SOLOM Assessment: Observing ELL Oral Language Proficiency
This paper presents a classroom-based observation of a Spanish-speaking female sophomore using the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM), in which the student scored 20 out of 25, indicating limited English proficiency. The author describes the instructional activities employed during the observation session, reflects on the student's academic and social engagement, and outlines a differentiation-based instructional strategy involving visual aids and direct experience. The paper also details a performance assessment modeled on Gottlieb's (2006) recommendations, in which the student demonstrated contextually appropriate conversational skills across multiple social registers. Recommendations for further development are briefly addressed.
- Introduction and Student Background: SOLOM score and student profile overview
- Classroom Observation and Initial Impressions: Activities observed and initial proficiency impressions
- Language, Social Interaction, and Encouragement: Language's role in student confidence and social engagement
- Instructional Strategy: Language-Related Lesson Modifications: Differentiated instruction using visuals and direct experience
- Performance Assessment and Recommendations: Assessment design, scoring, and follow-up suggestions
- References: Cited sources and standards
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper grounds its classroom practice in cited academic sources (Gottlieb, Peregoy & Boyle, TESOL standards), connecting theory to observed student behavior.
- The reflective, first-person narrative voice is honest and pedagogically self-aware, particularly in discussing how encouragement shapes student confidence and language acquisition.
- The performance assessment section is concrete and well-structured, describing a realistic simulation activity with multiple conversational registers that maps directly to proficiency standards.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates evidence-based reflective practice: the observer does not merely describe what happened but interprets observations through established frameworks (SOLOM scoring, TESOL proficiency standards, differentiated instruction) and connects instructional choices to expected outcomes. This integration of observation, theory, and formative assessment is a hallmark of teacher-training reflections at the undergraduate level.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with student background and SOLOM scoring context, moves into a narrative of the observation session and initial impressions, then examines how language shapes social dynamics in the classroom. It next describes the specific instructional strategy chosen and the rationale behind it, followed by the performance assessment design and scoring outcome. A brief section on hypothetical follow-up recommendations rounds out the discussion before the reference list.
Introduction and Student Background
The student observed for the Student Oral Language Observation Matrix (SOLOM) is a female sophomore in high school. Her native language is Spanish, and her SOLOM score for the observation was 20 out of 25, indicating limited English proficiency.
The observation took place in a classroom setting on May 10th, 2006. The activities utilized during the session included reading aloud, discussing what had been read, identifying key words in the reading, using visual aids to reinforce concepts, practicing the spelling and pronunciation of vocabulary words, and writing a short paragraph about the reading as a composition exercise.
Classroom Observation and Initial Impressions
My initial impressions of the student observed for this study are that she shows genuine promise in learning English and continuing to improve. She demonstrates an understanding of key concepts and grammatical rules; it is her relative inexperience with the language that appears to be the primary barrier at this point. With additional time spent in the classroom and continued practice in reading, writing, and speaking, her limited proficiency is likely to improve steadily until she achieves full command of the English language.
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