S.D.A.I.E.

Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English

and

Related Strategies

As you read more about approaches to teaching English Learners,

conduct classroom observations, and speak with teachers and
other school personnel, you will likely find the following
acronyms:

SIOP- Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol

GLAD- Guided Language Acquisition Design
CALLA- Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach
SDAIE- Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English

Though all have their merits, in this course we will be focusing

on SDAIE and related strategies.

If you would like to learn more about the other approaches,

you can find information at the following websites:

For SIOP, visit www.siopinstitute.net

For GLAD, visit www.projectglad.com

For CALLA, visit http://calla.ws

WhatisSDAIE?
Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) is a
systematic teaching approach for English Learners who already
possess intermediate fluency in English (listening, speaking,
reading and writing). Therefore, it is not the same as English as a
Second Language (ESL) where students are attempting to master
basic language skills.
SDAIE is a transitional approach that allows students to progress
through the content in their academic courses (like Math, Social
Studies, and Science), while continuing to develop their
proficiency in the use of academic language, as well as higher
order thinking, advanced literacy, and study skills.
When integrated into daily lesson plans, SDAIE helps teachers to
carefully prepare instruction so that English Learners can gain
skills in both the subject matter and in using English.

Who benefits from SDAIE?

ALL students benefit from SDAIE and related strategies, but they
are particularly effective for English Learners. By the time you
finish this course, you should have a very good understanding of
the theoretical underpinnings that support this premise.

Isnt SDAIE just good teaching?

SDAIE certainly is good teaching. However, SDAIE isnt just
good teaching. Once you understand why SDAIE and related
strategies are so effective with English Learners, you will want to
make a conscious effort to incorporate them into your daily lesson
plans with the specific purpose of meeting the needs of English
Learners.

What are the SDAIE strategies?

The six main SDAIE scaffolding strategies that we will focus
on in this course are:

Modeling
Bridging
Contextualization
Schema Building
Text Re-presentation
Metacognition

Scaffolding strategies are ways of organizing or shaping

instruction to create a classroom environment where:
1. Students can take risks safely and without anxiety (also
called lowering the affective filter)
2. Develop cognitive skills
3. Become better able to handle tasks involving complex
language

AN OVERVIEW OF STRATEGIES

What follows is a series of slides defining

the six main SDAIE scaffolding strategies,
as well as examples of how they can be
applied in the classroom.

MODELING
Show or demonstrate to students what they are
expected to do.
Guide students through each step of a process.
Provide examples of previous student work for
students to see.
Provide clear guidelines and standards.
Make sure your speech, behaviors, dress, etc. set an
appropriate model for students to emulate.

EXAMPLES

Rubrics
Rules and procedures posted
Written instructions
Illustrated instructions
Teacher demonstrations
Video demonstrations
Examples of finished work and/or work at different stages.

BRIDGING
Activate and build on the knowledge that students
already possess.
Move from the known to the unknown.
Help students make connections from previous
learning to the new concepts or behaviors.
Show how the new material is relevant to students
lives.
Explicit use of pre-reading activities with textbooks.

Examples

Review of the previous lesson

Connections to lesson from another
class or content area
Personal stories and anecdotes
Use of examples and analogies
Explanation of word origins
Connections to current events
Connections to students lives or
interests
Word walls or word banks
Bulletin boards and other displays

Contextualization
Create a parallel to typically dry or difficult texts
through pictures, graphic organizers,
manipulatives, and real objects to make
information comprehensible and available for
mental processing.
Devise metaphors and analogies based on the
students experiences.

EXAMPLES
Realia (real objects and materials)
Manipulatives (drawings, posters,
brainstorming-clusters, graphs, tables, maps,
props, multimedia presentations, storyboards,
story maps, hands-on materials)
Visuals (gestures, vivid facial expressions,
photos, textbook illustrations, overhead
projections, reproductions of paintings, and
documents, video and multimedia)
Graphic organizers (matrices, Venn diagrams,
webs, KWL charts)
Stories that include metaphors or analogies
related to students lives and experiences.

Schema Building
Help students construct a framework of concepts that
shows the relationships between old and new learning
and how they are connected.
Use graphic organizers showing the significant aspects
of information before a lesson topic is presented,
introducing important ideas within the big picture and
connecting multiple facts or isolated concepts to a
universal principal or body of knowledge. Graphic
organizers can also be used during and after a lesson to
check for comprehension

Examples of Common Graphic Organizers

STORY MAP
KWL
PMI
MIND MAP
CONCEPT WEB
T-CHART
VENN DIAGRAM
FISHBONE

STORY MAP

This graphic organizer helps students to identify and analyze

the major components of a story. It can be especially helpful
when comparing fables or folktales. There are many kinds of
story maps, from simple to sophisticated, that examine
different aspects of the stories and reveal different kinds of
structures.

KWL CHART
This three column chart is often used as an advanced organizer, as
well as a closure activity. It records what students already know or
think they know (K), what they want to know (W), and what they
learned (L).

PMI Chart
This chart helps organize the pluses or positives (P), minuses or
negatives (M) and anything else that is interesting or intriguing (I)
about a problem, topic, issue, idea, or concept.

MIND MAP
This graphic organizer incorporates associated words (and/or
pictures). The center shape contains the words (and or
pictures) for the main concept or idea. The smaller connected
shapes contain words or pictures of supporting or related
concepts.

CONCEPT WEB
The center shape represents the main idea or concept. The smaller
shapes connecting to the main concept represent sub-concepts;
connected to those sub-concepts are the sub-sub-concepts, etc.

T-CHARTS

A T-chart is a chart that looks like the letter T and can be

used for comparing concepts and categorizing. A double Tchart contains three columns with three specific labels, such
as Before, During, and After, High, Medium, Low,or
What, So What, Now What.

VENN DIAGRAM

Two interconnected circles are used to compare and contrast

two objects, ideas, or concepts. What is unique about each is
placed in the outer part of its corresponding circle. Common
characteristics are placed in the shared space.

FISHBONE

This structure is designed to help students think of important

components of a problem to solve, an issue to explore, a project to
plan, etc. It is also often used to plot important elements or
complications in a story. The head of the fish represents the problem,
issue, topic, effect, or project. The ribs of the fish represent
component parts of the problem and the related elements of each part.

Text Re-Presentation
Text re-presentation involves presenting information in
another form.
Students must review what they know and and think
about how to communicate this knowledge in a new
format.
Students become engaged in applying and transforming
knowledge in meaningful ways.

Illustrations

Examples

Charts
Diagrams
Graphic organizers
Dramatization
Creating songs
Dancing
Rewriting stories
Multimedia presentations
Class newspapers
Dioramas
Two and three-dimensional models

Metacognitive Development

Metacognitive development involves thinking

about how one learns.
Learning strategies and study skills are
deliberately taught and practiced.

Learning logs

Examples

Reflective journals
Students evaluate their own learning
Think/Pair/Share
Collaborative learning opportunities
Review of rubrics
Student scoring
Conflict resolution
Peer tutoring
Awareness of Multiple Intelligences (Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical,
Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Musical/Rhythmic, Body/Kinesthetic, Visual/Spatial, Naturalist)

RELATED STRATEGIES
In order to increase your effectiveness with English Learners, you may also want to
learn more about these topics that are closely related to and enhance SDAIE:

1. Modified Speech (slower, clearly enunciated, use of cognates, explanation of idioms, etc.)
2. Cooperative Learning Strategies and Structures
3. Grouping and Placement Strategies
4. Authentic Assessment (portfolios, interviews, oral exams, presentations, simulations,
projects, etc.)

5. Processing and Wait Time/Questioning Strategies/Comprehension

Checks
6. Content-based Instruction
7. Cultural Affirmation
8. Integrating listening, speaking, reading, and writing across the
curriculum

Do you remember?
1. What does the acronym SDAIE stand for?
2. What is SDAIE?
3. Can you name the six main SDAIE scaffolding
strategies and give an example of each?
4. Why should you purposefully use SDAIE in your
daily lesson planning?
5. What related strategies will enhance SDAIE?

It is healthy now and then to hang a question mark on things

you have long taken for granted.- Bertrand Russell

Be sure to ask your

instructor if you
have questions
about any of the
information
provided in this
presentation.