​Integrated Instruction in Disciplinary Language and Content

Academic language includes the oral and written language components necessary for success in school. More specifically, disciplinary literacy refers to the specialized ways academic language is used depending on the subject matter, with each academic content area having its own expectations. In essence, the language and literacy skills needed to acquire knowledge in one subject area (e.g., algebra) are different from those needed to acquire knowledge in another subject area (e.g., history).

In order to develop formal academic English and disciplinary literacy, students need to understand and use content-specific language practices. Therefore, teachers at EHS work to make the language of their content more transparent for students by planning for instruction that integrates language and literacy development with content learning.

EHS curriculum and instruction uses content standards and materials along with the English Language Proficiency Standards to teach disciplinary language. Lesson plans for integrated ELD include content area standards as their primary focus, and ELP Standards as a secondary focus for EL students.

​When designing instruction, teachers at EHS take into consideration the English language proficiency level of their EL students and include differentiated linguistic supports dependent on the students’ proficiency levels.

Assessment, Feedback, and Support

All teachers use assessment data to:

• Gather evidence on student progress
• Regularly document and monitor growth in language development
• Inform productive next steps to support both content learning and academic language development.
• Provide meaningful feedback on language development, skill development, and content knowledge.