Line+Ups



By: Megan Knippenberg

What is it?
Line ups is a SDAIE strategy that can be implemented as a warm-up activity and can also be used to put students into pairs or groups. SDAIE stands for Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English, which means that this strategy will help break the language barrier in order to make content and classroom procedures accessible for English Language Learners (ELLs). Through use of line-ups, students will have an opportunity to practice communicating with their peers.

How does it work?
1) The teacher will give the students a category by which to line up. Examples include: ~Shortest to tallest  ~Length of first name  ~Alphabetically by last name  ~In order of birthdays  2) Students will get up out of their seats and work together to put themselves in the correct order. 3) Afterwards, the teacher will move down the line to verify that the class performed the activity correctly. 4) If using line-ups for pairing purposes, the teacher may "fold the line" by instructing the person at one end to snake the line around until he or she is face-to-face with the person at the other end and everyone else is facing someone as well. 5) The line can be folded again to make groups of four. ***If not being used for pairing purposes, the students can pat themselves on the back for ordering themselves correctly, take their seats, and be ready to focus on the lesson for the day.

Why Use Line-Ups?
As mentioned, line-ups are a great way to put students into pairs. If the teacher uses a different category each time, students will end up with different partners each time. This helps circumvent the tendency for students to always choose the same partner to work with. Additionally, line ups creates a nonthreatening context for ELLs to practice their Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). Such skills include asking peers basic information about themselves and responding to oral questions. Developing these communication skills is essential for English mastery, and line ups is a great way to practice. Finally, line ups can be used as a "brain-break" between subjects. Students will have the opportunity to get up and get moving while still being engaged in a mentally stimulating task. In the process, students will get to know their peers a little better and gain cooperation skills.

Resources
SDAIE Glossary: []