Kai Gomez-Whitehead

11/12/2021
Instructional Supports for Language Demands

The language function that I have identified for my students is: Students will be

able to Draw evidence from a text to support analysis, reflection, and research. The key

learning task that they will do to provide them with an opportunity to practice this

language function is by having them work on a worksheet that has them read through a

short passage and then answer a few questions that are regarding the passage.

Students will be asked to underline where in the passage they got their evidence from to

answer the question and each underline that they will make will be color coded to the

question it corresponds with. The language functions that students will need to

understand when learning this task are vocabulary and syntax. There might be words

that the students might not be familiar with within the passage which correlates with the

vocabulary language demand and students will be asked to answer the questions in

complete sentences which correlates with the syntax language demand.

Identified Language Demand Planned Language Support

Words in passage they might not Review vocab and word chart.
know (vocabulary)

Forming complete sentences (syntax) Show examples of what complete

sentences look like and help form
complete sentences with students if
needed.
 I am basing this assignment off of my 4th grade classroom that I am student

teaching in which has two ELL students in it. The first step that is taken when presenting

this task is going over what the assignment is so describing what is to be expected of

them when completing it such as how the students need to underline the evidence that

they find within the text and that they need to write in complete sentences when

answering the questions. I read the passage out loud with the doc cam so that students

can follow along with either the board or their own paper. While reading the passage the

students highlight words that they might not know and can look it up in their word chart

or ask for guidance. After reading through the text we go over the questions together.

The first step in doing this is having the students underline the key words in the question

or the words that will help them find the evidence within the text. The students will raise

their hands and guide me on what to do instead of me showing them what to do. Once

the students find the evidence in the text (also done as a whole class) I will ask them if

they can form it into a complete sentence to answer the question. If they are struggling I

show them how to start the sentence and guide them on how to finish it to make it

complete. After guiding the students on what to do I then let the students finish the other

few questions on their own. I walk around the room while the class is working on the

rest of the questions on their own to see if anyone needs help. When I notice a student

struggling I guide them how to do it to reinforce the language demands that are being

asked of them. I usually like to check up on my ELL and IEP students the most because

they dont always like to ask for help and will just sit there so I like to interact with them a

lot to see how they are doing and if I can help them. Sometimes I just read their work

because they say they don't want help but I know that they are having a hard time so I
introduce the help in a different way such as saying “ Can you show me how you're

doing because I think I need some help? Oh that's a great Idea what about doing it this

way?” to help refocus them and go about helping them in a non noticeable but positive

way that is encouraging them.

One of my ELL students is at about a level one with her reading and writing so

when I am helping her it is usually with vocabulary. One way that I differentiate her

instruction is by using different ways in which to explain things depending on the words I

try to verbally explain things but sometimes that doesn't work so I do a combination of

verbally explaining while using gestures. For example we came across the word tickle

which I had a hard time explaining so I asked her if her parents ever touched the bottom

of her feet like this (using the tickling hand motion) and does it make you laugh when

they do? And after asking that her face lit up she said yes and so I explained that's what

tickling is which she then understood completely. But for my other ELL student who is at

a level 2 I don't have to make as many gestures when explaining things because her

oral level is much higher then her reading and writing so I usually tend to either have

her sound the word out with me and help her say the word out loud so it registers to her

what it is which usually clicks and she doesn't need further explanation because she

was only struggling with reading it. The first ELL student I was talking about is at a level

3 when it comes to her speaking and listening so she has a good time keeping a

conversation and can understanding the meaning of many words she has heard before

by either her peers or teacher but sometimes she does come across words that she

hasn't heard before so she asks what it means. I can usually explain it using other

words that have the same meaning that she already knows but if I can't think of stuff like
that I use gestures or pictures. I feel like it would be a lot easier if I knew how to speak

Spanish so I could use Spanish words to explain the meaning of the words. So far the

girls are teaching me a little Spanish so maybe in the future I can use Spanish to help

explain things to the girls (probably not but that would be fun).