Content-Area Conversations: How to Plan Discussion-Based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners

by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, Carol Rothenberg

Teachers across the country are seeking ways to make their multicultural classrooms come alive with student talk about content. Content-Area How to Plan Discussion-Based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners is a practical, hands-on guide to creating and managing environments that spur sophisticated levels of student communication, both oral and written. Paying special attention to the needs of English language learners, the authors
*Detail research-based steps for designing lessons that spark student talk;

*Share real-life classroom scenarios and dialogues that bring theory to life;

*Describe easy-to-use assessments for all grade levels;

*Provide rubrics, worksheets, sentence frames, and other imaginative tools that encourage academic communication; and

*Offer guiding questions to help teachers plan instruction.
Teachers at any grade level, in any content area, will find a wide variety of strategies in this book to help students simultaneously learn English and learn in English. Drawing both on decades of research data and on the authors' real-life experiences as teachers of English language learners, this book is replete with ideas for fostering real academic discourse in your classroom.

Genres: Teaching, Education, Nonfiction

175 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., is an educator and Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College.

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Reviews

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely. I found the techniques discussed within viable and applicable for a while to come. I, unfortunately, had to take a significant break in between reading the four chapter and reading the last two chapters today.
When I have a chance to reread this book this summer or at a later date, I plan to update this review with increased specifics.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book is written for K-12 teachers, I was able to glean several useful tools from it.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, comprehensive ideas for ELL teachers.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great one! I don't know how these people crank out good books every year. This one is very good about about encouraging TALK, the bedrock for reading and writing.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has some general strategies and some great advice for incorporating ELL students into discourse, but somehow lacked the helpfulness of the authors' Productive Group Work volume.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basis of knowledge - 3*

[Joe Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical ideas for incorporating academic discourse into classroom lessons.