Literacy Matters - Vol 21 - Winter 2021

Step 1 : Divide students in appropriate groups (i.e. based on reading comprehension skills, language skills) and/or pair up a stronger and a weaker student in a working team. Step 2 : Make procedural steps clear by modeling reader tasks (how to use squares) and listener tasks reviewing visual image and sentence frame supports as needed for individual groups (on white boards or laminated cards) or all groups (on board) Step 3 : Instruct students to take all colored squares out of the bag/ envelope and place them in front of them. Step 4 : Give the group reader the sentence/paragraph in an envelope and ensure that others do not see it. Step 5 : Give explicit instructions on time limits as needed. Step 6 : Rotate from table to table while students work in groups, and take notes on observations of strengths and challenges (see Figure 1) provide language support orally and/or on white boards at each table as needed (vocabulary, sentence frames) praise students as they visualize, ask questions, verbalize mental images Step 7 : Remind students when it is time to complete a round of MI-V practice and to place colored squares back in bags/envelopes . Step 8 : Give students 2-3 minutes to discuss their MI-V experiences . Rotate from table to table to listen and provide academic oral language structures as needed. Have those available on laminated cards in several copies for tables. Step 9 : Invite students to share realizations and add your observation (see Figure 1). Step 10 : Based on learning outcomes, decide on next comprehension challenge and how to differentiate for different skill levels by using simpler or more challenging tasks. Step 11 : Invite grade level teammembers to infuse MI & V practices in different content areas to show students the interdisciplinary value of value of MI & V (i.e., in science/social studies with tasks)

Literacy Matters Reading Matters

Figure 5 Overview of procedural steps to use color-coded squares to create mental images of content and to verbalize the process 

Elke Schneider received her PhD in Applied Linguistics with a specialization in Literacy for second Language Learners and Learning Disabilities from the University of Eichstätt, Germany in 1997. For almost 30 years she has shared her expertise in literacy, special education and ESOL in the United States and Europe. Since 2003, she has done so at Winthrop University with undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Schneider has been engaged in several large federal grants and has collaborated with the South Carolina State Department in efforts to improve teachers’ effectiveness with English language learners. Her teacher training work focuses on multisensory structured, metacognitive language instruction. Elke may be contacted at schneiedoc@gmail.com or schneidere@winthrop.edu .

Literacy Matters | Volume 21 • Winter 2021 | 45 |

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