As your school year starts, you realize that you have three ELLs who are newcomers to the United States. Discuss how a comprehensive literacy program addresses their needs, drawing attention to specific components of the framework that are particularly relevant. Then discuss any additional scaffolding you would offer to support these children's needs.
Using a comprehensive literacy program would be extremely beneficial to ELL students. Reading workshop, writing workshop conferencing, guided reading and writing, listening to book on tape, and shared reading are all great components that would help ELL students develop literacy skills. Reading and writing workshop are great ways for ELL students to engage in group and individual lessons with the appropriate lessons specific to their reading levels. Reading aloud to children is important, especially to ELL students, as they hear fluent reading, they watch and participate in predicting strategies, and they are engaged in discussions about the text. Conferencing would be great as students can work on specific areas of need with the teacher. Listening to books on tape is also another great opportunity for the ELL students to hear words pronounced that are too difficult for them. This is a great activity for them to read along with the tape actually pronouncing difficult words and becoming familiar with the text. Shared reading is great for students to share different connections with the text, based on their background knowledge and schemas. This also allows discussion and opportunities for students to respond to each other's connections and ideas about the text.
I think it is very important, especially for ELL students, to read text that interest them, as well as reading text that they are familiar with and having background knowledge of the content. Placing students in groups with other students with similar abilities is also helpful for them to work together to figure out difficult words and passages.
I like your books on tape idea. That's a great idea that I didn't think of. Especially when students have their own copy of the book to follow along with, I think it would be very beneficial. I couldn't agree more about finding books that interest ELL students. If they don't find a book interesting, they likely won't be engaged or want to continue learning to read.
ReplyDeleteI had similar views on how to help ELL students! I completely agree with listening to tapes and allowing students to say the words as the story is read, as well as, giving the students many opportunities to hear fluent reading during read alouds, shared reading, and guided reading time. When they hear the language spoken fluently it helps them to pick up on the language faster.
ReplyDeleteI did not think to include book on tape as a strategy for teaching ELLs. That is a great idea for them to hear the English vocabulary and provide them a model for reading. It definitely would help them to become familiar with words and word patterns.
ReplyDeleteWe had a lot of the same ideas to help ELL students. These students need to be immersed in the language and the comprehensive literacy program provides so many great opportunities for them to hear and practice the language. I agree that these students need to read text that interests them. They will be much more willing to read if they are interested in the topic or have a connection to it.
ReplyDeleteWe had several of the same ideas. I think that it is very important for ELL students to be exposed to a lot of reading aloud be it a teacher reading the book or a book being read on a tape the students need to hear the book being read correctly and fluently.
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