SIOP Lesson Prep and

Background Building
Lauren Cawley, Anna Van Wert, Bridget Warren and
Danielle Raffa
 Objective
Students will define and identify important aspects of the first two stages of
the SIOP model.
REVIEW OF SIOP MODEL
“An objective is what we want the students to learn and each needs explicit attention. An objective is not a by-product of an activity but the foundation of one.”
 Language Objectives

Receptive Productive

Listening Speaking
and and Writing
Reading

Example of Language Arts Classroom:

Day 1: Recognize similes
Day 2: Discuss similes
Day 3: Write three similes
Day 4: Write a paragraph that describes the setting using similes
Absence of Oral Practice is Detrimental to Student’s Progress

Resources for Teachers for EL Standards:

State English Language Proficiency Standards

https://www.education.pa.gov/Teachers%20-%20Administrators/Curriculum/E
nglish%20As%20A%20Second%20Language/Pages/default.aspx

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Association

https://www.tesol.org/
6 Categories for Generating Language Objectives
1. Key Vocabulary
2. Language Function
3. Language Skills
4. Grammar Language
5. Lesson Tasks
6. Language Learning Strategies
Checklist for Evaluating Effectiveness of Objectives:

1. The objectives are observable

2. The objectives are written and presented in language the students can
understand
3. The content objective is related to the key concept of the lesson
4. The language objectives promotes student academic language growth.
5. The language objective connects clearly with the lesson topic or lesson
activities
6. I have a plan for assessing student progress on meeting these objectives
during the lesson.
Planning Lessons Around Content Concepts
1. Students first language literacy
2. Students second language proficiency
3. Students reading ability
4. Students cultural and age appropriateness of the second language
materials
5. The difficulty level of the material to be read by the students.

Task Analysis: analyzing prior knowledge class must possess to understand

lesson
Verbs for Content Objectives Verbs for Language Objectives

· Identify · Listen for

· Solve · Retell
· Investigate · Define
· Distinguish · Find the main idea
· Hypothesize · Compare
· Create · Summarize
· Select · Rehearse
· Draw conclusion about · Persuade
· Write
Supplementary Materials
- Hands- on Manipulatives
- Realia
- Pictures
- Visuals
- Multimedia
- Demonstrations
- Related Literature
- Hi-Lo Readers
- Adapted Text
Suggestions for Adapting Material
1. Graphic Organizers
2. Outlines Leveled Studied Guides
3. Highlighted Texts
4. Taped Text
5. Adapted Text
6. Marginal Notes
7. Native Language Texts

DANGER: Watering-down text can cause concepts to get lost !

Authentic Connections to Meaningful Experiences creates a Successful Lesson
Building Background Overview
● Schemata - building blocks of knowledge
● Helping readers who lack prior knowledge
○ Vocab in pre-reading
○ Provide experiences
○ Introduce conceptual framework
● Different cultures affecting background knowledge
● Activate prior knowledge vs. Building background
Schemata
● Building blocks of knowledge
● Based on prior experiences and learning
○ Dog vs. cat example
Supporting Readers Who Lack Background Knowledge

● Teach vocabulary as a pre-reading step

○ Pick words critical to understanding upcoming texts/material

○ Provide ways of learning, interacting, and remembering these words

● Provide Experiences

○ Use multiple forms of media to provide background

● Introduce Conceptual Framework

○ Will help to show students a framework/guide of their learning and how they developed background

○ Graphic organizers, chapter overviews/preview, timelines, etc.

More About Vocabulary
● Types:
○ Content words
○ Function/process words
○ Words and word parts
More About Vocabulary
● Instruction Strategies
○ Keep students active in their understanding
○ Personalize word learning
○ Immerse students in word learning by forming rich language environment
○ Build on multiple sources for repeated exposure

● Examples
○ Word sort, personal dictionaries, word wall
Cultural Differences in Background Knowledge
● Different ways of processing/comprehending information
○ Dragons can seem “scary” or “bad” to American children, but are a sign of good luck to Chinese
children.

● Different school habits/routines

○ Inuit cultures do not expect students to speak during lessons, while American schools promote
student interactions

● Different schematas
Activate Prior Knowledge vs. Building Background

Activate Prior Knowledge Build Background

- Have students reflect/share what - Give students new information

they were already taught - Fill in the gaps of what students
- Can act as a bridge between lessons know and what they need to know
Learning Styles Utilized
Auditory: The second slide contained a video for students to listen to that provided a brief overview of the
SIOP stage lesson prep and background building.
Visual: Images were included on every slide to aid the audience in understanding the topics of the slide. On the
second slide, an image detailing each stage of the SIOP model was provided and acted as sa graphic organizer.
Social: Students were asked to discuss in small groups throughout the lesson and especially during the
paragraph activity.
Independent: Students were given a worksheet to fill out as we progressed through the powerpoint. They
individually filled these out with the help of a teacher modeling note-taking skills.
Spatial: The note-taking sheet was separated into different categories which allowed the students to space out
and categorize important points.
Verbal: Students listened to a paragraph read by a teacher and analyzed its meaning.
Applied: Students were active participants of the paragraph activity which demonstrates how to utilize what
the lesson taught in a real-life classroom.
Resources
https://www.learningpaths.org/papers/paperculturalstyles.htm
Echevarría Jana, Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. (2010). Making content comprehensible for

secondary English language learners the Siop model. Allyn and Bacon.