Increasing Comprehensibility For ELL Using Kagan
Schools across the country are welcoming new students, students are coming back from break, and students are moving to the US from around the world. This time of year, there is always an influx of students in my area of the world, and many of the students in my school are English Language Learners (approximately 80%). A focus of my work as an instructional coach is helping teachers make sure they are scaffolding instruction for all student needs and one word that sticks out is comprehensibility. Comprehensibility is about increasing understanding for our students so they can understand what they are being asked to do, what they’re reading, and whatever else is happening in the classroom1. A huge part of making sense of what is happening around you is both interaction with others and time to process — and Kagan fits neatly into comprehensibility. Whenever I see a teacher ask a question, I always go back to PIES. As an instructional coach, whenever we are trying to inspire comprehension, we want to make sure the people being asked to comprehend are being asked to do the thinking as well. If you’ve found this article, then you surely have heard of PIES before (Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Equal Participation, Simultaneous Interaction).
Kagan Cooperative Learning is critical for our English Language Learners because they need to be able to process and listen to models of question answering and also try their own answers in a safe place. When I am planning lessons with teachers and teams, the quickest ideas to include are Equal Participation and Simultaneous Interaction. As an instructional coach when I plan, I am always asking teachers to think about how each student gets a chance to speak and answer a question in class and before writing. There is no happier moment than observing a lesson we planned together in action, and watching all students talk to a shoulder partner and listen to each other. When students are talking, they are thinking and trying to comprehend the main goal for the lesson. Our English Language Learners get paired purposefully with other students in class to have a safe place to listen and share. Some teachers may take it one step further and give students a chance to speak in their native language or use pictures to ensure they are comprehending what they are supposed to be talking about during the response time. The greater the equal participation and simultaneous interaction, the greater the engagement of all students.
Positive Interdependence helps increase comprehensibility because students feel safe and feel like they can be successful. Our English Language Learners often have extra nerves with adapting to a new place, new school, and new environment. Positive Interdependence means that all students have to contribute for the success of the shared goal for the whole group. This idea increases comprehensibility because when all students participate and all students celebrate, then they understand and grow more rapidly than before. One way we have used this in our classrooms is a group high-five after 100% of members have shared, all standing up and no one sitting down until everyone has shared. Finally, Individual Accountability gives all students power. If they know their work is being witnessed, and they are a part of the team with an important role to fulfill, then they have a place where they feel welcome. It is our job to make sure our students are safe and welcomed and a part of the team, and know they have a role that is critical to the classroom. At the end of the day isn’t that what we all want — to belong and know we can contribute? Kagan Cooperative Learning and PIES are easy tools to increase comprehensibility for our English Language Learners and make sure that all students are engaged and welcomed while in our schools.