|
|
|
English Language Leaners and New Immigrant Students: Solutions #3 |
|
|
|
ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS AND
NEW IMMIGRANT STUDENTS: SOLUTIONS #3
Instructional Tools, Strategies, and Opportunities
New in June 2009
This section is not confined to products that show evidence of effects, but links to such evidence are included if available.
Titles are presented in alphabetical order.
Academic Support Program for English Language Arts: Grades 9-12
Walch Publishing, Portland, Maine.
Based on standards of the International Reading Association and National Council of Teachers of English, this product combines instructional strategies with test preparation. It is a complete program that provides flexible lessons that are designed for application in after-school, tutoring, summer school, and other targeted intervention settings. It includes over 80 hours of instruction to be used sequentially or according to student needs and covers topics such as vocabulary in context, main idea, drawing conclusions, poetry, writing essays, and more.” Strategies for direct instruction, differentiated approaches, alternative assessments, and extending learning are included.
For purchase
Arthur: A Book-Based Educational TV Program For Children Aged 4-8 Plus a Companion Website
WBGH Boston and Cookie Jar Education Inc, New York City.
“Arthur is an animated series that airs daily on PBS Kids. Aimed at viewers between the ages of four and eight, Arthur's goal is to help foster an interest in reading and writing, and to encourage positive social skills . . . The series is supported by a substantial educational outreach campaign that develops relevant materials (including resources, lesson plans, and activities), and distributes them to librarians, teachers, community centers, and families. The series is also supported by a popular web site that features entertaining and educational activities for use at and away from the computer.” The What Works Clearinghouse reports a study of Arthur that met its evidence standards. “This study, which included 108 kindergarten Spanish-speaking English language learners from six schools in a large urban district on the East Coast, assessed students based on narrative skill in English. . . . Arthur was found to have potentially positive effects on English language development.”
Home page
What Works Clearinghouse report
Conversation Bilingual Board Books: For Adult-Child Interaction
Kaplan Early Learning Company, Lewisville, North Carolina.
“These bilingual books are designed to help young children learn to talk and to get ready to read. First children look and listen. Then they touch and point. Then they name and talk about the pictures they see on the page. Later, they will read words from the page.” The titles are (a) Finding Toys: Encontrando Juguetes; (b) Look What We Can Do: Mira lo que Podemos Hacer; and (c) Getting Dressed: Vistiendose. A classroom manual is also available.
For purchase
Ellis Academic: English Language Learning
Pearson Digital Learning, Scottsdale, Arizona.
“ELLIS Academic’s lesson modules are deployed via the Internet. Students and instructors can work at Internet-connected computers any time, any place. Students (and teachers) have the flexibility to work English language learning into their schedules. . . . The program combines digital audio and video, voice recording, role-play and native language support to encourage and reward interaction. ELLIS Academic lessons are self-paced and on-demand. Practice opportunities offer immediate feedback and results measurement. For easy tracking of performance and progress, both assessment and reporting are embedded. The Watch-Learn-Practice-Play/Perform methodology is intuitive and present across all learning objectives. Students easily gain proficiency with the interface whether they are working with real-life situation videos or Practice and Expression role play activities. The consistent methodology allows students to maintain their focus on progress in acquiring English.”
For purchase
ESL Games and Classroom Activities
Lumina Press, Tamarac, Florida. L. Gorea
This is “a collection of reproducible and ready-to-use exercises for English as a Second Language students of all ages. They are some of the many efficient exercises the author created and used during her career as an ESL teacher. Activities in this book are intended to get students to take initiative and be more involved in the classroom. The collection of 80 activities covers a wide variety of topics in language areas such as Spelling, Grammar, Writing, Speaking and Listening, Vocabulary and Word Structure, and Pronunciation. Exercises in this book include Vocabulary, Icebreakers, Discussions, Grammar, Word Order, Role-playing, Socializing, Fill in the Blanks, Classifying, Word Matching, Journal Writing, Games, Peer Interviewing, Rhyming Words, Storytelling, Writing Topics, Spelling, Vowels, Consonants, Clustering, Oral Presentations, Word Association, Proverbs, Suffixes and Prefixes, On the Map, and many more.”
For purchase
Imagine Learning English
Imagine Learning, Provo, Utah.
“Imagine Learning English is “a computer-based instructional program, teaches children English and develops their literacy skills. . . Students receive one-on-one instruction through hundreds of engaging activities specifically designed to meet their individual needs, so they progress quickly. . . . (It is suitable) for English language learners, struggling readers, special education students, preschool children, and after-school programs. . . . Features include (a) language support customized to each student; (b) reports that are easy to read and document student progress; (c) academic language – students learn vocabulary for success in school.
For purchase – Click at the left for a demo & details
Integración o inclusión de niños con discapacidades en programas regulares
de educación
(Integration of Children with Disabilities in General Education).
Center for Child and Human Development, Georgetown University,
Washington DC. (2004). J. Bustos.
“Una de las grandes metas silenciosas o expresadas de los padres de niños con discapacidades es la inclusión de sus niños en el ambiente social en que viven.
This paper is intended to provide information to Spanish-reading families on the integration of children with disabilities in regular or mainstream education. It includes case examples.”
Full text en Espanol
International Education and Resource Network (iEARN):
An Opportunity for Students
iEARN-USA, New York City, and coordinators in countries of North America, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.
“iEARN is a non-profit organization made up of over 20,000 schools in more than 115 countries. iEARN empowers teachers and young people to work together online using the Internet and other new communications technologies. Over 1,000,000 students each day are engaged in collaborative project work worldwide. iEARN is (a) an inclusive and culturally diverse community; (b) a safe and structured environment in which young people can communicate; (c) an opportunity to apply knowledge in service-learning projects; and (d) a community of educators and learners making a difference as part of the educational process.” Individual teacher memberships and school memberships are available.
Home page
Language First! ® Program: Grades K-5
Leapfrog Enterprises Inc, Emeryville, California.
“This supplemental English language development program builds vocabulary and knowledge of key language structures. It offers (a) 36 theme-based interactive activity books at four levels of English language proficiency; (b) delivers native language audio support in six languages (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Hmong); (c) exposes students to more than 2,500 essential vocabulary words; (d) features nine universal themes; and (e) assesses and places students.”
Overview and purchase information
To access a third-party research report
Look, Listen, and Speak: Grades K-3
Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, Monterey, California.
“These theme-based units combine an interactive computer program with print support to build vocabulary and concepts for young English language learners. The CD-ROM features an audible E-poster; audible storybook, chant and song; and three electronic games.” Also see other English language learner titles on this page.
For purchase
My Turn, Your Turn
Success for All Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland.
“My Turn, Your Turn is an English-language-development program for students who speak other languages at home. It is designed to help English language learners quickly acquire the skills they need to use English in social and cultural contexts with their native English-speaking peers. Students will use new words and phrases in daily interaction with partners and teams so they can practice using English in authentic ways. The audio CDs expose students to different voices, accents, and speech patterns through dialogue, songs, chants, and rhymes. Teachers can use student assessments at any time to quickly and easily gauge student progress. The Start-Up Kit includes: (a) a two-volume set of teacher’s manuals; (b) a two-volume set of student workbooks (25 copies of each); (c) a boxed set of more than 150 full-color picture cards; (d) interactive audio CDs; and (e) talking sticks for cooperative learning activities.”
For purchase
Online Modules and Materials: Inclusive Education -- Materiales de la IRIS Center
IRIS Center for Training Enhancements,
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee.
Funded by the federal Office of Special Education Programs, the IRIS Center is a national center that aims to provide high-quality resources for college and university faculty and professional development providers about students with disabilities in inclusive settings. IRIS seeks to obtain this goal by providing free, online, interactive training enhancements that translate research about the education of students with disabilities into practice. IRIS modules incorporate the award winning StarLegacy model which integrates a problem-solving approach that is initiated with a challenge for students to resolve. Modules on many subjects/skills are accessible at this site. Case studies, an online dictionary, and other resources are also offered.
IRIS Center home page
Resources – Click at the left for all modules and materials.
Recursos en Espanol
Paso Partners -- Integrating Mathematics, Science, and Language:
Lesson Plans (Elementary Grades)
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, Austin, Texas.
This “is a two-volume curriculum and resources guide developed by Paso Partners -- a partnership of three public schools, an institution of higher education, and Southwest Educational Development Laboratory specialists. The resource is designed to help elementary school teachers organize their classrooms and instructional activities in order to increase achievement of Hispanic primary-grade children whose first language is not English. The guide offers a curriculum plan, instructional strategies and activities, suggested teacher and student materials, and assessment procedures. . . . Accompanying each complete unit in English is a Spanish version of background information for the teacher, as well as a Spanish version of the formal introductory portion of the lesson cycle.”
To download all units
PLATO ® Language Arts Courseware for English Language Learners: Todos a leer con PLATO® Achieve Now (Elementary Grades)
PLATO Learning Inc, Bloomington, Minnesota.
“Todos a leer con PLATO ® Achieve Now is a scientifically research-based program with materials in Spanish designed to develop emergent literacy, reading comprehension, and vocabulary skills. The curriculum contains interactive activities on the Vamos a explorar, El patio de abuela CD, with animations, graphics, art, music, stories and characters that incorporate Spanish culture. Students read along with the narrator and listen to guided reading strategies. . . . The Rosetta Stone Language® Library replicates the natural learning that occurs when one's native language is acquired. Words become associated with objects and ideas because they are introduced in an immersion context where meaning is clear and reinforcement is immediate. Students work exclusively in the language being learned.” For purchase.
Overview of Todos a leer con PLATO®.
Rosetta Stone Language Library
PLATO ® Math Courseware for English Language Learners: Several Grade Levels
PLATO Learning Inc, Bloomington, Minnesota.
“PLATO ® Math Fundamentals—Spanish is a beginning math curriculum designed to provide Spanish language-based instruction in numbers and operation, through geometry and measurement. Problem-solving strategies are embedded across the curriculum giving Spanish-speaking students exposure to real-life problems and solutions. (For Spanish-speaking middle, high school and adult learners; skills typically taught in grades 1-8.) PLATO® Beginning Algebra-Spanish provides Spanish-speaking students with instruction and application exercises on sets and numbers, polynomials and factoring, and math sentences. (For Spanish-speaking middle, high school, and adult learner; skills typically taught in grades 6-8) For purchase.
PLATO® Math Fundamentals
PLATO® Beginning Algebra-Spanish
Recursos de Alfabeto Para La Lectoescritura a Temprana Edad
Pearson Education, Lebanon, Indiana
“This is a collection of alphabet books, letter books, and magnetic letters that help Spanish-speakers recognize letters, understand alphabetical order, learn key words, and master the alphabet. Magnetic letters include Spanish accent marks. These materials help Spanish speakers master the alphabet with bright illustrations and photographs, and provide manipulatives for hands-on interactions.”
For purchase
Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE):
Instructor Self-Check
Norm Gold Associates, Sacramento, California.
“This tool helps teachers reflect on the extent to which they use Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English -- strategies appropriate for English learners. The checklist should be filled out by individual teachers to indicate how often they use the listed features. Then, take some time to reflect on these features with a peer, in grade-level or departmental meetings, or with an administrator.” Freely available.
To download the Self-Check
The Help!Kit: A Resource Guide for Secondary Teachers of Migrant English Language Learners
ESCORT, State University College at Oneonta, New York.
This “Help! Kit is a comprehensive resource guide that provides helpful information to teachers who are seeking practical, research-based advice on how they can more effectively teach, evaluate, and nurture their limited English proficient (LEP) migrant students. . . . Most of the strategies promoted are ones that are characteristic of good teaching and will benefit all students, not just English language learners. The secondary Help! Kit (divided into 12 chapters) is designed to: (a) provide mainstream teachers with instructional strategies and resources that will benefit all LEP migrant students, but can also assist them with other students who have varying levels of English proficiency and learning styles; (b) introduce research-based teaching strategies that focus on the key content areas of language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science; (c) provide cultural information to help teachers better understand and appreciate migrant students and their families; (d) offer suggestions on how to encourage migrant parents, extended family members, peers, mentors and other significant individuals to play an active role in promoting educational excellence; (e) identify fundamental as well as alternative methods to monitor the progress of and evaluate migrant LEP students; (f) provide current resources and references teachers can use to pursue more fully areas of interest covered in the Help! Kit; (g) highlight approaches and types of programming that have proven successful in helping migrant students to graduate; (h) feature creative uses of technology that help maintain instructional and curricular continuity; and (i) suggest options such as scholarships and financial aid that help to make continuing education beyond high school a possibility.”
To download in full text or by chapter – Scroll down.
Also see Help! Kit for PreK-6 – Full text.
And Help! Kit for Teachers of Young Adults – Full text.
This information is an attempt to gather wide-ranging information in one place, to convey what others have accomplished, and to make valuable resources readily accessible. Information is presented in the language of the developer, publisher, distributor, or author. The Southeast Regional Resource Center has no ownership of anything described in this library.
Readers should review the copyright and distribution policies shown at the websites of the sources. SERRC is not the source of any document in this library, but simply conveys information to show the availability of these resources.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position of policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no endorsement of the U.S. Department of Education should be inferred. Information from sources funded by the U.S. Department of Education is likely to have been vetted by the Department; information from other sources is unlikely to have been vetted.
|
|
Last Updated ( Wednesday, 03 June 2009 )
|
|
|
