ESL Support in Elementary School
Summary
TLDRThe video script showcases the journey of English language learners at Clermont Immersion School in Arlington, Virginia. Students like John Carlos, who arrived from Colombia with limited English, are provided with tailored support to become bilingual by fifth grade. Teachers like Amanda Rennels and Elizabeth Varela use differentiated instruction, small group sessions, and lunchtime activities to enhance oral language development. The school's inclusive environment, where staff and students come from diverse backgrounds, fosters a sense of belonging and motivates students to embrace the learning process.
Takeaways
- 🏫 Immersion School: The script describes a school in Arlington, Virginia, where children are immersed in a bilingual environment, learning both English and Spanish.
- 👦 Student Progression: Students like John Carlos, who arrived from Colombia with little English experience, are supported to become bilingual by the end of fifth grade.
- 📚 Differentiated Instruction: Amanda Rennels, a fourth-grade teacher, provides word study assignments tailored to different levels, including specific support for English language learners like John Carlos.
- 🗣️ Language Production: The script highlights the challenge of producing language, especially in speaking and writing, and how teachers like Ms. Rennels help students overcome this hurdle.
- 📖 Modified Activities: Teachers modify activities to ensure students can participate, such as reading aloud to students and scribing for them to encourage engagement.
- 🕒 Additional Support: John Carlos receives extra help with English three days a week, focusing on oral language development with the help of Elizabeth Varela, a fourth-grade teacher.
- 📚 Integrated ESL Teaching: Ms. Varela works with students in grade-level classrooms, using a 'push-in' approach where ESL teachers collaborate with grade-level teachers.
- 🍽️ Lunch Bunch: An additional support system is the Lunch Bunch, where students can get extra practice in reading and vocabulary during a 15-20 minute session.
- 🌐 Global Representation: The school staff is diverse, representing various nationalities and languages, which helps students feel included and valued for their native language skills.
- 🌟 Encouragement and Confidence: The script emphasizes the importance of encouragement in helping students, especially those learning a new language, to gain confidence and take risks.
- 🎥 NEA Support: The video production was supported by the National Education Association, indicating a broader recognition and support for such educational initiatives.
Q & A
What is the primary goal of the immersion school in Arlington, Virginia?
-The primary goal of the immersion school is to have children become bilingual in English and Spanish by the end of fifth grade.
How does the school support English language learners in their learning process?
-The school provides various supports such as word study assignments at different levels, differentiated instruction, and additional help with oral language development.
What is the role of Amanda Rennels in supporting John Carlos, a student from Colombia?
-Amanda Rennels, as a fourth-grade teacher, provides word study assignments tailored to John Carlos' level, offers visual aids, and engages in discussions to aid his understanding.
What is the significance of providing pictorial support for students like John Carlos?
-Pictorial support helps students like John Carlos visualize concepts and aids in their understanding, especially when they are new to the English language.
How does the school address the challenge of producing language for students like John Carlos?
-The school addresses this by having teachers read texts aloud to students and scribing for them to encourage participation and overcome the fear of making spelling mistakes.
What is the purpose of the additional help John Carlos receives from Elizabeth Varela?
-The purpose is to focus on oral language development, encouraging John Carlos to speak English as much as possible in a natural setting.
What is the 'pushing in' approach used by ESL teachers at Claremont?
-The 'pushing in' approach involves ESL teachers working closely with grade-level teachers, planning together, and team-teaching in the classroom to support students.
What is the 'Lunch Bunch' and how does it support students?
-The 'Lunch Bunch' is a 15-20 minute session where students can receive extra practice and personal attention on reading and vocabulary, focusing on areas they might need more help with.
How does the school create a safe and welcoming space for students like John Carlos?
-The school creates a safe and welcoming space by having a diverse staff from all over the world, encouraging students to see themselves as experts in their native language, and fostering an environment where everyone is learning.
What is the significance of the 'silver lining' expression used in the script?
-The 'silver lining' expression is used to convey the idea that there might be a positive aspect or opportunity in a situation that initially seems negative, such as moving to a new place.
How does the video production relate to the National Education Association?
-The video production was made possible by the National Education Association, indicating their support and involvement in showcasing educational practices.
Outlines
📚 Supporting English Language Learners
This paragraph discusses the immersive educational approach at Clermont Immersion School in Arlington, Virginia, where children enter speaking only their native language and leave bilingual in English and Spanish by the end of fifth grade. The focus is on the individualized support provided to English language learners, exemplified by John Carlos, a student from Colombia. His fourth-grade teacher, Amanda Rennels, tailors word study assignments to his level, incorporating visual and auditory aids to facilitate understanding. John also receives additional help from Elizabeth Varela, focusing on oral language development. The school uses a 'push-in' model where ESL teachers work closely with grade-level teachers, and 'Lunch Bunch' sessions offer extra practice and personal attention for students who need it. The school environment is described as safe and welcoming, fostering a sense of belonging and confidence among students.
🌐 Building a Diverse and Inclusive Learning Community
The second paragraph emphasizes the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive learning community at Clermont. It highlights the school's staff, which consists of members from various backgrounds, speaking different languages, thus setting an example for students. The encouragement and support provided to students like John Carlos, who are navigating a new country and language, are crucial in building their confidence to learn and express themselves. The school's culture is one where everyone is learning and no one is an expert in everything, allowing students to excel in their native languages and feel valued for their contributions. The video production was supported by the National Education Association, indicating a broader commitment to educational excellence and inclusivity.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Immersion School
💡English Language Learners (ELLs)
💡Differentiation
💡Word Study
💡Pictorial Support
💡Scaffolding
💡Oral Language Development
💡Push-in Instruction
💡Lunch Bunch
💡Cultural Integration
💡National Education Association
Highlights
Children at Clermont Immersion School in Arlington, Virginia, enter speaking only their native language but become bilingual in English and Spanish by the end of fifth grade.
Different support pathways are provided for English language learners based on individual needs.
In Amanda Rennels' fourth-grade classroom, word study assignments are modified for students like John Carlos, who arrived from Colombia with little English experience.
John Carlos receives differentiated instruction to match his English proficiency level.
Pictorial support and discussions are used to aid understanding for students like John Carlos.
Students are encouraged to participate in activities despite potential spelling or writing challenges.
John Carlos receives additional English language support from Elizabeth Varela, focusing on oral language development.
The goal of language development is to speak English naturally without forcing it.
ESL teachers work closely with grade-level teachers, often 'pushing in' to classrooms for small group instruction.
Students are not made to feel isolated during ESL instruction by integrating the sessions within the regular classroom.
Ms. Varela offers a 'Lunch Bunch' for students needing extra practice and personal attention.
The Lunch Bunch provides an additional 15-20 minutes of focused reading and vocabulary practice.
Clermont creates a safe and welcoming space for students learning in a new country.
Students gain confidence from the diverse staff and the encouragement to take chances in learning a new language.
The school environment fosters a sense of expertise among students in their native languages.
The video production showcases the innovative methods and impact of the Clermont Immersion School.
Transcripts
most children walk into Clermont
immersion school in Arlington Virginia
speaking only their native language on
the end of fifth grade they walk out
bilingual in English and Spanish but
they take a lot of different pathways to
that end result for English language
learners the pathway involves several
different supports depending on what
students need in Amanda Rennels
fourth grade classroom she provides word
study assignments at several different
levels including a level for John Carlos
he arrived in the United States from
Colombia last fall he's fluent in
Spanish and has little experience in
English there's another word I think I
try and make modifications for him so
that he can be understanding what we're
talking about and I try to differentiate
for his level as well so for example
today in word study you know I have my
word study groups all spread out
throughout the room and I had a sort
specifically for him that is at his
level it's not necessarily at 4th grade
English level bits at his level I sit
with him and I think the easiest thing
for him he's he's a very aural person so
he does like to discuss and give
examples but also I try and provide that
pictorial support so that he can
visualize kind of what we're talking
about that it's what you use when you
play baseball yeah there's another kind
of that to do you know it's an animal
you're right it is a bat that using
baseball a bat is also an animal that
flies usually at night when it's dark do
you know the word for bat in Spanish
yeah what's a bat he understands a lot
it's the producing of the language
that's always the more challenging part
the speaking on the writing and so for
him I will often read a text aloud to
him if we're doing an activity and then
I'll have him poorly tell me kind of
what his responses and alright for him
because he's a student who gets kind of
stuck on I don't want to write because I
might not spell it right and I want to
get past that because I want him to be
able to participate in the activity so
I'll read something aloud for him and
then and scribe for him
while this scaffolding allows John
Carlos to participate in the fourth
grade classroom he still needs some
extra help as he continues learning
English three days a week for about 45
minutes John Carlos spends time with
Elizabeth Varela the fourth grade East
Hall teacher they focus on oral language
development the point is really to speak
a lot of English as much English as he
can without forcing it it has to be
natural for him does your person have
blonde hair yellow hair hair or yellow
he has learned English though so quickly
I think because he's motivated and he's
surrounded by English speakers pulling
an English language learner out of the
classroom for extra help is rare at
Claremont usually ms Varela works with
students in grade level classrooms in
small groups known as pushing in Chapter
two destiny chapter two we work closely
with teachers here the ESL teacher is
assigned to a grade level in some cases
to grade levels we plan together
and we team teach for example I work
with the fourth grade team and I push
into the fourth grade teachers classroom
when he divides students by reading
levels we will take different groups and
work in different parts of the classroom
so nobody really feels like they're
being pulled away from what everybody
else is doing so in chapter 1 John shed
says to them you're moving it's too bad
you're moving but there is a silver
lining yeah it's an expression
do you remember what it means there
might be something good about this right
for those students who might want a
little extra practice and some personal
attention Ms Varela hosts a Lunch Bunch
focused on reading and vocabulary so
Lunch Bunch is about a 15 sometimes 20
minute time in the day when students
would will leave the cafeteria and come
down to hallway a table alcohol wherever
we find a place and we work on extra
skills it's most an antonín for first
best release so it depends on what
they're learning in the classroom
I might work with what the teacher has
asked me to do with them that they don't
seem to get or I might play a game that
sort of focuses on different content
area issues we wouldn't do this if they
didn't enjoy it I am a big believer in
letting kids have their free time their
recess and their lunch if that's what
they want but for the most part I have
kids who begged me to take them at lunch
Ms varela and her colleagues have made
Clermont a safe and welcoming space for
students like John Carlos children
finding their way in a new country and
that encouragement gives them the
confidence to take chances as they learn
to speak read and write in a new
language part of it is that the students
look around and they see that the staff
members are from all over the world
really and they see that we're speaking
in different languages to each other I
think it also comes from the fact that
everyone is learning something there are
no true experts at everything here at
Clermont so the students for whom
English is a second language they get to
be experts in their native language in
Spanish students see what everybody's
bringing to the table this video
production was made possible by the
National Education Association
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