Making Science Accessible for English Language Learners

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• Making Science Accessible for English Language
  Learners
• Strategies from the Seeds of Science/Roots of
  Reading curriculum

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Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading

• University of California, Berkeley
• Lawrence Hall of Science Graduate School of
  Education
• GEMS- Great Explorations in Math and Science
• NSF-funded research and development project on
  science and literacy integration with a focus on
  English learners

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Goals for the session

• Explore the challenges and opportunities that
  science learning presents for English learners
• Discuss effective strategies for making science
  accessible for English learners

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(No Transcript)
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What is one strategy you use to help English
learners in science (or in reading)?
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Hands-on Science
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Providing Concrete Experiences

• Gives students a reference point for new ideas
  and vocabulary
• Multi-modal learning
• Prepares students to discuss, read, and write
• Needs to be paired with explicit instruction and
  opportunities to make sense of activities

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Adjusting Teacher Talk for Instructions

• Use visual references
• Have students paraphrase instructions
• Provide written instructions and accompanying
  illustrations
• Limit number of steps

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Shared Listening

• Student-to-student talk
• Instructional routines

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Word Maps
What is erosion? When an earth material is worn
down and moved from one place to another
What causes erosion? Wind, waves, rain, rivers,
glaciers, ice
erosion
What words have to do with erosion? Force,
transport, weathering, earth materials,
shoreline, sand
What can erosion happen to? Rock, sand, shells,
shorelines, mountains
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Science Text
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• El Color de la Arena
• Hay arena de diferentes colores. El color es
  evidencia importante. Me ayuda descubrir la
  composición de la arena.
• Frecuentemente, la arena negra está compuesta de
  rocas de lava. La lava caliente a veces fluye
  desde volcanes hasta el océano. El océano enfría
  a la lava. La lave se hace roca negra y dura.

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Adjusting Teacher Talk for Discussions

• Increase wait time after questions
• Have students summarize main ideas
• Point out visual references during discussions
• Limit the use of idiomatic expressions
• Let students rehearse responses

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Cognates

• Examples from the Shoreline Science unit
• composition/ composición
• erosion/ erosión
• force/ fuerza
• marine/ marino
• material/ material
• ocean/ océano

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Cognates
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Promoting English Learners Native Language

• Connects to prior knowledge
• Increases students comfort and participation
• Allows teacher to value conceptual understanding
  when language lags
• Should be tied to scaffolded practice with
  English vocabulary

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Multiple Meaning Words
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Mixer

• Pose a question
• Students circulate through room, at your signal
  they pair with someone nearby, and each answers
  the question
• Students circulate again and answer the question
  with a new partner
• Repeat for 2 or 3 questions

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Science Writing
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Adjusting Teacher Talk for Instructions

• Use visual references
• Have students paraphrase instructions
• Provide written instructions and accompanying
  illustrations
• Limit number of steps

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Word Banks

• Remind students to use key vocabulary
• Decrease apprehension about writing and spelling

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Writing Frames

• Model scientific language structures
• Help focus struggling writers on most important
  content
• Decrease feelings of apprehension
• Should vary according to students writing
  abilities

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Positive Corrective Feedback

• Acknowledge students conceptual understanding
  even when response or writing includes language
  errors
• Model correct language
• Provide opportunity for student to practice
  particular grammar or spelling rule

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• www.seedsofscience.org
• Jonathan Curley
• curley_at_berkeley.edu
• Marco Bravo
• mbravo_at_sfu.edu