SIOP Instruction

Effective SIOP Instruction

• EDRL 474
• Traci Pollard
• 1/24/19

Where are we at and where are we going?

• Accomplished SIOP teachers determine where the students' baseline understanding is and then makes a plan to move them forward. They can move students forward by:
• Providing rigorous instruction aligned with state content and language standards.
• Make specific connections between content and student experiences and prior knowledge while focusing on expanding student vocabulary.
• Modulate the level of English they use and the texts and materials they provide students
• Make content comprehensible with use of visual aids, modeling, demos, graphic organizers, vocab previews, adapted texts, group learning, peer tutoring, and native language support.
• Give students the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding by writing or oral assignments.
• Give students factual information that will help them with tasks like study skills and learning strategies.

Student Engagement

• Teachers should develop effective SIOP lessons with a high level of student engagement and interaction with the teacher, other students and with text.
• Social interaction
• Teaching functional language skills, such as how to negotiate meaning, confirm information, describe, compare and persuade.
• Teachers introduce manners of communication such as taking turns speaking, not interrupting, and how to nicely ask for clarification.
• Lesson plans that use instructional conversation so that ELL students can practice their new language and content knowledge.

Students' Needs

• SIOP teachers consider the students' needs when making lesson plans and create a positive environment for learning.
• Teachers plan activities that use auditory, visual, and kinesthetic preferences of students.
• Teachers take cultural backgrounds into consideration.
• Teachers create a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable using language.
• Teachers incorporate families into the students' educational journey

Supplementary Materials

• The SIOP model is distinguished by the use of supplementary materials that support the academic text; the purpose of these materials is to enhance student understanding of key topics, issues, and details of content being taught.
• Teachers present graphics, illustrations, models, multimedia, and websites to reinforce information.
• Teachers may use supplementary materials for students who need an adapted text due to proficiency levels.

Use of Technology

• Technology can reap many benefits for English learners, digital content is motivating for students and allows for a personalized learning experience. The following can be used to incorporate technology:
• interactive whiteboards
• podcasts
• educational apps
• virtual field trips
• self-paced research
• writing and editing tools

Personalized Assessment

• SIOP teachers should allow students to demonstrate their understanding of content in multiple ways. By doing this, teachers can get a greater understanding of where an ELL's content knowledge and skills ly.
• The use of group projects, oral reports, written assignments, and portfolios.
• Teachers using rubrics that range on a scale leading to mastery and show the rubric with students in advance.
• Teachers should take some time to teach students "how to take a test."