Tying Vocabulary into WritingGiuliana Jahnsen LewisSterling Middle School, ELL TeacherLoudoun County Public Schools

Think about your students and consider the following questions…

• What is the level of your student within 1.0 and 2.0 range?

• How well-developed is their formal education? 1.0 to 2.0 Levels

Formal Education?What to do?

• What can you do to help them develop vocabulary and writing?

• What English SOL strands should we follow?

Main Focus:

For the purpose of better serving level 1 ELL students, the following layout of skills are and have been successfully utilized in order to fulfill their needs in vocabulary, reading, and writing, all in conjunction. Wh-

Question Words

Sequence and

Narrative Writing

Main Idea and Details

Compare and

Contrast

Other Types of

Text Structures

Starting Skill

Writing in a Sequence:• Timelines• Sequential Narratives• Biographies• Cartoons and Stories

FIRST

SECON

D

NEXT

THEN

FINALL

Y

BEFOR

E

AFTER

How do you start?Teach each of the content words for writing in a sequence by using;

• Visuals • TPR • Number and order pictures

Tie to writing sentences

First, Next, Then, Finally,

Pictures or actions BEFORE sentences…

Add sentences by utilizing a graphic organizer

First, Henry wakes up at 6:45 a.m.

Next, he goes to brush his teeth.

Then, he gets dressed.3 4 Finally, he eats breakfast.

Which books do you select for your ELLs?

High Interest

Books

At Students’ LevelConnection

s

Background Knowledge

Step-by- Step Instruction in Class

“I do”

“We do”

“You do”

Lesson:For complete understanding of the process of tying vocabulary to writing the following takes place:

1. Key Vocabulary: Focus on one aspect; for example, verbs in the present tense. Introduce students to the

Verbs taking place in the story, but using TPR orIllustrations. Then, teach them the conjugation. Finally, practice writing sentences.REMEMBER: Teach vocabulary first!2. Reading: Proceed with the process for reading; picture walk, prediction, teacher discussion, choral and student reading

3. Organizing the information: This part of the lesson is according to the level of the students in their corresponding writing groups.

• Cartoon Foldable:

Possible

Activities*Note: These vary according to students’ abilities*

This was written by student #1 in December of 2012. This is her first year in the country in a beginner ELL class.

Sample of graphic organizer by student #1: Level 1 year

Narrative Essay by Student#1: Level 2 year: December2013

Final Draft of Narrative Essay written by Student #1: Level 2 year, May 2014

• Interpretation of Story: Student #2: Summer 2013

• Narrative Essay: “Coming to the United States”

• Sequence of Current Events

Bibliography

1. Graphic Organizers: Some were modified from the following:Ice Cream Cone: Houghton Mifflin CompanyCycle of Events: Have Fun TeachingSequencing: Teacher Vision

2. Short Stories:Sunny and Moonshine by David W. MooreChildren We Remember by Chana Byers Abells

Contact Information:

Giuliana Jahnsen Lewis, ELL TeacherSterling Middle SchoolLoudoun County Public Schools

Giuliana.jahnsen@lcps.org