Are your students ready to meet rigorous state standards in reading? The most important way to get ESL students to meet reading comprehension standards is to have a workable formative assessment system that consists of setting specific learning goals, checking comprehension, providing feedback, and aligning future instruction with students’ needs. Participants will be guided in developing the components of this system.
Who Should Attend?
Grades 4–12 ESOL teachers
What Will I Learn?
In this workshop, participants
- learn how to set clear language learning targets and describe observable and measurable learning outcomes based on content standards
- identify the kinds of reading strategies, academic vocabulary, language functions, and critical thinking skills needed to learn content-area concepts through informational text
- identify the appropriate use of various types of formative assessment tools, including checklists, rating scales, scoring rubrics, multiple-choice tests, and student progress charts
- identify types of scaffolding appropriate for different levels of language proficiency
- identify key elements of feedback that promotes learning
About the Workshop Leader Lorraine Valdez Pierce
, associate professor in the ESL PreK–12 teacher licensure program at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA, teaches graduate courses in assessment, has been a middle school teacher of English language arts and reading, and has presented numerous workshops on assessment across the United States.