Brontie’ Swanston Essay

Sometimes early intervention for struggling learners is ideal. Most learning problems can be prevented if students are in positive school and classroom contexts that accommodate individual differences (Madden, 1991). However, even in the most positive environments, some students still experience difficulties. For these students, early intervention strategies must be implemented as soon as learning problems are noted. Early intervention means that â€Å"supplementary instructional services are provided early in students’ schooling, and that they are intense enough to bring at-risk students quickly to a level at which they can profit from high-quality classroom instruction† (Madden & Wasik, 1991). The intent of early intervention is to create general education support systems for struggling learners as a way to improve academic performance and to reduce inappropriate special education referrals (Madden, 1991). Examples of early intervention include clinical teaching, peer and expert consultation, teacher assistance teams, and alternative programs such as those that offer tutorial or remedial instruction in the context of general education. A critical concept for ELL students is comprehensible input. This concept expresses that in order to acquire a second language the learner must understand what is said to him. Learners should receive input that is appropriate to their age and language level. This language should be just beyond the learner’s current proficiency but easy enough for them to understand. Teachers need to develop background knowledge, deliver content that is contextualized, and use gestures, pictures and real objects to make input comprehensible (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). When newcomers are assigned to a mainstream classroom and spend most of their day in this environment it is especially critical for them to receive comprehensible input from their teachers and classmates (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). In other words, if the teacher prefers lectures, it leaves the English language learner will not be receiving this input. All teachers are aware of the need to â€Å"explicitly link past learning and new concepts† but some teachers fail to consider students’ backgrounds and experiences when planning lessons (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). One way to avoid making unwarranted assumptions about our students’ past learning, background or experiences is to create a common classroom experience as the basis for instruction (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). Another strategy is to help students make conscious links between their experiences and the text as described in the sample lesson below. Two good concepts to implement would be literature logs and instructional conversations. Before and after reading, students respond to prompts that help them link their experiences to those of the main character or main theme (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). The instructional conversations that follow these prompts provide oral language practice for Ell’s, and help deepen students’ conceptual frameworks for comprehension (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). Researchers found that using either the literature log or the instructional conversation increased comprehension for Ell’s but using both produced deeper understanding (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991). Teachers should apply the following steps to be successful in previous two concepts: Step 1 Create pre-reading and post- reading questions or prompts Pre-reading question or prompt: a generic probe about students’ experiences that might be similar to those of the main character/s. Step 2 Briefly review the story again building on student responses in a think-aloud format. Review the procedure for tracking story events and noting when these events are similar to or different from experiences discussed by the class. Examples: two-column notes, post its, adapted story sequence chart Students read or listen to the text: pairs, small groups, tape, and buddy reading Step 3 Present the second literature log question or prompt; model a response. Allow time for students to write about or discuss the prompt. Facilitate the second instructional conversation in which students discuss similarities and differences between and among their experiences and those of the characters. Variations: use picture books with limited text for non-readers or beginning Ell’s of any age. Allow students to respond in their first language. Older or more proficient students can respond to prompts that focus on the setting instead of, or in addition to, events, characters and theme or compare experiences across texts. (Saunders, &Goldberg, 1991) It is also vitally important to emphasize key vocabulary. Lack adequate vocabulary is one barrier to reading for Ell’s. Research on vocabulary acquisition indicates that a successful vocabulary development program should have a least the following five components: 1) Intentional word selection (words that represent new concepts, are important outside of the specific activity, or cross content areas) 2) Direct instruction in word meaning and in strategies used to learn new words 3) Modeling of strategies and processes for learning new words 4) Multiple exposures to new words and opportunities to use new words (wide reading, intentional word-focused activities, and ongoing review) 5) A system to help students track new vocabulary (Beck, McKeon, 2002) Here is a five-step vocabulary activity to implement with your ELL students: 1) Teacher provides a definition (tell, read, demonstrate) 2) Teacher creates a non-linguistic representation of the word while engaging in a â€Å"think aloud† that helps students identify key components of the visual and their relationship to the new word 3) Students write or say their own definition of the word 4) Students create their own linguistic representation of the word 5) Return to visual to add or revise elements as students deepen their understanding of the concept Adapted from Marzano, Pickering, 2001 It is important that the teacher shares a knowledge base relative to the education of students learning English (Thomas, & Collier, 1997). Efficient teachers should be familiar with second language acquisition, the relationship of native language proficiency to the development of English, socio-cultural influences on learning, effective first and second language instruction, informal assessment strategies that can be used to monitor progress (particularly in language and literacy development), and effective strategies for working with culturally and linguistically diverse families and communities (Thomas, & Collier, 1997). It is also imperative that there is recognition of the students’ native language. Language programs must have support of principals, teachers, parents, and the community (Thomas & Collier, 1997). School staff should understand that native language instruction provides the foundation for achieving high levels of English proficiency (Cummins, 1994). For regular education teachers and ESL/bilingual teachers, when it comes to language development, there should be a share responsibility. There also must be collaborative school-community relationships. Parents of students learning English must be viewed as capable advocates for their children and as valuable resources in school improvement efforts (Cummins, 1994). By being involved with families and communities of English learners, educators come to understand the social, linguistic, and cultural contexts in which the children are being raised (Ortiz, 1997). Thus, educators learn to respect cultural differences in child-rearing practices and in how parents choose to be involved in their children’s education (Garcia & Dominguez, 1997). It is vital to implement academically rich programs for ELL students. Students learning English must have opportunities to learn advanced skills in comprehension, reasoning, and composition and have access to curricula and instruction that integrate basic skill development with higher order thinking and problem solving (Ortiz, & Wilkinson, 1991). Students must have access to high-quality instruction designed to help them meet high expectations (Cummins, 1994). Teachers should employ strategies known to be effective with English learners, such as: 1) Drawing on their prior knowledge 2) Providing opportunities to review previously learned concepts and teaching them to employ those concepts 3) Organizing themes or strands that connect the curriculum across subject areas 4) Providing individual guidance, assistance, and support to fill gaps in background knowledge Although it is evident that students fail in school for a variety of reasons, in some cases, their academic difficulties can be directly attributed to deficiencies in the teaching a learning environment. These difficulties may become more serious over time if instruction is not modified to address the students’ specific needs. Unless these students’ specific needs. Unless the deficit in learning is caught early and the appropriate intervention is accessed, they will continue to struggle, and the gap between their achievement and that of their peers will widen over time. References Cummins (1994). Knowledge, power, and identity in teaching English as a second language. â€Å"Educating second language children: The whole child, the whole curriculum, the whole community† Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Garcia, S. B. , &Dominguez, L. (1997). Cultural contexts that influence learning and academic performance. In Silver, L. B. , â€Å"Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic Of North America: Academic Difficulties†. Philadelphia: Saunders Co. Madden, N. A. , Slavin, R. E. , & Wasik, B. A. (1991). Success for all, â€Å"Phi Delta Kappan. † Thomas, W, P. , &Collier, V. (1997). School effectiveness for language language miniority students (Resource Collection Series No. 9). Washington: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. Beck, I. , McKeon, M. &Kucan, L. (2002) Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. Guilford Press. Ortiz, A. A. &Wilkinson, C. Y. (1991). Assessment and intervention model for the bilingual exceptional student. â€Å"Teacher Education and Special Education, 14 Saunders, W. and Goldenberg, C. (1999) The Effects of Instructional Conversations and Literature Logs on the Story Comprehension and Thematic Understanding of English Proficient and Limited English Proficient Students. http://www. cal. org/crede/pubs/research/RR6. pdf Marzano, R. , Pickering, D. J. , & Pollock, J. E. (2001) Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: MCREL, ASCD.