Teaching Students Learning Strategies
Classroom Examples of Teaching Students Learning Strategies
Teachers of ELL students must explicitly teach skills that will help students to access information in memory and make connections between what they know and what they are learning. Students must also learn how to facilitate their own learning. Three types of learning strategies have been identified in the research literature: metacognitive, cognitive, and social/affective. Understanding and controlling cognitive processes may be one of the most essential skills that classroom teachers can help second language learners develop. Rather than focusing students' attention solely on learning the language, second language teachers can help students learn to think about what happens during the language learning process, which will lead them to develop stronger learning skills.
[The Role of Metacognition in Second Language Teaching and Learning By Neil J. Anderson, Brigham Young University. April 2002. Center for Applied Linguistics. EDO-FL-01-10]
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0110anderson.html
Think Aloud
Skillful readers unconsciously use a range of strategies to make meaning from text. The think aloud strategy involves modeling these strategies by "thinking aloud" while reading and responding to a text. By making explicit for students what is implicit for more expert readers, it becomes possible for students to develop and apply these strategies themselves.
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Reading/Reading%20Strategies/reading%20strategies%20index.htm
Role, Audience, Format, Topic (RAFT)
RAFT is a flexible post-reading strategy that helps students to analyze and reflect upon their reading through personal writing. Based on suggestions provided by the teacher or generated by the class, students choose a Role, an Audience, a Format, and a Topic on which to write in response to their reading.
http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-12/Reading/Reading%20Strategies/reading%20strategies%20index.htm
SQ2PRS (Survey, Question, Predict, Read, Respond, Summarize)
This instructional framework from MaryEllen Vogt (2004) can be used for expository texts.
• Survey: Preview a section of text in a short time span (60 seconds).
• Question: List with a partner or small group 1-3 questions you think we’ll find the answers to when we read.
• Predict: State 1-3 things we can expect to learn while reading. Narrow from the list of generated questions.
• Read: With a partner or small group, read assigned section of text. While reading, look for answers to questions.
• Respond: Try to answer questions. Modify, drop or add more questions (interacting with text as good readers do).
• Summarize: At end of text (orally/writing).
[Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners. By Jana Echevaria, MaryEllenVogt, & Deborah Short. 2004. Pearson Education, Inc.]
http://www.siopinstitute.net/PDF/SQP2RS_Posters.pdf
The SIOP Model (Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol) from Center for Applied Linguistics aims to make grade-level academic content more accessible to ELLs while also promoting their English Language development.
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/oela/summit2005/presentations/TomBauder.pdf
(slides 26-32)
Teaching younger students to think about the text
At the end of a reading selection, ask students to think about the selection in terms of specific events, facts, characters, a reaction, etc. Have each partner generate 2 - 4 words related to the section. Ask students to explain to one another why they chose that word. This helps students become aware of their thinking processes. If students can write, they may write the words. Students then share their words with the class and post their written words; otherwise, the teacher can write the word. As an extension activity, the teacher may use some of these words for follow-up vocabulary work, or students may write a poem using the words.