Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP® Model is a thorough and user-friendly textbook as well as a valuable resource for K-12 English as a New Language (ENL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) instructors, particularly those new to content-based instruction. The SIOP Model, or Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, is a lesson planning tool which allows teachers to modify content (e.g., math, science, ELA) for English Language Learners. SIOP incorporates many best practices in TESOL, including the ideas of building on learners’ prior knowledge, differentiation, scaffolding with visuals and realia, effective assessment, and so on. In the preface, Echevarria, Vogt, and Short state, “although over the years a number of approaches to teaching English learners have emerged, the SIOP remains the only research-validated model of sheltered instruction” (p. xi).

In regards to curriculum, the SIOP model incorporates both language objectives and content objectives for each lesson plan. As creating language objectives may be particularly challenging for new ENL teachers, they may benefit from discussion and analysis of the example objectives in this textbook. They may also benefit from seeing these objectives applied in the provided lesson examples.

Echevarria, Vogt, and Short share a series of sample SIOP lessons (for example, “Mr. Tran’s” eighth grade lesson on Egyptian mummies or “Mr. Hansen’s” fourth grade lesson about the Gold Rush) in which the reader is asked to score according to the SIOP rubric and then compare his or her score to the authors.’ There are also SIOP lesson plan templates in various formats. Newly minted ENL teachers will find the templates refreshingly practical and concise in comparison to those required for graduate coursework.

The appendices of the book contain checklists with the SIOP features (e.g., lesson preparation, building background, interaction) that ENL teachers can use to evaluate their own teaching or for observing others. Also of interest is a chapter on SIOP accommodations and applications for students with disabilities, those receiving Response to Intervention (RtI) programming, as well as a section discussing the research behind the SIOP model.

Overall, the textbook is very useful to both first-year teachers and seasoned instructors looking to hone their craft in providing content based instruction for English learners.

References

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E., & Short, D. J. (2013). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model, (4th Ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Rebecca Pitke teaches English as a New Language to middle school students at Somers Middle School, Somers, NY. She holds an M.A. in sociology from Columbia Teachers College and an M.A. in TESOL from Hunter College School of Education. In addition to her work at the middle school level, she also teaches adult English learners in her community.