English Language Development

Figure 4.6. Sample Academic Language from The Story of Snow: The Science of

Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson

General Academic Words

Domain-Specific

Words

Complex Grammatical

Structures

reflect (p. 7)

visible (p. 7)

forming (p. 10)

center (p. 10)

causes (p. 10)

common (p. 14)

complicated (p. 17)

water vapor (p. 7)

snow crystal (p. 8)

soot (p. 9)

pollen (p. 9)

evaporates (p. 9)

dendrites (p. 15)

hexagon (p. 17)

• Clouds are mostly made of
  air and water, but there are
  also bits of other things, like
  tiny particles of dirt, ash,
  and salt. (p. 8)


• As the snow crystal gets
  bigger and heavier, it starts
  to fall to earth. (p. 13)

Reading aloud both literary and informational texts should be a regular part of every school
day. Teachers select texts that expose students to sophisticated ideas, rich vocabulary, complex
grammatical structures, and different discourse features. Selections challenge or stretch children but
are within their reach, and the teacher provides explanations of vocabulary and phrases, including
figurative uses of language, as they read aloud. One research study revealed that while rereading
texts to children improved their understanding of word meanings, teacher explanations of unknown
words during reading aloud resulted in greater gains (Biemiller and Boote 2006). Helpful to all
children, but particularly ELs, is to contextualize vocabulary instruction within rich read-aloud texts,
provide multiple opportunities to use new vocabulary meaningfully, and incorporate multi-media
(August and Haynes 2014; Silverman and Hines 2009).

Teacher Modeling and Time for Conversations

Teachers create language-rich environments for
students. They model use of academic vocabulary and
varied and increasingly complex grammatical structures
as they interact with children, read aloud and discuss
challenging texts, deliver instruction across the curricula,
and discuss classroom routines and experiences. They
also ensure that children have many opportunities to
explore and use the language they are learning. They
engage children in structured (e.g., think-pair-share)
as well as informal (e.g., turn-and-talk) academic
conversations with partners, in small groups, and in large
groups. Instructional routines and strategic scaffolding
(e.g., open sentence frames tailored to students’ language
learning needs) guarantee equitable participation for
all students. Crucial for all learners, especially ELs
and children with language delays or disabilities, is an
atmosphere of respect for children’s efforts to communicate their ideas. Teachers engage children in
genuine conversations about their experiences, their interests, current events, and the curricula, and
they provide stimulating, social learning activities that fuel conversations.

Teachers create language-

rich environments for students.

They model use of academic

vocabulary and varied

and increasingly complex

grammatical structures as they

interact with children, read aloud

and discuss challenging texts,

deliver instruction across the

curricula, and discuss classroom

routines and experiences.

298 | Chapter 4 Grades 2 and 3