I enjoyed reading about classroom practice concerning new content knowledge. With new knowledge, it's necessary to have lots of practice with the students. In my classroom, after completing our reading instruction, the students need to complete a page in their workbook to practice the skills they just learned. The workbooks also revisit skills from older lessons. To make it real for my students, when discussing "halves" I used our snacks (cherry tomatoes and apples) to demonstrate what constitutes a "whole" and a "half". Not only were they engaged because it was food and interactive, but they were able to hold HALF of an apple as opposed to a WHOLE one - further cementing in their minds that if you cut something "in half" the two pieces are exactly the same size. This was a great hands-on activity to use within the unit.
I try to keep in mind that students must be given various opportunities to practice their language skills. With the "Language for Learning" program, the high structured program allows students to become more confident in their language abilities. Those lessons, and corrections, continue throughout the day - allowing them to achieve the "academic language" necessary for a school setting.
I do have a question. On page 143 it states, "EL's do not need to be proficient speakers before they start to read and write." Maybe I am misreading that, but when students enter my classroom, before they can read and write they need to be able to say the sounds they intend to write. I would like more explanation on the book's statement. Are they saying that just because an ELL they can learn to read and write before they are proficient speakers? I have had a couple experiences, this year and last year, where a student was basically mute, and others that were not strong speakers. Those students are not strong readers or writers. Any further explanation will help! Thanks!
Sabrina,
ReplyDeleteI think the answer to your question is that if a student is not a proficient speaker that you should work on reading, writing and speaking simaltaneaously and not wait until oral language skills BEFORE you teach writing. I will look this up in the book, and look up more research on it, if you would like.
Great question!
Maria
Thank you Maria! That makes sense!!
ReplyDeleteSabrina,
ReplyDeleteYou do have a really good question. I have been reading your question over and over and wonder too about that. "EL's do not need to be proficient speakers before they start to read and write." Because when I taught First Language Yupik years ago, the Developmental Language Process we used Basic Listening, Basic speaking, Listening Comprehension, Creative Speaking, Basic Reading-sight recognition, Basic Reading-decoding/encoding, Reading Comprehension, Basic Writing, Creative Writing. That is how the activities for language and skills development went.
I got this information from the book called "Replacing Thing-a-ma-jig" by Jim MacDiarmid. Talking about students who are not strong speakers, I am seeing tremendous growth because of SRA Language for Learning.
I also know that before the students learn how to read or write, they need to hear a lot of language. So, I think for that to happen we need to read to the students for them to hear lots of language.