Effective English Learner Instruction Checklist (SDAIE)
1. The teacher organizes instruction around grade-appropriate content, often theme based (e.g., literature, math, science, integrated themes, social studies)
2. The teacher designs appropriate learning sequences.
3. The teacher modifies language used during instruction
4. The teacher supports verbal expressions with nonverbal cues.
5. The teacher plans ways to ensure participation of all students, keeping in mind English proficiency of each student.
6. The teacher provides a variety of flexible grouping formats to provide opportunities for social, linguistic, and academic development.
- Instruction provides access to the core curriculum
- Content is academically demanding
- Language objectives are established according to students' English language proficiency in relation to language demands of lesson.
- Language and content learning are integrated
- Content is presented from multicultural perspectives
2. The teacher designs appropriate learning sequences.
- Assess and builds on students' interests and prior knowledge, including cultural knowledge.
- Explains purpose of activity
- Helps students develop learning strategies for reading, writing, thinking, problem solving
- Provides multiple opportunities for students to process information verbally and nonverbally (draw, dramatize, discuss, review, question, rehearse, read, write about)
3. The teacher modifies language used during instruction
- May use slightly slower speech rate
- Speaks clearly, repeating
- Defines new words in meaningful context
- Paraphrases in simple terms when using more sophisticated forms of expression
- Limits use of idiomatic speech
4. The teacher supports verbal expressions with nonverbal cues.
- Gestures, facial expressions, action to dramatize meaning
- Props, concrete materials
- Graphs, pictures, visual, maps
- Films, videotapes, overhead projector, bulletin board displays
5. The teacher plans ways to ensure participation of all students, keeping in mind English proficiency of each student.
- Monitors lesson comprehension and clarifies concepts as needed
- Reviews main ideas and key vocabulary
- Plans for students to actively participate in learning activities verbally and nonverbally according to functional English abilities
- Provides opportunities for students to contribute based on their modalities of strength: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, oral, written, pictorial
6. The teacher provides a variety of flexible grouping formats to provide opportunities for social, linguistic, and academic development.
- Heterogeneous groups
- Pair work
- Short-term skill groups
- Teacher-student conferencing
- 7. The teacher provides a variety of assessment methods that permit students to display learning through their modalities of strength (e.g., oral written, visual, kinesthetic, auditory, pictorial)
Performance-based assessment
Portfolio assessment
Learner self-assessment
If used, standardized tests are modified to accommodate English learners (e.g. extra time to complete)
Source: Peregoy & Boyle, 2012. p. 95