SDAIE strategies

SDAIE strategies - Specifically Designed Academic Instruction in English

SDAIE strategies are used to teach content to students who are trying to learn English in a way that allows them different avenues to associate what they know with what they are learning.  Within my science class we use many of these strategies on a daily bases for all our students in every class.  it not only helps the ELD students but helps everyone as a whole see the material in several varieties and is revisited throughout the unit and over the course of the year (spiraling).
Some examples that are used everyday are listed below:

1.  Comprehension Check - The teacher or students read the selection aloud. Intermittently, the teacher asks for verbal and nonverbal comprehension checks ("raise your hand", "thumbs up for 'yes' ", "thumbs down for 'no'.  This is used in the classic 10/2 and is accompanied with the think/pair/share.
2.  Think-Pair-Share - When asked to consider an idea or answer a question, students write their ideas on paper (think). Each student turns to another student nearby and reads or tells his or her own responses (pair, share). This is an oral exchange, not a reading of each other's papers.  Students are then randomly called upon to share what they learned and if needed built upon by the teacher or other students.
3.  Quickwrite - Focused activity. Students are asked to respond to a question in writing for 5 minutes. Emphasis is on getting thoughts and ideas on paper. This is ussed as a summary option at the end of a lesson or unit to see what students are able to put together without the teachers input.  We don't grade on spelling or grammer, rather we look to see that a) they are trying and b) that some of the main points are coming through.  Using their notes is encouraged.
4.  Question of the day - Used at the bell to focus student attention and is framed to bring up previous material covered.  Students either know it or they look it up in the NB and find the answer.  Either way, it gets them thinking and spirals information from previous lectures.
5.  Graphic Organizers - Graphic organizers are charts, graphs, or diagrams, which encourage students to see information as a component of systems rather than isolated facts. Students may complete these as they read or view a presentation. These have been used in lectures during larger topics such as cycles, photosynthesis and resoiration, where students fill in the diagram as we discuss it through PPT and then answer selected questions at the bottom to bring the topic together.
6.  Verbalizing -Students share with a partner ideas they have on a topic. Pre-writing or INTO strategy.
7.  Vocabulary Cards ­- Used in conjunction with PPT presentations and a way for students to revisit challenging vocabulary as it comes up.  Definitions are written with examples so that students can relate the topic or word to real life.

Injustice

Injustice within a school comes in many shapes and sizes.  What caught my attention is this classroom, which is a Read 180 class, that is empty.  Read 180 is for all students that are well below their expected reading level.  In the past students have been placed here from day one based on test scores.  After initial assessment, if the students do well, they are then placed back into the mainstream class.  This year the students did not get placed on the first day and teachers are working to determine who and how to place these kids for help with their reading.  In the meantime, this class remains empty.  I believe it to be a major injustice to the students for multiple reasons.  First, they are now going to be pulled out of their respective classes in areas such as History or Social Studies for a remedial reading class.  This will bring tension and disdain from students who otherwise would not have to face their peers and feel less than equals with classmate and friends.  Secondly, there are two teachers waiting to help these kids and the clock is ticking.   If teachers get their assessments done by Thursday, we are expected to get the first students next Monday.  To do it in this fashion seems very disruptive and a waste of valuable resources.