What do the WIDA language levels mean? Understanding Our ELLs Linguistic Repertoires
Description
So you receive your ACCESS scores and discover where your students range in WIDA’s levels 1-5. But what do these numbers mean? This module unpacks WIDAs performance criteria to distinguish between each of the levels. Additionally, teachers will discover how to set appropriate language expectations for student work.
So you receive your ACCESS scores and discover where your students range in WIDA’s levels 1-5. But what do these numbers mean? This module unpacks WIDAs performance criteria to distinguish between each of the levels. Additionally, teachers will discover how to set appropriate language expectations for student work.
Topics
What does it mean to be a level 1-5 language learner?
Apply the linguistic repertoire for each level to appropriate language expectations for student work.
Competencies
Knowledge
Skills
Mindset
Reflect how being able to assess and know what a student can do for each language level can inform a teacher’s expectation for designing student work.
What does it mean to be a level 1-5 language learner?
- Look at sample definitions from Krashen and Vygotsky’s views of language learning to understand how we can think about language development.
- Look at a sample WIDA rubric to unpack the performance criteria between each level.
- Identify the levels from sample student work (math writing).
Apply the linguistic repertoire for each level to appropriate language expectations for student work.
Competencies
Knowledge
- Differentiate between acquisition and sociocultural views of language learning.
- Define WIDAs definition of language.
- Describe the performance criteria that distinguish between the language proficiency levels.
Skills
- Identify the language strengths across WIDA’s levels 1-5 using a math writing example.
- Assess sample math student work to determine an ELs appropriate language level.
Mindset
Reflect how being able to assess and know what a student can do for each language level can inform a teacher’s expectation for designing student work.