Literacy teaching strategies

Summary

This transcript highlights how educators at Wiley Park Public School support ESL students by integrating meaningful texts and interactive learning strategies. With a multicultural student body, the school focuses on engaging students in activities that foster language comprehension, such as making connections to their own cultural experiences. Teachers emphasize using videos, music, and discussions to immerse students in new vocabulary and world knowledge, helping them relate to texts and enhancing their reading and writing skills. The ultimate goal is to build vocabulary, comprehension, and communication in a dynamic, student-centered environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 96% of students at Wiley Park Public School come from families where English is an additional language.
• 😀 The school serves a highly diverse student body, with students from around 40 different countries and 30 different language groups.
• 😀 Teachers use culturally relevant texts, such as materials related to 'celebrations', to help students connect with the content.
• 😀 Immersion in language through videos, books, and other texts helps students make connections that improve their reading and writing skills.
• 😀 Exposure to different types of texts stimulates ideas and creativity in students, as mentioned by a student (Ashier).
• 😀 The school focuses on comprehension and making connections to support ESL students in their literacy development.
• 😀 Students are encouraged to analyze, interpret, and evaluate texts, drawing on their personal experiences to support their learning.
• 😀 Activities like discussing New Year's traditions and Chinese New Year help students apply the new vocabulary in meaningful contexts.
• 😀 Teachers aim to integrate lessons with a lot of interaction and discussion to ensure that students practice using vocabulary expressively.
• 😀 By focusing on reading strategies, teachers help students engage with texts from an 'infant's perspective' to support their development.
• 😀 There is a strong emphasis on world life experiences to ensure that ESL students find texts meaningful and relevant to their lives.

Q & A

What is the demographic makeup of the students at Wiley Park Public School?

The students at Wiley Park Public School are from very multicultural backgrounds, with 96% of them coming from families where English is an additional language. The students are drawn from about 40 different countries and represent around 30 different language groups.

Why is it important to provide texts that the students can relate to?

Providing relatable texts is important because many of the students have limited vocabulary and world life experiences. By relating texts to their experiences, such as through a celebration, they are more likely to engage with the content and improve their language skills.

How do the teachers support students in their reading and writing?

Teachers focus on helping students make connections by immersing them in various types of texts, like videos and books. They encourage students to comprehend, analyze, interpret, and evaluate what they read, allowing them to draw from their own experiences to improve their reading, writing, and classroom interactions.

What is the importance of using multiple types of texts in the classroom?

Using multiple types of texts, such as books, music, photos, and videos, helps expose students to different forms of information. This exposure triggers ideas and enhances comprehension, supporting them in making connections and improving both their language and critical thinking skills.

How do the teachers help ESL-speaking students understand the text?

To support ESL-speaking students, teachers guide them to dissect and analyze texts. They emphasize comprehension strategies and encourage meaningful interactions, ensuring the students can relate the content to their own experiences, thereby facilitating better understanding and language development.

What is a key teaching strategy used to help ESL students with vocabulary?

One key strategy is to incorporate a lot of interaction and discussions in the lessons. Teachers create opportunities for students to talk and use vocabulary in a meaningful and expressive way, ensuring they engage with the language actively.

What did Ashier say about the celebration of New Year?

Ashier mentioned that on New Year's, people wear new clothes, and this was discussed in the context of the celebrations students were learning about.

What did Kadisha’s partner share about the celebration?

Kadisha’s partner shared that during celebrations, people eat different types of foods, which reflects cultural practices tied to festive occasions.

What role does world life experience play in helping ESL students understand texts?

World life experience is crucial for ESL students because it helps them connect the texts they are reading to real-world contexts. By relating the material to their own experiences, they can better understand the content, making it more meaningful for their learning.

What predictions were students making about the Chinese New Year celebration?

Students predicted that during Chinese New Year, there would be dragons, but they clarified that these dragons were fake, not real. They also discussed food, thinking that Chinese food might be part of the celebration, and they predicted that people would be eating and gathering at restaurants.