RISA Oral InteractionRISA Oral Interaction is an instructional strategy developed by Dr. Watson to support oral language use for academic and content learning. The strategy is easy for teachers to learn and implement, is directly focused on language and content objectives, and is especially appropriate for learners who are still developing their English and academic knowledge. As many Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Educaition (SLIFE) come from oral cultural background, it is essential and culturally relevant to use oral interaction in the classroom to enable success; for, as Watson's Law (2015) states:
"Instruction that involves only reading, writing, or the teacher talking dooms SLIFE & Refugee-background students to fail." While oral interaction around academic learning is essential for SLIFE and Refugee-background learners, it can also significantly deepen and enliven learning for all students (Zwiers, 2018, 2010). RISA is and has been used successfully in K-12 ESL classrooms in urban, suburban, and rural settings, in all content areas, in co-taught classrooms, mainstream teacher only classrooms, and university language courses. RISA is not a lesson plan or a curriculum--it is an instructional strategy to support oral processing of content you are already teaching, a structured way to make sure students talk about what they are learning. It is inserted into short time segments in your lessons--it does not overtake your schedule. In addition to its instructional value, RISA is also useful for assessment; many language and content teachers find that quizzes and tests are both more accurate and less stressful when done orally. FAQs: Q: What is RISA? A A scaffolded strategy using teacher-written structured dialogues to get students talking about what they are learning and to provide models of excellent English for students to practice and acquire. Q. What does the acronym 'RISA' stand for? A.: It stands for: Routine: It’s a part of your regular routine. 3+ times per week. Integrated: Directly integrated with your content objectives. The information that students are interacting about comes from the content of your lesson or unit. Structured: Give the students a structured template for their interaction. Not just, “Talk to your partner about ______.” Academic: This refers to your language objectives, which are directly linked to your content objectives. The language you are having students use is academic. It contains both academic vocabulary and academic structures. Q. Why should a school use RISA? What is the rationale? A. Here are some of the research sources that support the use of Oral Interaction and RISA: 1.Students learn better if they process information and learning orally/aurally, not only via reading, viewing, and writing. (Zwiers, 2018, 2010; Zwiers & Crawford, 2011). 2.Especially true of SLIFE who have come of age in orality and have rich oral cultural backgrounds. They MUST process learning through the oral mode, as a bridge to literacy and Western academic thinking. (DeCapua & Marshall, 2011, 2013; Watson, 2015). 3.Culturally relevant teaching is required by LEAPS Act and supported by research. For oral-cultural SLIFE, CRT must draw deeply from oral mode. (Ladson-Billings, 1995; Gay, 2000; (Gopaul-McNicol & Thomas-Presswood, 1998; Paris, 2012; Kanu, 2011) 4. Routine instructional procedures reduce cognitive load (August & Shanahan, 2006). 5. Peer-mediated learning is a top best practice for ELs (Gersten, Baker, Shanahan, Linan-Thompson, Collins, & Scarcella, 2007). 6. Renewed recognition of the value of modeled and repeated practice of speech segments (DeKeyser, 1998; Garbonton & Segalowitz, 1998, 2005; Ortega, 2007; Segalowitz, 2010) 7. Research on RISA Oral Interaction in MN schools ´Improved academic language acquisition (Bordewick, 2018) ´Sharply increased class participation (Demorest, King, Lapatka, 2015; Banaadir Academies, 2017) Please contact Dr. Watson with any questions: [email protected] Q. How can our staff learn about RISA and how to use it? A. Contact Dr. Watson to schedule Professional Development at your site. Schools usually schedule a 2-3 hour session, plus observation and coaching. Dr. Watson also gives presentations on RISA at conferences such as the Minnesota English Learner Education Conference (MELEd) and the annual Literacy and Second Language Learning for Adults/Adolescents Symposium. Comments from K-12 schools using RISA: "We have seen explosive results." "Very positive influence on classroom behavior." "Kids just love it-- if we don't do it, they get upset." "It's perfect for SLIFE--they get to learn by talking." "The most effective instructional strategy we use." “Explosive results.” “Very positive influence on classroom management.” “Students just love it—they are upset if we don’t do it.” “Perfect for SLIFE—they get to learn by talking.” “The most effective instructional strategy we are using.” “Explosive results.” “Very positive influence on classroom management.” “Students just love it—they are upset if we don’t do it.” “Perfect for SLIFE—they get to learn by talking.” “The most effective instructional strategy we are using.” “Explosive results.” “Very positive influence on classroom management.” “Students just love it—they are upset if we don’t do it.” “Perfect for SLIFE—they get to learn by talking.” “The most effective instructional strategy we are using.” “Explosive results.” “Very positive influence on classroom management.” “Students just love it—they are upset if we don’t do it.” “Perfect for SLIFE—they get to learn by talking.” “The most effective instructional strategy we are using.”
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