Carolina Parker

Minor Elementary
Initial Thoughts:
1. What do teachers need to know about students who are learning to speak English?

Teachers who work with students learning English must know about the students’ culture in order to have positive
relations with them. Moreover, teachers should remember not to make assumptions about the ELL students based on
their level of English since they are more likely to have a good educational foundation in their native language. I have
the privilege to speak Spanish, which has helped me successfully communicate with the majority of ELLs at my
school. I believe the students’ background also plays a role in their educational experiences; therefore, teachers should
be aware of the fact that students of low socio-economic status might have less exposure to certain topics compared to
other students.

2. What are some general instructional practices that can be beneficial to students who are learning to speak
English?

A teacher of ELLs must become aware of effective teaching strategies such as using visuals. Accessing prior
knowledge by using cognate words, which can help understand the content. Lastly, another great strategy is to provide
a variety of ways in which ELLs can demonstrate what they know. For example, using their native language, acting it
out, drawing it out, etc. In my classroom, I provide students the opportunity to express what they know in different
ways in order to help them feel more comfortable about expressing their ideas.

3. What should teachers consider when testing students who are learning to speak English?

Teachers of ELLs must understand the difference between academic and conversational language since it will
definitely affect the student’s performance. Conversational language is acquired through social interactions whereas
academic language is harder to understand and to apply. Therefore, ELLs will highly rely in visuals, cognates, and/or
prior knowledge in order to answer test questions. A teacher must also take into consideration that tests are usually written
from a perspective that might not always have the best interest of diverse students. Some of my favorite teaching
strategies are modeling, comparing and contrasting, and using visual aids.

ELL Report

1. Description

a. The setting of the field experience (e.g., in a classroom, at a community organization

location, etc.).

The setting of the field experience is the science classroom during the Kindergarten block (9:45-
10:45). This unit was taught in October 30th to November 3, 2017. The students work in
heterogeneous groups of four. All activities for this unit were completed cooperatively in groups,
or with a partner. I started each lesson whole group by reviewing and modeling the work they
were going to do with their group members. I provided feedback and corrections throughout the
activity. At the end, I summarized the lesson by going over the activity with the whole class.

b. The student(s)—use a pseudonym to maintain confidentiality—with whom you are

working (e.g. age, grade level, level of English Proficiency, personal characteristics based
 on observations/interactions, other information that may give the reader a more in-depth
description of the student)

The students I have chosen to do this experience are ages five and six years old. The students’
level of English proficiency is mixture of intermediate to advanced levels. The students are very
eager to learn and they seem to have a good grasp of the concepts of day and night. For this field
experience, I have particularly focused on a student from Mexico named NAM. NAM is a very
observant student who seems shy and tends to rely on other students for understanding. NAM is
also an identical twin who is in a different class. NAM tends to be more assertive in one-on-one
interactions.

c. The days and times that you met with the student.

I met with NAM Monday through Friday for one hour each day. I worked with her individually
and with a partner as well as with a group.

d. Ways in which you interacted/engaged with the student (including pedagogical strategies).

Below are some strategies I used with the students during the lessons:

 Preferential sitting: NA sat in proximity to the teacher and of other students that spoke
Spanish. NAM’s teacher has carefully assigned other Spanish-speaking students to help
NA. I have the privilege to speak Spanish, which meant that I could effectively
communicate with the student.
 Access to Native language: Throughout the lessons, NAM and the rest of the students
had the opportunity to use native language to access prior knowledge.
 Vocabulary instruction: The teacher used visuals to teach vocabulary to the students.
The teacher also used signed language (ASL) to teach vocabulary words related to day
and night.
 Comparing and contrasting: The teacher used Venn diagrams and other graphic
organizers to explain the concepts and content related to day and night to the students.
 Literacy: Teacher and students engaged in read aloud to discuss picture books related to
day and night.
 Kinesthetic learning: Students engaged in activities that required them to use
movements to understand concepts related to day and night. These activities included
modeling the spinning of the Earth as the cause of day and night, using sign language,
etc.
 Formative and summative assessments: Students used pictures to represent day and
night, and they used graphic organizers to sort vocabulary word pictures into categories
such as day, night, and both.
2. Objectives and Assessments
Write 2-3 learning objectives and state how you will assess each. Provide evidence for meeting the objectives.
Objective
Students will brainstorm
ideas about the differences
between day and night.
Students will identify objects
seen in the day and night sky.
Students will be able to
explain the difference
between permanent objects in
the sky and those that are not
by sorting vocabulary words
into up, down, and both.
Students will model the
changes that occur in the day
and night sky by drawing a
picture.
Students will model Earth’s
rotation by using a flashlight
and their body (spinning
motion) as a way to represent
day and night.
Students will classify objects
that are seen in the day and
night sky
Assessment
Formative: I will ask questions that trigger
students’ knowledge about the differences
between day and night
Formative: Students will sort vocabulary
pictures into day, night, and both
Formative: Students will sort vocabulary
pictures into things that stay up (in the sky)
and things that come down (on the ground)
and things that do both up and down
Formative: Students will create a picture of
day and night that had the following
components: sun, clouds, stars, and moon.
Formative: Students will model Earth
rotation by using a flashlight and a model
of Earth.
Summative: Students will individually sort
vocabulary pictures into day, night, and
both.
Was the objective met? Evidence
of student learning.
Yes. NAM was able to express how day
and night by stating that we go to school
in the morning and we sleep at night.
Yes. NAM was able to sort the pictures
between day, night and both.
In progress. NAM was able to sort the
pictures into things that are always up (in
the sky) and things that belong on the
ground, but it was difficult for her to sort
the objects that do both (flying animals,
airplane)
Yes. NAM was able to draw a picture
comparing and contrasting day and night.
Her requirements were to draw the
following elements: sun, moon, cloud,
stars, etc.
Yes. NAM was able to participate in the
kinesthetic activity with her partner in
which each of them took their role
In progress. When asked to do the sorting
activity, NAM was not able to put the
pictures in the right category; however,
when I assisted her and called out the
words to her, she was able to sort them
better.
 3. Resources

You are required to use 2-3 ELL-specific resources to help inform your understanding of ELLs
and increase your pedagogical strategies to assist students who are English Language Learners
(ELLs). You may use the resources listed within the module or other resources available to you.
Briefly describe how the resources were used to assist in your experience.

Below are some of the resources that I used and continue to use to assist my ELL students:

 Colorincolorado (http://www.colorincolorado.org/) is a great website that offers teachers

resources that provide guidance on how to teach ELL students. One of my favorite sections of
this website can be accessed at http://www.colorincolorado.org/ell-strategies-best-practices. In
this section, a teacher can find research based strategies that work, articles, and other resources
such as books.
I used Colorincolorado for this experience to search activities that would successfully help
students learn vocabulary and to access prior knowledge.

 IRIS (https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/ell/) is another great resource that has helped

me better understand how to teach ELLs as well as clarifying any misconceptions I had about
teaching linguistically diverse students. My favorite section is the perspectives and resources
section; especially the one that deals with appropriate teaching practices.
I used IRIS to understand the differences in acquisition between conversational and academic
language acquisition.

 EL: English Learners 101: Fundamentals of Effective Instruction. At my school, we have been
asked to complete a course on ELL instruction in which we are required to complete different
activities related to creating a positive culture and environment, differentiating instruction,
support, etc.
I used the modules that I am learning on ELL instruction to find teaching strategies and methods
that support language acquisition.

 WIDA (https://www.wida.us/) is a great resource for ELL instruction. The Can Do indicators can
truly help a teacher assess what the students can do based on their level of English acquisition. I
also like the fact that the Can Do indicators access all areas of language: reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
I used the Can Do indicators to create the activities that the students could successfully do based
on their level of English proficiency.

Final Thoughts:
I believe that completing this experience has helped me clarify misconceptions I had about ELL
instruction and language acquisition. Perhaps the most important thing I have learned from this experience is
the importance native language can have in learning a new language. We tend to believe that ELLs should not
have access to their native language in order to avoid confusion when learning English. However, based on
research, it is best for ELLs to use their language as often as possible when learning English.

After completing the modules, I also became aware of the fact that standardized assessments are not
appropriate for ELLs, and that they should have the opportunity to express what they know in different ways.
Another important issue about assessment I have learned is that ELLs should not be assessed on their level of
English, but on what they know about a topic. Lastly, I learned that ELLs academic content language takes
longer to develop than basic skills language. That is, ELLs need time to master academic language, which can
take up to seven years. This means that a student who arrived to the United States in kindergarten might achieve
an appropriate level of academic language by the time he/she enters middle school. This is both encouraging
and frightening at the same time since the educational system does not provide ELLs with sufficient time to
master the English language. According to Gottfried (2017), attending pre-kindergarten [can provide] multiple
opportunities for ELL students to strengthen their speaking and listening skills in English” (p.64). This is
extremely important since attending pre-kindergarten can help ELLs become more proficient in their social
language, which can help them master academic language. The author also states that having formal educational
experiences prior to kindergarten can help students avoid academic frustrations in the future.

References

Gottfried, M. m. (2017) ELL School Readiness and Pre-Kindergarten Care. Educational Policy, 31(1), 39-72.
Doi: 10.1177/0895904814558011