Learning Department- Land of Magic Presentation

LAND

OF ELD

Tailoring Lessons & Assessments for ELLs at Every Proficiency LeveL

Danielle Schiavoni

Jeannie Krimmel

Introducing the ELD Program Specialist

Kelly Ospina

UDL: Firm Goals, Flexible Means!

Disclaimer: This information was presented to teachers for the purpose of variant creation and could be helpful when designing courses. UDL is neccesary for El's language aquisition and content understanding. It can also benefit all students.

UDL for Els

ELD at a Glance: Total number of ELL's 2024-25: 1030 Learners (Majority between ELP LVL 1-3)How many ELs in each school?Elementary – 180Middle – 232High School - 618Languages represented: ELD Dept. 23 different/ Schoolwide 38 differentTop 51. Spanish2. Russian3. Portuguese4.Arabic5. Uzbeck

Demographics

This session will:

• Explore the WIDA proficiency levels (1-6)
• Explain how language skills impact student performance on assessments.
• Distinguish between content knowledge and language proficiency
• Identify ways to create lessons and assessments to support ELLs' understanding.

Objectives

SECTION 1

01

What Are ELL Proficiency Levels?

WIDA WEBSITE

Source: WIDA-ELD-Standards-Framework-2020.pdf#page=33 PDF (wida.wisc.edu)

"The WIDA Consortium is a member-based organization made up of 41 U.S. states, territories, and federal agencies dedicated to the research, design, and implementation of a high-quality, standards-based system for K-12 multilingual learners."

WIDA, What?

SECTION 1

WIDA Levels 1-6 Overview: Lvl 1: Limited to no understanding of English. Lvl 2: Can understand and use simple phrases and sentences. Lvl 3: Can handle familiar topics and produce basic sentences.Lvl 4: Can engage in academic conversations with more complex language.Lvl 5: Near-native proficiency; can handle most academic language (2-year monitoring stage). Lvl 6: Proficient, comparable to native English speakers in both academic and social settings (2-year monitoring stage).

Source: Monroe County Community School Corporation ( https://www.mccsc.edu/2650_4)

Language Proficiency Levels...

SECTION 1

Source: WIDA. (2024). ACCESS for ELLs Interpretive Guide for Score Reports Grades K-12. Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

• ELLs at different levels need varying levels of support.

• Language demands (reading, writing, speaking, listening).

• Access to assessment content.

Why are proficiency levels important?

Section 1

SECTION 2

02

Content Knowledge vs. Language Proficiency

Content Knowledge:What the student knows about the subject matter (e.g., math, science).Language Proficiency:The student’s ability to express that knowledge in English*Assessments often combine the two, making it hard to determine if the issue is language or content understanding.

SECTION 2

ELLs often struggle not with the content, but with understanding the language used to test it.

ELLs may struggle with:

• Complex vocabulary and academic language.
• Unfamiliar cultural references.
• Long passages requiring advanced reading skills.
• Multi-step directions or complex questions.

Challenges for ELLs in Language-Loaded Assessments

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

03

Case Study: Understanding Gaps

Things to Consider

Examples

3rd Grade (Levels 1/2 - Entering/Emerging)

adds (+)

subtract (-)

Maria has 24 apples. She gives away (subtracts) 8 apples. Then she gets (adds) 16 more apples. How many apples does Maria have now? Show and explain your work.

Maria has 24 apples. She gives 8 apples to her friend, then she buys 16 more apples from the store. How many apples does Maria have now? Show and explain your work.

Adjusted

Original

Examples

3rd Grade (Level 4 - Expanding)

Scaffolding the Language of the Word Problem: The teacher rephrases the problem using simpler, more familiar language:Original: “Maria has 24 apples . Maria gives 8 apples to her friend, then buys 16 more.”Simplified: “Maria has 24 apples. She gives away 8 apples. Then she gets 16 more apples.”A graphic organizer helps break down the problem step-by-step.Using Sentence and Paragraph Frames:“First, I will subtract ____ because...”“Next, I will add ____ because...”“The answer is ____ apples.”

Examples of Assessment Support

SECTION 3

5th Grade Science Level 2 ELP

Image Source: ScienceFacts.net

How to Draw Food Webs

Bilingual Glossary

Rewordify

Resource: https://softschools.com/language_arts/reading_comprehension/science/67/food_chains_and_webs/

Adjusted

Original

Examples

Examples of Assessment Support 5th Grade ( Level 2 - Emerging)

Visual Aids and Graphic Organizers: Introduce key vocabulary using picture cards and gestures, real-life examples, and simplified definitions.(e.g., “producer,” “consumer,” “decomposer”).Have students create a simple food chain diagram with labeled pictures (e.g., sun → plant → animal), rather than relying on text-heavy explanations. Include hands-on activities like sorting or matching cards for producers, consumers, and decomposers to reinforce understanding. Modify the diagram task by providing pre-labeled pictures for students to organize in the correct sequence, allowing them to demonstrate understanding without heavy writing demands.

SECTION 3

5th Grade Science Level 2 ELP

Source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Visual-Science-Assessment-Food-Chain-Food-Web-and-Energy-Pyramid-9064112

Source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Visual-Science-Assessment-Food-Chain-Food-Web-and-Energy-Pyramid-9064112

Adjusted

Original

Examples

Examples of Assessment Support

Using Sentence Frames and Word Banks for Writing Responses: “A plant is a ______” or “The ______ eats the ______” Offer a word bank with key terms (producer, animal, energy, food) to fill in the blanks when writing. Reduce the writing task from full sentences to fill-in-the-blank or matching activities where Sally can demonstrate her understanding with shorter phrases.

SECTION 3

Multiple Choice

Source: https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=food-chainswebs-quiz

Source: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Producers-consumers-decomposers-CARD-SORT-ACTIVITY-Feeding-relationships-game-11259137

Sorting Activity

Adjusted

Original

Examples

Scaffolding the Language: Simplified version of the reading on ecosystems, with highlighted or underlined important parts to focus on key concepts, shorter sentences, and fewer complex structures.Provide a visual glossary. Pair written instructions with visuals to aid comprehension.

Examples of Assessment Support

SECTION 3

Source:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Producers-consumers-decomposers-CARD-SORT-ACTIVITY-Feeding-relationships-game-11259137

Source:https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Producers-consumers-decomposers-CARD-SORT-ACTIVITY-Feeding-relationships-game-11259137

REsources

Section 3

• Is there a more concise way that I can explain a concept? -- use of simple and compound sentences

Secondary Biology

Examples

Are you able to make the structure (s-v-o) and content predictable?

Secondary Biology

Examples

Asking ELs to write a paragraph response or project? Remind them how to organize an English paragraph. Other languages organize longer text in differing patterns. This chart and other organizers help ELs write more completely.For Level 1 & 2 give paragraph frames or starters!

SECTION 3

Examples of Assessment Support

Takeaways

• We now understand the importance of adjusting assessments based on proficiency levels.

• Language proficiency affects a student’s ability to produce language (e.g., writing or speaking) and comprehend language (e.g., reading or listening).

• Assessments need to clearly reflect whether difficulties arise from language barriers or content gaps.

What We’ve Learned

Thank you!

Got an idea?

Let the communication flow!

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like!Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.

• Generate experiences with your content.
• It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
• Make sure your audience remembers the message.

Got an idea?

Let the communication flow!

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like!Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.

• Generate experiences with your content.
• It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
• Make sure your audience remembers the message.

Got an idea?

Let the communication flow!

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like!Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.

• Generate experiences with your content.
• It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
• Make sure your audience remembers the message.

Got an idea?

Let the communication flow!

With Genially templates, you can include visual resources to wow your audience. You can also highlight a particular sentence or piece of information so that it sticks in your audience’s minds, or even embed external content to surprise them: Whatever you like!Do you need more reasons to create dynamic content? No problem! 90% of the information we assimilate is received through sight and, what’s more, we retain 42% more information when the content moves.

• Generate experiences with your content.
• It’s got the Wow effect. Very Wow.
• Make sure your audience remembers the message.