Adapting Summary Frames to the Stages of Language Acquisition
Mrs. Mason used the narrative frame to help her 1st graders summarize Jack and the Beanstalk. First, she introduced some of the following frame questions and told the students to think about them as she read the story aloud:
1. Who are the main characters? What are their characteristics?
2. When and where did the story take place? What were the circumstances?
3. What prompted the action in the story?
4. How do the main characters react emotionally to what hap pens at the start of the story?
5. What did the main characters decide to do? Did they set a goal? What was it?
6. How did the main characters try to accomplish their goals?
7. How does the story turn out? Did the main characters accomplish their goals?
Next, Mrs. Mason read the story again. This time, however, she occasionally stopped to let students answer the questions as a class. Finally, Mrs. Mason and the students used their answers to write a summary together.
For students with little or no English proficiency, you must create circumstances and conditions that support engagement in interpretive discussions of stories. This can be achieved through the use of tiered questions.
Preproduction
Students can be asked questions that start with “Show me . . .,” “Point to the . . .,” “Where is . . .,” and “Who has the . . .” (e.g., “Show me Jack,” “Point to mother,” “Where is the beanstalk?” “Who has the harp?”). Remember to begin asking these students questions from the Early Production stage in order to scaffold language development.
Early Production
Students can answer yes/no questions, either/or questions, and questions requiring a one- or two-word response. Appropriate queries include who, what, when, and where questions (e.g., “Who is in this story?” “What is Jack doing now?” “When did Jack find the bean-stalk—in the morning or evening?” “Where is Jack going?”). In addition to these questions, be sure to include some from the next stage.
Speech Emergence
Students can answer with short sentences. Ask them why and how questions or prompt them with “Explain . . .” and “Tell me about . . .” (e.g., “Why is Jack’s mother upset?” “How do you think Jack and his mother felt?” “Explain how Jack got the gold coins,” “Tell me about what Jack decided to do”). Move into the next stage of questions as well.
Intermediate and Advanced Fluency
Students can be asked any of the questions in the narrative frame. Intermediates will have a few grammatical errors in their answers, and Advanced students will sound almost like their English-dominant peers.
