I completed my field experience observing third grade at Centennial Elementary in Nampa. While any chance I get to work with students is rewarding, this particular field experience seemed like a waste of time, in my opinion, as there is not a proper English Language Learning class in place. The teacher, Mrs. MK, I observed was great with the students. However, I felt there needed to be more emphasis on background building as I learned from the SIOP model discussed in class. I was incredibly surprised at the curriculum content of the ELL program at Centennial. Also, I was baffled that the teacher did not hold a teaching certificate merely a district certification much like that of a Para Professional only a slight bit higher. Granted she is …show more content…
The speech program is a resource program for all ethnicity students (including Caucasian) who struggle with speaking English clearly. Much like the English Learning Language program, these groups organized according to grade level meet four times a week for forty-five minutes. That being said, I feel with better screening throughout our school district we would find the need for an ELD program and perhaps more who also qualify for ELL assistance. Just within Centennial Elementary, I am aware of students who are bilingual, family’s primary language is Spanish and the student struggles with their reading and writing. These said students are not receiving any assistance. I cannot imagine any parent knowing about programs available to assist their child 's learning and turning them away; especially knowing they are free. In reading an article written by Alison Bailey, she notes, “The cost of “missing” the right students in the initial survey process is extremely high” (Bailey, Lessons from AZ 's EL identification issues: How guidance could strengthen process, 2011). Thus supporting my feelings about screening all bilingual students whose primary home language is something other than English. An additional statement made by Bailey, “It seems the more tolerable ‘measurement error’ surely must be to have too many rather than too few students initially thrown into the …show more content…
When observing all three third grade classes at Centennial Elementary, only two of them were using effective scaffolding instruction. One of these third-grade teachers is also bilingual and was able to assist ELL students also in their Spanish language that was helpful for these few students. Two of the three teachers had their version of “Text talk time” a video created by the Teaching Channel. Mrs. C, one of the third-grade teachers mentioned above has what she calls, “carpet time.” With this, she will discuss the topic of the week, standards taught for the week, and classroom objective. With the first read, she will read the entire story, stopping to discuss or analyze with the class what she has read. When one of her students has a connection or clear understanding of what she is teaching they, use a hand gesture of two circles connected. Also, if a student is not grasping the concept or objective, they will give her thumbs down telling her to re-teach or explain the emphasized concept. The other part of this observation that is troubling to me is that Mrs. B, the other third-grade teacher who was not using adequate scaffolding for her ELL students also has some of the lowest achieving ELL students in reading and writing within her class. I wonder how many other teachers within Centennial Elementary are not using proper scaffolding techniques to help their ELL students succeed.
Much research was completed for the making of this article. It was found that ELL’s need time to develop oral English proficiency, teachers need to use ongoing authentic formative assessments throughout the year due to
5. Gibbons, Pauline. Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002. Print.
Due to the rise in immigration and the demographics of classrooms in America are changing. As a result, English Language Learners are becoming more common in schools. English Language Learners make up one of the largest demographics in the American Classroom (Flynn & Hill, 2005). These students have been observed to have a major achievement gap because many of these students are placed in mainstream classrooms with basic literacy skills. Many English Language Learners are born in the United States (Goldenberg, 2008). These students have only attended the school system in America. However, the achievement levels are nowhere near the level of their peers. According to Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez (2011) “these students, who have been in U.S. schools since kindergarten, are still classified as limited English proficient when they reach middle or high school— suggesting strongly that preschool and elementary programs are not adequately addressing the needs of English learners.” The achievement gap between English Language Learners and native English speaking students is extremely high. English Language Learners tests scores are low. According to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, “fourth grade ELLs scored 36 points lower than their peers on the reading section of the test and 25 points below their peers in math. The results in eighth grade were worse with a difference of 42 points in reading and 37 points in math” (Goldenberg, 2008). The gap between ELLs and non-ELLs are three to eighteen points larger then students from low-income households.
Every year, the number of immigrants in the U.S. has grown “significantly.” Chen predicts that by the year of 2020, public schools will have at least 50 percent of students that are non-English speakers (¶5). This shows that it is important that public schools have a successful ESL program. The purpose of ESL programs is “to enhance” ESL students learning, to help students’ “emotional well-being”, and to accelerate students’ ability to learn the new language. According to Chen, some district schools have failed to support ESL students’ learning. For example, Chen stated that “...[some] school districts [have been] accused of not meeting t...
Despite the high number of ELL students, it is difficult to know, because of lack of data to see what type of educational programs they participate in. According to Prospects, a 1995 national survey, reading and math were taught in programs using bilingual education in less than half of first and third grade classrooms serving limited English proficient students. Offered more frequently were programs where instruction was offered only in English, or where instructional aides, not teachers, were the vehicles for native language instruction.
Over the past three decades a sudden and steady rise in the Hispanic population in the USA has become evident. While most of these migrants are coming from Mexico and Central America, they are all coming for better work opportunities. (STATS). Over the years more and more migrant families have taken residence in the USA. Now the Hispanic population is the largest minority group in America (SOURCE). As the amount of migrant children has increased, so has the need to incorporate these children into the local school systems so that they might have a chance to catch up with other children of their own age. Since the sheer number of migrant children, primarily of Spanish speaking countries, has increased so rapidly, the need for transitional English language proficiency programs has become more vital to the long term success of educating migrant children. According to J. Wirt, a writer for the National Center for Education Statistics, in general, Hispanic-Americans have a higher dropout rate from school and attain lower levels of education that non-Hispanics (Wirt, 2000, pg. 1). Wirt also continues to state that the more recent a migrant arrives in the United States the higher the chance for one to drop out or not continue to higher education.
Bilingual education in public schools has been the topic of much discussion over the last several years. This discussion has been prompted due to the ever increasing numbers of Spanish-speaking persons emigrating to the United States, especially in those states that border Mexico--California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. What the debate seems always to overlook is our country’s other non-English speaking members. This country is now and has always been the “Melting Pot” for the world with persons emigrating to this country from most every country in the world; however, we commonly gear the focus of bilingual education toward our Spanish-speaking citizens.
According to McArthur, Konold, Glutting and Alamprese (2010), many adults in the United States have difficulties with basic literacy. A solution to this situation has been the founding of adult basic education (ABE) programs by the U.S Department of Education which helps and serves more than 2 million adults annually (U.S Department of Education, Division of Adult Education and Literacy, 2002, 2006). Mellard and Patterson (2008) found that ABE students differ in skill from zero or minimal reading skills to reading simple stories, books and descriptions on familiar subjects so new vocabulary can be determined by context. According to Mellard and Pattersen (2008) ABE literacy program is divided in to four levels which range from “beginners” to “high intermediate”. Scaffolding theory provides a promising method of providing support to students with learning challenges, e.g. dyslexia and short term memory deficit. As stated by Larkin (2001) the main purpose of scaffolding is to support students and slowly reduce help until they are able to apply the new skills and strategies independently. Students receive support to complete particular task and eventually demonstrate task mastery.
Children are better learners than adults except in the area of the pronunciation of words. That is why the second language program will be accepting children who are in elementary, they will be taught how to read signs, and learn how to speak in the desired second language. The objective goal of the second language program is to get students ready to speak another language as if it were their primary language. The second language program will not be as any other school program because it will require dedication, responsibility, and focus. Kids now are lazy and also don’t communicate well with other people, which is important because they will need to know how to communicate when they graduate high school, but because they were not taught how to they are lacking that skill. Students because they are being taught out the book they don’t get to learn different skills that will be useful when they leave high school. In the program students won’t be learning straight off the book they will be assigned a pen pal who they will be writing to not in English but in their chosen second language, and every so often they will talk on Skype this will show if they are understanding the language; with the interaction that the students will be doing they will develop communicative skills that will be helpful when they are out of high
...he assignment or did not try their best. Another one of the strategies that I have seen quite often is the disrupting student read-aloud. This has happened to me while teaching many times. I honestly most times thought that these children were causing a ruckus and interrupting because they had behavior issues. Now after reading this section I am much more aware that the instances I have encountered could have been just the child not understanding. After reading this article I feel like I have a fresh and new look on how to better spot children who are falling behind in their language proficiency.
Van Der Stuyf. R.R. (2010). Scaffolding as a Teaching Strategy. Adolescent Learning and Development. Section 0500A, November, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.sandi.net/20451072011455933/lib/20451072011455933/RTI/Scaffolding%20as%20a%20Teaching%20Strategy.pdf
The field placement experience at Silver Saddle group home allowed me the opportunity to put into practice what I have learned while in the Social Work program her at Northern Arizona University. Throughout field placement I have had the opportunity to practice on a micro, mezzo, and macro level and strengthen my professional social work skill while maintaining a ethical standpoint. Field has also allowed me hands on experience to advocate for clients, insure social justice, provide services, and build strong relationships with clients and the community.
Scaffolding is metaphorical term which refers to the process through which teachers facilitate children’s learning by enabling them achieve a level of ability beyond the child’s current capacity. Through scaffolding, teachers play an active role by interacting with children to support their development by providing structures that support them to stretch their understanding or me...
“Learning a second language not only has cognitive and academic benefits, it also supports a greater sense of openness to, and appreciation for, other cultures” (Tochen, 2009). For many students in the United States, English is not the primary language spoken at home. There are several options for getting these children to reach proficiency in the English Language. However, there is only one model that preserves the child’s first language, while also gaining literacy in English. This model is Bilingual Education. Bilingual education is not new to the United States. It in fact started in 1968 under title VII. However, there is still a lot for the general public, and parents of language learners, to learn about this form of education. Bilingual
My time observing was not only educational for me on how to become the teacher I desire to be, but as well as how to better myself as a student and improve my own learning. I observed some wonderful learning tools that I have since implemented into my own education to develop my own learning.