If we teach all, we can reach all
In our classrooms, 100% of our students are language learners.
Some language learners are just monolingual.
Some language learners are just monolingual.
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Elevating the Status of Other Languages in our Schools & Classrooms
Remember to share this topic in action by utilizing #WeAreD34 on social media or by emailing Carly @ [email protected] This month's strategy is: ELEVATING THE STATUS OF OTHER LANGUAGES IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS Why is this important? Link to Carly's Blog Take a Language Inventory of your School: Click Here Take a Language Inventory of your Classroom: Click Here Article from ChildCare Quarterly http://www.childcarequarterly.com/pdf/spring10_diversity.pdf Primary
*Westbrook has done morning announcements that are student-led. They feature a way to say hello in the language of the student speaking. Everyone at school can practice learning how to greet each other in another language! *Henking EL teacher Natalie Ceprnich recommends that teachers utilize United for Literacy's website to access e-texts that are accessible in many languages! www.uniteforliteracy.com/unite/community/book?BookId=107 *Martha Gale, Henking social worker, leads Henking's Foundations Leadership Team. She writes, "Henking values and cultivates it's richly diverse population. Posting our CHAMPS behavioral expectations and monthly targets in English and Spanish communicates to our students and families we are a bilingual building supporting the needs of all of our students. " Intermediate *Spanish speaking staff members intentionally try to speak Spanish socially in front of students. This naturally elevates the status of Spanish by making it more visible and more common in the school. *Fourth grade Teacher Andrew Roy at Glen Grove incorporates native languages into his instruction by using his own linguistic assets in English/Spanish by clarifying directions for students. He also sends notes home in English/Spanish as needed! *Fourth grade Teacher Eva Margolis at Glen Grove incorporates native languages into her instruction by utilizing her linguistic assets of being bilingual in English/Polish. She writes weekly notes home in English/Polish, does her report cards and progress reports in two languages, and translates her own conferences. *When there are morning or afternoon announcements, Hoffman chooses to lead these in both English and Spanish. Vicky Camilo of Hoffman shares: "Announcements in both English and Spanish help set a tone for students at the end of the day. It helps students become aware that we have a diverse population. These sorts of announcements build a sense of community and unity. Students that perhaps would not understand the messages being said in English benefit from this dual language announcement as a bridge to guide them to where they are supposed to go while learning a new language during the day. Two language announcements get the students' attention in order to understand what is happening and it gives the students that tool to help one another." |
Strategy in Action
Henking EL teachers Melissa Hogendorp and Michele Fecarotta read this book at the beginning of each school year called My Name is Yoon. In this text, readers learn about a little girl who moved to Korea and is adjusting to school in the US. Fecarotta and Hogendorp discuss the ways the English and Korean alphabet differ, and then they encourage students to tell the story using Korean words!
Henking EL teachers Melissa Hogendorp and Michele Fecarotta will have students complete a Getting to Know You activity after reading the above text. Students will then share more about their native language and their country!
Lyon EL Teacher Marni Hanson utilizes a book called Say Hello by Rachel Isadora with her students. This is a story about how to say hello in nine different languages. She practices each one with students and encourages them to greet each other in the hallways in a different language! Mrs. Hanson also visits all of the first grade classrooms to introduce herself to all students, and explains what a gift it is to know more than one language!
Lyon EL Teacher Marni Hanson keeps this display, along with the book Say Hello by Rachel Isadora, hanging in her classroom as a visual reminder of how to say hello. Each time a student enters her classroom, they are encouraged to say hello in a different language. How empowering!
Julie Barad, Hoffman EL teacher, gave students the opportunity to write letters to someone in students' native countries. Students utilized their native language, and it made for such a powerful moment when students were able to use their linguistic assets in a way that made them feel more connected to their friends and family!
Westbrook EL/Bilingual Teacher Tracy Sohn leads a monolingual class in a lesson about languages. Here she teaches about similar sounds in the English and Korean alphabet.
Tracy Sohn teaches a monolingual kindergarten class about Hangul Day, which is a day to celebrate the creator of the Korean language.
4th Grade teacher Matt Vitacco uses the UCSMP Home Links in both English and Spanish for the bilingual students who are in Advanced Math.
Hoffman Drama Teacher Kristen Cone has a representation of cognates in her drama classroom. This highlights the English and Spanish words most commonly represented within the drama curriculum or used in her instructional language.
The Hoffman EL team keeps a running list of Cognates in English along with the languages represented by their linguistically diverse students.
The Hoffman EL Team keeps a running list of cognates in English and Mongolian to support students!
The Hoffman EL Team has a running list of English/Swedish cognates to support students in their learning.
The Hoffman EL Team has cognates of Malayalam and English posted on their wall. Students can add to it throughout the week!
Check out these cognates in Ukranian and English!
Maria Muñoz, 3rd grade bilingual teacher at Hoffman, shares her students' linguistic assets with a bulletin board in Spanish outside of her classroom.
Hoffman Foundations Team members posted their Voice Expectations in two languages and posted them throughout the school. Note that the poster size, font, and visuals are the same for both posters!
Hoffman School has several permanent posters of the Golden Rule in English and Spanish. They are posted throughout the building.
Hoffman Health Coordinator placed these health signs about Covering Your Cough in English and Spanish throughout the school. These were available for a free download from a federal health organization!
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