Series First Five Early Childhood Education: Dual Language Learners: Developing Literacy

Dual Language Learners: Developing Literacy

Lesson Objective: Develop expressive and receptive language skills
Pre-K / ELA / Questioning
4 MIN

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Discussion and Supporting Materials

Thought starters

  1. How does Ms. Ngan help her students develop language and literacy skills?
  2. Why is it important to connect to students' home languages and cultures?
  3. What are the benefits of asking open-ended questions?

48 Comments

  • Private message to Amy Shi

1. How does Ms. Ngan help her students develop language and literacy skills?
In the video, Ms. Ngan helps her students develop language and literacy skills by first introducing them through a book. After the book reading, she created an activity that further enhance the child's creativity in the subject of learning, with three different forms of milk using strews. Not only did she pronounce the different form of milk in English but also pronounced it in Chinese (Cantonese, I think) so the children could have a better understanding in their native language.
2. Why is it important to connect to students' home languages and cultures?
The reason it is important to connect the students to their home language and culture is so they do not lose their connection to their home language, family, and culture. A lot of time, the child's household does not practice English thus making it difficult for them to connect with the English speakers outside of their homes. Also, giving them a connection to pronounce items in two languages helps them connect to their native language making it a bit easier.
3. What are the benefits of asking open-ended questions?
As Ms. Ngan mentions in the video, open-ended questions to enhance the children's' thinking process skills and their language skills more. With that they develop expressive and receptive language skills. It also helps the child see the bigger picture of the activity, such as the spilled milk can be a monster or an alien.

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  • Private message to Shelly-Ann Brooks-Talo

1. How does Ms. Ngan help her students develop language and literacy skills?

Ms. Ngan helps her students develop language and literacy skills by repeating words that they should master at that level. She makes connections using pictures and fun interactive activities as well as writing words on paper to ensure that students get familiar with both spoken and written words.

2.Why is it important to connect to students' home languages and cultures?

It is important to connect to student's home language because many students do not hear the English language spoken consistently at home and by using their home language in the learning process, they make connections more easily.

 3. What are the benefits of asking open-ended questions? 

By using open-ended questions students develop their speaking skills. They are able to express themselves using the vocabulary they have learned and are able to think carefully in the direction that the questions are guiding them.

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  • Private message to Gladys Akiri

1. How does Ms. Ngan help her students develop language and literacy skills? Ms. Ngan first helps her students develop language and literacy skills by first making the children feel welcome and comfortable in their learning environment. She makes use of repitition, focuses on vocabulary, and open-ended questions to enhance learning. She also supports students with developing language and literacy by bulding vocabulary representing new words in both English and Chinese language. She writes down all they say and help the students make connection between written and spoken language.

2 Why is it important to connect to students' home languages and cultures? Like Ms. Ngan rightly said, although the students are being taught English as a second language, It is impotant to connect to a student's L1 and culture so the student don't get disconnected, In addition, they also get support from their home language in learning the second language.

3. What are the benefits of asking open-ended questions? As observed by Ms. Ngan, the benefits of asking open-ended questions  is to "enhance thinking and language skills and in the process the students will develop receptive and expressive language skills". Asking open-ended questions helps to scaffold the  children's language and learning experience.

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  • Private message to Blythe Kleinschmidt

Connecting to students' home language helps the children, first and foremost, begin the task in familiar territory, that being their native language.  Ms. Ngan simultaniously expressed the unfamiliar vocabulary in both Chinese and English, which benefits all children.  She is creating an environment where respect for differences is nurtured. This is why cognates is so important when teaching vocabulary.  In the same way, expressing ideas in both languages helps children make connections.  We want to give them every tool possible to find success.  Why not start with something familiar!

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External Resource Materials

Transcripts

  • Developing Literacy Skills with Dual Language Learners
    Program Transcript

    Ngan: Anything you want to share today? Emily, how you feel today?

    Ngan

    Developing Literacy Skills with Dual Language Learners
    Program Transcript

    Ngan: Anything you want to share today? Emily, how you feel today?

    Ngan (Interview): My name is Carmen Ngan. I'm the preschool teacher at Kai Ming Head Start Sunset Center. We have eighty-five percent of children come from Asian family. Most of the family don't speak English at home, so the children come here to learn English. We create an atmosphere here to make children feel more comfortable. They get support from their home language.

    Ngan: They only walk.

    Student: Yeah.

    Ngan: Okay.

    Ngan (Interview): We would like the children to learn English. At the same time, they do not disconnect from the home language, so they can keep connection with their family, with their culture.

    Ngan: What do you think would happen if you spilled milk?

    Student: It would go everywhere.

    Ngan: It would go everywhere. And it might look like something. Okay. Are you ready? Let's look at this. It Looked Like Spilt Milk. That's the name of the book. Can you help me to read it? Sometime it looked like spilt milk, but it wasn't spilt milk. Sometime it look like a…

    Student: Rabbit.

    Ngan: Rabbit. But it wasn't a rabbit. What is that?

    Student: Sometimes…

    Ngan and Students: Sometime it look like a tree, but it wasn't a tree.

    Ngan (Interview): We will focus on the vocabulary we want the children to learn, so we will repeat it, and emphasize that.

    Ngan: Sometime it look like spilt milk, but it wasn't spilt milk. What is that?

    Students: A cloud!

    Ngan (Interview): So first we use the book to introduce the activity.

    Ngan: Have you ever seen this?

    Ngan (Interview): I want to pick something that related to their real life, so they have a real life experience.

    Ngan: This one is regular milk. Milk. [Chinese].

    Student: How about this one?

    Ngan: Yeah. How about this one? [Chinese]. Evaporated milk. [Chinese].

    Student: How about this one?

    Ngan: This is condensed milk. [Chinese].

    Student: [Chinese].

    Ngan (Interview): During the activity, they use the eyedropper or the straw to make artwork.

    Ngan: So sometime it look like…

    Student: Monster!

    Ngan: A monster? But, it's not a monster.

    Student: Sometimes it looks like an alien planet.

    Student: [gibberish].

    Ngan: You can see the different color. Different, huh? You can see-- Oh, tell me what you just did.

    Student: I blow…

    Ngan: You blow it.

    Student: …and I got bubbles.

    Ngan (Interview): We use open-ended question throughout the day. The goal is to enhance their thinking skill and their language skills. They develop receptive and expressive language skills.

    Ngan: What is that? Sometime it look like…

    Student: Monster.

    Ngan: A monster. Is that a monster?

    Student: Yeah.

    Ngan (Interview): When they're describing the artwork, I write it down in front of them about all the things they tell me. This is very important, when they can see the meaning being recorded. This strategy help children make connection between reading and spoken language.

    Ngan: So, sometime it look like…

    Student: Elephant.

    Ngan: Elephant. You just mentioned how many elephant?

    Student: Two.

    Ngan: Two elephant. Sometime it look like two elephants.

    Ngan (Interview): When they first start school they may not understand what we saying, however at the end of school, they fluent in English.

Teachers

teachers
Carmen Ngan