A1 Good evening, #ELLCHAT friends! I’m Karen Nemeth, author/consultant on young children who are DLLs/ELLs - and cohost of this chat. I live in eastern PA!
How many of you have already started the school year? in my area, schools start after Labor Day, so it often catches me by surprise when people start tweeting about school in mid August #ELLCHAT
I just changed jobs. While all the students in my classes used to be ELLs, now I teach 9th grade English and I have a mix of ELLs and native-born students. #ELLchat.
How many of you have already started the school year? in my area, schools start after Labor Day, so it often catches me by surprise when people start tweeting about school in mid August #ELLCHAT
How many of you have already started the school year? in my area, schools start after Labor Day, so it often catches me by surprise when people start tweeting about school in mid August #ELLCHAT
#ELLchat A1
Hi, I'm Leticia, rhymes with uh-fish-uh 😉. I manage professional learning for educators, mostly around equity but also ELL, trauma-informed instruction, and a few other things. Also (as of tomorrow) a student at @Illinois_Alma!!! 🤓🤓🤓📚
A2 This is a big question in the world of Head Start and preschool this year. Major focus on supporting young children’s transition to kindergarten - but so often the supports for different languages are way out of sync! #ELLCHAT
A2: Differences in school culture, behavior expectations, & structures like who moves rooms (teachers or students) present challenges to ELLs. #ELLChat
A2: Where I'm at, all students (but especially ELs) go through a rigorous acceptance process where they're required to interview, take the MAP test, and then take the WIDA test. It's a stressful experience for students, especially if English isn't their first language! #ellchat
A2: Challenges ELs face when enrolling in schools: assimilating, adjusting to a new system, making friends, language barriers, learning new routines/procedures
#ELLCHAT
A2: Where I'm at, all students (but especially ELs) go through a rigorous acceptance process where they're required to interview, take the MAP test, and then take the WIDA test. It's a stressful experience for students, especially if English isn't their first language! #ellchat
Good point! One of the first things we do is screening new students to see if they qualify for ESL services. Not to mention screenings for math & reading that follow shortly after. #ELLChat
A2: #ellchat Face many challenges. One I see frequently is when they have to translate for their parents. Therefore, they end up doing the registration process themselves.
A3 I guess every state… or most states have regulations about this issue of how to identify, place, and serve ELLs - but all states also have plenty of options for loopholes and waivers, right? #ELLCHAT
A3 I guess every state… or most states have regulations about this issue of how to identify, place, and serve ELLs - but all states also have plenty of options for loopholes and waivers, right? #ELLCHAT
A3: We screen through MAP and WIDA. Based off of their WIDA score, we identify students who have learning needs. We don't have a sheltered EL classroom, so students are placed in homeroom classes and receive continual support from myself and the support staff #ellchat
A3: Most have parents who speak Spanish so that’s an immediate notification to me of potential ELL. I recom. placement for all ELLs in my district based on who I want together, etc. #ELLCHAT
A3) Another thing that differs among school districts is who does the testing? In smaller district it could be the ESL staff and in larger districts it could be people hired just for that purpose. #ELLCHAT
If by waiver you are referring to parents' right to refuse ESL services, that's correct. We are required to revisit the issue annually and get a newly signed waiver if they want to continue refusing services. #ELLChat
That's why effective screening practices are so important for new students! It's never going to identify 100% of the students that need support, but the more we can do at the start of enrollment the better. #ellchat
In reply to
@MariaZampano, @MrsSaid17, @judiehaynes
A3: Every family fills our a home language survey. Then we give them the IPT test. We are in our 3rd week of school. I am still finding students that are wrongly placed & I know I’m part of that problem. #ELLCHAT
A3: Home language survey (example pic) identifies who needs to be screened & Ss who qualify are placed into appropriate program/services based on individual needs/teacher observations & other assessments #ELLCHAT
A3) We identify ELLs with primary home language surveys. If another language is spoken in the home, we administer the WIDA screener to assess language ability. #ELLChat
A3 But, Tanya - don’t you find many families who speak other languages don’t fully understand the questions on the survey? or they don’t want to identify their child’s home language, so they say “English”? #ELLCHAT
A3) We identify ELLs with primary home language surveys. If another language is spoken in the home, we administer the WIDA screener to assess language ability. #ELLChat
I checked with ISBE to see if we should have parents sign yearly and they said it’s not required. Regardless, we send the PR home yearly to remind parents they have the option to opt in or out #ELLChat
We do not have a problem with parents understanding the form. It's a very simple 3 question form. We do have the issue where parents simply do not want their child to have ELL services. I respect their wishes. #ELLChat
I'm noticing a lot of schools use home language surveys. How are these provided? Are they done via paper trail or electronically? Are they provided in English or in multiple languages? In what ways have they been successful / accurate in identifying student needs? #ellchat
That’s a great question. The best way to get parents to fill it out is to include it as part of the registration process when they’re enrolling their child. The picture is from ISBE, you can take the 2 questions & include them in one of the registration forms #ELLChat
A2 I was referring to districts that find reasons why they don’t have to offer the number of languages, or the number of hours of support that their state requires - such as low numbers of certain languages, or limited space, or not able to hire enough ESL tchrs #ELLCHAT
If by waiver you are referring to parents' right to refuse ESL services, that's correct. We are required to revisit the issue annually and get a newly signed waiver if they want to continue refusing services. #ELLChat
We do not have a problem with parents understanding the form. It's a very simple 3 question form. We do have the issue where parents simply do not want their child to have ELL services. I respect their wishes. #ELLChat
A3 - also, what if families do not want their child to have ELL services because they don’t really understand how they work or how they will benefit their child? #ELLCHAT
We do not have a problem with parents understanding the form. It's a very simple 3 question form. We do have the issue where parents simply do not want their child to have ELL services. I respect their wishes. #ELLChat
A4: #ellchat making families feel welcomed is VERY important. they are already in a strange place with a different language and culture. I try to go out of my way to ensure they understand as much as possible and to simplify things as much as I can.
A2 In #earlyed it is considered necessary go beyond a written survey to understand the language background, experiences, and needs of young children. We need to know more to help each child #ELLCHAT
I have run into this problem before as well. Also, screening is sometimes not always an accurate measure of student performance in the classroom. #ellchat
A4: Greet them or learn a word in their language, have signs/banners posted in their language, host EL/culture events, be welcoming/resourceful #ELLCHAT
A2)Challenges that ELs face at the upper levels is credit for education in their home countries. Having the opportunity to take electives, because they are doubled-up on English courses. :( ELs deserve to get to take the fun classes that lower the drop out rates of Ss. #ELLCHAT
I have run into this problem before as well. Also, screening is sometimes not always an accurate measure of student performance in the classroom. #ellchat
Most of our student population speaks Spanish or Arabic. We have a translator on staff. Our school district provides translators as well to eliminate confusion. #ELLChat
A4: We create a welcoming environment for students, but we could definitely find better ways to welcome parents as well. One thing we do is provide campus tours of classrooms and teachers so parents and students can become acquainted with their new environment. #ellchat
A4 I will be connecting with parents via @TalkingPointsEd . It has helped me establish communication with families unlike ever before. A parent has already initiated contact with me to ask about her child's schedule. #ELLCHAT
A3: It can be challenging to explain when they say the student doesn't even speak the home language. I focus on exposure to another language as a reason they might qualify for ESL. #ELLchat
I schedule a meeting with the parents first so that I can explain the benefits. If they still refuse services, I respect their wishes. This is very rare though. #ELLChat
It's an app that translates your message in multiple languages. Your phone number is kept confidential, but there is two way communication. Check it out https://t.co/bjyDcMRrlF#ELLCHAT
A4 Pt 1: Several levels of welcoming Ss & families. It begins at registration at District Office to interactions at building level down to classroom & response from other students. #ELLChat
In NJ, you don't need permission to give the screener. After the screener is done, parents need to give permission to have their child in ESL. #ELLCHAT
A3)TX has very specific identifying criteria in law (theory), but in practice what districts/campuses may differ from requirement due to misunderstanding of the law. Unfortunately what is monitored is implemented. #ELLCHAT
A3 Oh. That takes a lot of time but I think it is a good practice. Some schools just send home language surveys in English only and use whatever they get back to make high-stakes decisions about young students! #ELLCHat
I schedule a meeting with the parents first so that I can explain the benefits. If they still refuse services, I respect their wishes. This is very rare though. #ELLChat
A5 I know some Head Start programs send scrapbooking materials home so the families can make a book about their child. This celebrates every individual and gets the families involved right from the start. #ELLCHAT
A5: At high school, I asked students to interview each other. With sentence frames for support, they then introduced their partners to the class. #ELLChat
A4 I also agree with the idea of decorating the entrance and hallways to welcome all children and families. For young children like preK and K it would probably not be flags but try for something more relatable to little kids. #ELLCHAT
A4) In "identifying" situation if you can get translators it is helpful. Also ensuring that all of your campuses follow the same replicable, transparent process is reassuring and then when things go wrong it is the "process' at fault not the person. #ELLCHAT
Q5 - One beginning day activity is to have students choose the shape they like best ( circle, square, or triangle). Then, students join groups and explain to each other why they chose that particular shape. This isa good icebreaker and gets students talking immediately.
#ellchat
A5 make sure activities are relevant to ELs. If you ask ELs students what their favorite baseball is, they may not have one as soccer is the most popular sport amongst ELs. Choose 2 fútbol teams instead: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona #ELLCHat
I think a beginning of the year activity should be one that helps teachers get to know students and students to get to know each other. Interviewing each other as mentioned by @HSeslteacher is an example. #ELLCHAT
A5 make sure activities are relevant to ELs. If you ask ELs students what their favorite baseball team is, they may not have one as soccer is the most popular sport amongst ELs. Choose 2 fútbol teams instead: Real Madrid vs. Barcelona #ELLCHat
A5) Scavenger hunts, whether electronic or on paper are great icebreakers and provide the chance for listening, speaking, reading and writing in a low-stress environment. Everyone can particpate in a scavenger hunt. #ELLCHAT
I think some teachers assume students are "too old" for MM, but in upper grades building community and friendships are just as important (and even more important in some ways) as they are in the younger grades. #ellchat
I got to participate in morning meeting at our new teacher days this year, and it was great for getting to know other adults! S/O to @nmcoronado & @OndersD who facilitated. #ELLChat
In reply to
@kruu_justin, @judiehaynes, @nmcoronado, @OndersD
I have run into this problem before as well. Also, screening is sometimes not always an accurate measure of student performance in the classroom. #ellchat
I got to participate in morning meeting at our new teacher days this year, and it was great for getting to know other adults! S/O to @nmcoronado & @OndersD who facilitated. #ELLChat
In reply to
@kruu_justin, @judiehaynes, @nmcoronado, @OndersD
A5 Adding things to the decor of the classroom that children make or bring from home makes the classroom their own. A lot of experts in #earlyed suggest starting the year with a nearly bare classroom so you can work with children to fill it up #ELLCHAT
I agree with this. Many teachers spend weeks during the summer setting up their room. I think it's important to have students decide what they want to hang on the walls. #ELLCHAT
A5 Adding things to the decor of the classroom that children make or bring from home makes the classroom their own. A lot of experts in #earlyed suggest starting the year with a nearly bare classroom so you can work with children to fill it up #ELLCHAT
A full classroom on Day 1 can be over stimulating! I've always had the basics set up: library, schedule, warmly colored bulletin boards, and supplies. The rest the kids can do! #ellchat
A5) What always works for me is this: I tell my kids that I will teach them English and they can teach me Spanish and/or Arabic. They love this because I am acknowledging and respecting their culture. #ELLChat
