"SIOP [Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol] Model has eight components and 30 features that, taken together, have been shown to improve achievement" (Echevarria et al. p. 337)
Lesson Preparation
If your child is learning English as a second language know that they have a greater load at school than their native English speaking peers. They must master grade level knowledge and skills as well as English language skills. "The keystone of the [SIOP Model] framework focuses on the concept of teachers providing content and language objectives in all lessons" (Lachance, p. 2). This should be evident in your child's classroom. Communicate with your child's teacher about the language and content objectives they have been working on in the classroom, ask them for ideas on ways you can practice or reiterate at home what your child is learning in the classroom. "Studies show that language acquisition is enhanced when teachers design lessons with these two separate goals in mind." (Echevarria, p. 336).
Building Background
If your child is learning English as a second language it is likely they carry with them unique linguistic and cultural experiences different from their native English speaking peers. For learning to take place it is important for learners to make important connections between what they know and what they are learning. "This model provides a great emphasis for considering students' background and experiences within the teaching and learning process." (Lachance, p. 2). Teachers using the SIOP Model take careful consideration to make links in learners past experiences to what students are learning. One way of achieving this is through emphasis on key vocabulary. Your communication with the teacher about your child's experiences living in another country or background in school can help the teacher to best understand and assist your child in the classroom. You are also one of your child's best resources as you will have the most knowledge of their ability level and background knowledge. You can use this information to develop greater context for them in understanding new vocabulary words they may be learning at school.
Comprehensible Input
The new Common Core State Standards require students to learn rigorous content material and meet very high cognitively demanding standards. The new standards pose a challenge even for native English speakers. If your student is learning in a second language, they will require specialized teaching techniques to make difficult content material comprehensible. Teachers using the SIOP Model to a high degree utilize a variety of techniques to make content understandable and facilitate language acquisition. One technique of making content comprehensible for student learning in a second language is the use of appropriate speech whereby the speaker slows down and adjust speech to account the language acquisition level of the learner. When speaking with you child in English it can be helpful to slow down, repeat or emphasize words, and use gestures or demonstrations to help convey meaning.
Strategies
While your child is learning in a second language it is important not to emphasizes language acquisition at the expense of developing higher order thinking skills. The strategies component of the SIOP Model provides teachers with scaffolding techniques, higher order questioning and tasks to use in the classroom (Lachance p. 3). In this way, the strategies component of the SIOP Model recognizes the need to foster language acquisition without watering down the curriculum. Encourage your child to think critically and speak at length about experiences that that are new or topics that interest them by asking open ended questions and listening to them while they speak.
Interaction
Interaction is an important part of the learning process for your child's acquisition of the English language, engagement in the learning process and meaningful application of curriculum. The features of the interaction component of the SIOP Model emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities for interaction. The features of the component also address elements of interaction such as the use of wait time and the use of the your child's first language as a means for providing clarification. (Lachance p. 3). Interaction with peers is an important part of the SIOP Model in that it provides your child with opportunities to apply language skills daily as well as a chance to interact with curriculum (Lachance p. 3) Your interactions with your child are of great value to the language acquisition process. Do you best to foster their development through positive interactions. Offer many words of encouragement, allow your child ample time to respond to questions, give them your attention while they are speaking, and make minimal use of corrections.
Practice/Application
For true language acquisition to take place, and not just rote memorization, your child will need to practice and apply what they are learning about the content and about the language they are learning. That is why the SIOP model stresses the integration of language skills with "hands-on practice and application of content and language knowledge in new ways" (Lachance p. 3). With practice and application of the target language and content material your child will integrate what they have learned in meaningful ways.
Lesson Delivery
Effective lesson delivery is paramount to your child's success in school. Teachers must learn how to relate all instruction and materials back to specific objectives in order to ensure the most effective use of your child's time in school. Appropriate pacing of lesson delivery and level of student engagement are two additional factors SIOP teachers consider in the delivery of a lesson. This component of the SIOP Model addresses the importance of appropriate pacing and student engagement in supporting language and content objectives.
Review and Assessment
The benefits of reviewing content is not unique to ELLs. However, it can be especially important for English language learners who have the added challenge of learning in a second language to highlight what they need to learn. The SIOP model addresses this by incorporating review into every lesson. In talking with your child about what they are learning at school you can facilitate the review process. Ask them what their objectives were and if they felt they mastered them. The SIOP model also provides a means for assessing your child's progress on content and language objectives throughout the lesson. In this way, the teacher is aware of your child's progress as the lesson progresses and is able to make an necessary adjustments to help them master the content and language objectives. As you monitor your child's progress look for little changes such as knowledge of new words or a growing excitement for learning- there are both positive signs for growth.
If your child is learning English as a second language know that they have a greater load at school than their native English speaking peers. They must master grade level knowledge and skills as well as English language skills. "The keystone of the [SIOP Model] framework focuses on the concept of teachers providing content and language objectives in all lessons" (Lachance, p. 2). This should be evident in your child's classroom. Communicate with your child's teacher about the language and content objectives they have been working on in the classroom, ask them for ideas on ways you can practice or reiterate at home what your child is learning in the classroom. "Studies show that language acquisition is enhanced when teachers design lessons with these two separate goals in mind." (Echevarria, p. 336).
Building Background
If your child is learning English as a second language it is likely they carry with them unique linguistic and cultural experiences different from their native English speaking peers. For learning to take place it is important for learners to make important connections between what they know and what they are learning. "This model provides a great emphasis for considering students' background and experiences within the teaching and learning process." (Lachance, p. 2). Teachers using the SIOP Model take careful consideration to make links in learners past experiences to what students are learning. One way of achieving this is through emphasis on key vocabulary. Your communication with the teacher about your child's experiences living in another country or background in school can help the teacher to best understand and assist your child in the classroom. You are also one of your child's best resources as you will have the most knowledge of their ability level and background knowledge. You can use this information to develop greater context for them in understanding new vocabulary words they may be learning at school.
Comprehensible Input
The new Common Core State Standards require students to learn rigorous content material and meet very high cognitively demanding standards. The new standards pose a challenge even for native English speakers. If your student is learning in a second language, they will require specialized teaching techniques to make difficult content material comprehensible. Teachers using the SIOP Model to a high degree utilize a variety of techniques to make content understandable and facilitate language acquisition. One technique of making content comprehensible for student learning in a second language is the use of appropriate speech whereby the speaker slows down and adjust speech to account the language acquisition level of the learner. When speaking with you child in English it can be helpful to slow down, repeat or emphasize words, and use gestures or demonstrations to help convey meaning.
Strategies
While your child is learning in a second language it is important not to emphasizes language acquisition at the expense of developing higher order thinking skills. The strategies component of the SIOP Model provides teachers with scaffolding techniques, higher order questioning and tasks to use in the classroom (Lachance p. 3). In this way, the strategies component of the SIOP Model recognizes the need to foster language acquisition without watering down the curriculum. Encourage your child to think critically and speak at length about experiences that that are new or topics that interest them by asking open ended questions and listening to them while they speak.
Interaction
Interaction is an important part of the learning process for your child's acquisition of the English language, engagement in the learning process and meaningful application of curriculum. The features of the interaction component of the SIOP Model emphasizes the need to provide frequent opportunities for interaction. The features of the component also address elements of interaction such as the use of wait time and the use of the your child's first language as a means for providing clarification. (Lachance p. 3). Interaction with peers is an important part of the SIOP Model in that it provides your child with opportunities to apply language skills daily as well as a chance to interact with curriculum (Lachance p. 3) Your interactions with your child are of great value to the language acquisition process. Do you best to foster their development through positive interactions. Offer many words of encouragement, allow your child ample time to respond to questions, give them your attention while they are speaking, and make minimal use of corrections.
Practice/Application
For true language acquisition to take place, and not just rote memorization, your child will need to practice and apply what they are learning about the content and about the language they are learning. That is why the SIOP model stresses the integration of language skills with "hands-on practice and application of content and language knowledge in new ways" (Lachance p. 3). With practice and application of the target language and content material your child will integrate what they have learned in meaningful ways.
Lesson Delivery
Effective lesson delivery is paramount to your child's success in school. Teachers must learn how to relate all instruction and materials back to specific objectives in order to ensure the most effective use of your child's time in school. Appropriate pacing of lesson delivery and level of student engagement are two additional factors SIOP teachers consider in the delivery of a lesson. This component of the SIOP Model addresses the importance of appropriate pacing and student engagement in supporting language and content objectives.
Review and Assessment
The benefits of reviewing content is not unique to ELLs. However, it can be especially important for English language learners who have the added challenge of learning in a second language to highlight what they need to learn. The SIOP model addresses this by incorporating review into every lesson. In talking with your child about what they are learning at school you can facilitate the review process. Ask them what their objectives were and if they felt they mastered them. The SIOP model also provides a means for assessing your child's progress on content and language objectives throughout the lesson. In this way, the teacher is aware of your child's progress as the lesson progresses and is able to make an necessary adjustments to help them master the content and language objectives. As you monitor your child's progress look for little changes such as knowledge of new words or a growing excitement for learning- there are both positive signs for growth.
"Research with 346 middle school students demonstrated that SIOP can have significant positive outcomes for English language learners....While this study’s findings are preliminary, the SIOP method appears to be a promising approach to helping ELLs develop academic language and literacy skills"(Francis et al, p. 14)