SDAIE Strategy

Specially designed academic instruction in English (SDAIE), also referred to as sheltered instruction, is a form of instruction with the students in mind. These forms of instruction incorporate strategies throughout the lesson aimed at preparing the student to meet the academic standards in school. While once used inconsistently throughout schools, SDAIE strategies may be viewed in nearly every classroom today. Their presence has provided the structure and support students that are learning English need to meet every chance of success in their education.

SDAIE incorporates a number of techniques into meeting the needs of their students that are English learners. Many SDAIE techniques are used today in classrooms with and without the presence of English learning students. Among the multitude of options SDAIE offers, two strategies I have witnessed within my classroom as Escondido High School (EHS) are the use of graphic organizers and what is referred to as "think, pair, share." In my classroom, we utilized the graphic organizer to educate the students on the process of the scientific method. By incorporating a graphic organizer, the students were extremely successful in their comprehension of the method. This was evident by their responses to the definition of key terms as well as their performance in subsequent activities given to them. Furthermore, we have also utilized the "think, pair, share" method within the classroom to give the students the opportunity to discuss content with a partner. This method also proves successful with the students because they can gain insight from other students findings and view points on lessons discussed in class. If one student doesn't fully understand a concept, this method provides them with the opportunity to hear it from others.

The most beneficial thing about SDAIE strategies is that they aren't exclusive to students who are English learners. These strategies may be used in any classroom, at any grade level, and benefit every student within the classroom. While SDAIE techniques were once scarcely seen within the classroom, I believe their presence will become a fixture within every learning environment due to the demonstrated success from students.