Language initiative (2012), commissioned papers from EL experts on language and instruction with regard to today’s standards-driven education . Key findings illustrate that language teaching should be embedded in the discipline with a focus on task, purpose, and audience . Also, instead of exclusively pre-teaching all content, activities that build on students’ background knowledge and that scaffold both content and language development are key. Scaffolded instruction Systemic supports are needed in order to support the complex, nonlinear process of language learning (Walqui, 2012) . With scaffolded instruction, the educator supports students at a level just beyond what they are able to achieve on their own . Vygotsky (1978) called this the “zone of proximal development” (ZPD) . Current research building upon the ZPD emphasizes the importance of scaffolds across the language domains . For example, the American Institutes for Research Center for English Language Learners (2018) disseminated research noting that scaffolding is crucial in language acquisition and literacy. They suggest adding visuals, gestures, examples, graphic organizers, and sentence frames . Connect incorporates the foundational research and progressive models designed to meet the needs of today’s culturally and linguistically diverse learners . The research is translated into strategies that function in a cohesive and consistent manner, focusing on the desired result of increased English language and literacy development . References American Institutes for Research, Center for English Language Learners . (2018) . English learners and close reading: Providing scaffolding for writing . Available at https://air.org/resource/english-learners-and-closereading-providing-scaffolding-writing Bruner, J .S . (1977) . The process of education . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press . Krashen, S . (1982) . Principles and practice in second language acquisition . Englewood Cliffs, NJ: PrenticeHall . Vygotsky, L .S . (1978) . Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes . Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press . Walqui, A . (2012) . Theoretical and Pedagogical Shifts in the Design and Enactment of Learning . Understanding Language Initiative . Available at http://ell .stanford .edu Connect Instructional routine •Explore and learn Each lesson begins with an open exploration Big Idea . This is an initial engagement where students preview visuals, Essential questions, activities, and text . Students share what they know (e .g ., about the theme, concept, vocabulary, etc .) . Vocabulary is cued, but not pre-taught out of context, as the development of schema is necessary for language to be retained and meaningful . After the exploration, there is direct instruction of the standards-based topic . • Practice Students have many opportunities to interact with language across the domains in a guided manner followed by a gradual release . • Communicate Students then have multiple opportunities to reiterate their learning with partners, in small groups, and independently. •Assess Lessons include formative assessments so that teachers can gauge progress in real-time and then respond to individual student needs . PHILOSOPHY AND RESEARCH Tvi 25
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