Shari Carulli

11/10/02

1. MATRIX

MAIN OBJECTIVES

Comprehensible input
Active Involvement of the learner

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

Increased verbal interaction
Contextualized language
Reduced anxiety

2. NAME OF THE STRATEGY

SKILLS GROUPING

3. DESCRIPTION OF THE STATEGY

Skills grouping supports comprehensible input and active involvement of the learner for the ESOL student. After observing a specific ineptitude in a number of students, the educator temporarily groups the students for instructional purposes. Based on Krashen’s “scaffolding”, skills grouping greatly enhances comprehensible input by allowing the educator to build on the current level of student understanding. Skills grouping can be implemented at any grade level for the purpose of teaching language usage, reading, language arts, and mathematic skills.

4. STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

The educator should begin by employing a routine for monitoring and recording student’s performance levels, language acquisition, and learning. Using these observations, the educator should organize students into instructional groups based on similar inefficiencies. Once groups have been formed, the educator should design lessons that explain, model, and guide practice based upon the designated skill. Lastly, test for acquisition of the skill by assigning an authentic task that requires the student to utilize the skill. Once complete, the educator should decide which students would benefit from further instruction, and which students have mastered the skill.

The Cycle of Forming and Teaching Skills Groups

Observe Document Group Students Explain Model Practice Task

Page 198 in Herrell book, figure 42.1

5. SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS/ CLASSROOM IMPLEMENTATION

1) Observe students during students read-aloud. Who is unable to gain enough meaning from contextual clues to participate? Record findings

2) Identify skill and groups students.

3) Introduce and explain vocabulary

4) While reading From Tadpole to Frog aloud to group, model using contextual clues to understand scientific vocabulary

5) Practice vocabulary with students

6) Assess: Vocabulary/Picture word game

7) Rejoin whole class in Science reading

6. CONCLUSION

Classroom are filled with students with diverse abilities and varied needs. It is the educator’s responsibility to ensure that each child’s needs are met through instruction
that is comprehensible. To plan instruction that is comprehensible, the educator must first be aware of the specific needs of her students. The educator can identify
these needs by continuously monitoring and recording student performance. From these records, the educator is able to identify students who share a need, and
effectively formulate instructional groups. The teacher can then use these groups to teach a specific skill at the student’s present level of functioning. The Skills Grouping strategy allows the educator to “not leave any child behind”, while still allowing students who have mastered the skill to continue learning without being bored from
unnecessary instruction.

7. REFERENCES

Herrell, Adrienne L. (2000). Fifty Strategies for Teaching English Language

Learners. 197, Merrill/Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Peregoy, Suzanne F. and Owen F. Boyle (2001). Reading, Writing, & Learning

in ESL: A Resource Book for K-12 Teachers. Addison Wesley Longman,

Inc.: New York.

8. SUGGESTED WEBSITE

The Learning Curve: Teaching Techniques http://library.thinkquest.org/C005704/content_teaching_it_techniques.php3

Create or play free vocabulary games at: www.vocabulary.com

9. SUGGESTED READINGS/ARTICLES/RESOURCES

Mosteller, F., Light, R.J. and Sachs, J.A. (1996) 'Sustained inquiry in education:lessons from skill and class size.’ Harvard Educational Review, 66, 797-842