One valuable resource that WIDA has introduced is the Can Do Descriptors. The Can Do Descriptors serve several purposes. In essence, they are designed as a Progress Monitoring tool to display what students “can typically do” at various levels of language acquisition. Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing are the four language domains; there are six levels of language acquisition: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Bridging, and Reaching.

The Can Do Descriptors are also available to guide instruction and provide examples of classroom or assignment accommodations.

Step 1: Navigate to the WIDA website (Links to an external site.) and access the appropriate Can Do Descriptors (Links to an external site.) for your specified grade level. You can select the Original Edition or Key Uses; additionally, the Name Charts version provides a template for annotations.

For additional content area ideas, you may access the following:

WIDA Grades 9-12.  

Step 2: Think about a classroom task/assignment your students are required to complete. Create three accommodation adjustments that you can make to that assignment for ESOL students at various levels of language acquisition. Record the accommodations and task in this chart . You may reference the example-ESOL Accommodation Task.

Be sure to include the specific WIDA Communicative Purposes/Key Uses you are addressing (Recount, Explain, Argue, or Discuss).

Step 3: Include a reflection about how you plan to use the Can Do Descriptors in your role.