Differentiation Strategies for 

Level 3 ELL StudentsKatie Kern and Vicki Reed

Meet Toua and Aung

http://hsdesl.wiki.hempfieldsd.org/WL+ED+483#Meet%20Toua%20and%20Aung

Student Descriptors

https://moodle.hempfieldsd.org/file.php/187/Total_Participation_Technique.m4v  As you watch the video- identify the student descriptors, reading, writing, speaking and listening skills

Level 3 Student Descriptors

• Generally possess a strong foundation of social language and continue to broaden and deepen academic language

• Benefit from sensory support• Can speak and write using increasingly complex sentence

structureso Errors may inhibit communication

Listening• Can grasp some main ideas

of increasingly complex communicationo Rely on sensory supports in order to better

comprehend details

Speaking• Can generate simple

sentences and often attempt higher forms of complexityo May inhibit

understanding• Continue to develop

vocabulary and grammar related to concrete and abstract ideas

Speaking continued...• Extensive ability to communicate socially, teachers could be

fooled into thinking they are fully proficient and thus prematurely cease differentiation strategies

• Lack of scaffolding and explicit and informed instruction may result in lifelong Level 3 inhabitantso An increasing phenomenon 

Reading• Can make sense of simple text and attempt to construe

meaning from increasingly complex writingo Still benefit from sensory support to solidify understanding

• Critical that teachers are fully knowledgable about students' social and academic backgroundso Biographical profileso Cumulative folders

• Can you think of ways to ensure you are fully knowledgable about your students?

Writing• Can generate various types of writing with increasing

complexityo Writing development tends to mirror speaking

development• Prone to making errors that obscure meaning• Vocabulary and sentence structure are gaining

sophistication across a range of abstract and concrete topics

Necessary Assignment/Assessment Strategies for Level 3 Students

• Large-scale standardized assessment tools and classroom-based assessment tools designed for native speakers are likely inappropriate for Level 3 ELLso Scores a clouded by (under-

developed) language proficiency

• Create innovative assessments sensitive to linguistic and cultural realities

In General• Create and use assignments/assessments that

allow students to demonstrate content knowledge, skills, and abilities without language masteryo Technologyo Students generate sensory depictions of

understanding Powerpoint Podcast

• Consider allowing students to complete assessment procedures under the guidance of a bilingual teacher/paraeducatoro Continue to need much needed supporto More clarification, extensive explanation

Individually or small-group setting

In General continued...• Consider weighting graded

components according to student' linguistic strengthso ELLs have a wealth of

background knowledge Emphasize the positive Can you think of ways to

emphasize the importance of students' background knowledge?

o Teachers must advocate access to curriculum  Advanced courses

o Decide what is being graded Advocate content mastery

rather than English language mastery

In General continued...

• Make the assignment/assessment process comprehensible by explaining directions orally and providing visual support (realia, icons, manipulatives, modeling, and modelso Make sure students understand how to complete the

assessment procedureo Teachers could familiarize students with ow to answer

specific types of test items by modeling

In General continued...• Simultaneously assess content and language development

(e.g. through summarizing, story retelling, questioning and responding, analyzing, evaluatingo Teachers routinely assess non-ELLs' vocabulary

development in the content areaso At this level, ELLs are ready to participate in this kind of

assessment, though only through differentiationo Ensure linguistic demands of assessments for Level 3

students' current abilitieso ELLS are not on grade level in terms of vocabulary

development They have moved beyond only general academic

vocabulary and are capable of using more specific and precise vocabulary This vocab is "fair game" during assessment

(possibly use word bank)

Listening and Speaking

• Test orally using and expecting more precise and specific content vocabulary and increasingly complex grammatical structureso Language should reflect sentence-level frames and

models used during instructiono Capable of learning and using content specific

vocabulary 

Reading• Use high-quality, age-appropriate, lower-reading-level materials that

provide extensive visual support, expecting comprehension of increasingly complex sentence- and paragraph-leve texto Scaffolding: use visually supported lower-reading-level materials

is a necessityo Can contribute to increased comprehensiono Grade-level reading materials should not be used for Level 3

assessment purposeso Find these materials at public libraries, school libraries, area

education agencies, publishers

Reading continued...• Test orally using and expecting more precise and specific

content vocabulary and increasingly complex grammatical structureso Maintain high expectations, closely matched with student

descriptors on chart to ensure progresso Must be explicit in instruction and insistent on the

production of both content/academic vocabulary and increasingly complex grammatical structures during assessment

o Provide ELLs with opportunity to showcase highest extent of their content knowledge, skills, and abilities

Reading continued...• When traditional paper and pencil tests must be used,

employ simplified English and visual support (e.g. clip art, graphs)o Level 3 students cannot effectively demonstrate their

content knowledge, skills, and abilities on tests that require full proficiency in grade-level English

o Range of Level 3 proficiency extremely broado Provide support from the beginning to the end of Level 3

Writing• Elicit writing of increasingly complex sentence structures using a

developing range of content/academic vocabularyo Recommend teachers frame their prompts using language that

students are certain to comprehend (comparable to the simplified English)

o Comprehension of the assessment prompt should not be part of what is assessed; rather, students should be assessing the written response to the prompt

• When traditional paper and pencil tests must be used, employ simplified English and visual support (e.g. clip art, graphs)o Applies to tests of reading and tests of writing

Staff Development

http://tinyurl.com/7ymj2a5

Websites for Pictures

• http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Ss_rLDyRQCk/R3OsGASMS-I/AAAAAAAAFQM/Zl6Csj-P1gU/s400/children_globe_00.jpg• http://www.differentiatedresources.com/images/children.jpg• http://esl.beaufort.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/announcement/-2597568.JPG• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l32g9b-KiV0/TgpTCLhKgyI/AAAAAAAAALQ/jy0o3JNhfEw/s1600/conversation.png• http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/assets/images/buttons/students-needs2.jpg• http://www.google.com/imgres?

um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1435&bih=779&tbm=isch&tbnid=7yOgqkoTd2Rz_M:&imgrefurl=http://studentunitypower.org/going-to-graduate-school-as-an-esl-student.html&docid=osn4JNlqRavHLM&imgurl=http://www.swau.edu/uploads/pics/ESL_with_Flags_in_classroom.jpg&w=550&h=382&ei=jvZHT6H9PKLs0gHKyvCtDg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=941&vpy=161&dur=319&hovh=187&hovw=269&tx=128&ty=80&sig=117940668895625615102&page=1&tbnh=150&tbnw=198&start=0&ndsp=29&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0

•  http://blogs.scholastic.com/.a/6a00e54faaf86b8833011168ee8508970c-800wi• http://ingles-personalizado.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/cimg1137.186211811.jpg• http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/6/10/1276180152769/Students-learning-English-006.jpg• http://blog.mingoville.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/french-kids-learn-english2.jpg•