin, guitar, trumpets and so on. The visual aids will ensure that students understand what is taught and relate a word to the object it represents facilitating understanding and retention.
• Be predictable and establish routines.
That will help the learners anticipate what is expected of them, and they will prepare in advance making the lesson a success. Language learners will benefit from that as they will incorporate the routines with their daily activities, helping them meet the learning objectives of a particular subject. For instance, an English teacher may begin his lessons with orals then reading tests. Students will get used to this routine and thus will be ready for the daily activities, anticipate them, and therefore, they will improve both their written and spoken English.
• Honor diversity through learning of the student’s countries of origin.
That will help the teacher and classmates understand the second-language learners, and resistant behaviors and accents providing the necessary insight on how to help the students learn better and retain what is taught, as well become competent speakers of English (Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2012). For example, such cultures discourage integration of both sexes in a classroom(Howell, Patton, &Deiotte, 2008). With such knowledge, the teacher will help dispel the concerns that a student may have regarding an integrated class and also, assist the student fit in with his peers.
• Encourage oral practice.
Oral practice ensures that students increase their English vocabulary. Additionally, it is a fact that in the formation of skills, learners to first pronounce a word then progress to writing it, and in future competently explain its meaning. For that reason, the teachers should encourage their students to practice reading words and taking oral assignments.
• Develop reading assignments for the non-native students while keeping their linguistic ability in mind. Doing that will ensure that the tasks do not overwhelm the students but rather, help them improve their reading and pronunciation of English(Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2012).. Additionally, the learners should also be encouraged to find the key points or topic sentences in their reading assignments as that will further help them comprehend. The words should also be manageable to avoid tiring or overwhelming the learner.
Appropriate Instructional Strategies
English learners have to be taught to increase their vocabulary of the English language, improve their grammar, and improve reading fluency and comprehension of the same(Walker-Dalhouse et al,2009). These activities will lead to a better grasp of the language, formation of correct sentence structure, advanced speaking, reading, and writing among learners such as Maria. There are various classroom models for the ESL classes among them Self-contained which cater for schools with a high influx of immigrants, integrated classroom, dual language programs which may use English and another standard language, which is often Spanish(Howell, Patton, &Deiotte, 2008). There is also the Sheltered Content Instruction in ESL, which provides that English learners are frequently assessed to ensure that gaps in knowledge are filled making the student competent in the language.
There are various instruction methods for speaking, reading, improving vocabulary when speaking, grammar models and so on which enable learners understand and use the language competently. When teaching reading, teachers should move according to their students’ levels. Elementary learners will benefit from reading from the board while high school students will not. High schools students should be encouraged to practice reading on their own, also read their mates writings and class textbooks, seek information online and read both fictional and nonfiction books(Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2012). Additionally, the teacher should provide structured reading lessons to build the student’s literacy and reading skills that will support their English language comprehension and development. The learners’ vocabulary, sentence structure formation will also benefit from the reading initiatives.
Additionally, instructors should also be keen to incorporate grammar during the learning activities. That will be done through modeling sentence structures to help their students master the language. Teachers and native English speakers should correct the learners as they speak to help them learn the language(Bailey& Williams-Black, 2008). Mistakes in pronunciation, sentence structure, and vocabulary mistakes will help the students build useful filters that will make them competent speakers and users of the tongue.
The tutors should also incorporate vocabulary lessons that will help build the students’ vocabulary reserve. That will be done through sharing images that will promote conversation and discussions, reciting poetry, watching videos on topics such as music, science and other subjects that students find enjoyable. The lessons will improve both the spoken and written English, especially if the teacher advocates for dictation. It will also at the same time help increase the students’ vocabulary.
The teacher should also teach his students the basic Interpersonal Skills (BICS) if they are beginners in the language. He should also incorporate the Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency as they progress. The two will help the students speak good English and advance to higher levels of competency.
Integrating the Curriculum and Instruction following MTTS
Tiers are defined by the intensity of the services needed. ELLs students fall under different levels(Howell, Patton, &Deiotte, 2008). However, those in Tier 3 will require a more intensive instruction approach to ensure that they benefit from the teaching instructions. Tier 1 students need core instructions while level 2 students require group interventions.
Therefore, tier 1 students do not require intensive instruction. However, since these are ELLs students, the teacher needs to find ways of redirecting the distracted learners and reassure frustrated and overwhelmed students, as well as increase the time spent on the tasks (Walker-Dalhouse et al,2009).
The teacher should handle the class as a group especially if all of the students fall under the tier. In the case where he has both Tier 1 and 2 students, the teacher should arrange his students according to their specific tiers. Then he should position himself and the learners in such a way that misbehavior is minimized, and efficient and conducive learning environment is created. Additionally, the teacher should have effective classroom control and act as both the coordinator and learning facilitator. If the students are too many, he should consider having a teaching assistant to ensure that concentration is at peak.
Also, the teacher should consider his movement throughout the class. He is supposed to know his students and therefore, it is prudent that he pays more attention and spends more time with them so that they benefit from the teaching and learning being done. These are mostly students in the Tier 2 group as they will need more time before they become competent. However, tier 1 students also require attention as they are likely to be distracted or lose interest in what is being taught very fast. Teaching assistants are very important as they will help redirect the distracted learner’s attention back to the teacher(Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2012).
Also, the teacher should consider the use Family-Cantered Learning activities for Tier 1 and 2 students in an MTTS. That is because the strategy will help build academic goals that students will strive to achieve as well as strengthen the school- parent/guardian relationship. The initiative will demand that extracurricular activities are incorporated with classwork to ensure that students benefit. It is prudent to have bilingual resource personnel to help with this teaching initiative so that both parents and students benefit.
Also, since Tier 2 students need more intensive instruction unlike tier 1, the teacher should group the students into small groups falling under similar tiers (Howell, Patton, &Deiotte, 2008). Then, he should handle each group individually to ensure that they all benefit from the learning and teaching initiatives.
The teacher should explore the hexagon tool, which groups the students attributes of need, fit, resources, evidence, readiness and capacity to ensure that the teacher is aware of each student’s attributes, and thus tailor the lesson delivery according to the tool’s assessment (Goodman, McIntosh, &Bohanon, 2011). The tool will benefit both Tier 1 and 2 students, and the teacher will be aware of each student’s critical components to learning. Additionally, the tool will also help match students to their most profitable interventions ensuring that they all benefit from the teaching initiatives.
Additionally, the teacher must also monitor his student’s progress(Bailey& Williams-Black, 2008. Since this is a Multi-Tiered System, so students are likely to progress faster while others are slower. However, the teacher must at all times keep all students interested in learning, despite their progress rates. It is important that the tier 1 students are kept engaged and free from distractions since they are the ones that are likely to progress faster tan the tier 2. However, the teacher should not allow them to get ahead of their peers as they are likely to discourage them (Goodman, McIntosh, &Bohanon, 2011). For that reason, the teacher should consider pairing up tier 1 and tier 2 students to ensure that they help each other understand the concepts and keep each other away from distraction.
Additionally, the curriculum developers should also consider the fact learners are not similar (Bailey& Williams-Black, 2008). Ells students, in particular, have more needs and require more from their instructors. Therefore, ELLs students in tier 1 and 2 should benefit from their teacher who should ensure that their language demands are met. These are Non-native English speakers, and therefore, it is necessary that they are taught the language so that they are as competent as the native speakers. That will be done through teaching speaking, grammar, reading, and pronunciation to develop their English competency and fluency. These should be incorporated in other subjects besides English.
When the teacher successfully incorporates the learning and teaching activities for both tier students in his classroom, he will ensure that the students benefit from the learning activities. Both Tier 1 and 2 students will achieve their academic milestones and objectives in time and still, benefit from English Language learning, improving their vocabulary, and pronunciation and subsequently, their competence in the language.
References
Bailey, J. P., & Williams-Black, T. H. (2008). Differentiated instruction: Three teacher’s perspectives. Yearbook of the College Reading Association, 29, 133–151.
Buffum, A., Mattos, M., & Weber, C. (2012).Simplifying response to intervention: Four essential guiding principles. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Goodman, S., McIntosh, K., &Bohanon, H. (2011). Integrating academic and behavior supports within an RtI framework, Part 2: Universal supports.Washington, DC: RtI Action Network. Retrieved from http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/behavior-supports/integrating-academic-and-behavior-supports-universal-supports
Howell, R., Patton, S., &Deiotte, M. (2008).Understanding response to intervention: A practical guide to systemic implementation. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.
Walker-Dalhouse, D., Risko, V. J., Esworthy, C., Grasely, E., Kaisler, G., McIlvain, D., & Stephan, M. (2009). Crossing boundaries and initiating conversations about RTI: Understanding and applying differentiated classroom instruction. Reading Teacher, 63(1), 84–87.
