Describe the difference between word-level skill and text-level skill attainment for ELL students. Then, describe specific things teachers can do to increase ELL students' text-level skills.
These are very specific terms that are not necessarily common to all courses to teach people to test and teach ELL students.
Please refer to your textbook and/or course materials for such specific information.
Word-level skill attainment refers to a student's ability to understand and use individual words effectively. This includes vocabulary knowledge, spelling, pronunciation, and word recognition. On the other hand, text-level skill attainment refers to a student's ability to comprehend and effectively navigate larger sections of written or spoken language, such as sentences, paragraphs, and longer passages.
When it comes to ELL (English Language Learner) students, it is important for teachers to address both word-level and text-level skills. Developing word-level skills helps students understand the basic building blocks of the language, while enhancing text-level skills enables students to comprehend and analyze more complex forms of communication.
To increase ELL students' text-level skills, teachers can implement the following strategies:
1. Clear Instruction: Provide explicit and clear explanations of reading strategies, such as predicting, questioning, summarizing, and making connections. This helps ELL students develop a framework for understanding and analyzing texts.
2. Scaffolded Reading: Break down challenging texts into smaller, manageable parts. Use graphic organizers, pre-reading activities, and visual aids to help students understand the main ideas, key details, and overall structure of the text.
3. Vocabulary Development: Introduce and explain vocabulary words that may be unfamiliar to ELL students prior to reading. Teach them strategies for determining word meaning from context and encourage them to use the words actively in discussions and written assignments.
4. Language Support: Provide sentence frames, sentence starters, and graphic organizers that assist ELL students in organizing their thoughts and expressing ideas more effectively. This support helps them develop their writing and speaking skills at the text level.
5. Cultural Connections: Incorporate culturally diverse texts and themes that resonate with ELL students' backgrounds and experiences. This can increase their engagement and motivation to understand and analyze the text.
6. Cooperative Learning: Foster opportunities for ELL students to collaborate with native English speakers or other ELL students who have stronger language skills. Working together can help them develop their text-level skills through discussion, peer editing, and shared understanding.
7. Regular Assessment and Feedback: Continuously assess ELL students' text-level skills through reading comprehension tasks, quizzes, and classroom discussions. Provide timely and constructive feedback to guide their progress and address specific areas for improvement.
By implementing these strategies, teachers can help ELL students enhance their text-level skills, enabling them to understand, analyze, and engage with more complex forms of written and spoken language.