week 13 assignment 1

ELL STUDENTS:

 I really enjoyed watching and reading how the ways to support ELL students. I wish this assignment would have been two weeks ago so I could have implemented some of the ideas with my ELL student, chaim. I really enjoyed working with him and have seen progress and connected with him through his language which is one of the ideas from the ELL teachers in Reading Rockets.
Following are the lessons I've learnt about understanding, reaching and teaching ELL students:

• All children have different experiences in their own languages and cultures which they bring when they come to a new country. ie. museums, stories in their own languages.
• Teachers need to check spoken and written English ie. letters and sounds, but just as important: to assess their skills in their native language so we can access that to acquire english.
• It is very important to teach children at their own level so they are challenged but not frustrated.
• There are some schools that actually teach BOTH  languages simultaneously giving equal time to both! 
• Providing reading opportunities builds their vocabulary for meaning, spelling and sound.
• Using real life experiences to connect to the text will always cement the skill in a more concrete way.
• using congates - finding words that are similar in English and their language is empowering and a great skill for them
• If the children already have strong skills in lets say Spanish, they can transfer their skills to English with the teacher only focusing on the differences. ie. grammar, sentence structure
• Children who have picked up the language in speaking terms, are not necessarily set up for academic success. We need to teach them one word at a time in their own language first, and then English.
• Take children on a 'picture walk' without words to predict what the story is about. Slow them down so they can acquire the language properly.
• A school library is a wonderful resource since it is dedicated to reading and connects to what they are reading at home. Libraries should have books in multiple languages so the students can feel comfortable and that their culture is respected and valued.
• Parental involvement is so important. They are our partners is teaching the children. Train them to be literacy models and teach them the language in fun ways so they can teach their own children.
• Interactive reading with both languages sparks children's interest and boosts their learning. Use pictures without words to figure out what is happening. This feeds right into the common core standards and ensures their effectiveness. Use spanish words in an English story with spanish culture information to keep them connected.
• Writing poems in both languages empowers children to share their thoughts and feelings in an important way. " Language is the window to the universe so the more languages we know, the more knowledge we have"! Tell children to be PROUD of their culture!
• Assessment is extremely important as an ongoing practice. We need to know where and when these children need support. Teach children in smaller groups before assigning independent work. ( like the scaffolding I learnt about from my ELL teacher). The process should be 1. pre-assess 2. teach 3. post -assess 4. teach throughout the day.
• Use the children's strength to aid in learning ie. let a strong oral learner answer questions orally until he gets stronger.
• use games to support language in a natural way as a motivator.
• Always make the school a safe and welcoming place in their new country. 
• Give lots of opportunities for peer interaction and practice practice practice!!