Chapter 3: Cultural Response in Classrooms

This week's reading touched on a lot of important aspects of developing literacy for English learners. While teachers of ESL are familiar with all of these approaches, it is important for content-area teachers to learn strategies that will benefit English learners. In fact, these methods will benefit all students, struggling and proficient learners alike.

One of the most important aspects of developing literacy for English learners is integrating multicultural texts into the curriculum. For immigrants or students who speak a language other than English at home, this serves to draw on background knowledge and show students their cultural perspective is valued at school. The text offers a good list of questions on page 56 to see whether a certain text should be included in the classroom. It is important that multicultural perspectives are included in a meaningful way, using the transformative approach, as the authors describe it. Other approaches, especially in content-area classrooms, reflect "the surface level of a culture but does not make provision for in-depth study of its deeper elements" (p. 55).

An excellent way to include different cultural perspectives in a classroom is through the use of Funds of Knowledge (Moll, L, 1994). Funds of Knowledge seeks to incorporate knowledge that is valued in the community into the classroom curriculum. For instance, seeing that a student's parent is a builder in the community, a math unit could be developed around building a house or a social studies unit focused on different building materials in different cultures. This information is gathered through home interviews with students' families using an ethnographic approach that is non-judgmental. Next week, for another class at St. Thomas, I will be conducting a Funds of Knowledge interview with a Hmong woman and learning more about the values and strengths of that community. My professor explained that even a mediocre school using a Funds of Knowledge approach would be wildly successful, and it is especially important for recent immigrants and long-term English learners.

Inherent in this approach is the importance of valuing students' native languages and including them in the classroom. Often, schools think that English-only education benefits students by immersing them in a language that is necessary for their future success. However, the authors note that "when immigrant students maintain a strong identification with their culture and native language, they are more likely to succeed academically, and they have more positive self-concepts about their ability to learn" (p. 66). It is also important to note that any knowledge students have of their L1 will transfer to their L2, so it is in everyone's best interest for students to maintain proficiency in their native language.

Another important point that the chapter touches on is the difficulty students face when their background differs from the school culture and the assumptions that lie there within. Particularly for newly arrived students or those with interrupted or limited formal schooling, they may be unfamiliar with the expectations of teachers and the school in general. For these students, it is crucial that teachers are explicit with their expectations. The introduction of a classroom routine can also help students acclimate and understand school culture.

Chatper 10: Graphic Organizers for Organized Reading

The chapter this week focused on the importance of noticing text structure when approaching a reading task. The authors explain that "perceiving structure in text material improves learning and retention" (Vacca, Vacca & Mraz, 2011, p. 319). When students see the relationship between different ideas, they organize their knowledge in a similar fashion, allowing deeper comprehension and better recall.

The authors point to two different kinds of text structure, external and internal. The external structure refers to the features built into a text to facilitate reading. For instance, a textbook will generally have information organized into chapters, with different subject categorized by headings and sub-headings. Additional text guides are found in the table of contents or appendices.

The internal structure indicates the manner in which the author organizes his/her ideas. The authors note that good readers search out the internal text structure which helps them to "differentiate the important ideas from less important ideas in the material" (Vacca, Vacca & Mraz, 2011, p. 320). For language learners, identifying the text structure can help to anticipate certain vocabulary or grammatical structures. The book has a list of signal words associated with each type of text structure on page 323.

Graphic organizers are a great way for students to see how texts are structured and distinguish main ideas from supporting details. Education Place features a fantastic list of graphic organizers at their website, and they are also available in Spanish. Of course, the structure of the graphic organizer should follow the structure of the text or what you want students to get out of the text. As Vacca, Vacca & Mraz note, "Authors do not write in neat, perfectly identifiable patterns," and they often use several different structures within one text. The teacher's job is to identify the text structure that best serves their instructional purpose.

As Frye & Frager (2010) mention in Focus on the Essentials of Reading Instruction, "good reading instruction is grounded in the gradual release of responsibility from the teacher to the students" (p. 57). Graphic organizers are a great scaffolding method for beginning or struggling readers, but as students progress, the responsibility should shift to them to identify text structure and organize it in a way that makes sense. With plenty of practice, students will understand how to identify important information and how that information is structured. Eventually, students can make their own graphic organizers to organize their reading.

Poetry Content Area Resource Collection

Poetry for English Language Learners

Grade 5-12, English as a Second Language

Brenner, Barbara. (Ed.). (2000). Voices: Poetry and Art from Around the World. Washington D.C.: National Geographic.

What? Voices is a collection of poems from different authors from around the world. The poetry is organized by continent, and each section contains poems from several different countries spanning from ancient times to modern day. There are typically 2-3 poems per page, and they have been translated into English, if written in another language originally. The books also features artistic works from the various regions interspersed with the writing.

So What? Voices would be a great introduction to distinct styles and forms of poetry from around the world. Students can find poems and poets from their region of the world, and this diverse collection has works that will appeal to all different kinds of people. This book will show students that poetry is something that all people share, regardless of culture or language.

Now What? I would use this book to find different poems to which my students can relate, based on their country of origin or their particular interests or experiences. Seeing people from their own culture write about their experiences will be inspirational when my students begin to write their own poetry. For a specific lesson, I could use this book to find poetry exhibiting a particular form, a particular topic, or that uses a particular stylistic device. This could also be a reference for me to seek out poems in the native languages of my students.

Janeczko, Paul B. (Ed.). (2009). A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms.  

What? A Kick in the Head is a children’s book that compiles poems in various styles along with colorful illustrations by Chris Raschka. This book uses well-known English poetry to catalog 29 different poetic forms, such as the aubade, elegy, couplet, pantoum, and sonnet. A definition of each form is provided underneath with poem, with more information available in the endnotes. The illustrations also help to bring interest to each poem.

So What? Familiarity with different genres of poetry is required of students under the MN English Language Arts Standards. This books presents the different poems in any interesting way, and the visuals images scaffold comprehension for English learners. Each poetic genre is cleary defined, and the poem itself provides a model for students to use when writing their own works.

Now What? I would use this book throughout a poetry unit to showcase different genres. Learning the different forms of poetry is very helpful for ELLs, because they can easily follow the “formula” to write their own poems. Throughout the unit, students would learn about the different forms before trying to write their own.

Morice, Dave. (2002). Poetry Comics: An Animated Anthology. New York: T&W Books.

What? Dave Morice is a visual artist who illustrates well-known poems in a comic book style. Poetry Comics is a collection of many of his previous works, including Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven,” Emily Dickinson’s “Poem 303,” and Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl,” a panel of which can be seen at the right. The book also contains step-by-step guide to creating your own poetry comics. Much of Morice’s other work can be accessed through his website: http://www.poetrycomicsonline.com/ 

So What? Morice’s artwork is great at showing the narrative nature of poetry by illustrating the story it tells. This is incredibly beneficial for English learners who can draw on the visual imagery to support unknown vocabulary or grammatical structures. Morice’s work also includes canonical poems that are used in many English literature classes, such as Frost’s “The Road Not Taken,” so I could even use this book to provide support to ELLs in a general education English class.

Now What? I would use this book to introduce and analyze different poems throughout the unit. Students would also get the chance to create their own comic from an existing poem, with help from the instructions provided in the book. This would be a great form of assessment, for students must show their comprehension through illustrations that make sense to the content of the poem.

Creech, Sharon. (2001). Love That Dog. New York: Harper Collins.

What? Love That Dog is a novel written in free verse from the perspective of a boy named Jack who is studying poetry with his teacher, Ms. Stretchberry. Jack’s book begins with the words: “I don’t want to / because boys / don’t write poetry. / Girls do.” (p. 1), indicating his resistance to studying poetry. Jack’s perspective beings to change as he studies a variety of poems (which are all included at the back of the book). He comes to find a favorite in Dean Myer’s “Love That Boy,” which reminds him of his father and his old yellow dog, Sky.

So What? The book is written in the form of a response journal, with each passage in free verse. Students will see that reading poetry is a constructive process and ideas will change over time. Students can get inside the mind of Jack as a reader (who is responding to poetry he has read) and as a writer (who is creating the words on the page). They will also learn that poetry can take a variety and deal with a variety of subjects, even the very mundane.

Now What? I would use this book at the end of the unit, when students can draw on their own study of poetry and will be familiar with some of the same works that Jack studies. I plan to use response journals in class, so students will already be familiar with the format. This book will also help students to see the wide range of what can be considered “poetry” and help them to reassess their previous conceptions. Free verse is a great option for beginning writers because there are no “rules,” unlike the previous genres studied in class.

Poets & Writers. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.pw.org

What? Poets & Writers is a non-profit organization that supports creative writers. Their website features interesting news items, writing prompts, suggestions for new writers and links to writing contents across the country. Poets & Writers also publishes a bimonthly magazine in print and online.

So What? Poets & Writers is a great resource for someone like me who has little to no experience in writing poetry, let alone in guiding others to do it! The website features weekly poetry writing prompts which I could modify to suit my curriculum and the students’ levels of proficiency. The “Daily News” tab also offers interesting information that I could connect to lessons about poetry or other literature.

Now What? Due to its complexity and challenging language, I would not expect my students to access the Poets & Writers website. However, for a student who is very interested in continuing with writing and would like to pursue more information, I would offer this as a great resource. I would love to see my students compete in a writing contest or to receive a grant from writing, but that would depend on the group of students and their interest. I can keep this website in “my back pocket” for occassions that I would need information about this.

Watt Pad. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.wattpad.com

What? Watt Pad is a social network where users can share their writing and respond to what others have written. The website features a wide range of genres, from poetry and adventure to fan-fiction and vampire. Users can connect with other writers and get feedback on their writing or just browse through topics that interest them. Watt Pad is currently available in 25 languages other than English.

So What? Watt Pad is a great way for students to publish their writing and get feedback from others (not just me and their classmates). This forum also gives students a purpose to their writing, so they will be more motivated to create meaningful writing. Since Watt Pad is available in several different languages, students could also share writing done in their native language.  In addition, students can read poetry written by other people their age who share similar experiences that are not typically addressed in class curriculums.

Now What?  I would introduce this website at the end of our study so that students could share poetry they have written during the unit. Throughout the class, students would hear of the importance of feedback and editing in the creation of good writing. Watt Pad is another avenue for students to hear other people’s reactions. If students are reluctant to share individually, we could create a class page. In general, I think students will be excited to show others what they have created.

Fleischman, Paul. (2004). Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. New York: Harper Collins.

What? Joyful Noise is a collection of poetry that is written in two “voices.” Each poem features two columns, indicating the words spoken by each person. At points the speakers alternate, other times speaking in unison, and sometimes speaking complementary phrases. These poems can be enjoyed silently or read aloud by one or more people.

So What? The poetry in this book is a great representation of the concept of “voice,” and it shows students how that can be used in a playful way. Joyful Noise also serves as an introduction to the aural nature of poetry that could extend itself to a study of music and song lyrics.

Now What? The language in this book is fairly simple, and the poems could easily be read aloud, as a way to build fluency. With practice, the poems could also be presented as a form of reader’s theater. In writing poems like this, students would practice taking different perspectives and expressing those through different voices. Students would also enjoy writing together with a partner or in a small group.

Devlin, Paul (Director). (1998). Slam Nation: The Sport of Spoken Word [Motion Picture]. United

States: Devlin Pix.

What? Slam Nation is a documentary film that follows the 1996 National Poetry Slam in Portland, Oregon. The story focuses on the Nuyorican Poetry Slam team which features Saul Williams, Beau Sia, muMs da Schemer and Jessica Care Moore. The film was one of the first to document a poetry slam, where randomly chosen members of the audience score the poets on a scale of one to ten, with the highest scoring team winning.

So What? Slam poetry is a genre of poetry to which students may not be exposed in a typical classroom. The rhythm inherent in spoken poetry and the physicality of the performers helps to scaffold comprehension for English learners. The performances by these artists are so engaging that I hope my students will be inspired in writing their own works.

Now What? Since much of the film features inappropriate language, I would need to only show clips or purchase the educational version. After watching this film, I would have students create poems in this style or perform poems that they have already written. In addition, I would love to have a local slam poet visit the class to talk about their experiences and help students to create their own works.

Write to Learn Reflection

In class last week, I presented a mini-lesson on the Nonstop Write procedure as an example of "writing to learn." The process was used as an introduction to a reading task and a way to prime student's linguistic and content knowledge. It also served to create a purpose for students in their reading.

At first, students were shown a picture from Jouanah: A Hmong Cinderella, adapted by J.R. Coburn and T.C. Lee and illustrated by A.S. O'Brien.

On their handout, students were given a row of boxes with questions that asked What do I see?, What do I hear?, What do I smell?, etc. Upon viewing the pictures, students would write down their sensory notes in the boxes, either what they perceived from the picture or what a character in the picture would sense. After they had finished, students would share some of their ideas, and I would write them on the board. Then, using their sensory notes, students would write a prediction of what happens in the story, non-stop for five minutes. While reading, students would be able to check their comprehension of the story against what they had originally predicted.


Overall, I thought the lesson went very well, but like many others, I thought the time was too limited. I felt very rushed, and I neglected to model what I was asking of the students, something that I would definitely do in a language classroom. After explaining the sensory note boxes, I would say, "For instance, I see three women, one is young and the other two look older," and then write those comments in the What do I see? box. Then I would say, "If I was this girl, I would feel sad, because the older woman is yelling at me," and write those notes in the What do I feel? box. This is important for all students, but especially language learners, because they often need scaffolding for vocabulary and grammatical structures.

In the end, however, I thought the other students in class learned more about what English Learners might need in their class, even if they would not use the exact format I presented. It is important with all students for the teacher to brainstorm or otherwise scaffold this procedure before expecting students to write continuously for five minutes. With practice, however, this can be a great tool for students to get down their ideas without concern for spelling, punctuation, or grammar rules.

Chapter 6: The Importance of Context

The reading for this week recalled two methods for processing text that we often talk about in the context of second language learning: bottom-up or top-down processing. 

When using bottom-up processing, students will attend to each word, constructing meaning through sentence structure and often stopping to check in a dictionary if they reach an unknown concept. Students, in theory, piece comprehension together sentence by sentence, building meaning from the bottom-up.

Many teachers use a bottom-up approach when instructing readers in a second language, making sure students know vocabulary and grammatical structures to ensure comprehension. They assume that students must know each word in order to understand, so students are given texts that match their reading level. However, as Nancy L. Commins (2002) states in "Meaning is Everything" that “For a second language learner, the levels are not reliable indicators of their ability to read and comprehend text - knowing the context makes all the difference” (p. 207).

Successful readers, on the other hand, use a top-down approach. With this method, students begin by activating prior knowledge about the content and text structure. By knowing the context, students can often "fill in" unknown vocabulary and confusing sentence. For instance, when reading a set of instructions on how to construct furniture, students will know that vocabulary will relate to furniture or building materials, and they can anticipate that verbs will be in the form of commands. In our everyday lives, we rarely encounter writing whose context is absolutely unclear and if it is, we would fail to make sense of it - despite the fact it is in our native language! Context can provide the clues to unknown vocabulary or even grammar patterns that can bring about comprehension. Knowing the context also allows the student to make connections to other subjects or areas of his/her life.

The strategies in this chapter will help students to develop a context for reading before they encounter a text. A particular favorite of mine to use with English Language Learners is creating story impressions (p. 173). Before assigning a reading, teachers can present a picture taken from the book or one that shows the setting. Students can then start to develop vocabulary words that relate to what they see. Using these vocabulary words and what they know about the context, students can write their predictions about the story. Now, as they read, students have a purpose to check their predictions against what actually happens.

Chapter 9: Responding to Content

"Reading and writing are acts of composing because readers and writers are involved in an ongoing dynamic process of constructing meaning" (Vacca, Vacca, & Mraz, p. 282). The idea of reading as composing is important for all students, but especially English Learners. Many teachers view reading as a somewhat passive activity, where simply students take in information and are not asked to produce. Yet, we have seen that good readers use strategic practices to actively gain comprehension and process their thoughts when reading a text. On the other hand, good writers must similarly think of "purpose, commitment, schema activation, planning, working with ideas, revision and rethinking, and monitoring" (p. 282).

To help our students establish purpose in their writing, our first concern as teachers should be the content of what they are writing. When students see we are more interested in their ideas than their spelling or sentence construction, they are willing to write more and take more risks. Continued writing practice also helps to develop fluency, a skill that can transfer to aid students' speaking proficiency as well.

Response Journals or Interactive Journals are a great way to incorporate writing practice into a language classroom. Students can respond to what they have learned in class or another prompt given by the teacher designed to extend their thinking or to learn something more about them personally. The authors suggest prompts such as "questions, visual stimuli, read-alouds, or situations created to stimulate thinking" (p. 294). For instance, after studying a unit on slavery, you could ask students, "How do you feel learning about the conditions slaves faced? Can you connect it to your own experience coming to the United States?" In reading their responses, you can assess their knowledge of a topic while getting to know more about their life and what perspective they bring to the content.

Another great strategy to use in the classroom is Double-Entry Journals (DEJs). "Taking notes is copying someone else's information; making notes is writing interpretive comments and personal reminders" (Kennedy, quoted in Vacca, Vacca & Mraz, p. 304). With DEJs, students can take notes given from the teacher and make notes in the corresponding column. This is a perfect way for teachers to highlight important information while giving students a chance to respond to and process the content in a way that is meaningful to them.