THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATED TEACHING ON EARLY CHILDHOOD

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Presented by Charlis Cunningham April 28, 2015

University of CincinnatiCI 7090

INTEGRATED TEACHING & ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS The purpose of this literature review:

Understand what best teaching practices are for early childhood English language learners (ELLs)

Define what integrated teaching is Understand how integrated methods of

instruction impacts young ELLs

CURRENT STATE OF EDUCATION There is an emphasis on integrated and

interdisciplinary teaching Society has a high demand for critical

thinkers and creativity in its workforce21st century skills:

Critical thinking and problem solving, communication and collaboration, and creativity and innovation

ELLs are a growing population in the U.S., achieve below their native English speaking peers, have high dropout rates, face inequitable learning situations in mainstream classrooms

WHAT IS INTEGRATED TEACHING? Integrated teaching is an instructional

approach to curriculum that incorporates one subject within others, and it can provide connections to students’ lives outside of the school environment

It is commonly identified as: Integrated instruction Interdisciplinary instructionMultidisciplinary instruction

RATIONALE FOR INTEGRATED TEACHING

Integrated teaching provides inquiry-based learning and exploration Inquiry learning is a method of

instruction that allows students to learn through practical investigations using their five senses and questioning

Research states that characteristics of inquiry learning include open-ended questions that stimulate discussions and promote higher-level thinking for building understanding

MATH & ENGINEERING

What can we do with shapes?

RATIONALE FOR INTEGRATED TEACHING Project-based learning (PBL) is a form of integrated

teaching that uses inquiry in real-world settings and promotes student collaboration

Students designed and constructed automobiles in STEM club. The goal was to eventually design and build a model community out of 2D and 3D shapes in a program titled the “Architects of Abu Dhabi.”

IMPLEMENTING INTEGRATED TEACHING WITH ELLS

Integrated teaching moves beyond the classroom and connects to students’ lives.Student sociocultural backgroundPrior knowledgeStudent interests

Research states that learning is optimized for ELLs when the learning environment helps them connect to their various backgrounds.This can bring equity to the classroom in cases

where the culture of multilingual or immigrant ELLs are usually excluded from school curriculum

IMPLEMENTING INTEGRATED TEACHING WITH ELLS

Integrated teaching commonly promotes collaboration through small group instruction or peer groups. Collaborative learning

communities are essential for ELLs to have social and academic conversation with native English speaking peers

ELLs need time to engage in instructional conversation with the teacher to help develop critical thinking through shared questioning, ideas and knowledge

INTEGRATED TEACHING FOR ELLS, NON-ELLS, & TEACHER PREPARATION

Non-ELLs are experiencing a greater benefit from integration than their ELL peersELLs do not capitalize on opportunities to

become self-sufficient like their English only (EO) peers

ELLs need better differentiation to grasp language skills along with academic content Teachers must design small groups to meet ELLs

needsEducators need more knowledge on how to

instruct ELLs Teachers should be prepared to deliver

integrated instruction

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Teachers should understand their student demographic

Teachers need to be familiar with language acquisition and how it is connected to all school learning Helping ELLs with academic content means

providing cultural and linguistic instructional support

Most of the research agrees that students develop conversational language before academic

ELLs should be encouraged to nurture their English ability by using it frequently

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Educators should be careful not to neglect the development of cognitive skills by heavily focusing on language skills

Providing non-linguistic materials helps ELLs demonstrate what they know in a non-verbal form

ELLs need clear, explicit objectives and expectations in content area classrooms This can ease any tension from cultural clashes

between curricula and students, teachers and students, and student peers

It can serve as motivation for ELLs Providing a success criteria for assignments and

activities is good teaching practice

CONCLUSION & IMPLICATIONS

Integrated teaching is often nested in project-based learning, inquiry learning, or interdisciplinary subjects like STEM and STEAM These teaching practices are integral parts of

21st century skills A repeated theme in the literature supported

student collaboration and authentic learning situations

Discrepancies in the research on integrated instruction advocated for single subject instruction, particularly in math and science disciplines

CONCLUSION & IMPLICATIONS

There are implications for social change regarding English as a second or other language (ESOL) education and teacher knowledge on best practices for instructing ELLs

It is important to explore how schools, education programs and national reforms will better prepare teachers for integrated teaching

There was a disproportionate amount of information on early childhood ELLs and integrated teaching at this level A large amount of research was conducted in studies

with upper elementary, middle school, and high school students

REFERENCES Committee on Integrated STEM Education, National Academy of Engineering, &

National Research Council. (2014). STEM integration in K-12 education: Status, prospects, and an agenda for research. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://www.ebrary.com

Haynes, J. & Zacarian, D. (2010). Teaching English language learners across content areas. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.

Huerta, M. & Jackson, J. (2010). Connecting literacy and science to increase achievement for English language learners. Early Childhood Education Journal, 38, 205-211. doi:10.1007/s10643-010-0402-4

Thomas, J. W. (2000). A review of research on project-based learning. Retrieved from http://www.bie.org/index.php/site/RE/pbl_research/29.

Trilling, B., & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2014). The Condition of Education 2014 [NCES 2014-083]. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch

Velez, F. (2010). Meeting the needs of English learners in project-based learning schools (Order No. 3451948). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (863572737). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/863572737?accountid=2909

Wood, K. E. (2009). Interdisciplinary instruction for all learners K-8: A practical guide. New York, NY: Pearson College Division.