Constructing Meaning Instructional Strategies

Constructing Meaning Instructional Strategies

One question that some elementary teachers asked last year was about Constructing Meaning and how it relates to GLAD strategies which are used to support language instruction at the primary grade levels.  This article is designed to provide additional information regarding Constructing Meaning, or CM as it has been referred to lately.

CM provides teachers with the process and tools for weaving explicit language instruction into content area teaching. Lesson planning is driven by the content and academic language demands of discipline-specific learning. Based on backward design and a gradual release of responsibility model, the CM process prompts teachers to: understand the role language plays in content learning, decide what language knowledge students need to access content and express understanding and provide appropriate, explicit oral and written language instruction and practice.

Over the past few years, FGSD has focused on training teachers and implementing CM in our 5-12 school. CM, similar to GLAD, which is used in some of our elementary schools, is a framework that allows teachers to design and deliver instruction, making academic language more accessible to ELs and other student populations.

This year the training and implementation will continue with a focus on the alignment of Constructing Meaning with AVID. The district has contracted with EL Achieve, the authors of CM, to do on-site support in Tom McCall Upper Elementary School, Neil Armstrong Middle School and Forest Grove High School. Trainings are already underway. The first occurred in NAMS and FGHS in August. Additional trainings are scheduled in October and May.

FGSD has also been committed to offering CM training to newly hired core content area teachers in grades 5-12. Kristina Granby and the CM team will do an in-district five day training of 15+ teachers in November-February.