Sentence Frames to Promote Critical

Thinking & Access Background Knowledge

Melissa DaPonte Katz, Ed.M.MATSOL 2013

● Terms sometimes used interchangeably

● Both valuable for ELLs

Sentence Stems vs.

Sentence FramesWhich is it?

Sentence Stemsgenerally encourage students to complete

a thought in an open-ended way

●If I had three wishes...

●My favorite animal is...

●My ideal vacation would be...

Sentence Framesteach language patterns and provide the linguistic structure to speak or write

about a topic or concept

● One similararity between _____ and _____ is _____. One difference between _____ and ______ is _____.

Why Use Frames?

Academic Proficiency

● Provide structural supports for thinking, speaking and writing, quickly moving ELLs beyond “the basics” to higher-order thought processes

● Elevate class discussions

● Promote oral language development, which plays a key role in reading comprehension

Why Use Frames?

Language Proficiency

● Provide linguistic scaffolding to balance cognitive demands with language demands

● Enable students to see the patterns in language

● Help students build internal templates for expressive language (not a crutch)

Benefits

● Enable teachers to model what a good response looks like

● Help students make meaning by tying ideas together

Using Frames With Visual Aids

Benefits of FramesStudent Perspective

● Bring ELLs into the discussion from the beginning

● Build confidence & decrease anxiety about being called on and knowing what to say

● Allow students to focus on the content and concepts and on the background knowledge they bring

How can I Include Frames in My ESL setting?

● Push-in: Portable sentence strips or fold-out display board

● Classroom: Language posted on walls

● Both: Small sheet taped your ELLs' desks or notebook

Building Bridges to What Students Know

Despite all they bring, ELLs typically have:

● Decreased opportunities to discuss topics in English and hear associated vocabulary and sentence structures outside of school

● Decreased opportunities to connect what they already know (background knowledge) to topics raised at school

Introducing Vocabulary

How Can I Integrate Frames Into My Lesson Plans?

Sentence frames can be used

● across content areas● during partner work: "Turn-and-Talk"● for prompts in writing journals● activation or closing activity (ticket out)● assessment: determine understanding of a

complex concept or skill without interference from language differences

Using Frames With Graphic Organizers and Other Visuals

● With visuals, students may get the concept, but are they able to articulate what they know?

● By keeping language demands down, mental space and energy are freed up to take in higher-level concepts.

Introducing Vocabulary

Background Knowledge

● Introduce new vocabulary by linking to background knowledge

Introducing Vocabulary

Introducing Vocabulary

Reader Response

●Students respond to text while demonstrating key comprehension skills and strategies

Before Reading: Turn & Talk to Predict & Connect

After Reading: Turn & Talk, Author’s Purpose

After Reading: Determine Genre With Partners

Go Back to Text: Give Genre Details

Cause & Effect: Find Examples in the Text

Compare & Contrast With Partners

Additional ResourcesLiteracyMalden

●http://literacymalden.wikispaces.com/Oral+Language (contains list of stems and frames)

●http://literacymalden.wikispaces.com/Higher+Order+Thinking

●http://literacymalden.wikispaces.com/QuestionAnswerRelationships

Presenter Information

I hold an Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a B.A. in Writing. I currently teach ESL K-8 in Malden and have previously worked as a journalist and as a writer/editor at the Education Alliance at Brown University.