pearson english learning system © 2013 : using … pearson english learning system provides ......

Copyright © 2012 Pearson, Inc. or its affiliates. All rights reserved.1

Using Cornerstone

Introduction

What is the Pearson English Learning System?

This guide introduces the features of the Pearson Longman Cornerstone program and explores how Cornerstone accelerates academic vocabulary acquisition, develops transferable language skills, and provides an easy-to-use roadmap to academic success and language proficiency.

The U.S. Department of Education has reported that, by 2025, one out of every four students will be designated as an English language learner (ELL). Right now, less than 15% of high school ELL students are proficient in reading and math. Those students struggle to achieve academic proficiency by high school.

Often, district approaches to the needs of ELLs are fragmented and difficult to sustain. To meet the diverse needs of these students, schools need a comprehensive system that links to assessment and progress monitoring, instruction, and professional development. The Pearson English Learning System provides an organized, comprehensive, and integrated solution in each of these areas. This guide explores some of the system components that focus on these areas and help ELLs achieve academic success.

The Pearson English Learning System provides diagnostic and solutions-oriented approaches to systematically benchmark, monitor, and track student progress and instructional best practices. The Stanford English Language Proficiency Test2 (SELP2) and AIMSweb® are part of the system.

The SELP2 helps address the needs of non-native English speakers, providing reporting results that allow schools to place students appropriately and quickly in order to maximize learning time for students.

AIMSweb® provides universal screening and progress monitoring based on brief, direct, and continuous student assessment. This resource also provides norm-based progress reports based on language proficiency levels.


Integrating Cornerstone

The Pearson English Learning System provides content-based instruction that focuses on development of language proficiency and academic knowledge. Each instructional solution in the system—Cornerstone, Keystone, and Language Central—also integrates assessment data, professional learning support, and progress monitoring information in one central location.

The Pearson English Learning System provides proven, research-based professional development that extends beyond the initial implementation of the program. This system allows you to target English learner needs with SIOP® in Practice and A+RISE® Strategies.

SIOP® is an instructional framework for teaching both academic content and language skills in ways that are proven to be effective for ELLs. A+RISE® Strategies presents standard-aligned strategies to help all students achieve academic success. These resources are embedded at point of use in the Teacher’s Editions.

This guide shows how the Pearson English Learning System highlights key features and language development, using Cornerstone materials.

Cornerstone is a multi-level program designed for elementary ELLs and struggling readers whose academic achievement is two or more years below grade level in Grades K–5. The Pearson English Learning System is integrated throughout the program.

Cornerstone uses a balance of content-area readings and high-interest stories to provide research-based reading and language skills instruction. The program incorporates the instructional principles of the Understanding by Design® framework created by Grant Wiggins, which allows students to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of skills through multiple formal and informal assessment opportunities.

Six thematic units per level, organized around a Big Question, provide a starting point for building understanding of key concepts and academic vocabulary. Each reading in the unit asks students to consider different aspects of the Big Question. The Big Questions serve as a framework for language and vocabulary acquisition as well as concept development.

*UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN® and UbD™ are trademarks of ASCD, and are used under license.


Program Features

Academic Language Acquisition

Three readings per unit help students develop academic skills logically and systematically in a clear and consistent sequence.

The readings in each unit balance both informational text and classic and contemporary literature and follow an instructional sequence that builds upon prior learning and experience.

Each unit culminates in a series of end-of-unit activities and workshops that reinforce the skills and strategies presented. These activities provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their capabilities in reading fluency, writing, speaking, and listening.

Program features include academic language acquisition, instructional support, embedded resources, and ancillary support.

Cornerstone provides ELLs with opportunities to produce language and learn critical vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills. The program increases academic language usage in the classroom and helps accelerate students’ academic language proficiency and language skills.


Unit-level Build Unit Vocabulary and high-interest Build Unit Background activities introduce students to the key terms they will explore and provide a context for learning.

Academic vocabulary and key terms are explicitly taught with each reading in Cornerstone. Students have multiple opportunities to practice the newly taught vocabulary.

Each reading includes vocabulary and background building, a reading strategy, and activities for comprehension, grammar, and writing. Prepare to Read lessons include Key Words, Academic Words, and Word Study or Phonics.

The reading selections teach a specific reading strategy. Before You Go On and Think It Over questions check reading comprehension and build active reading skills by requiring students to stop and check their comprehension before they continue reading in a text.

After You Read provides clear, consistent, and explicit instruction and practice in learning strategies, grammar, and writing following each reading. This practice gives student multiple opportunities to master critical reading skills.


Put It All Together follows the third reading section in each unit. This section contains the Link the Readings feature that helps students think critically about all the readings and how they relate to one another and to the Big Questions. It provides opportunities for students to discuss the Big Question using the new language and vocabulary presented in the unit.

During Discussion, students discuss questions with a partner and are encouraged to integrate new vocabulary words into their discussions. The last question always refers back to the Big Question in the unit to help students think conceptually and make connections back to larger ideas.

Projects provide differentiated assessment for the unit objectives and provide evidence of understanding of the unit objectives. Students’ learning is evaluated through written, oral, and visual or active assessment activities.

Cornerstone contains writing activities throughout the unit that are logical and systematic in sequence. This allows students to build toward the end-of-unit Writing Workshop assignment. Checklists, tied to the Six Traits of Writing, guide students through the writing process in the program.

Each unit concludes with Test Practice and Preparation activities. These mini-lessons provide test-taking tips so that students can sharpen their test-taking skills. The student workbook provides several more pages of assessment practice.


Instructional Support

The Teacher’s Edition features clear, step-by-step teaching suggestions that guide teachers through each part of the lesson. Explicit instruction and tools to monitor student progress are provided in the wrap-around text.

Each unit has a content and language objective, and supports the SIOP® instructional framework. There is a step-by step lesson plan supported by instructional cues to help teachers effectively introduce concepts, teach, and assess student performance.

Standards at the bottom of the Teacher’s Edition pages identify which reading and content-area standards are being taught at any point within the lesson. In addition, the Common Core State Standards correlations are listed for each unit.

Teaching Resources are summarized on the planner and listed at point-of-use to help make lesson planning simple and easy.

This well-organized instruction helps you structure daily lessons, making every component of the Pearson English Learning System transparent. You will find point-of-use suggestions for SIOP®, A+Rise®, SELP2, and AIMSweb® in every unit below the student pages on a blue background in the Teacher’s Edition.


Embedded Resources

Leveled Support boxes provide built-in remediation and additional language-building activities that allow for differentiating instruction. They also provide for Culturally Responsive Instruction (CRI).

This program incorporates instructional principles which allow students to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of skills through multiple formal and informal assessment opportunities. There is an array of assessments you can use to monitor student progress.

Cornerstone provides additional resources to support you with planning and instruction.

The Phonics and Word Analysis Kit is a resource that you can use to help build students’ foundational phonics, phonemic awareness, and vocabulary skills.

The collection of Penguin leveled readers connects to the unit themes and provides opportunities for independent reading. The Readers are adapted from popular tales and stories, and use controlled vocabulary that is appropriate for lower-proficiency readers.

You also have access to an eText version of the Teacher’s Edition, which is available on iPad, CD-ROM, and online. All components are organized by unit for easy lesson planning. The student edition is also available as an eText for iPad and online.

Audio CD recordings are available to support struggling readers. These recordings focus on the readings, key vocabulary, academic words, and literary terms.

The iPad Apps provide fun, interactive flashcards for all key vocabulary, academic words, and literacy terms.


Ancillary Support

Review

Assessment resources include Exam View® Test Generator and Success Tracker, both available online. Here, you will find customizable formative and summative online tests that allow you to provide students with instant feedback.

Use the Teacher’s Resource Book as a one-stop lesson planner. There you will find daily lesson plans, graphic organizers, transparencies, workbook pages, and reading summaries in English, Spanish, Chinese, Cambodian, Hmong, and Vietnamese. You will also find Home Letters written in English and Spanish for each unit.

The Transparencies book includes Daily Language Practice exercises that reinforce previous instruction and reproduced student writing models for whole-class instruction.

The Student Workbook provides additional practice and extension activities for each skill taught in the student edition including vocabulary, reading strategies, reading comprehension, response to literature, grammar, and writing.

The Cornerstone Newcomer Worktext provides literacy-building instruction and activities for learners with little English language proficiency.

Formative and summative tests that help you assess students’ understanding of the reading selections and skills taught are also available in print.

This guide introduced the features of the Pearson Longman Cornerstone program and explored how Cornerstone accelerates academic vocabulary acquisition, develops transferable language skills, and provides an easy-to-use roadmap to academic success and language proficiency.

pearson english learning system © 2013 : using … pearson english learning system provides ......

Documents