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.
A comprehensive literacy program is able to address the needs of all learners based upon its wide range of teaching strategies. Specifically focusing on ELLs, through reading workshop and writing workshop, these students can receive the type of instruction they need to succeed. During reading, read-alouds are a great opportunity for the ELLs to receive demonstrations on how to read fluently, how to think aloud, and how to read with expression. Guided reading will also be a great way to work with these students' specific needs. Here, I would be able to work on whatever skills they are struggling with. For example, while reading a story, we can go over any phonics skills that they are not understanding as well as vocabulary words that they do not know the meaning of. Reading conferences can further provide me with specific information on each ELL individually. I would be able to discuss with them what he or she is having a problem with and talk with him or her on how to fix that problem. During writing, a comprehensive literacy program provides ample opportunies to assist ELL students. Like reading, writing aloud, guided writing, and conferences can help me address the needs of these students. During a writing aloud, the ELL students would be able to see an example of writing. In guided writing, I would be able to help these students as a group on the specific struggles they are having. For example, if the students are struggling with coming up with words to use in their sentences, we can work as a group to come up with a list of words for them to use. Conferences would give me the opportunity to gauge where each ELL is in his or her writing. I would be able to help them on each of their specific problems. Through the reading and writing workshop times in a comprehensive literacy program, I would be able to reach whatever the needs are to all students.
I agree that conferences can be helpful, however, if there is a language barrier, using conferences may be a difficult strategy to use.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about how guided reading and read alouds could benefit an ELL student. I strongly believe read alouds are a great way to provide instruction on how to read fluently, how to think and respond to a story, and how to read with expression. These are all important skills to learn and I feel the best way to learn to read with expression is by listening and watching a proficient reader. I’m a big believer of guided reading. It’s a great way to provide instruction on the students’ individual needs in order to push them further in their reading ability. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on how writer's workshop could benefit an ELL student. I believe that it is important to show students that reading and writing go hand-in-hand. If you can help an ELL students become more proficient through reader's workshop, then writer's workshops will also assist the student in their specific learning needs.
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