Tools and Strategies to Increase English Learner Comprehension and Active Engagement Developed by Elizabeth Jiménez Salinas CEO@gemasconsulting.com MAUI HIGH Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved. 1|Pegeby Elizabeth Jiménez Salinas Healthy Alternatives to Toxic Questions One symptom of exposure to toxic questions is learned passivity. ‘The examples listed below, each have healthy alternatives which create an immediate, energizing effect when utilized consistently. 1. Who can tell me something about 2 2. Are there any questions? 3. Does everyone understand? Auntie Ellie’s Healthy Alternative Rx 1. What comes to your mind when you think of 2 a) What made you think of that? b) What strategies did you use to arrive at those answers? 2. What kinds of questions do you have? 3. Show me (tell me, describe in writing, role play, explain to your partner) what you understand. NOTES: Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.Eliciting Prior Knowledge — What do students already know about the topic? Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved,GEMAS CONSULTING Informal Student Self-Assessment Fist to Five © Using the fingers on one hand, form a fist and hold your fist to your chest. © Ona scale of 1-5, show me the number of fingers that represent your level of familiarity with, knowledge, understanding of (todays topic) i. Thave no idea what you are talking about. . I’ve heard of it before, but I am hazy on the details. . [know a bit about it but I’m not sure I can explain it. . Tam familiar with ___ and can explain it fully and give examples. . I know it so well, I could get up there and teach this class. Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.GEMAS CONSULTING Prior Knowledge — Post-it Activity 1. Form triads. AVA 2. Select one person to be the writer and two people to be the contributors. 3. The writer does not speak. The writer writes down all the ideas of the contributors. 4. Each idea is written on a separate post-it note. 5. The writer may not insert his or her own ideas on the post-its. 6. The contributors will alternate. 7. Work as quickly as possible. You have 2 minutes, QUESTION: What comes to your mind when you think of ? Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.Differentiate/Assess/Activate Prior Knowledge - Write Around By Elizabeth Jiménez Salinas INSTRUCTIONS L Group students in teams of four or three if there are not even numbers. More than four participants tends to slow down the activity and students may not be as engaged. Form the teams by language proficiency level. . Each group uses one sheet of chart per (or response board) and one marker. . Every team is given a different aspect of the topic. . This activity is timed — only 2 minutes allowed. . Each person takes turns writing down one word or idea then passes the paper and marker to the next person. . Everyone MUST write something each round (no passing). . If students need help spelling, they may ask team member, if they need help with a word, they may ask the team in English or in their LI or draw a quick symbol. Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.EMAS cons LTIn G Interactive Review of Previously Studied Material Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.How to play a loop game Purpose A loop game can be used as an activity to consolidate new learning and reinforce the link to prior learning. Background Information Y Use the Loop Game at the end of a learning sequence. ¥ Time the students through the loop. Encourage them to complete the loop more quickly next time to beat their time record. Y The Loop Game is best used with basic, factual information about a topic being studied. This information will remain relevant for the whole unit of study. Instructions Distribute the Loop Game cards so that every student has one. If there are not enough cards, two students may share one. If there are too many cards, continue to distribute them to some students who will then have two cards. Select any student to begin. The ask aloud the question on their card. (Who has...?) They must speak loud enough for all to hear. Everyone checks their own card to see if they have the matching answer. If they; do, they read it aloud (I have...) This continues until the questions loop back to the student who asked the first question. Consider preparing an answer sheet for one or two students to perform the tole of fact checker in case students cannot get the correct answer. Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.GER,AS Create you own Loop Game — Enter the first question in the “bottom, far right space” for Who has... ‘And the answer to that same question in the top right first space that says I have... Then continue by centering a new question below, and the answer in the next “I have...” space to the right. Lnsert First Answer here 2 Who has, Wi has. Who has... Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.Who has, Insert first question here > Signature Activity: US Government NAME: Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.Instructions: In this activity, you haye a series of squares that have descriptions at the top of each square and a space below to write. Circulate around the room and find people who can answer one item on your paper. Ask them to write their answer and initial it. Then reciprocate. Each person may only answer one item on your paper and vice versa, Now, find someone Whos... Can name the elected Teader of our stato Con name a system to keep power equal among, the three branches of government ‘Knows the age a person mast be to vote in an election Knows the branch of government responsible for enforcing the laws Can tell what determines the number of representatives from each state ‘Knows the document ‘written by the Founding Fathers to guide our government Can tell the names of the ‘wo political parties Knows the number of senators ‘Can name the highest court in the land ‘Can name the branch of government responsible for making the laws Knows the name of the group of official advisors to the President Knows the method for changing our Constitution ‘Can name the nwo divisions of the US Congress Can ell the tro requirements (besides age) for a person to be able to vote ‘Can name the elected leader of a town or city Knows the type of government where people elect. representatives Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.Signature Activity NAME: Instructions: In this activity, you have a scries of squares that have descriptions at the top of each square and a space below to write. Circulate around the room and find people who can answer one item on your paper, Ask them to write their answer and initial it. Then reciprocate. Each person may only answer one item on your paper and vice yersa. Now, find someone who ... Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved. 12|PageLanguage Functions and Response Frames to Encourage Active Engagement px. kate Kinseta Expressing an Opinion In my opinion. It seems to me that .. I think? I believe | Predicting | [predict that... Based upon ..,.,one can infer that..... It's my experience that in this type of situation is likely to happen. ‘Asking for Clarification What do you mean? Could you explain that again? Could you give an example? Paraphrasing So, you are saying that In other words, you think. What I hear you saying is.... Soliciting a Response What do you think? How would you describe it? What answer did you get? | ‘Acknowledging Tdeas My idea is similar to's idea agree with (a person] that My idea builds upon __’s idea Reporting a Partner’s Ideas __ indicated that | pointed out that... ___ emphasized that. ____ concluded that. Reporting a Group’s Ideas We decided/agreed that... We concluded that. Our group sees it differently... We had a different approach. Disagreeing I disagree because... Tappreciate your perspective, however see what you mean, but, Tunderstand your point, however... Offering a Suggestion Maybe we could. How about if we. One thing you might consider is.... way we might look at itis ‘Affirming ‘That's an interesting idea. You make a good point. Holding the Floor As Iwas saying, IfT could finish my thought. ‘What Iwas trying to say was.. Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.Asking a beginning English leamer to answer an open-ended question can be equated to telling a six-month-old baby to run across the room. They are just not developmentally there yet. As students progress in their language proficiency, continue to use some of the strategies listed in the lower levels of proficiency but raise the vocabulary demand and be sure to add the strategies appropriate for their proficiency level. Emerging ‘Expanding Bridging SIGNALS. One word answerishort answer | Questions that ask for: ‘Thumbs up/down or pencils up/down | Answer wh- questions; what, Compare/Contrast ‘Nod your head yes/no ‘when, where, who Describing, Fist of Five Make a list of 3-5 items Sequencing DEMONSTRATION Complete a sentence frame or Answer questions with Showme i ‘template how...? Why...? Point to the Complete a graphic organizer ‘Open-ended questions Role play create a folded book Explain in your L1 ILLUSTRATE Explain in your L1 Draw an icon or symbol to represent _ Draw an example of ___ SINGLE WORD/SHORT ANSWER Complete a graphic organizer, create a folded book ‘One word answer Either or Explain in your LI Emerging — Have students do something to demonstrate their understanding along with brief labels and words. Provide either/or choices rather than open-ended questions. Provide sentence frames to support extended speaking, Expanding — Transition to reliance on words but continue using tools such as graphic organizers, sentence frames, and L1 to encourage and practice higher order thinking. Provide sentence frames to support extended speaking nes Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved.2 EMAS 1. Write your complete name legibly on your exit ticket. 2. Write down 2 or 3 strategies that you commit to try in the next 2 weeks. yee ne NS Se ares Ree ees Copyright 2019 GEMAS Consulting All rights reserved. 15|Page