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Having a Plan: SDAIE for Success



In my last blog posting, I stated that I would strive to help my English learners by differentiating instruction in specific ways.  In the most recent chapter of our text, I was happy to learn that my plan is a real “thing” and even has a name!  SDAIE, which stands for specially designed academic instruction, is a method for helping English learners have better accessibility to content instruction.  SDAIE uses specific strategies that focus on communication techniques that make accommodations for students who do not speak English as their first language.  This makes sense, of course, because in order to gain understanding of content, students must understand the language being used.
A good teacher always has a plan.  SDAIE helps to organize that plan.  Arkansas asks that homeroom instructors use only English, but for my English learners, I plan to incorporate many of the strategies that SDAIE recommends.  These include, first and foremost, that I have a positive attitude and recognize that all students are fully capable of learning.  I will connect content to my students’ background knowledge and real world experiences.  I will use modeling, repetition, varied organizing techniques, and lots of student interaction.  These are strategies that work for all students, but are really key in helping English learners comprehend the content that is being presented.     

Chapter 5

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