Marzano’s Nine Instructional Strategies with English Language learners (rigor is the burning platform)

Strategy / Tasks and differentiation
Identifying similarities and differences / ·  Assigning in-class and homework tasks that involve comparison and classification
Can be done by second language learners
Provide scaffolding (such as provide the classification name and have the students fill in the list or provide all or part of the list and have students name the classification)
Allow students to draw pictures rather than write sentences
·  Assigning in-class and homework tasks that involve metaphors and analogies
Very difficult for second language learners. They may not be able to do analogies and metaphors until their English is advanced.
If possible, place students in groups where they can work with someone who speaks their native language and can explain in native language.
Summarizing and
note taking / ·  Asking students to generate verbal summaries
Difficult especially for newcomers. There is a silent period that ELL’s go through when first learning a second language. Forcing students to speak before they are ready may inhibit second language acquisition.
Give the students opportunities to volunteer but don’t make them speak in class.
·  Asking students to generate written summaries
This strategy works better than verbal summaries for non-English speakers.
If writing in English is difficult, allow the students to draw picture summaries.
·  Asking students to take notes
Difficult for non-English speakers. They have to translate the English into their native language in their heads before they can take notes all while trying to sort out the content they need.
Provide outlines with completed or partially completed notes
·  Asking students to revise their notes, correcting errors and adding information
Good for second language learners, especially if working with a partner.
Reinforcing effort and providing recognition / ·  Recognizing and celebrating progress toward learning goals throughout a unit
Good for second language learners. Some of the goals celebrated might be for English acquisition.
·  Recognizing and reinforcing the importance of effort
Good for second language learners.
·  Recognizing and celebrating progress toward learning goals at the end of a unit
Good for second language learners.
Homework and practice / ·  Providing specific feedback on all assigned homework
Good for second language learners.
Don’t always focus on the mechanics of the language. Provide specific feedback on the content. If you choose to focus on the mechanics, let the students know ahead of time that you will be grading that as well.
·  Assigning homework for the purpose of students practicing skills and procedures that have been the focus of instruction
Good for second language learners.
Nonlinguistic representations / ·  Asking students to generate mental images representing content
Good for second language learners. In fact, used frequently in ESL.
·  Asking students to draw pictures or pictographs representing content
Good for second language learners. In fact, used frequently in ESL.
·  Asking students to construct graphic organizers representing content
·  Good for second language learners. In fact, used frequently in ESL.
·  Asking students to act out content
Only if the student feels comfortable. Do not force students to participate.
·  Asking students to make physical models of content
·  Good for second language learners. Used frequently in ESL.
·  Asking students to make revisions in their mental images, pictures, pictographs, graphic organizers, and physical models
Good for second language learners.
Cooperative learning / ·  Organizing students in cooperative groups when appropriate
Good for second language learners.
Group so that both content and language learning goals are supported. It is appropriate to ask students to engage in conversation in which they can use newly acquired vocabulary from the content being taught – as long as they are supported in a caring environment.
·  Organizing students in ability groups when appropriate
Good for second language learners – as long as they are supported in a caring environment.
Setting objectives and providing feedback / ·  Setting specific learning goals at the beginning of a unit
Good for second language learners. Used frequently in ESL.
If possible, also set specific language learning goals.
·  Asking students to set their own learning goals at the beginning of a unit
Good for second language learners.
·  Providing feedback on learning goals throughout the unit
Good for second language learners.
·  Asking students to keep track of their progress on learning goals
Good for second language learners.
·  Providing summative feedback at the end of a unit
Good for second language learners.
·  Asking students to assess themselves at the end of a unit
Good for second language learners.
Generating and testing hypotheses / ·  Engaging students in projects that involve generating and testing hypotheses through problem solving tasks
English language learners can do this.
Reduce the text’s difficulty, not the levels of the questions.
Provide supplemental material that may help clarify the lesson (for example, using visuals)
·  Engaging students in projects that involve generating and testing hypotheses through decision making tasks
English language learners can do this if provided the difficulty of the text is reduced.
·  Engaging students in projects that involve generating and testing hypotheses through investigation tasks
English language learners can do this if provided the difficulty of the text is reduced.
·  Engaging students in projects that involve generating and testing hypotheses through experimental inquiry tasks
English language learners can do this if provided the difficulty of the text is reduced.
·  Engaging students in projects that involve generating and testing hypotheses through systems analysis tasks
English language learners can do this if provided the difficulty of the text is reduced.
·  Engaging students in projects that involve generating and testing hypotheses through invention tasks
English language learners can do this if provided the difficulty of the text is reduced.
Questions, cues, and advance organizers / ·  Prior to presenting new content, asking questions that help students recall what they might already know about the content
Excellent for second language learners
·  Prior to presenting new content, providing students with direct links with what they have studied previously
Excellent for second language learners
·  Prior to presenting new content, providing ways for students to organize or think about the content
Excellent for second language learners

Author unknown, revised by Bil Pfaffendorf 2009-2010-2011