Preparing ELLs for Opinion Writing: Developing Reasons

Expressing opinions comes naturally to many children. However, supporting their opinions with reasons is a bit more challenging. Many students have yet to master the descriptive language skills in English that enable them to justify their opinions. Statements like, "I like this car because it's cool" or "This is the best book because it's good" are commonplace in many classrooms.

To become strong opinion writers, students need to think broadly and deeply about their arguments. Inspired by Nancy Fetzer, we created these "reason cards" to scaffold the task. There are seven cards: sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell, action and emotions. Below the corresponding image is a sample word list. 

Whenever we model or prompt for a justification, we utilize these "reason cards."     

We hold up each card one by one, point to the image on the card, and prompt students categorically in the following way:

"Do you like this_____ because of...

• the way it looks/what you see (touching eyes)
• the way it feels (rubbing hands together)
• the way it smells (touching nose)
• the way it tastes (touching mouth)
• the way it sounds (making a sound effect)
• what it does (moving arms back and forth)
• the way it makes you feel (placing hand over heart)"

Once students identify a reason category, we prompt them with some of the vocabulary on the card using gestures and images. For example, when we read the word "humongous" we hold our arms out as wide as possible to show the meaning.  When we read "bitter", we contort our face to convey meaning. We like to keep a picture dictionary close by for visual support, as well. Students can use the words presented, or use them as a jumping off point for a word of their own.  

For newcomers, it's helpful to explicitly teach the sensory words. We spent a few days focusing on these words in a small group setting.  

We did a taste test,

 

...went on a photo scavenger hunt, 

stinky shoe

rough carpet 

colorful hands

...used an interactive pocket chart to read the words in context (we covered LOTS of grammar in this activity: syntax, subject/verb agreement, pronouns), 

...and built a word wall together.

Putting these "Reason Cards" into the hands of the students has proven to be extremely beneficial. Flipping through the ring forces the writer to slow down and contemplate the options. They consider new ways of thinking and search for more sophisticated language to match that thinking.  

In our final post in this series, we'll share a few ways to make oral rehearsal both authentic and engaging. 

Part 4: Prioritizing Oral Rehearsal

If you missed our earlier posts, you can catch up here:
Part 1: Choosing Language Objectives
Part 2: Teaching Academic Language