EL supporting ELL journal - Scholastic

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Read, Reflect, RespondJournal

Supporting English-Language Learners

Margie Sigman

Excepting those portions intended for classroom use, no part of this publication may be reproduced inwhole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher. For informationregarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Scholastic Inc. grants teachers

who have purchased Early Literacy Seminar Series permission to reproduce from this book those pages intendedfor use in their classrooms. Notice of copyright must appear on all copies of copyrighted materials.

Copyright © 2006 by Scholastic Inc.

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ISBN 0-439-84785-0

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Contents

Seminar Overview............................................................................................................... 3

Research Insights................................................................................................................ 4

Effective Classrooms for ELLs.......................................................................................... 5

Chant It, Sing It, Act It Out!............................................................................................... 6

Stages of Language Acquisition......................................................................................... 7

What Is a Talk-a-Box?........................................................................................................ 8

Sheltered Instruction Strategies.......................................................................................... 9

Manipulatives and Print Material....................................................................................... 10

Teacher Self-Evaluation...................................................................................................... 11

Oral Language Checklist.................................................................................................... 12

Family Involvement............................................................................................................. 13

Bibliography....................................................................................................................... 14

Seminar Evaluation............................................................................................................. 15


Seminar Overview

Supporting English-Language Learners 3

During this Professional Development Seminar on Supporting English-language learners you will:

• Deepen your understanding of English-language learners—the assets they bring to the classroom and the challenges they face.

• Explore simple strategies and activities to use all year long with second-language learners.

• Discuss the importance of family support and involvement.

Welcome and Seminar Objectives

Research Insight Overview

Research Into Practice: Making It Work • The Comfort Zone • Stages of Fluency • Specific Techniques for Student Success

Break

Assessment

Family Involvement

Wrap-Up and Closing Activities

15 Minutes

10 Minutes

75 Minutes

10 Minutes

25 Minutes

20 Minutes

10 Minutes

Learning Objectives

TIME WHAT WE’LL BE DOING


Research Insights

Early Literacy Seminar4

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EXPERTS SAY MY REFLECTIONS

...Children construct knowledge about language from active experience with their physical and social environment.

—H. Medrano (1995)

By 2015, children of immigrants may represent 30 percent of the nation’s school population.

—M. Fix & J. Passel (2003)

Culture and language are critical components of children’s development.

—V. Lake & N.E. Pappamihiel (2003)

Establish a risk-free classroom environment that respects diversity.

—J.A. Williams (2001)

Success in school depends on proficiency in academic language, which takes from 5 to 10 years to achieve. —J.A. Williams (2001)

Through the home language and cul-ture, families transmit to their children a sense of identity, an understanding of how to relate to other people, and a sense of belonging. —NAEYC (1995)



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Effective Classrooms for ELLs

Effective Classrooms for ELLs include:

• Nurturing, supportive, friendly adults who encourage risk-taking.

• Consistent classroom organization and routines.

• Respect for home language and culture; interest in finding out more about children’s home culture and traditions.

• Language modeling that fits the fluency stage of the child.

• Frequent, meaningful contexts for conversations.

• Academic skills introduced through visuals, chants, music, and stories.

Use this space to add other ideas.

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Chant It, Sing It, Act It Out!

If they don’t get it the first time, use visuals or try chanting, singing, or acting it out.

Sample Chant About Color Names

I like red. (Point to red.)

I like blue. (Point to blue.)

I like yellow. (Point to yellow.)

How about you? (Point to child and wait for response.)

Ideas for Chants, Songs, Rhymes

Numbers

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Classmates’ Names

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Names of Class Centers

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Opposites (up/down, in/out, etc.)

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1. Preproduction Ask simple yes/no questions; role-play and practice simple commands in group games. • Child communicates with gestures and actions. • This is sometimes referred to as a “silent period.”

2. Early Production Ask short-answer questions; practice two-step commands. • Child begins to understand when addressed. • Child communicates with words and short phrases.

3. Speech Emergence Encourage children to use descriptive words, speak in longer sentences, and take risks with language. • Child is fairly fluent in social conversations. • Child may speak in complete sentences, but word errors are frequent.

4. Intermediate Fluency Focus on developing academic language in content areas. • Everyday conversation is fluent. • Child communicates with words and short phrases.

Stages of Language Acquisition



A Talk-a-Box is a box containing small objects in various categories for children to handle and talk about.

What Is a Talk-a-Box?

Items from children’s culture(s)“Necessary” items (tissue, mitten, pencil, etc.)Conversation starters (ball, mirror, action figure, etc.)Literacy items (magnetic letters, small book, etc.)

Centers:

Small-Group Work:

Transition Times:

Preproduction Stage:

Early Production Stage:

Speech Emergence:

Intermediate Fluency:

Things to put in the box

How to use the boxes in the classroom

Activities or questions to ask

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Sheltered Instruction Strategies

Sheltered instruction strategies help make English intelligible to newcomers.

• Use gestures, visuals, and pantomime.

• Speak slowly. Use short sentences. Use simple sentence structure whenever possible. Avoid idioms, which can be confusing.

• Preview stories, activities, and routines.

• Reread stories and repeat activities to give children more opportunities to participate and understand.

• Assign a buddy (preferably bilingual) for newcomers.

• Provide a quiet place in the classroom where children can go for “down time.” Coping with a new language and culture is very hard work!

• Bring the home culture into the classroom with artifacts, visits from family members, multicultural picture books, foods, dances, and songs.

• Use chants, songs, and fingerplays to teach concepts and skills.

• Set aside time for kid-watching to observe and record children’s progress.

• Welcome family members and encourage them to visit the classroom.

Use this space to add your own ideas.

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Manipulatives and Print Material

Always provide a context and a reason for children to use language.

MobilesThese can be made from various craft materials.

Homemade BooksThese can be made by folding two sheets of paper in half and stapling them along the fold.

Charts and GraphsThese include simple job charts displaying pictures that describe each job.

Other

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Language Application (Notes)



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How would an English-language learner feel about my classroom?

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How does my classroom reflect the different cultures of all the children?

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How can I learn more about the cultures and traditions of second-language learners in my

classroom? Why is this important?

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How would I rate my use of communication techniques such as visuals, body language,

and role-playing?

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What activities would help me meaningfully celebrate the diversity of children in

my classroom?

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Teacher Self-Evaluation


Oral Language Checklist


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Child’s Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________________

Observe during the times that the child interacts with others, such as during meals, small- and large-group time, and during play. If the child is non-English speaking or speaks more than one language, note whether the level of understanding is the same or indicate the language (S=Spanish, Hm=Hmong, etc.). Check all of the types of activities you used as a basis for completing this checklist.____ meals ____ outdoor time____ large group ____ center time____ small group ____ routines____ one-on-one with teachers ____ other: ___________________________________ play

Receptive Language Always Sometimes Never

Signals when information is not understood

Gives appropriate non-verbal responses when asked questions (can point to a picture, can respond to “show me” or “do______________”)

Attends to and follows instructions without repetition of directions

Recognizes and adapts to changes in classroom activities, especially those in which directions are given by teacher

Attends to a story during group time

Expressive Language Always Sometimes Never

For three-year-olds: Uses sentences of 3–4 words

For four-year-olds: Uses complex sentences (sentences of five or more words) with adjectives, conjunctions, adverbs, possessives, past tense, etc.

Responds verbally to questions

Engages in conversational turn-taking with adults

Engages in conversational turn-taking with others

Speaks clearly and confidently

Provides more information when asked

Asks for information or help when needed

Uses appropriate vocabulary for level of maturity


How can we encourage continuing involvement and support from family members?

• Maintain communication.

• Help family members feel like part of the school community, such as by using translators.

• Make every effort to become familiar with the family’s culture.

• Explain school procedures and expectations. Set consistent goals for all children.

• Invite family members to share their culture in the classroom in developmentally appropriate ways.

• Keep your expectations high!

More ideas:


Family Involvement

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Barrera, R.M. et al. (1995). First and Second Language Development. Scholastic Inc.

California Department of Education. Prekindergarten Learning & Development Guidelines (2000). California Dept. of Education, Sacramento, CA.

Canizares, S. (2003). How children learn language: Keys to success. Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 17, 30–42.

Claire, E. (1988) ESL Teacher’s Activities Kit. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Cummins, J. (1979). Linguistic interdependence and the educational development of bilingual children. Review of Educational Research, 49, 222–251.

Drucker, M.J. (2003), What reading teachers should know about ESL learners. The Reading Teacher, 57, 1, 22–29.

Einhorn, K. (1999). Welcoming second-language learners. Instructor, 112, 2, 54–56.

Head Start Bulletin: English Language Learners. (2005). U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Head Start Bureau.

Fix, M., & Passel, J. (2003). U.S. immigration—Trends and implications for schools. Paper presented at the National Association for Bilingual Education, New Orleans, LA.

Krashen, S., & Biber, D. (1988). On course: Bilingual education’s success in California. Sacramento: California Association for Bilingual Education.

NAEYC. Position Paper (1995). Responding to Linguistic and Cultural Diversity: Recommendations for Effective Early Childhood Education. Washington, D.C.: NAEYC.

Shore, K. (2001). Success for ESL students. Instructor, 110, 30–32.

Williams, J.A. (2001) Classroom conversations: Opportunities to learn for ESL students in mainstream classrooms. The Reading Teacher, 54, 720–727.

Bibliography



Early Literacy Supporting English-Language Learners Seminar

Name __________________________________________________________________________

Position ________________________________________________________________________

Date __________________________________________________________________________

Your feedback is very valuable to us. Please answer the following questions by circling a number, with 1 being low and 5 being high.

How would you rate this seminar overall?

How much did the information presented help to deepen your understanding of the topic?

To what extent did the seminar offer you practical ideas that you could use?

What are three new things you learned (key points)?

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What are two ideas you plan to try?

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What would you like to learn more about?

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Additional Comments/Suggestions

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Seminar Evaluation

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EL supporting ELL journal - Scholastic