When Juan lost his mother, he also lost his only household link to the English language. Like many other children, Juan struggled to learn a new language without reinforcement from home.
According to 2013–14 school year data from the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 4.5 million U.S. students (a little more than nine percent) were English language learners (ELLs). Most classroom teachers have faced challenges helping English language learners succeed academically. Furthermore, frustration over the unfair treatment of ELL students in the context of standardized testing is a key reason why nearly half of all teachers are considering leaving the profession (NEA Today, 2014).
Juan is a good student, but his progress toward English language proficiency is too slow. Classroom assignments often highlight the different learning abilities of ELLs. To spur this week's writing (and to mimic the upcoming state writing assessments), for example, I give everyone an article to read. This week, it's on how the shrinking Arctic ice sheet is affecting the polar bears. Students read and respond to the writing prompt in the same way they would during testing, just as they do nearly every week.
But from Juan and all the other ELLs in my class, this formula yields hesitant writing based on fractured reading comprehension. Everyone gets "hit" with the writing prompt, but all of the ELLs in our classrooms get hit twice. I can't fully understand what Juan can accomplish during these writing assignments because everything is filtered through his limited reading. These struggles are currently some of the most frustrating aspects of teaching.
Readings on Canvas
Visual arts are powerful learning tools for most students, but they offer even greater benefits for diverse learners. In fact, I was surprised by how instantly the benefits revealed themselves. Here's how I changed up my traditional approach to writing prompts and asked students to read a classic image.
- First, project a close-up image of Thomas Hovenden's painting, <LINK URL="https://ascdorg.sharepoint.com/sites/ws/es/Projects_AC/ASCD Express/Volume 12/ASCD Express 12.12/01 - originals/w.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/47809.html">Breaking Home Ties</LINK>. You can find a high-resolution images on the Philadelphia Museum of Art website, under "<LINK URL="http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/search.html" LINKTARGET="_blank">Collections</LINK>."
- Let students take a few minutes to observe the image closely and ask a few questions as catalysts: Who are these people? What are they feeling and thinking? What can you tell about them from the setting and their possessions? Background knowledge provided by the museum site, or Wikipedia, can inform the discussion. It's even better if questions that don't lead to specific answers lead to discussions and the formation of hypotheses instead.
- Now the writing begins: Have students write a brief character sketch about one of the people in the painting based on clues in the art and imaginary background stories. This will help you understand how your students form hypotheses, filter evidence, empathize, and think logically and/or creatively.
- Let the painting become your writing prompt—your "polar bear article"—and create typical assessment writing prompts. Example prompts could include "Discuss a problem families face today," or "Reflect on a time when you faced internal conflict, and write about how you either overcame that conflict or learned to deal with it."
A Clearer Picture
Eventually, it is important to return to the printed word. Reading is essential, and my purpose with this lesson is not to replace traditional text-based learning, but rather to enhance it and make it more approachable. Along the way, I have also gathered a wealth of complex and useful information about students like Juan.
- Previously, I could never be sure of Juan's writing strengths and weaknesses. Now, I have a sample he wrote with unhampered comprehension.
- The skills we have been using—observation of details, seeing evidence and forming possible conclusions, organizing evidence in layers of importance, finding connections and possible corroborations to our hypotheses—are all universal critical-thinking skills that connect curriculum components.
- When ELLs are able to engage with the class on equal footing, they have less reason to retreat into silence and more opportunities to share their ideas.
- I can now use Juan's stronger skills to help build his weaker ones, which I do routinely with my English-proficient students.
Juan and the Shark
Any work which begs a story or reveals event details will offer engaging writing prompts that mimic the format and style of state writing assessments. Here are a few alternate choices:
- <LINK URL="http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/Collection/art-object-page.46471.html" LINKTARGET="_blank">Watson and the Shark</LINK>, by John Singleton Copley, from the National Gallery in Washington, D.C.
- <LINK URL="http://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436105" LINKTARGET="_blank">The Death of Socrates</LINK>, by Jacque Louis David, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
- <LINK URL="http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/48441.html" LINKTARGET="_blank">Sugar Cane</LINK>, by José Diego María Rivera, from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Engaging ELLs (while differentiating instruction for all students) doesn't have to be daunting—nor do you need a background in art history to incorporate visual images into classroom curriculum. Every so often, let all of your students engage with equal competence, both for their own enjoyment and so you can better assess their writing strengths and challenges.