Adapting Gradual Release of Responsibility for
English Language Learners
“This model provides scaffolded active engagement and opportunities for guided practice to help students master new skills.”
By Tan Huynh, Beth Skelton
Huynh and Skelton write about how they have adapted the “gradual release of responsibility” model (“I Do, We Do, You Do”) for teaching new concepts to MLs. In this adaptation, teachers give students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge first as a class, then in small groups, in pairs, and finally individually. It can be used for listening, speaking, reading and writing but is especially effective for writing sentences.
The process uses small sections of texts or videos, followed by having students respond orally to a preplanned prompt that uses a specific sentence structure. The teacher repeats and rewords the answers so they are grammatically correct.
When students seem to understand the sentence structure that was used, they continue with the reading or video in small groups. Afterwards, they are given very specific directions to follow as they work together, so that they can prompt each other to develop grammatically correct sentences and accurate information. This procedure is then followed as students work in pairs, and finally, independently.
This four step process helps students become more dependent on their own language skills and less on the teacher for learning new concepts.
Cabrera Martirena recommends project-based learning as a means to help MLs develop language skills as they learn about academic concepts. Young children become involved when they are able to interact, play, and explore. The article offers a list of adaptable topics which are based on children’s experiences. These are further refined with sample questions for projects that students can explore.