JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS PLACED AT RISK, 7(1), 103–104

Copyright © 2002, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

BOOK REVIEW

Making Content Comprehensible for English Language Learners: The SIOP

Model. Jane Echevarria, Mary Ellen Vogt, and Deborah J. Short, Needham
Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 2000, 212 pages, $29.00 (softcover).

Reviewed by Wendy Feltham

San Rafael City Schools
San Rafael, California

Educators at all stages of their careers struggle with finding the best ways to support
English Language Learner (ELL) students in learning vocabulary and comprehen-
sion of content so they can achieve at higher levels. This challenge is intensified by
the rigorous new standards set throughout the country. At the same time that
schools are welcoming increasing numbers of immigrant students, the students are
arriving with an increasing variety of prior educational experiences.
It is refreshing to find a new resource that addresses these issues. Making Con-
tent Comprehensible for English Language Learners: The SIOP Model provides a
practical and flexible tool for educators to use in planning, implementing, and ob-
serving Sheltered Instruction (SI). This manual was written by three authors with
complementary professional backgrounds and perspectives. It explains a re-
search-based model of SI and uses classroom vignettes to demonstrate how the
model can be implemented.
Echevarria, Vogt, and Short have developed the Sheltered Instruction Observa-
tion Protocol (SIOP), an observation checklist with multiple possibilities. The
SIOP could be used by teachers or student teachers alone, with peer coaches, or
with a supervisor. The SIOP could also be used as a resource for planning and im-
plementing high quality lessons.
The SIOP is composed of 30 items grouped into three main sections: “Prepara-
tion,” “Instruction,” and “Review/Assessment.” Each of the 30 items uses a
5-point Likert scale for scoring. The complete SIOP and an abbreviated version are
presented in the Appendix, and a sample completed SIOP gives an educator a clear

Requests for reprints should be sent to Wendy Feltham, San Pedro School, 498 Point San Pedro
Road, San Rafael, CA 94901. E-mail: wfelt@marin.k12.ca.us
104 BOOK REVIEW

idea on how to proceed. The authors are down to earth in recommending taking it
one piece at a time.
Each chapter is organized with background information, a detailed explanation
of the model with vignettes, a summary, and discussion questions. The authors fre-
quently cite current research that establishes their credibility with seasoned educa-
tors new to teaching ELL students. Student teachers and their instructors will
appreciate the historical background in the introduction and the thoughtful discus-
sion questions. Most readers will benefit by learning new instructional strategies
and by enjoying the clear chapter summaries.
The vignettes are colorful real-life scenarios taken from Grades 3 to12, portray-
ing a master SI teacher, a partially successful teacher, and one who has yet to em-
ploy SI effectively. Each teacher is then rated with the SIOP Evaluation, followed
by a discussion of the rating. The authors have field tested and refined the SIOP to
establish validity and reliability of the instrument.
As a school principal, I look forward to introducing the SIOP model to my
teachers. Our current foremost goal is finding better ways to enhance comprehen-
sion with our student population of 88% ELL’s. I anticipate that teachers will
value this pragmatic tool for improving instruction.