Sheltered Instruction

Observation Protocol
SIOP
SIOP
Comprehensible
Input
Strategies
Interaction
Practice
Lesson
Delivery
Review and
Assessment
Lesson
Preparation
Background
Building
LESSON
PREPARATION
BACKGROUND
BUILDING
COMPREHENSIBLE
INPUT

STRATEGIES
Explicit content
objectives

Language
Objectives added

Content age
appropriate

Supplementary
teaching
materials

Adaptation of
Content

Meaningful
learning activities
Explicit links
made to
students
experiences

Explicit links
made to
previous
learning


Vocabulary
targets
Speech responsive
to students
proficiency


Task explanation


Techniques to
enhance
comprehension
Strategy
instruction


Scaffolding


Higher-order
thinking skills
INTERACTION PRACTICE
LESSON DELIVERY
REVIEW,
ASSESSMENT
Frequent
interaction

Flexible objective-
based grouping

Wait time for
student responses

Opportunities for
clarification
Hands-on practice
opportunities


Activities for
application


Language skills
integrated

Content objectives
met

Language
objectives met

90-100% student
engagement

Appropriate pacing


Content concepts
reviewed

Key vocabulary
reviewed

Feedback on
student output
throughout

Assessment of
comprehension
Lesson Preparation: Feature 1 Content objectives
Content objectives need to be written in
terms of what students will learn or do, stated
simply, orally and in writing. Where do you
think you will find content objectives?
Clearly defined, displayed and reviewed with
students.
Note: lesson planning using the SIOP Model will
require more time, at least in the beginning stages.

Lesson Preparation: Feature 2 Language Objectives
the first step to Differentiating Instruction involves
writing language objectives that directly serve the
content objectives of the lesson.
Language Obj. focus teachers and students attention to
the skills/proficiency with the language
L.O. inform everyone what instruction will achieve
L.O. provide the step-by-step process of academic
language development
L.O. provide the necessary skills to be successful in any
content area
L.O. help teachers plan lessons effectively toward both
short and long term goals
Lesson Preparation: Language Objectives
Writing
Copy, make list, take a
dictation, fill in, write a
sentence, describe
pictures, fill in a graphic
organizer, write a list, take
notes, write an outline,
generate ideas, brainstorm ,
label a picture, order
jumbled sentences, write a
summary, write a topic
sentence, write sentences
to compare and contrast
Reading
Tell a story from pictures,
answer questions about a
story, sound out written
words, decode words, grow
sight word vocabulary, build
words from parts, identify
story characters from
pictures, describe pictures
in a story, follow along
when someone else reads,
perform text in readers
theatre, build phrases from
parts, analyze texts
Lesson Preparation: Language Objectives
Speaking
Conduct an interview,
summarize an experiment,
give a classroom
presentation, retell a
paragraph, verbally describe a
picture in a book, or describe
a diagram, discuss with a
partner places they visited
and places they would like to
go,
List additional ideas as
directed
Listening
Conduct an interview, follow
verbal directions, discuss with
a partner places they visited
and places where they would
like to go,
List additional ideas as
directed
Feature 3 Content Age Appropriate
Select Content Concepts: Use district guides
and grade-level content standards as guides
Make sure that although materials may be
adapted, the content is not diminished.
When planning lessons around content
concepts, consider the following: 1. students
first language literacy, 2. their second
language proficiency, 3. their reading ability, 4.
cultural/age-appropriateness of materials, and
5. the difficulty of the material to be read.
Feature 4 Supplementary Teaching
Materials
Effective SIOP instruction involves the use of
many supplementary materials.
Plan to use supplementary materials that
enhance meaning and clarify concepts.
Examples: hands-on manipulatives, realia,
pictures, visuals, multimedia, demonstrations,
related literature, hi-lo readers, and adapted
text
See pages 13-14 in 99 Ideas and Activities
book
Feature 5 Adaptation of Content
(Differentiation for Proficiency Level)
Find ways to make the text and other resource
materials accessible
Adapt them, leaving concepts intact
Use materials as a pre-reading instructional
strategy, aid during reading, and a post-
reading method
Examples: graphic organizers, outlines, leveled
study guides, highlighted text, taped text,
adapted text
Adapting, cont.
Examples, cont.: jigsaw text reading, marginal
notes, and native language texts
Feature 6: Meaningful Learning
Activities
Lesson activities should promote language
development
Help students make connections between
what they know and what they are learning
Use authentic, meaningful experiences
Activities must support the content standards
The problem is that there may be a disconnect
between what your students have learned and
experienced and what you are teaching.
Additionally ELs may not have learned the
academic language and vocabulary.
By Building Background the teacher creates a link
between what they know and what they need to
know.
Students schemata provide a basis for
understanding and learning.
Component 2:
Building Background
3 Major Instructional Interventions:
1. Teach vocabulary as a pre-reading step
2. Provide experiences
3. Provide a way for students to build background
for themselves.

Feature 7: Concepts Linked to
Students Background
New information must be integrated with
what students have previously learned.
Feature 8: Make Links Between Past
Learning and New Concepts
Problems for ELs:
1. Texts are too difficult.
2. Performance tests rely on wide vocabulary
knowledge
3. Vocabulary instruction must be accelerated.
4. Deep understanding of word meanings is very
challenging.
Feature 9: Key Vocabulary Emphasized
It involves instruction that is different from just
good instruction.
The teacher makes verbal communication more
understandable.
The teacher uses many clues and appropriate
speech, including speaking more slowly and
enunciating more clearly.
The teacher incorporates techniques to make the
content comprehensible into their daily lessons.
Component 3: Comprehensible Input
Speech refers to 1) rate and enunciation (HOW
the teacher speaks) and 2) complexity of speech
(WHAT is said).
Helpful Tips: monitor vocabulary and sentence
structure, avoid idioms, use language that is
straightforward, clear and accompanied by
visuals, paraphrase and repeat (Brain research
tells us that repetition strengthens connections in
the brain.), use cognates and simple sentence
structures
Feature 10 Appropriate Speech for
Students Proficiency Levels
Students need clear explanations of tasks.
Keys to making tasks clear: give clear
instructions both orally and in writing, allow
them to practice various types of tasks,
present tasks in a step-by-step manner, model
and demonstrate for them, and show them an
example of the finished product
Feature 11: Clear Explanation of
Academic Tasks
Offer students a variety of ways for making the
content accessible.
Suggestions: use gestures, body language,
pictures, and objects; provide a model of a
process, task, or assignment; preview material;
allow alternative forms for expressing
understanding; use multimedia/technologies;
provide repeated exposures to words, concepts,
and skills; use sentence strips; for teenagers, be
succinct; use graphic organizers; audiotape texts;
etc.
Feature 12: A Variety of Techniques
Used to Make Content Concepts Clear
Explicitly and carefully teaching students a
variety of self-regulating strategies improves
student learning and reading.
Self-regulated learning encourages autonomy
and control by the student.
Three types of learning strategies: 1)
Metacognitive, 2) Cognitive, and 3)
Social/Affective
Component 4: Strategies
Feature 13: Ample Opportunities
Provided for Students to Use Learning
Strategies
Metacognitive: Involve the process of
purposefully monitoring ones thinking
Cognitive: Help students organize information
and are directly related to individual learning
tasks and are used by learners
Social/Affective: Are influences on learning,
such as group interactions and collaborative
learning

Teachers scaffold instruction when they
provide substantial amounts of support and
assistance in the early stages and then
gradually decrease the amount of support as
the learners become more independent.
Two types of scaffolding: verbal and
procedural
Feature 14: Scaffolding Techniques
Blooms Taxonomys Six Levels: Knowledge,
Comprehension, Application , Analysis,
Synthesis, and Evaluation
Revised Taxonomys Levels: Remember,
Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and
Create
Feature 15: Questions or Tasks that
Promote Higher-Order Thinking Skills
Component 5: INTERACTION
Relationship between oral proficiency in
English and reading and writing proficiency
Reading and writing skills are correlated with oral
language proficiency
Reading comprehension is the basis for
achievement in every other subject area in school
Writing proficiency is an essential skill as well
Features:
Opportunities for interaction
Grouping configurations
Sufficient wait time
Opportunities to clarify concepts in L1
Feature 16 Opportunities for
interaction
Teacher tend to do most of the talking
SIOP teachers promote student discussion
More balanced exchange between teacher and
student
Encourage more complex responses when
discussion lesson content
SIOP teachers provide opportunities for students
to work together on activities using English


Feature 17 Grouping configurations
Providing opportunities in the classroom for
Whole group instruction
Partners
Small group
Individual instruction
These configurations support language and content
objectives
Feature 18: Sufficient wait time for students to
respond
SIOP teaches allow students ample time to
respond
ELs need extra time to process questions and
form answers in second language
Teachers need patience to allow students to
complete their responses
Feature 19 EL students need opportunity to clarify
content ideas in their first language (use of
instructional aide, peer, or use of materials written
in L1
Feature 19: Students need opportunity to
clarify content ideas in their first language
(use of instructional aide, peer, or use of
materials written in L1)
Component 6:
Practice and Application

Features 20, 21, & 22: practice and
application
20 Hands on materials and manipulatives
provide tools for students to practice new
concepts
21 Activities allow EL students to apply
content and language knowledge
22 Activities use all language skills: reading,
writing, listening, and speaking
Component 7: Lesson Delivery
Lesson Delivery should support the objectives.
Focusing on objectives helps aid lesson
delivery.
Good preparation is the first step to delivering
a lesson that leads to student learning.
Even the best prepared lesson can go wrong if
the delivery is flawed.
4 Features of Good Lesson Delivery
23. Lesson delivery supports content objectives
24. Lesson deliver supports language objectives
25. Students are engaged in the lesson
26. Pacing is appropriate for students ability
level
Effectiveness of Lesson Delivery
Level of student participation
Clarity of communication of information
Quality of student work
Feature 23: Content Objectives Clearly
Supported by Lesson Delivery
Content objectives must be stated orally and
must displayed for students and teachers to
see.
They should be stated in student-friendly
language.
They are there to keep students and teachers
focused on the lesson and give it structure.
Feature 24: Language Objectives
Clearly Supported by Lesson Delivery
Language objectives must be written and
reviewed throughout the lesson.
They may come from ESL standards or the
teachers scope and sequence of language
skills.
They must be addressed explicitly during
instruction.
Feature 25: Students Engaged
Approximately 90-100% of the Period
Engagement means students are paying
attention and on task.
They are following the lesson, responding to
teacher direction, and performing the
activities as expected.
Lessons in which students are engaged less
than 50% of the time are unacceptable.
Feature 26: Pacing of the Lesson
Appropriate to Students Ability Levels
Pacing refers to the rate at which information
is presented during the lesson.
Using differentiated instruction and prorating
the task are two options for managing a
lesson with multiple proficiency levels.
Remember: losing 5 minutes per day of class
time will result in the loss of 15 hours of
instruction over the course of a school year.
Component 8: Review and Assessment
Assessment should happen before the lesson,
during the lesson, and at the end of the
lesson.
Assessment should be an ongoing process.
For English learners review is essential.
Teachers need to take time to highlight and
review material so that English learners know
what is important.
Features 27: Comprehensive Review of
Key Vocabulary
Key vocabulary should be introduced in the early
part of the lesson.
Vocabulary can be developed through analogy
the process of relating newly learned words to
other words with the same structure or pattern.
Students should receive multiple exposures to
new terminology.
Key words can be reviewed through
paraphrasing.
Feature 28: Comprehensive Review of
Key Content Concepts
Key concepts should be reviewed during and
at the end of the lesson.
Scaffold by stopping and briefly summarizing
the concepts throughout the lesson.
These reviews are informal but should be
carefully planned.
Feature 29: Regular Feedback Provided
to Students on Their Output
Feedback helps develop students proficiency
when it is supportive and validating.
Paraphrasing also supports students
understanding and validates their answers.
Feedback is usually oral or in writing but it can
also be done through facial expressions and
gestures.
Students can provide feedback to each other.
Feature 30: Assessment of Student Comprehension and
Learning of All Lesson Objectives
throughout the Lesson
Review and assessment is an ongoing process
especially in regard to the language and content
objectives.
Assessment and Evaluation are not the same
thing.
Assessment is the gathering and synthesizing of
information concerning students learning.
Evaluation is making judgments about students
learning.