Student(s) (initials): NP, CD (PJ, PA, MP) Grade: Kindergarten

School: Prescott Elementary School

Date: February 18, 2013-May 10, 2013

Instructional Methods 1. Shorten assignments, tests 2. Oral administration of test, taped test 3. Provide highlighted texts, tests 4. Use visual cues to accompany oral directions 5. Provide advanced organizers-webbing, outlining, graphing 6. extend time for completion of assignments, projects 7. Provide study sheets 8. Use assignment notebooks and prompts 9. Provide repeated reviews and drillsvary teaching strategies 10. Teach in small cooperative groups

Check Modification X

Comment

the aid or me will give them the test aloud one on one Most tests include a visual for the questions, although that is not only for the ELL students

Assignments are done with the class and then often completed later with one on one help

X X

A mix of videos, hands on learning, and reading/writing All the ell students will work together with an aid or the teacher for extra help; learning groups are also differentiated that way for centers in the morning

11. Reduce paper/pencil tasks 12. Provide manipulatives 13. seat in close proximity to the teacher

14. Encourage student to underline key words or facts 15. Use language experience activities 16. Allow students to express key concepts in their own words 17. Provide time and place for assistance with school projects 18. Directly teach vocabulary used on tests 19. Audiotape lectures 20. Peer tutoring X

Two ell students are in the front of the room, but the rest are varied throughout the classroom Not much reading or writing that takes place in class anyways Although I do not witness it, when the ELL students are pulled out that may occur Projects are mainly done in the classroom Only taught as whole class instruction

Sometimes students will work with other advanced students, but mainly it is differentiated by ability level so there would not be tutoring

21. Shorten length of oral tasks 22. Provide clarification in primary language 23. Allow translations by peers for

clarification 24. Monitor for individual student comprehension 25. Simplify language and adjust rate of speech when needed

26. Frequently monitor for comprehension 27. Other recommended interventions

The teacher will stop and make sure they are comprehending by circulating the room and checking for understanding Because of their age, language is already simplified, but it is not simplified any extra in order to accommodate ELL students Done by asking students to give a thumbs up when they understand and circulating the room The school enforces the pull out method so the ELL students are taken out of the classroom once a day, usually in the afternoon, and taught by a specialized ELL instructor

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL/LEP students? Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL student(s) or in the whole class/small group instruction) In my field class there are 5 ELL students from Nepal, however only two of them receive extra strategies or adaptations to assisting them in the classroom. Every day the two of them leave the class in the afternoon typically during reading or sometimes during math and other subjects. They always leave at least once so I have observed, but can be taken out more than once per day. Prescott Elementary enforces the pull out method, so they are taken to a separate classroom with other ELL students where they are taught by a specialized ELL instructor. There is also a teachers aid in the classroom and she often will orally give out tests to the two ELL students who receive extra support. They are allotted extra time for assignments as well and typically have modified versions. All of the ELL students are together for their cooperative learning groups so during centers the activities are often differentiated to meet their needs. I would say that the methods that are in placed are effective, but could be a lot more ways of adapting to their needs other than what is already in place. Although I do not observe the pull out ELL classroom my field teacher told me that it has proven to be very helpful for the ELL students. They are able to receive specialized help and focus more on language development in ways that are not otherwise enforced in the regular classroom. They do not miss too much of the day though so the social aspect of school is not lost because it typically takes place during direct instruction time. Having their assignments modified or read aloud is very helpful for them as well. I have had the opportunity to administer their tests separately and I felt as though it was very effective. They were able to take each question one at a time at a much slower pace and pause for questions. It also allowed that the focus of the test was to test their knowledge of the content, not their language ability.

Overall, I think the methods that are enforced seem to be rather effective, but there are not many other strategies used besides oral administration of tests and worksheets and the pull out method, so other methods would be a great asset to the classroom. 2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider out of the ordinary? Please describe in detail (This applies to both the ELL students and other classroom students) I do not notice any behaviors that appear out of the ordinary. The classroom includes a large variety of students with diverse backgrounds. The students come from many different cultures, family structures, ability levels, and ethnicities. There are typical behavior issues amongst the class, some more than others, but that is to be expected. Other than minor behavior problems though, I do not notice anything that appears to be out of the ordinary.

3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL students, other classroom students, and the teachers? Please describe in detail. There are five ELL students from Nepal: 3 girls and 2 boys. The two boys are the ones who are taken out for specialized classes and have more accommodations in things such as whole group instruction and assessments. As far as interactions, the two boys seem to interact mainly with each other as opposed to the other students in the class. They sit next to each other and talk mainly to one another (in English) and are very shy otherwise. I do not often see them interacting with other members of the classroom and are very quiet in general. The 3 girls appear to be closest with one another and spend most of their time talking to each other, although they are much more outgoing and interactive with the rest of the class. All five of them interact a lot with the teacher as she usually goes out of her way to speak with them to make sure they are on task and grasping the content. They seem to have a close relationship and the students feel comfortable going to her with questions and concerns. They also display a positive relationship with the teachers aid because she is often the one administering tests orally and helping them with assignments. They seem to speak more with adults than they do with the rest of the class. One of the two ELL students always gets in trouble in gym class for pushing. He never gets in oral arguments with class members but is pushing very often and seems to use actions over words to express his anger or discouragement. 4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please describe in detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be effective? Explain. In the regular classroom, there are no additional materials used with ELL students. The only materials would be modified assignments or tests, but no physical materials to help them adapt. I think that additional hands on materials or technology strategies for them to use as well as activities for free time that enhance language would be an effective addition to the classroom.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)? Please describe the environment and explain how you made your decision. Overall, the classroom environment is very relaxed and welcoming for all students. There is a distinct daily schedule that the students follow which helps ELL students get into a routine and not have to stress over following detailed instructions every day. They also sit in cooperative learning tables that allow for positive relationships among students and peer assistance. The room is decorated with vibrant colors and the teacher has a very uplifting energy that radiates to her students. Other than that, I would not say that any extra effort is put into the classroom for it to be comfortable for ELL students. All of the posters and writing in the classroom is in English, without any translation to the language of Nepal. The students often learn about American history and celebrate common Christian holidays such as St. Patricks Day and Easter, but there is no recognition of Nepali holidays or customs. I think integration of other cultures traditions would contribute to making the classroom more comfortable for ELL students. The main source of parent involvement is having the childrens parents come in and read stories, and some of the students parents speak little to no English, so there is not much accomodation on that level. There are parties for holidays and other occassions which is a more relaxed atmosphere, but the emphasis on reading stories does not contribute to creating a comfortable learning environment for ELL students. The teachers also often unintentionally mispronounces their first and last names, which Im sure makes them feel uncomfortable and seperated from the rest of the class. I would say that in general it is a very comfortable classroom with a lot of energy and close relationships, but it is not specifically comfortable for an ELL student. 6. Whats the comfort level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English language? What observations help you arrive at your decision? Refer to the Vocabulary Performance Indicators. At what level would you place the ELL student? How did you decide on that level? I would say that the comfort level of the ELL student is only moderate. Neither of them seem to be comfortable with the English Language either in casual conversation or in structured classroom dialogue. They do not raise their hand to participate, especially with open ended questions that would require more than one word answers. When they do speak aloud to the class it is only if the teacher called on them directly without them raising their hand, or with a very easy question that does not yield a long response. One example of when the ELL student raised his hand during class was during a classroom discussion about communitities. The teacher asked them to say a community that they lived in and the kids began to give silly answers such as their own name and animals. The ELL student raised his hand and said monkey. Although the rest of the class laughed, he did not show any emotion on his face. It was hard for me to figure out whether he was unaware of the humor to his answer or if he did not know how to respond to the childrens laughter. I still think that is an indicator of his limited comfort with the English language.

The level I would place this student at is intermediate fluency. He has definitely surpassed the stage of speech emergence because the vocabulary and ability is there, he is just not comfortable with it. However, I do not think he is at the point of advanced fluency because long sentences are difficult for him or he avoids them in general. I would not be surprised if I found out that either of the ELL students are just out of the silent stage, because both of them are very quiet and do not choose to speak if they are not provoked. 7. If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher) what type of accomodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student(s). Please describe the types of accomodations/modifications that were discussed. Do they appear on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are present/not present on the checklist? My teacher told me that her main way of accomodating is through differentiation of tests and worksheets. She either gives them an extended amount of time, additional images and less words, or administers them orally herself. She also said she planned the cooperative learning groups accordingly so that center activities could be differentiated. This was especially important because most center activities include reading and language activities which would need to be differentiated for ELL students. All of the accomodations my teacher does include are present on the checklist which makes me think they must be mandatory for the school system. Especially differentiation of assignments Im sure is monitored by the principal or other higher levels of administration, and Im sure has a lot to do with high stakes testing and the emphasis on standardized tests. The different cooperative learning groups also assist in assessment so therefore must be put in place for the same reason.