Mod 2 Discussion: Stages of language development and comprehension

Subject: Science
Lesson Topic: The Water Cycle
Text: “The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over” by Joanna Cole

Here’s how I would adjust one comprehension question—“What are the steps of the water cycle?”—for different language development stages:

• Preproduction: Point to the pictures that show rain. Show me the sun.

• Early Production: Is this rain or snow? / What comes after rain?

• Speech Emergence: Can you name the steps of the water cycle? What comes first?

• Intermediate Fluency: Can you explain what happens in each step of the water cycle in your own words?

• Advanced Fluency: Why is the water cycle important for Earth’s ecosystems? Can you support your answer with details from the text?

I love how this structure makes it easier to meet students where they are and help them grow—one step at a time.