Principles of Effective Instruction

“These perspectives provide a platform for (a) rethinking instruction for both newcomers and ELs, and (b) providing a high-quality education that is or does the following:

• Is future-oriented and asset-oriented, with high expectations for success. Teaching is focused on students’ goals, rather than students’ deficits. Thus, instruction should provide supports that help students develop new understandings and skills, understand complex concepts, think analytically, and communicate ideas effectively in both social and academic situations.

• Provides students authentic opportunities to simultaneously develop language and discourse; analytic and problem-solving skills; and competency in academic subjects such as mathematics, science, and social studies. Simultaneous development of these three areas will help students begin to develop their own agency1 and autonomy2 as learners and thinkers (Valdés, Kibler, & Walqui, 2014).

• Provides rich opportunities to learn. Educators ensure that (a) the curriculum is rich in content and connects disciplinary (subject-matter) practices and uses of language in that discipline; and (b) instruction intentionally scaffolds newcomer students’ participation to enable them to access complex ideas and engage in rigorous analytic and problem-solving skills on level with their grade in school.

• Reflects a cultural orientation. Educators recognize and use the rich cognitive, cultural, and linguistic resources that newcomers bring to their classrooms. Recognizing that newcomer students arrive with valuable knowledge, skills, and language that frame their social, physical, and symbolic worlds (Walqui & van Lier, 2010), teachers use the assets to leverage student learning. High-quality instruction pays close attention to the language, academic experiences, and proficiencies of students.

• Develops student autonomy and agency by fostering metacognition. Educators help students become self-aware about their developing skills and knowledge, and they provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of academic areas and in problem-solving settings. Ongoing assessment can provide feedback about how a student’s conceptual, analytical, and language development is progressing” (U. S. Department of Education, 2016, p. 4).