Megan Matchett

Checklist of Instructional Modifications for LEP Students

Student(s) (initials): ____Y__________________________________ Grade: ___3___
School: ____Valley View Intermediate_______________ Date: ____8 May
2015________

Observation Questions for ELL/LEP student(s)

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used
with the ELL/LEP student(s)? Are they effective? Why or
why not? (Either specifically for the ELL student(s) or in
whole class/small group instruction)
I observed Ys teacher use many different effective
strategies to accommate for him being ELL. She shortened
assignments but he is still expected to learn the same
content, it is just presented differently. He also has an IEP so
he is in small groups frequently, but his teacher does not
believe that he actually has a learning disability. She thinks
that the IEPs in Puerto Rico are a lot more general but it is
hard to tell because they have to translate it.
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 student(s) and other classroom
students)
No, the other students got along well with Y. I did not see
anything out of the ordinary.
3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL
student(s), other classroom students, and the teacher(s)?
Please describe in detail.

Y was laughing and smiling with the other kids. He was very
quiet and shy but he would point at things and laugh and so
would the other kids. Ys teacher said that he teaches the
other kids Spanish sometimes so that is great interaction for
him. He has the same types of interactions with his teacher.
His teacher said that he is afraid to say things but that is just
because he only came to the U.S. in January 2015.
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.
I did not get to see the materials and resources that are
being used with Y but his teacher did say that she gives him
papers in English and Spanish when possible so that he can
read and understand the Spanish copy and then learn the
English one. She said that he is slowly understanding the
language better and he is starting to speak English so they
do seem to be effective. She also uses a lot of pictures on
assignments for him.
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.
Ys seating arrangement seems to be working well for him
because he interacts well with his peers around him. There
are small groups of 6 desks that are put together. Ys
teacher said that he used to sit in the back of the classroom
because he seemed really shy when he first came into the
class so she did not want to overwhelm him but now he just
happens to sit in the front of the classroom. He is getting a
lot more comfortable.
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 place Y between Level 1 Pre-Production and Level 2
Early Production. He is not always producing language but
his teacher said that he is finally comfortable asking to go to
the bathroom by saying, Bathroom? She said he is slowly
adding more words to his vocabulary. It does not help that
he is extremely shy.
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?
I asked the cooperating teacher for all of the answers to the
above questions and the checklist. She was comfortable
answering all of the questions. Pretty much everything she
said was part of the checklist.