First Steps

Summary

The video follows Ms. Espinoza, a dedicated teacher in El Paso, Texas, who faces the challenge of teaching English to a class of Spanish-speaking kindergarteners. With the task of helping them read and speak in English, she uses a variety of methods like phonemic awareness and phonics to engage her students. Despite the difficulties, Ms. Espinoza's commitment and the support of a strong curriculum lead to success, as one emotional moment highlights a mother’s joy when her son learns to read. The video underscores the importance of skilled teaching and support for English language learners in ensuring their academic success.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ms. Espinoza, a teacher in El Paso, Texas, is facing the challenge of teaching five-year-olds who speak only Spanish in an English-only classroom.
• 😀 Despite having a lot of training, Ms. Espinoza finds it hard to teach her students to read in English, especially as this is often their first experience with school.
• 😀 The school aims to make the students' kindergarten experience a positive one, as negative early experiences can affect their long-term education.
• 😀 Ms. Espinoza starts each day with lessons focused on oral English, listening, and speaking skills, using creative approaches like race car metaphors.
• 😀 A significant portion of U.S. school-age children are English language learners, with approximately 10% of them facing the challenge of learning English.
• 😀 English language learners (ELLs) often face lower achievement rates compared to native English speakers due to the extra work required just to understand the teacher's instructions.
• 😀 Teachers need to ensure ELL students understand every word and concept before they can focus on more complex ideas in the lessons.
• 😀 Phonemic awareness is crucial for ELL students, as it helps them understand that words are made up of individual sounds that they can manipulate.
• 😀 Phonics instruction, which connects letters to their corresponding sounds, is also vital for ELL students, and it can be adapted from strategies used with native English speakers.
• 😀 Adjustments are necessary when teaching ELL students, such as making instructions clear, using gestures, pictures, and additional supports like scaffolds.
• 😀 Despite challenges, Ms. Espinoza's students are making progress, and parents, like one who witnessed her son reading for the first time, are seeing emotional breakthroughs.

Q & A

What challenge is Ms. Espinoza facing in her classroom?

Ms. Espinoza is facing the challenge of teaching a classroom full of five-year-olds who speak only Spanish, while the class is conducted in English.

What emotional reaction does Ms. Espinoza experience when she interacts with the Spanish-speaking students?

Ms. Espinoza feels heartbroken when she receives blank looks from the students as they struggle to understand her English instructions.

Why is kindergarten particularly important for many of these students?

For many of these students, kindergarten is their first experience in formal education, so it's crucial that the experience is positive to prevent negative associations with learning.

How does Ms. Espinoza approach teaching English to her students?

Ms. Espinoza starts each day with an explicit lesson in oral English, focusing on listening and speaking to help her students learn the language.

What challenge does the school face in terms of student population?

The school faces the challenge of teaching a significant number of English Language Learners (ELLs), who make up a large portion of the student body.

What is the national trend regarding English Language Learners (ELLs) in the U.S.?

Around 10% of the school-age population in the U.S. are English Language Learners, and their academic achievement tends to be lower than that of native English speakers due to the additional work of understanding and following instructions in English.

What are the key factors for helping English Language Learners succeed?

To help ELLs succeed, it’s important to have a committed teacher, effective instructional methods, and a curriculum that is scientifically research-based and suited to their needs.

How does Ms. Espinoza support her students' phonemic awareness?

Ms. Espinoza teaches phonemic awareness by helping students understand that words are made up of individual sounds, and by practicing how to manipulate these sounds.

What methods are used to help English Language Learners learn phonics?

Ms. Espinoza teaches phonics by focusing on the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds, using clear instruction and visual aids to support understanding.

What adjustments are necessary for teaching English Language Learners?

Teaching ELLs requires clear, explicit instruction, the use of nonverbal cues, visual aids, and additional supports (scaffolds) to ensure the students understand the lesson.

What was the emotional reaction of a parent during a recent parent-teacher conference?

During a recent parent-teacher conference, a parent became emotional when she saw her son reading for the first time, feeling proud of his progress in learning English.