Levels of Questioning

Even students with limited English can show they understand content if you ask questions that they can comprehend and answer.   It is important to be aware of the hierarchy of questioning so that you can provide scaffolding by matching your ELLs’ ability to handle English before challenging them by moving to the next level:

LEVEL 1:  Ask questions that require only a yes or no answer.  “Was imperialism one of the causes of World War I?”

LEVEL 2:  Ask either/or questions which require only a one word response from students.  “Did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand lead Austria-Hungary to war with Germany or Serbia?”

LEVEL 3:  Ask questions using where, what, when, who which students can answer with a single word or a partial phrase.  “What alliances caused the conflict to spread in 1914?” “Where did most of the fighting take place in World War I?”

LEVEL 4:  Ask questions that don’t contain any content vocabulary (Tier 3 vocabulary) and that elicit a response in full sentences. “How did several different causes lead to World War I?”  “Are any of the causes of World War I still issues today? Explain.”

Using a linguistically appropriate level of questioning is a good way to differentiate for English Language Learners as we begin to use Small Goal Assessments and other formative assessments to inform our instruction. (The levels of questioning are also a good way to provide scaffolding to your non-ELL students as they become familiar with new concepts and vocabulary.) 

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Remember: The ELL student’s sole limitation is linguistic, and that limitation is temporary. Cognitively, s/he is as unlimited as any other student who walks through your door.

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Levels of Questioning adapted from The More-Than-Just-Surviving Handbook: ESL for Every Classroom Teacher, by Barbara Law and Mary Eckes.

Think Time

Here’s another back-to-basics tip that really pays off for our ELL students:

Increase your wait time after questions from the usual 2-3 seconds to a full 5-7 seconds.  ELLs, who are processing in a second language, need the extra time.  All of your students will benefit from the reflection time.

Kathleen Kenfield says, “I recommend that you call it “Think Time” instead of wait time, that you explain to the students the rationale behind the longer time, and that you forbid them to raise their hands during the think time. Many teachers have reported dramatic improvements in the quality of the responses and decreased blurting by those students who just have to yell out the answer.”

From Kenfield’s website:

Middle school science teacher: “I definitely got more students to participate when I started using wait time.   I would ask a question, ask students to think (no hands up, no blurting, as you suggested), and just what I’d hoped: more ELLs participate, more special ed students participate, fewer blurters–all in all, a very successful idea.”

All previous ELL tips are compiled here: http://rhs-ells.blogspot.com/ 

PLEASE leave some comments on the blog!!

Kathleen Kenfield’s material used with permission.

Remember: The ELL student’s sole limitation is linguistic, and that limitation is temporary. Cognitively, s/he is as unlimited as any other student who walks through your door.

Let ELLs Know What to Expect

Here’s a simple tip from Dr. Kathleen Kenfield, an expert on teaching ELLs:

“Each day, each class, share the class agenda and objectives on the board or on chart paper. If you can, write them out and read them as the students watch.”

As you can see, this is totally consistent with our expected practice for all students.  ELLs will benefit immensely if you take a moment to go over the agenda and objectives – don’t just have them sitting on the board.  They will benefit even more if you pause to reflect with students at the end of class: were the activities successful? did we meet the objectives?

Kenfield is a dynamic and engaging presenter, and I was fortunate enough to attend one of her workshops several years ago. Please let me know if you would like me to meet with you, your department or your PLC to share some of her ideas and activities.

FLASH! Be sure to view the video about Riverside’s ESL program created by ELL Robin Bremer for Mr. Unruhe’s journalism class:

http://riverside.dpsnc.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1803&Itemid=124