How best to support
diverse learners in the
classroom.
Before school (Early Years)
Interaction between parents and child
Economic and social status
Million word gap
After 26 months maybe caught up
Special needs or delays
Not able to gain adult words
Children from these homes more delays
Bilingual is a strength
Culturally Responsive
Teachers need to have an understanding and respect of cultures.
Motivates students because they see part of themselves included.
Students connect to what they are learning
Teacher Instruction
Teacher Certification in ELL
López, Scanlan, and Gundrum (2013)
Student did better in states that had
stricter certification standards.
Students do better if they have a teacher who can instruct them with the knowledge necessary
Classroom Teachers
Lack training/knowledge
Why don't schools make it mandatory for teachers to have training?
Schools that focus on diverse learners
Training for general classroom teachers
Empower teachers, change lessons plans
Teachers work together to help these students
First one to ID a student who may need help
Assessments
Some schools given up to 30 days
Not all states are equal with giving the same guidelines
Making sure students are tested correctly and put in ELL
Unconscious bias
Questions teachers fill out on EL students The questions imply that they are EL students.
Bias
Research
Cultural Difference and interaction
only looked at a small group , one community
Teacher low expectations of ELL =low performance
In the Classroom
Full Integration
Use of Technology
Interaction with English and other students
Role play with non ELL students
Helps with Vocabulary
Manipulatives
Helps with connections
Centers
Communication with Peers
What it looks like
Modeled Talk
Giving Directions
Using props, cards, charts
Realia, using objects
Visuals
Document Camera, interactive white board
Question not all schools can afford these things or teachers have the training
Using big book read alouds
Word walls
Level Questions
Questions posed after Identifying a students English abilities
Books in native language
Helps foster family relationships
Translation
But does translation help with reading comprehension
Comprehension Strategies
Instructional Practices
monitoring students’ primary language during early school experiences (Jackson, Schatschneider, & Leacox, 2014
Monitoring even after exiting