Juli Kendall's Weekly
Reading Workshop Journal
A MiddleWeb Listserv Project
Preview-Review Method
for Primary Language Support
1. Definition of Preview-Review Method
A bilingual instructional approach in which content areas are previewed
in one language, presented in the other, and reviewed in the first (Lessow-Hurley,
1990).
2. Using Preview-Review in Reading and Writing Workshop
(explained by teachers from Whittier School)
Preview p; An introduction and explanation of the main input for the
mini-lesson given in the primary language. This is like an anticipatory
set in the primary language. It includes key vocabulary. It should be 1/4th
of the length of the total time. For a mini-lesson allow 3-5 minutes for
this part.
Mini lesson p; the body of the lesson, input is given in English
Review p; Checking for understanding of the key vocabulary and main
input of the lesson in the primary language. Students may be given the opportunity
to ask questions for clarification and/or share their learnings. Allow 3-5
minutes for this part of the lesson.
3. Exerpts from an
article about the educational theory for Preview-review
(NCBE Home Page, http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/)
"Planned Alternation of Languages (PAL): Language Use and Distribution
in Bilingual Classrooms"
By Migdalia Romero; Angela Parrino
"The conceptual load of new content is intensified for ESL students
by their lack of familiarity with the language. It is exacerbated by the
linguistic complexity of accompanying text, which is most often written
for native English speakers. The immediate goal of the teacher is to make
content comprehensible (Krashen & Terrell, 1983)."
"(Preview-review) is the planned and systematic use of two languages
for instruction both within content area lessons and across time within
the total instructional program. The objective of is to systematically
use the native language to facilitate learning while simultaneously moving
students towards greater use of the second language (L2) as a means of promoting
second language acquisition."
"The ---- approach is not based on either translation or code-switching.
Translation implies the restatement of information word by word, sentence
by sentence, or idea by idea."
"As teachers plan content area lessons using, they must attend to the
concepts to be taught, the language used to cover that content, the objectives
of the lesson, and the longer range linguistic goals for their students."