Using The English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards From

Using The English Language Proficiency Elp Standards From Arizona Or

Using the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards from Arizona or from your state, select the stage for a grade level of your choice. Based on the Common Core Standards’ English Language Arts (ELA) performance objectives or the English Language Arts Standards from your state, create a learning activity that is aligned with a learning objective at the basic proficiency level on the ELP standards for each of the following domains: Listening and Speaking Reading Writing Account for language acquisition principles within the design of your activities. Include a word rationale that describes how each activity addresses the characteristics of the ELL at the basic level and how language acquisition principles have been accounted for within your design.

Paper For Above instruction

The task requires the development of a comprehensive learning activity plan tailored to English Language Learners (ELLs) at the basic proficiency level, aligned with the English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards from Arizona or another state. The activity should target each of the four domains—Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing—integrating the principles of language acquisition. A detailed rationalemust accompany each activity, explicitly explaining how it aligns with the characteristics of beginner-level ELLs and reflects sound language acquisition theories.

To effectively meet this objective, I selected Grade 3 as the target level, given its developmental readiness for foundational language skills and cognitive capacities. The activities are designed considering the gradual nature of language acquisition, emphasizing scaffolded instruction, multimodal engagement, and contextualized language use—elements aligned with Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory, and Cummins’ BICS and CALP frameworks.

Listening Activity: "Listening for Details with Visual Supports"

The first activity aims to enhance basic listening skills through a multimedia story that incorporates visual cues. Students will listen to a story about daily routines while observing corresponding pictures. After listening, they will answer simple comprehension questions using pictures and words. This activity aligns with the ELP standards targeting beginner listening proficiency by focusing on understanding familiar phrases and basic vocabulary, and it embodies Vygotsky’s emphasis on social interaction and scaffolding. The use of visual supports ensures the activity is accessible, reduces cognitive load, and provides contextual clues, facilitating natural language acquisition consistent with Krashen’s comprehensible input.

Speaking Activity: "Sharing My Favorite Object"

For the speaking domain, students will practice describing a personal object—such as a toy or a book—in a structured format. They will initially rehearse in pairs, then share with the class, using simple sentences and supportive prompts. The activity encourages oral production at the basic proficiency level by emphasizing familiar vocabulary and simple syntactic structures. Including sentence frames and peer modeling aligns with Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development, enabling learners to produce language with appropriate scaffolding. The focus on meaningful communication helps develop the BICS needed for everyday conversations.

Reading Activity: "Matching Words and Pictures"

The reading activity involves matching high-frequency words to corresponding pictures within a thematic set (e.g., food items, family members). This task reinforces sight word recognition, vocabulary building, and comprehension of familiar contexts. It supports the basic proficiency level by requiring recognition rather than extensive decoding skills, aligning with the ELP standards’ focus on oral language development translating into reading skills. The activity is structured to promote gradual independence, consistent with the principles of emergent literacy, and incorporates visual and contextual clues to facilitate understanding in line with language acquisition best practices.

Writing Activity: "My Daily Routine"

Students will compose a simple paragraph about their daily routine, guided by sentence frames and visual prompts. The activity emphasizes functional writing and vocabulary use, foundational at the basic proficiency level. The scaffolded approach helps ELLs develop confidence and control over basic sentence structures while expressing familiar ideas. Incorporating tactile, visual, and linguistic supports adheres to principles of Comprehensible Input and promotes language development through context-rich, meaningful tasks.

Word Rationale

Each activity was carefully designed to reflect the characteristics of beginner-level ELLs—limited English vocabulary, developing syntactic skills, and the need for contextualized and multimodal instruction. By integrating visual supports and scaffolded language tasks, the activities facilitate meaningful interaction with language, consistent with Krashen’s Input Hypothesis, which emphasizes comprehensible input as key to language acquisition. The use of peer interaction and structured prompts aligns with Vygotsky’s SCM, promoting social language development within the Zone of Proximal Development. Additionally, the activities target the BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills) necessary for everyday communication, while providing a foundation for CALP development in future stages.

In conclusion, this comprehensive plan exemplifies how to create developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned activities that support ELLs’ linguistic growth across multiple domains. Such activities acknowledge the natural, contextualized, and social nature of language learning and employ scaffolding strategies that respect the learner’s current proficiency and promote gradual mastery, aligning with both theoretical perspectives and practical instructional needs.

References

• Cummins, J. (2000). Language, Power, and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Multilingual Matters.
• Krashen, S. D. (1982). Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon.
• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.
• Arizona Department of Education. (2021). English Language Proficiency Standards for K-12 English Learners. Arizona Department of Education.
• Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning: Teaching English Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom. Heinemann.
• Harper, C. (2018). Supporting English Language Learners in the Common Core Classroom. Corwin Press.
• O’Malley, J. M., & Chamot, A. U. (1990). Learning Strategies in Second Language Acquisition. Cambridge University Press.
• Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English Language Learners: What the Research Does—and Does Not—Say. American Educator, 32(2), 4–44.
• August, D., & Hakuta, K. (1997). Improving schooling for language minority students: A research agenda. National Academy Press.
• Freeman, D., & Freeman, Y. S. (2014). Between Worlds: Access to Second Language Acquisition. Heinemann.