English Language Learner KnowledgeBase for Administrators & Teachers

Teaching and Learning Strategies

On this Brown University website, the topic of Teaching and Learning Strategies addresses three different areas: Culturally Responsive Teaching, Sheltered English Instruction, and Language Support for Students in the Home and in School. The information and resources selected here are intended to inform classroom practice and to expose teachers to research (both empirical research studies and reviews of research) that support their work with English language learners.

Sheltered Instruction: Best Practices for ELLs in the Mainstream

This Ritell report by Holly Hansen-Thomas focuses on how Sheltered Instruction is needed to provide all learners with the same high-quality, academically challenging content, educators must reach both native English speakers and those learning English as a second language. Further, the author states Sheltered instruction combines both tried-and-true instructional techniques that characterize what experienced educators know as good teaching practices and instruction specially designed to meet the linguistic and educational needs of immigrant and nonimmigrant second-language learners in U.S. schools.

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) - Pearson

This Pearson website provides teachers with the SIOP® Model. Pearson states SIOP® is the only empirically validated model of sheltered instruction. It includes 8 major components and 30 features for teaching grade-level content while developing students’ English language skills. Developed by the author team of Dr. Jana Echevarría, Dr. MaryEllen Vogt, and Dr. Deborah Short, the SIOP® Model helps teachers develop students’ academic language skills.

Sheltered Instruction and SIOP

This ELL Toolbox website features resources including Lesson Plans for Sheltered Instruction and Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol.  Endorsed by the Center for Applied Linguistics, the foundational text for SIOP is Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners.

What Is the SIOP Model?

This Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) website features the definition, 8 components/models and benefits of SIOP. The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model is a research-based and validated instructional model that has proven effective in addressing the academic needs of English learners throughout the United States.

What is Sheltered Instruction?

This Brown University website offers the answer to the question, "What is Sheltered Instruction?" Since the early 1980's content-area teachers have looked to sheltered English instruction as a way to make content comprehensible for the English language learners (ELLs) in their classrooms.  Sheltered English instruction is an instructional approach that engages ELLs above the beginner level in developing grade-level content-area knowledge, academic skills, and increased English proficiency.