Zip Zoom English With professional development from Scholastic RED Aligns to Criteria for Title III English Language Acquisition

Transcription

1 Zip Zoom English With professional development from Scholastic RED Aligns to Criteria for Title III English Language Acquisition The purpose of Title III English Language Acquisition (ELA) is to ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) students, including immigrant children and youth, develop English proficiency and meet the same academic content and achievement standards that other children are expected to meet. The following chart details how Zip Zoom English can support the development of a Title III program. The criteria are drawn from the federal Non-regulatory Guidance on Implementation of the Title III State Formula Grant Program, which can be found at this site: 1. Provide language-instruction educational programs that are based on scientifically based research demonstrating effectiveness in increasing English proficiency and student academic achievement in the core academic subjects Zip Zoom English Zip Zoom English is a research-based program that combines technology with texts designed for Englishlanguage learners in kindergarten through third grade. In 1999, the Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL) received a five-year grant from the US Department of Education to develop NEARStar: Network for English Language Acquisition and Reading, A Star Schools Project. The primary goal was to develop software to address the English language acquisition and literacy needs of young English-language learners. In , PREL tested its first NEARStar prototype at developmental school sites. It then expanded to 23 sites in 12 states, serving approximately 3,100 English-language learners in kindergarten through third grade. In WestEd conducted a two-year independent research study with 658 Englishlanguage learners in kindergarten through second grade to determine NEARStar s effectiveness in developing English-language learners language and literacy skills. The study revealed a consistent trend of improved phonemic awareness, phonics, and sight word recognition for English-language learners using NEARstar. June

2 2. Expand or enhance existing language instruction educational programs and academic content instruction programs Zip Zoom English Zip Zoom English is designed to complement any reading program with an explicit and systematic approach to developing the language, literacy, and content knowledge needed to achieve academic success. The program is available in Levels 1-3 to flexibly meet the needs of students in Grades K-3. The ten lessons in each level follow this format: Sessions 1 and 2 Teachers pre-teach content-area vocabulary. Teachers introduce and read a story from the Read- Aloud Library, modeling language and comprehension skills, such as, rereading, clarifying, summarizing, and predicting. Teachers ask open-ended questions, designed to prompt long answers, text-related discussion, and analytical thinking that are proven critical to comprehension and word acquisition. Sessions 3 and 4 Lessons provide multiple exposure to content vocabulary through, interactive class discussions, word webs, writing activities, and pictures. The Word & Picture Book provides a colorful, contextualized setting for reinforcing the targeted vocabulary. Sessions 5 and 6 Phonemic Awareness and phonics skills are taught using the Song & Chant Poster Book and Phonemic Awareness Songs & Rhymes book. Students participate in writing and illustration activities which help make connections and practice additional skills, such as concepts of print. Sessions 7 and 8 Lessons provide students the opportunity to bring together the vocabulary, phonemic awareness, and phonics skills, which allow them to decode and read the Critical-Word Readers. Students do repeated readings of the stories independently or with a partner to build fluency. Sessions 9 and 10 The final sessions review and reinforce the new skills and vocabulary to prepare children for assessments. Students revisit one or more of the following components: Read-Aloud book, Word & Picture Book, and the Critical-Word Readers Students take a formalized assessment from the software after every even-numbered lesson. June

3 2. Expand or enhance existing language instruction educational programs and academic content instruction programs Zip Zoom English Teachers can use information from Zip Zoom English placement,, progress-monitoring reports and outcomes assessment to determine instructional intervention in the five essential elements of reading: phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding, vocabulary, comprehension, reading fluency. The program also presents writing, listening, and speaking opportunities and connects to other curricula. 3. Provide programs that will enable children in early childhood, elementary, and secondary programs to speak, read, write, and comprehend the English language and meet challenging State academic and student academic achievement standards Research-based Zip Zoom English is scientifically proven to accelerate oral language, vocabulary, sight word recognition and fluency Phonemic Awareness Songs and chants reinforce specific sounds and key phonological and phonemic awareness tasks. Children learn, repeat, and choose words targeted for initial vowel and consonant sounds, covering all 26 letters of the alphabet. Phonics Children develop sound and letter knowledge while building and spelling new words and using them in sentences. Children progress to decoding words that include consonants, digraphs, diphthongs, blends, variant vowels, and advanced phonic elements. Vocabulary Children build content knowledge and practice vocabulary through animated lessons. The Read-Aloud Library and the Critical-Word Readers provide practice with vocabulary including high-frequency, high-meaning, and phonetically regular words. Fluency Students listen to modeled readings from a selection of classic and non-fiction titles in a variety of topics and genres. Students develop and improve fluency through echo reading, choral reading, partner reading, and repetition. Comprehension Teachers preview books to draw on children s prior knowledge, discuss context clues, and encourage children to picture and describe what they read. Students develop comprehension strategies such as making predictions, rereading, summarizing, sequence of events, story structure, etc. June

4 3. Provide programs that will enable children in early childhood, elementary, and secondary programs to speak, read, write, and comprehend the English language and meet challenging State academic and student academic achievement standards Zip Zoom English The Zip Zoom English lessons center on high-interest, relevant science and social studies topics. These topics are filled with vibrant language and literacy instruction. Topics address curriculum standards and children s interests. Language and literacy skills are taught simultaneously. Standards-driven content goals ensure academic success. Lessons are aligned to the TESOL standards. Writing lessons include teacher-led, daily independent and responsive writing. Students learn, practice, and develop the skills they need to meet state standards. 4. Provide high-quality professional development to classroom teachers, principals, administrators, and other school or community-based organizational personnel that is: Designed to improve the instruction and assessment of LEP students Designed to enhance the ability of such teachers to understand and use curricula, assessment measures, and instruction strategies for LEP children Based on scientifically based research demonstrating effectiveness of the professional development in increasing children s English proficiency, or substantially increasing the subject matter knowledge, teaching knowledge, and teaching skills of teachers Of sufficient intensity and duration to have a positive and lasting impact on the teachers performance in the classroom Zip Zoom English includes enrollment in the Scholastic Red facilitated online course, Reading Success for English Language Learners. The seven online sessions focus on developing key knowledge and literacy skills that most benefit ELLs: Session 1: The Context for Teaching English- Language Learners to Read Session 2: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Spelling Instructions Session 3: Fluency Instruction and Practice Session 4: Vocabulary Is Critical to Success in Comprehension Session 5: Teaching Students to Comprehend a Wide Variety of Texts Session 6: Writing with English-Language Learners Session 7: Content-Area Instruction for English Language Learners The Zip Zoom English program also includes Video Workshops for each of the five elements of reading: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Phonics and Decoding Vocabulary Comprehension Reading Fluency June

5 5. Assess student achievement using annual measurable achievement objectives and describe the: The progress made by LEP students in learning English and meeting challenging State academic content and student achievement standards The number and percentage of children attaining English proficiency at the end of each school year The progress made by students in meeting challenging State academic content and student achievement standards for each of the two years after students are no longer receiving services Zip Zoom English Zip Zoom English contains evaluation tools that provide teachers with information they can use to determine student achievement gains. The software management system allows teachers to review and print Ongoing Progress Monitoring Reports for each student. The software also contains a Message Center where messages and alerts guide teachers and keep them informed of student progress. Additional Assessment tools include: A placement assessment for initial placement Progress Monitoring Assessments which provide formal, periodic checks A Teacher Manager that provides data-driven reports about student assessment scores Outcomes Assessments that provide mid- and endof-level learning snapshots of English-language learners beginning the transition to English 6. Use assessment data to improve Title III programs and activities to help LEP students attain English proficiency and meet challenging State academic content and student achievement standards Formal and informal assessments in Zip Zoom English provide support which help teachers make instructional decisions as students progress through the lessons on each level. An assessment can be made to identify patterns and trends in a child s progress and to adjust instruction and tailor practice. After each even-numbered lesson, children receive a formal assessment on the software. The assessment provides periodic checks on phonology, oral vocabulary, and critical words. In addition, each lesson provides learning goals for language, literacy and content knowledge. During Teacher- Led instruction, the Progress-Monitoring checklists can be used to gather informal data about each student s learning and progress. June

6 7. Use assessment data to determine the effectiveness of the Title III programs and activities in helping LEP students attain English proficiency and meet the same challenging State academic content and achievement standards that other children are expected to meet Include how schools will be accountable for making AYP for LEP students Zip Zoom English Zip Zoom English is a multimedia program that helps build language and literacy proficiency in young English-language learners. It is designed to complement a comprehensive reading and ESL program. Zip Zoom English provides teaching materials and resources to motivate English-language learners and help them develop critical language and reading skills. There are three distinct language and literacy proficiency levels based on topics and concepts that have meaning for children. Each of the three content-rich levels consists of ten topicbased lessons which deliver curriculum, instruction, interactive learning, and differentiated practice. Level 1 is targeted at children who are beginning to acquire English, and aim to advance their speech production and emergent levels of literacy. Level 2 is targeted at children who are at the early production stage of oral language acquisition and helps them advance to the speech emergence stage and early literacy level. Level 3 is targeted at children who are at the speech-emergence stage of oral language acquisition and at an early literacy level. 8. Inform parents about how they can be active participants in the Title III program and: The method of instruction that will be used in the program to help their child achieve at high levels in core academic subjects How the program will meet the educational strengths and needs of their child How the program will help their child learn English and meet academic achievement standards Zip Zoom English provides tools to help initiate ongoing communication with families. Each lesson includes tips to engage families and resources, such as Family Letters and Take-Home Books. Parent letters, available in Spanish and English, introduce the program and describe the various components. The Teacher Resources CD includes letters that will update parents on upcoming topics and activities before beginning each lesson. Staff can share test results and progress reports with parents during conference times. Students can bring home books from the Read- Aloud Library and share them with their families. June