Homework Rationale (Entry #10)

     As a third grade teacher, I do not view homework as an integral piece of assessment or instruction.  However, I do believe it has a purpose and a place.  The purpose of homework is for students to build proficiency with specific skills.  It should be review or practice of skills students already know, not new material.  Homework should also include meaningful tasks for the students, rather than just memorization.  "The best kind deepens student understanding and builds essential skills" (Vatterott, 2010, p.10). The intended objectives of the homework I assign are to practice the skills we are working on in class or have previously studied (math skills, reading comprehension strategies, writing in a particular genre), and to build study habits.  I want my third grade students to develop responsibility and a sense of ownership in their education.  Providing nightly homework and showing the importance of practice helps students see their effort in their school work can make a difference in their performance.
     Meaningful homework should consist of either review or practice of what the students already know.  It should be at an appropriate level for students (including differentiated assignments based on language acquisition and instructional level).  It is important that homework has a clear purpose and clear directions.  The students should be able to complete homework assignments with minimal assistance from parents.  In fact, too much parental involvement has been found to actually hinder student learning.  Parents should be available to make sure homework is completed, but not have to teach new material or complete tasks for their children (Balli, 1998; Balli, Demo, & Wedman, 1997; Perkins & Milgram, 1996).
     Immediate and specific feedback on homework is also very important.  Students, especially ELLs, need to know the mistakes they are making on their homework in order to correct those errors and not repeat the mistakes.  If feedback takes too long, students no longer see the importance or meaning of the assignment.  It is suggested that feedback be more than just a grade.  It must also include specific comments for each student.  Feedback does not always have to come from a teacher, though.  Peer feedback can provide strong examples and suggestions that students can learn from.
     Technology can be a useful tool when assigning homework.  In my classroom, I like to provide a sample of proficient homework (of our weekly reading task) on the third grade page of our school's website.  This gives parents an idea of what their child should be accomplishing.  I also like to provide possible homework activities at various websites.  Most frequently, I include activities on MyOn.com, spellingcity.com, or the Everyday Math games online.  However, many of my students do not have Internet access at home, so these are always additional options, not mandatory tasks.
     Homework is a great way to encourage students to practice skills at home and build responsibility.  It has to be meaningful and appropriately assigned for students' levels in order for it to be successful.

Resources

Hill, J.D. & Flynn, K.M.  (2006).  Classroom instruction that works with English language learners.  Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Researched-based strategies- Homework and practice.  (2005).  Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.

Vatterott, C.  (2010).  Giving students meaningful work: Five hallmarks of good homework.  Educational Leadership, 68,      10-15.

Fiction vs. Non-Fiction (entry #9)

 

The two books above are both used in our third grade study of Australia.   Each has features that are both supportive and challenging for students acquiring English.

Dingoes at Dinnertime is a novel in the Magic Tree House series.  Many students are already familiar with the characters in this series and the premise of the stories.  The story involves unrealistic events in which children travel through time and space in a tree house.  Their adventures bring them to new knowledge about specific subjects.  In this particular story, the children travel to Australia and learn about the people, culture, and animals of the country.  As they learn facts, the vocabulary and new knowledge are separated in the text.  For ELL students, that separation is helpful to draw attention to important information.  The engaging characters and plot are also helpful for ELL students.  However, the story is a chapter book, which must be read in sequential order.  Completing the entire book can become an overwhelming task for a student still acquiring English.  In addition, there are sketches on numerous pages, but overall, it is a text-heavy novel.  Therefore, there may not be enough visual aids to help lighten the linguistic load. 

The non-fiction text, Taking Your Camera to Australia, has a different format than a fictional novel.  This book is divided into sections that can be read in any order.  This would be helpful for ELLs because they can focus on reading small sections relevant to the information they need, but not have to complete the entire book.  The photographs are colorful and all provide captions to explain what is being portrayed.  These features would also be helpful for ELL students.  Additionally, at the end of the book, there is a section titled "Quick Facts".  It has introductory facts (such as monetary unit, language, flag, population, capital city) along with pictures.  The language in this section is reduced and it is easy to find facts.  This section would be a great place to start with ELL students to introduce them to the rest of the content in the book.  One challenge of this non-fiction text may be the reading level.  This book is supposed to be written at a third grade level, however, it is filled with vocabulary and information that would be challenging  for even native-English speaking children.  The information in this book would need additional scaffolding in order to be meaningful for many ELLs. 

References

Osborne, M.P.  (2000).  Dingoes at dinnertime.  New York, NY: Random House. 

Park, T.  (2000).  Taking your camera to Australia.  Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn.

 

Running Records (entry #8)

I conducted running records on two of my ELL students.  The first is a native Spanish speaker, but does not read or write in Spanish.  When assessing the running record, he read with 89% accuracy on the first test, which made it a "frustrational" level, so I dropped down a level.  Then, the next level down was too easy, scoring with 95% accuracy.  Therefore, on this running record, there was not an ideal instructional level.  I chose to analyze the test on which he scored 89% because it provided more meaningful data than the other. 

 
Based on the above running record, I noticed that this student uses visual cues frequently when reading.  Most of his errors were made based on how the word looked.  In particular, he uses the initial sound to help him figure out the rest of the word.  Unfortunately, he often neglects the end of the word in his decoding.  Once he recognizes the initial sounds, he then uses the meaning of the sentence to guess at the word.  When analyzing this running record, I repeatedly saw that he uses meaning and visual cues, but I rarely saw errors based on syntax.  This made me wonder, how often do ELLs make syntactic errors?  Are most ELL reading errors based on visual cues because that is what they understand and recognize best?

I would like to move forward with this student by explicitly teaching the skill of decoding the entire word, rather than the initial sound and guessing at the rest.  Although I did not recognize any errors that came specifically from being a native-Spanish speaker, I did notice behaviors that may be due to being an ELL student.  This student was obviously rushed in his reading.  He was nervous and seemed to try to read as quickly as possible.  This may be because he knows he is below grade level and is not confident in his abilities.  I would like to work on building his confidence by providing him with more opportunities to read one-on-one with me from texts at his independent level, so he will begin to view himself as a reader of English.  Finally, I think he would benefit from listening to a recording of his own reading.  Out of 15 errors, he only self-corrected 4.  This student needs to listen to himself read and begin to self-monitor his errors.  He speaks and listens to English with greater accuracy and ability than his reading.  When listening to his reading, I believe this student would immediately recognize his mistakes.  He would hear that some of his errors do not match the text.  The goal is for him to begin to self-correct those mistakes while he is reading, not after.

The second student I assessed is a new student to my class but has been in the country for about a year and a half.  He is a native Arabic speaker.  He scored lower on the running record than I had initially expected.  He read with 88% accuracy on a Level A assessment.  Although it is only 41 words, this assessment provides important information for how to move forward with this student.

This running record shows the student's knowledge of many sight words (I, go, to, the, room, zoo, sleep, my, park).  He did not need to decode these words, he recognized them immediately.  However, as soon as he came to an unknown word, this student lacked any strategies to solve the word.  For example, when he reached "ice cream shop", the student was stuck.  He paused for several seconds, and then just skipped it and moved on.  Similarly, on the words "library" and "movies", he began to decode them using the initial sound he recognized, and then guessed at the remainder of the word.  He does not seem to have enough understanding of English language phonics to be able to decode.  Additionally, because he is early in his language acquisition, this student is not able to use meaning to accurately read.  He simply does not have enough vocabulary to fill the gaps created by his lack of decoding skills.  Moving forward, this student will benefit from direct phonics instruction.  Because English and Arabic do not use a common alphabet, acquiring the letter/sound relationships may take extensive one-on-one instruction.  In addition, opposite of English, Arabic is written from right-to-left.  This may cause further confusion for the student.  However, because this student has a strong vocabulary in his native language, he will most likely progress quickly once he understands the fundamentals.

Both of these students are eager and enthusiastic learners.  As they work to build their language skills, they will need sheltered instruction in order to not be left behind in the content areas.     

History of 5 Words (entry #7)

name- (n) a word or phrase that constitutes the distinctive designation of a person or thing 

Name comes from the Old English nama.  In Middle English, it became name, with the plural namen.  The en was considered a weak form of a plural and is now rarely used in Modern English (exceptions: children oxen). The exact time of the change from nama to name is unclear, but it may have been influenced by the Great Vowel Shift.  In Modern English, the e at the end of many words became silent, and name would fit this category.  When teaching this word to students, it is helpful that it follows the "silent e rule".  The e makes the vowel say it's name (make the long vowel sound).  Students usually think of the silent e as a bully that forces the vowel to say it's name , and therefore, this is a rule they remember well.   

school- (n) an organization that provides instruction  

School comes from the Old English scol.  In Middle English, many words began to be spelled with a k or ch for sounds that were spelled with c in Old English.  Because of this, scol became schole.  As explained by Freeman (2004, p.104), during the Renaissance, many words had an h added with the c to show an understanding of Latin and Greek spelling.  Over time in Modern English, the e was dropped and the o was doubled.  School can be tricky for students to spell because of the sch combination.  Older students may benefit from a conversation about the evolution of the word to help them remember the h in the spelling. 

July- (n) the seventh month of the Gregorian calendar

In Old English, July was the word Julius.  However, it was not considered the seventh month.  July was considered the fifth month, and named Quintillis.  When the calendar was reformed, the seventh month was named after Julius Caesar.  In Middle English, it was Julie (the feminine form of Julius).  In Modern English, the ie was changed to y.  To help students spell July correctly, explicitly discuss the sound of the y at the end of the word.    

work- (n) activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something

Work comes from the Old English weorc.  In many words in Middle English, the c was changed to k, as previously mentioned.  The Great Vowel Shift that gradually took place in early Modern English is most likely responsible for the drop of the e in the spelling.  The consonants in this word are simple for children to sound out because there is one letter for each sound.  The vowel sound however, is not the typical short o sound.  Therefore, the vowel may be difficult for children to hear correctly.   

day- (n) the time of light between one night and the next

Day comes from Old English dæg.  In Middle English, the word was converted to d-a-y.  Originally it meant "the daylight hours;" but has now expanded to mean "the 24-hour period".  For students learning to spell day, they must know that in Modern English, the ay combination makes the long a sound. 

References:

www.merriam-webster.com

www.etymonline.com

www.wordorigins.org

Learning vs. Acquisition (Entry 6)

In chapter 2 of Freeman and Freeman's Essential Linguistics (2004), the distinguishing factors of two theories of language teaching are discussed.  The following chart highlights those factors.

Learning/Word Recognition

Reading-   

• Main task of reading is to identify words
• Recode words to make meaning of text
• Apply phonics rules in order to identify words (memorize sight words that do not follow phonics rules)
• Pre-teach vocabulary words
• Frequent reading aloud with teacher providing unknown words (“Round Robin”)
• Belief that if a student can read a word, they can understand the word   

Writing-

• Goal is to produce a quality piece of writing
• Teachers break apart elements and teach each part (letters, words, sentences, paragraphs, essays)
• Topics are assigned
• Emphasis on conventions and mechanics
• Handwriting, grammar, and spelling are major components
• All writing is edited by teacher and published

Language Development-

• Goal is for students to correctly speak and understand language
• Teach each part of the language directly
• Oral and written drills for practice
• Errors are immediately corrected

Acquisition/Sociopsycholinguistic
Reading-

• Reading is constructing meaning
• Meaning comes from background knowledge, graphophonics, syntax, and semantics
• Study of word parts has limited value
• Students acquire vocabulary through reading, rather than pre-taught words and definitions
• Most reading is done silently in the classroom
• Teachers help students develop reading strategies

Writing- 

• Goal is to understand the process of writing
• Writing reflects competency with language and communication
• Choice in topic of writing for students
• Students practice various forms of writing
• Writer’s workshop
• The more students read, the better they write
• Mini-lessons provide instruction on style and mechanics
• Students are encouraged to share their writing

Language Development-

• Goal is for students to use language for different purposes
• Understand language in various settings
• Build-up language through listening and reading
• Students are asked to use language to complete tasks
• Teachers help students communicate their message and give them strategies for linguistic challenges

 

Philosophy of Literacy (Entry #1)

      One of my teammates and I were recently discussing our literacy instruction, in particular, reading.  Our school has a block schedule with 45 minutes of whole-group, grade-level curriculum, and then 45 minutes of small-group instruction at the students' level.  In theory, this seems ideal.  However, we are expected to teach the Houghton Mifflin program in 45 minutes to all students and make it meaningful.  That is the challenge.  My teammate feels that for many of our students, that 45 minutes of whole-group instruction is not meaningful.  Our advanced students are not being challenged, and our most impacted students are not able to comprehend the material.  We both believe in the importance of students (no matter what reading level) being exposed to grade-level content. 
     This brought our discussion to a general philosophy...all students should receive instruction that is meaningful and accessible.  Students need to be explicitly taught reading strategies and comprehension skills, but at a level they can decode and understand.  When our classrooms vary in levels from a DRA2 independent level 1 to a level 50, how do we ensure we are doing this?
     My teammate tries to do this by offering weekly rotations/activities, similar to the Daily 5.  She believes that by giving the students independent activities, with choice, she is able to meet with small groups and feel secure that her students are getting instruction at their level, and also practicing the skills they need in a meaningful way.  She tries to choose activities that support the comprehension skill of the week in an engaging task for students.  She does not expect to get to every small group in one day, but starts with the students she feels need the most attention.  Throughout the week, the students work to complete their activities list.  Some of the work is independent and some is done with a partner.  The students are interacting during literacy, but still held accountable for their learning.
     After talking about our literacy block with my teammate, I have been thinking a lot about my own instruction.  I have many of the same concerns about reaching all students as my teammate.  I am trying to also incorporate rotations into my 45-minute, whole-group instruction, but I am struggling with time management.  I need to explicitly teach our skill of the week, practice that skill with the students, and then allow them time independently.  This becomes extremely difficult in 45 minutes, 4 days a week (library takes our 5th day of whole-group).   Most skills are covered for more than 1 week, so I am trying to stretch my rotations over two weeks, in order to feel more successful with them.  I still find that I am working to fit meaningful instruction into the block schedule and curriculum program that is mandated by the school/district.

My Writing Instruction Experiences (#5)

     For the last several years, I have been teaching writing in my own classroom using the Lucy Calkins writing workshop model.  It is a process-driven approach to writing, where the students work on authentic writing tasks and are instructed on skills, styles, and conventions through mini-lessons.  As I have become more comfortable with this style of writing instruction, I have realized how different my own experience was as a student. 
     I was instructed in a Learning/Traditional writing environment.  My writing education came in the style of a formulaic, 5-step process for all writing.  I was taught to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.  This was always the process, for every child in the class.  Writing was not a collaborative or interactive subject.  Instead, I remember sitting and writing silently at my desk in elementary school.  Rarely was I asked to "turn and talk" to a classmate about my writing ideas.  There was a focus on the finished, published product rather than the process of writing.   Most of the time we were assigned the topic of our writing, or a least given a narrow selection from which to choose.  According to Freeman (2004), being assigned a topic for writing and focusing on the published work are aspects of writing aligned with a traditional approach.  However, the Acquisition/Process approach provides students with choice in their topics and instructs on mechanics and conventions through mini-lessons.  I was not instructed through mini-lessons addressed to my specific needs or next steps as I worked to produce my written piece.  Throughout elementary school, I also had spelling words to memorize and be tested on each week.  This is another piece identified in the traditional classroom.  Whereas the process approach teacher will instead help students "discover the patterns in the spellings of English words.  Conventional writing is a goal of a process classroom, but teachers emphasize that the content of the message is more important than the form" (Freeman, 2004, p. 31).
     While both approaches to writing may have their benefits and teach many of the same skills, they are instructing in a different manner.  I believe a process approach is more successful in keeping students engaged and excited about writing.
    

 

Book Reviews (Entry #4)

Children's picture books are a great resource to help engage students, teach a specific skill, or even build community in the classroom.  However, for many of our ELL students, there may be pieces of the literature that is not accessible because of cultural aspects.  Literature is a record of experiences, so it can not help but be culturally specific.  That does not mean that all children can not enjoy and understand picture books.  It just means that as teachers, we need to be aware of the cultural biases that exist within pieces of literature.

The following are two children's books I chose to review, looking specifically for those cultural aspects that may challenge an ELL learner.

Cliff Hanger (2002), written by Jean Craighead George, is the story of a boy, Axel, and his, Grits.  Axel lives in the Teton Mountains with his dad, Dag, the leader of a mountain climbing school.  A bad storm approaches the area and Grits is stuck on a rock ledge.  Axel climbs to rescue Grits while the thunderstorm worsens.  The story follows Axel, Grits, and Dag through this scary adventure.

Cliff Hanger poses several cultural challenges not only for ELL students, but also for anyone who does not have experience with rock climbing.  Rock climbing is not a sport that all children have knowledge about.  The specifics in this story would make it difficult for any child to comprehend if they had never had an experience with rock climbing.

1. Language of Climbing-  Axel and Dag discuss possible solutions for saving Grits before Axel decides to climb.  When he begins to climb, the conversation becomes that of two climbers."On belay!"...."Climbing"...."Dog on belay".  For a child that has never been climbing, this does not make sense.  How can they understand what this means?  The story also tells of Axel rappelling down from the mountain.  "Axel wrapped the rope around an outcrop and clipped it to his harness...Holding one end of the rope, letting out the other, he jumped out, dropped, caught himself, jumped out, dropped, caught himself."  This is very confusing to understand and visualize, again, if this is not something you have experienced.
2. Vocabulary-  The vocabulary, specifically that of the climbing gear, is overwhelming in this story.  Without having used the gear yourself, it is meaningless and therefore, near impossible to keep sorted in your mind.  For example...harness, carabiner, climber's nut, helmet, backpack, rope, handhold, route.   
3. Location-  The story takes place in the Teton Mountains and references a lot of specific climbing sights.  Students that have spent most of their lives in urban settings will have difficulty visualizing the setting.  The story discusses Cathedral Wall and Monkey Ledge.  It says that the characters "trekked steadily up the wooded trails and climbed over rock avalanches".
4. Counting the storm-  Throughout the entire story, Axel and Dag count to find the distance of the storm.  In the midst of conversations they will count out, "One, two, three...Kaboom!".  Students may not know that this is a tool to measure how close the storm is.  Instead, it seems like part of the story sequence and it becomes confusing as to why the characters are continually counting during conversations.

All of the challenges listed above can be addressed prior to reading the story or during the reading in order to help ELL learners comprehend the book.  My first suggestion is to incorporate realia to teach the vocabulary.  Bring in climbing gear for the students to see and try-on.  A harness, rope, climbing shoes, and helmet can help the students visualize what the characters are experiencing, not to mention increase engagement.  Having these items in the classroom is also probably the best way to explicitly teach the key vocabulary words.  For anything that can not be brought into the classroom, pictures would be very helpful.  Use pictures to show geographic locations that are discussed in the story.  Tie that discussion to the weather in such an area and what may be some of the dangers.  Ideally, it would be wonderful to take a field trip to a local climbing gym. However, for many, that is not realistic.  The next best option is to show a video clip of climbers.  Find a clip that would highlight the use of their language as they climb and their strategies.  

The other book I reviewed was We Had a Picnic This Sunday Past (1997), written by Jacqueline Woodson.  This is the story of an African-American family gathering for an annual picnic in the park.  The main character, Teeka, is with her grandmother as they arrive and greet all of the other family members.  They reminisce and share stories about their lives and previous picnics.

Four challenges posed in this book for ELL learners are...

1. Picnic-  I know to some it may sound ridiculous, but many students have not ever had a picnic, or at least, do not know the term.  Most students have played in a park, but they are not accustomed to bringing food and gathering to eat in the park.  The word is part of the title and used repeatedly throughout the story, yet some students will be unsure of the meaning of it.  In languages that are similar to English, this word may sound familiar.  But for some, this will be a key word that needs to be explained.
2. Dialect-  The story is written with a dialect that students may not be accustomed to.  There is an accent that is written into the story, and along with that, phrases and figures of speech that will most likely be unfamiliar to an ELL student.  For example,  "You seen hide or hair of Martha's pie?,"Says she thinks Cousin Martha scares the stove into baking bad", and 
3. Food- Food is often an area where ELL students are unsure.  Food always seems to be part of a celebration in all cultures, but the types of food enjoyed is very different from one culture to the next.  This story has many traditional American foods, but they may not be familiar to a child that is not native to this culture.  Examples...sweet potato pie, sweet cob corn, biscuits, collards.
4. Metaphors and Similes- The story uses descriptive metaphors and similes to enhance the language.  These are great strengths in the writer's craft, but can be very confusing for a child still trying to master the language.  When learning a language, students focus on the literal meanings, and it can be difficult to understand figurative language.  Woodson uses the following phrases, which may be challenging for an ELL learner..."pretty as a day", "look like a Moon Pie", "eat like the devil", "fresh as summer".

Just as in the previous story, I believe it is possible to lessen the language "load" on ELL students by building their schema on this topic.    Begin with the most basic discussion of what a picnic is.  This can easily be role-played in just a few minutes in the classroom.  Then, teach the food vocabulary with pictures or by bringing in the actual dishes if possible.   Ask students to tell about a food they know of that is similar to one of the dishes in the story?  ELL students would also benefit from a discussion about accents and dialects.  For many students they may have been told that they have an accent.  Give different examples of English spoken in several dialects.  Lastly, explicit teaching of what a simile and a metaphor are will be necessary.  After instructing on this topic, have students create their own similes and metaphors and find them in other stories they read.    

I'll end with a quote from Gibbons (2002), that I think sums up the cultural challenges for ELL's and the importance for teachers to build schema for our students.  "In one sense, reading simply confirms what we know: we amp our already existing experiences onto what we read.  But what happens if our previous experiences have not provided us with this particular schematic knowledge...?"

Reference

George, J.C.  (2002).  Cliff hanger.  New York, NY: Harper Collins.

 Gibbons, P.  (2002).  Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second

       language learners in the mainstream classroom.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Woodson, J. (1997).  We had a picnic this Sunday past. New York, NY: Scholastic. 

Reading Text in an Unfamiliar Language (Entry #3)

     For this activity, I chose to read song lyrics written in German.  Since Halloween is just around the corner, the lyrics I chose were from a Halloween song.  I do not speak or understand German, but my grandfather would often use German phrases when I was growing up.  I studied French in high school, but remember very little of the language.  I lived in the Czech Republic for six months in college and could speak and understand just enough Czech to get by, but once again, I remember very little of that.  So, as I prepared to read the lyrics, my plan was to try to connect some of the German words to English or French words that are similar.  I also hoped that a word or phrase may be familiar from my grandfather's common sayings.  

Here are the first two stanzas of the song:  

O-RHESUS-NEGATIV

Es war Mitternacht, ich ging spazieren,
da bemerkte ich,
ein Finstermann mit 'm grossen Hut
verfolgte mich,
und dann sprach er mich an,
schmatzend und mit knirschenden Zähnen:
"Ach, würden Sie wohl so freundlich sein
und Ihre Blutgruppe mal erwähnen!"

Ich dachte mir, das ist 'n Vampir,
da muss man vorsichtig sein,
ich sagte: "Moment, ich guck' mal eben
in meinen Ausweis rein."
O-Rhesus-Negativ. Da verzog er sein Gesicht
und meinte: "So 'n Mist, ausgerechnet diese Sorte
vertrag' ich nicht!"

     As I began reading, I soon realized that those strategies were not going to be very helpful.  The title of the song was "O-Rhesus-Negativ".  I immediately assumed negativ to mean negative, but I had no idea what rhesus may mean.  The first time I read the song lyrics, I recognized only a few words (Vampir = vampire, Bier = beer, Gott = God).  I was not able to pull any meaning from these words.  As I reread the song, I started to hear phrases that sounded familiar, but I had no verification if I was accurate or not.  For example, the first line of the song was "Es war Mitternacht, ich ging spazieren".  After reading it aloud a few times, I started to think that it meant "It was midnight and I went walking".  I realized that "Mitternacht" sounded like midnight as I read it aloud.  Then I remembered seeing "spazieren" at tourist centers in Prague and thought that walking tours were advertised in those areas, and walking would make sense in that phrase of the song.  In the last stanza, the word "transsilvanischen" appears.  Once again, after reading the stanza aloud, I realized the word is probably connected to Transylavania (especially since the song discusses vampires), but I could not understand any more than that.  I was left with several words and one phrase that I had attached meaning to, but in no way did I understand the text.  I had tried to scale back as much as possible and dissect the language, but I still could not comprehend the text.

     As a teacher, this reminded me of the difficult tasks placed before my students everyday.  For those ELL students with very limited or no English, they are frequently asked to understand text that is completely unfamiliar to them.  This process made clear what it feels like to be in that situation.  It was frustrating to read and reread the text and still have no idea what it meant.  I could successfully (or at least reasonably) decode the German, but it was meaningless to me.  I see this often in the classroom as well.  Students are able to read a text, so we assume they are understanding the content.  However, frequently those students are only able to decode, but the language is still too complex for them to comprehend.  That is exactly the situation I found myself in with the German song lyrics!  

     There are some strategies that I think would have helped me, and in turn, are helpful to ELL students.

• Pictures and/or realia-  There were no visual representations with the lyrics and they certainly would have helped.  "The use of nonlinguistic representations enhances students' ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental images" (Hill, 2006, p. 7).  Pictures give students clues about the content of the text, and then help create meaning.
• Previewing the vocabulary-  If I had someone teach me the key German vocabulary words from the lyrics ahead of time, I would have been able to recognize those words and understand more about the meaning of the text.    
• Collaborating with a group-  Trying to work through this unfamiliar language independently was difficult.  If I had a group to share ideas and problem solve with, then I think we would have been able to find more meaning.  Not only would we have been forced to repeatedly speak the German words, but also we would have more knowledge and background to draw from.  "Individual students are scaffolded by the contributions of the group as a whole" (Gibbons, 2002, p. 20).  On my own, I began to feel discouraged with the task.  Having a group to work with would have felt safer and more productive. 

     This activity was a helpful reminder of what an ELL student might feel like in a classroom, but for hours and with all assignments, not just one.  It was difficult and frustrating.  It is important that as the teacher, I know my students and their language levels so I am not overwhelming them constantly with tasks that are too "language heavy".  I will also keep in mind those strategies that would have been helpful to me, and allow for those opportunities in the classroom.   


Reference:
http://german.about.com/library/blmus_udolind01.htm  

Oral Language and Reading (Entry #2)

     After years of working in a school where the majority of my students are ELL's, it is clear that oral language and the reading process are connected.  Just through classroom observations, I can see that connection highlighted over and over again.  When monolingual students join my class with no English, they are not able to speak or understand any of the language, so therefore, they certainly are not able to read or write in English.  However, their oral language begins to develop very quickly.  They first begin to ask important questions that help them take care of their needs (bathroom?  lunch?  computer?).  Then, they are able to communicate with their classmates in a social setting ( recess, lunch, partner work).  Eventually, the students will begin to participate in class discussions when they feel safe with the content.  As this progression of oral language is taking place, so is progress with the child's reading.  They may not know any letters or sounds as they are first exposed to the language.  But as they are exposed repeatedly, they begin to recognize words and phrases that are important for their everyday needs.    Then, what they are able to read expands everyday.  The more the child speaks and interacts using the language, the more they recognize in their reading.  If they are not using the language orally, then it is nearly impossible for them to recognize sound patterns and rules as they are reading.  If I tried to read a language that I had never heard spoken or tried to speak myself, how would I possibly know what that language should sound like?  Students need to hear and speak a language in order to recognize the letters and sounds that are part of that language.   The more oral interaction that takes place, the quicker a child will begin to take risks with their reading.  They will begin to try decoding with the phonemes they have heard and any phonics skills they have mastered.
     Oral language also plays a large role in reading for meaning.  Readers must ask themselves constantly if what they are reading makes sense, particularly struggling readers.  They use meaning to help them monitor and clarify their reading.  As a child's oral language develops, they are able to ask themselves, Does that sound right?  Without oral language skills, a child will not know what sounds correct or incorrect.  That oral piece is crucial to a student's ability to self-monitor.
     The oral language of a student may progress rapidly, and it is sometimes easy to forget that they are still in the beginning stages of acquiring the language.  As connected as oral language and reading are, it does not mean that a child will be able to read everything they can speak and understand.  The oral language develops first, then they will build on their reading skills and finally their writing skills.  Sometimes it is easy to forget how much language may be impacting a child's literacy because we hear them speak with their classmates and to teachers and we think they are fluent, proficient, English speakers.  We have to keep in mind that strong oral language skills do not equal reading proficiency.  Oral language is needed as the building block and foundation for the reading process, but they are not equal entities.