Associate Professor of Education Ivannia Soto has co-authored the article "Creating Classroom Buzz" published in the February issue of Language Magazine where she and co-authors Whittier College Adjunct Professor Kent Besocke and South El Monte High School English teacher Danny Magaña explore academic oral-language development and literacy in English Language Learners.
In order to meet a Common Core State Standard requirement of increased student participation in collaborative discussions, the authors make the case for reciprocal teaching, an instructional activity that requires students to do most of the talking, textual evidence gathering, and oral and written justification of their thinking.
Magaña believes that reciprocal teaching is an effective tool that empowers students and holds them accountable.
“Reciprocal teaching allows students to follow a cyclical protocol," said Magaña. "This protocol becomes habit and allows ELLs to follow a process with new pieces, whether it is analyzing language or literature or simply understanding meaning. Habit builds comfort levels, which makes it safer for ELLs when taking language or academic risks."
Read more in Language Magazine.
