Engagement Strategies
Acting Out Stories
"Acting out stories is a great way for students to internalize new language learned from reading by incorporating it into the oral performance. Student must also communicate with their peers to collaborate in planning, creating props and scenery, and preparing for the performance." (Wright, 2010, p. 160) While students can create elaborate props and scenery, it is not necessary for the strategy to be successful. There are many extensions that can be done with this strategy such as writing and acting out an alternate ending or extend the story.
Barrier Games
Barrier games are highly engaging and develop oral language skills simultaneously. In barrier games "one student in each pair is the designated artist and is given paper and a pencil. The partner is given a pattern or picture, which he or she places behind some type of barrier where the artist cannot see it. The partner looks at the pattern or picture and then, using English and with hands behind his or her back, tells the artist how to draw it. For barrier games to be successful, particularly with ELLs at lower levels of English proficiency, teachers should pre-teach necessary vocabulary and language structures that can then be practiced through this activity." (pp. 159-160)
Class Discussion
"Classroom discussions are critically important for ELL students' oral language and academic development. These discussions enable students to demonstrate their knowledge and communicate their thoughts and ideas with their classmates and teacher." (p. 161)
Obstacle Course
Working pairs or small groups, students make their way around the academic challenges related to the content standard/s. This strategy is great when using GLAD because the units are already themed and should span several subject areas. This will allow you to use many subject areas in the obstacle course. Additionally, when students arrive, they must read the directions on what to do at each obstacle.
An additional way to use the obstacle course would be to have only an oral challenge. This would be one partner get blindfolded and must be told what to do by their partner. This will encourage students to use the language.
An additional way to use the obstacle course would be to have only an oral challenge. This would be one partner get blindfolded and must be told what to do by their partner. This will encourage students to use the language.
Role Play
Role plays are a great way to get students using language in a way that can easily be remembered. Whereas, textbooks can be difficult and challenging and often do not lead to the desired outcome. Role plays can be silly or based on real life situations the children will find themselves, such as how to ask questions at the store, make purchases, ask where the bathroom is, etc.
The teacher places several scenarios into a hat, bowl, basket, etc. and then pull the scenario out. Each partner or small group then works together to create a role play skit to share with the whole group.
The teacher places several scenarios into a hat, bowl, basket, etc. and then pull the scenario out. Each partner or small group then works together to create a role play skit to share with the whole group.
Roundtable
The roundtable is a brainstorming discussion among peers. "The teacher assigns students to small groups of three to six students. Each group is given a single sheet of blank paper (or chart paper) and a task that involves brainstorming ideas related to whatever they are currently learning in class. For example, students might be asked to brainstorm ideas about why a character acted a particular way in a story or ideas for alternative endings. Or, as a simple ESL lesson for lower-level ELLs, students could be asked to brainstorm a list of items they might find in a kitchen. Each student in the group is given the opportunity to add something to the list and a recorder writes down their response on the paper." (p. 158) Using jobs like in a literature circle will be important to keeping the group engaged and on-track.
Think-Pair-Share
"The teacher assigns each student a partner and asks a question related to whatever topic the students are studying. Students are given time to think of their answer (and maybe jot down a few notes). Then, at the teacher's signal, they turn and discuss their answers with their partners. The teacher can wander around and eavesdrop on the conversations, providing support as needed. After a few minutes, the teacher may call on pairs of students to report what they talked about. Think-Pair-Share provides built-in wait time in a low-risk environment. Everyone is talking at once, and the ELLs are talking with only one peer...If they are asked to report their answer to the class, they have already had a chance to practice answering with their partners and thus can answer with greater confidence." (pp. 157-158)
What Am I?
"Students wear a headband with a card on the front that they cannot see but others can...The card has a picture or the name of some object, animal, or person. Each student has to figure out what is on his or her card by asking questions of their students, such as 'Am I an animal?'...For the game to be successful, the teacher should first make sure the students have learned the vocabulary and language forms necessary to play." (p. 160)
Work Cited
Wright, W. E. (2010). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon.