- An explicit description of the strategy and when and how it should be used
- Teacher and/or student modeling of the strategy in action
- Collaborative use of the strategy in action
- Guided practice using the strategy with gradual release of responsibility
- Independent use of the strategy (Duke, and others 2011, 64–66)
Popularly known as “I do it,” “We do it,” “You do it together,” and “You do it alone” (Fisher and
Frey 2014, 3), this model can be applied across many disciplines and skill areas. The end goal is for
students to be able to apply skills and concepts independently, and while some individual lessons
may display many or all of the steps of the gradual release of responsibility model, others may not.
Some approaches accomplish the same goal over the course of a unit or through an initial stage
that features student exploration (e.g., inquiry-based learning). Keeping in mind the goal of student
independence, effective instruction is thoughtfully planned and implemented to move carefully through
levels of scaffolding, teacher direction, and student collaboration to achieve that aim.
Primary Language Support
English learners come to California schools with a valuable resource—their primary language—
which enhances (rather than detracts from) their learning of English (August and Shanahan 2006;
Genesee, and others 2006). Language and literacy skills and abilities (such as phonological awareness,
decoding, writing, or comprehension skills) can be transferred from students’ primary language to
English. Teachers facilitate this transfer in many ways and help ELs develop English through strategic
use of primary language resources. For example, during collaborative conversations, ELs share
ideas in their primary language with a peer while they increase their proficiency and confidence in
interpreting and expressing the same ideas in English. English learners who read in their primary
language are given the opportunity to read texts in both their primary language and English, allowing
them to engage with texts above their English reading level. As they conduct research, these ELs
draw evidence from primary or secondary resources in their primary language and summarize their
findings in English. In addition to allowing the use of the primary language in classrooms, teachers
provide brief oral or written translations when appropriate and
draw ELs’ attention to cognates (words that are the same or
similar in spelling and share the same meaning in the primary
language and English).
Deaf and hard of hearing students may have American
Sign Language (ASL) as a primary language. In schools
where students are placed in mainstream classrooms, primary
language support typically consists of translating oral (speaking
and listening) classroom activities from English into ASL and
vice versa. For example, deaf students view an interpreter
translating live from spoken English to ASL or view a video of
a speech or performance translated into ASL with an interpreter or captions. Deaf students also sign
while an interpreter translates their ASL into spoken English, or they record a signed performance
using video. Captions or voiceover are added to translate ASL into English.
Structuring the Instructional Day
Planning the instructional day and school year is a complex undertaking, and student learning
goals often compete with multiple demands and practicalities. The challenge for schools, as they work
to implement the CA CCSS for ELA/Literacy and the CA ELD Standards successfully, is to mitigate the
intrusion of practical considerations in order to establish learning environments conducive to teaching
and learning for all students.
English learners come to
California schools with a
valuable resource—their
primary language—which
enhances (rather than
detracts from) their learning
of English.102 | Chapter 2 Essential Considerations