These documents break down the ESL scales into text types (yes, I know it is no longer about text types....its now types of texts) and these text types fit into the categories of Imaginative, Persuasive and Informative.
There is one book per stage and each book has the following categories: Describing, Recounting, Responding, Instructing, Explaining, Persuading and Negotiating.
Each section is broken down into the ESL band (A1 being the more basic through to A2, B and C being the more complex band). Your ESL teacher will be able to tell you which band your students are in.
Once you choose the text type you are doing, and you know the band you can turn to the right page. Each band is broken into Oral, Reading and Writing. Oral is then broken into Listening and Talking. The ESL Steps document gives you the relevant ESL scale pointer reference and then gives activities for 'Controlled Support', 'Guided Support' and 'Independent Support'. The activities are relevant to the stage of the student and are designed to encourage maximum language usage.
I find these four ESL Steps documents the most useful when it comes to planning for ESL students and I feel that they provide the greatest practical support for classroom teachers - as they list not only the scales but a scaffold of activities moving from controlled, teacher led activities through to independent activities.
Most ESL teachers have a copy of these documents. If not, your school can order them from:
Henry Parkes Equity Resource Centre
Mimika Avenue
WHALAN NSW
2770
Telephone: 02 8808 1177
Fax: 02 8808 1171
Email: [email protected]
They can also be downloaded from the DEC intranet if you are a DEC school and have a portal log in.
(Photo of ESL Steps document taken from http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/english/crosscurriculum/esl/index.htm)