Stretching Vocabulary of Interactions with Grade 1 by Using the "10 Most Important Words" CALP Strategy

This week in Grade 1, the EAL teachers team taught with Ms. Rachelle in order to help students begin to build meaning related to the vocabulary of the current unit of inquiry with the central idea of "Being aware of how we interact with people can help us make good choices for ourselves and others."

Now at the beginning of each unit, homeroom teachers and EAL teachers try to come up with a list of vocabulary, language purposes, and possible strategies we can use to help students develop understanding of the meaning of this vocabulary. We also use an app called Bitsboard on iPads to develop activities involving visual, audio, and textual information that for the most part students can use to explore this vocabulary during independent station activities.

Graphic Organiser by Chad Manis www.DailyTeachingTools.com

In addition, during this unit, some teachers have elected to ask students to prethink what they believe the 10 most important words of the unit will be.  The 10 most important words strategy is a valuable tool which can be used at various points of the inquiry process. It can be used, as in this unit, as a tool to show how students are accumulating growing understandings of important vocabulary, especially if students' statements about which vocabulary is important keep being revisited.

As part of using this strategy, the EAL teacher and homeroom teacher led a discussion about the word "Interactions" to show students how we wanted them to think of the different words they had been hearing and seeing in the past three weeks. Students were then asked to think of more words that they could remember or think of that they thought we might encounter as we inquire further.

Students then worked with partners to fill up their lists, while practicing English for the purpose of agreeing and disagreeing. In the next lesson, the homeroom teacher and the EAL teacher then discussed key sentence frames necessary for the purpose of EXPLAINING. After asking students to explain WHY they had written certain words, we highlighted how their responses almost universally began with "Because...". We wrote sentence frames on the board:

We think this word is important BECAUSE...
This word is important BECAUSE...

Students then reunited with their partners and wrote an explanation of their thinking behind some of their assertions.

This learning engagement really helped us understand how students are taking on the language of the unit. It showed us that their lexical knowledge is currently quite basic, limited to common terms used in the classroom such as: sharing, playing, swimming, respect, etc. We know as a team that we must create further materials to help students take on more complex words like: cooperation, complimenting, conflict, conflict resolution, etc.

In completing this lesson, I also decided to do a bit of research on this strategy and other ways in which it is used.

I found out that the 10 most important words strategy can also be a useful tool for checking the comprehension of more proficient students as they read through texts related to inquiry topics, as can be seen in the presentation below.

Using "Think Puzzle Explore" and Sorting to Help EAL Students Become Better Writers in Grade 2

In the EAL Grade 2 class this week, in anticipation that many of our language learners would be writing emotions poems at some point in the next week, we began to inquire into the following question:

"How do good writers make their writing more interesting?"

After positing this question, Ms. Mom, Ms. Boramey and I immediately divided the students into three groups in order to go through a Visible Thinking Routine with the children entitled Think Puzzle Explore.

In working through this thinking routine, students were asked to write down what they already thought they knew about the answer to our question and what puzzled them about the question. We then, as a group came up with ideas on how we could explore finding answers to this question. As you can see below, student groups came up with many ideas on what good writers needed to do. In the larger class group, we zoomed in on one students assertion that good writers added lots of details. Other students then asked questions like:

• How did good writers add details? 
• How did they write so fast? 
• How did they write so much?

We then devised lessons which we hoped would give students more proficiency with language tools that would allow them to quickly add more details to their writing, mainly be making it more descriptive. Our goal was also to give them ideas for improving as writers that would transfer to work they were doing in homerooms related to writing poems about emotions. We decided that students would benefit from doing a bit of work with interesting adjectives and prepositions of place that they could use in describing while writing.

First, we created a Mix activity, in which we gave students either a describing word (adjective) or a thing (noun) on a piece of paper. We echo read all the words as a class and then asked students to circulate around the room reading out loud, sharing, and exchanging their words with each other for about 3 minutes in order to expose students to a variety of language with which they might not already be familiar. We then asked students to stop, and make a guess as to whether their word was a noun, something you could touch, take or draw a picture of, and/or see/hear/taste/feel/smell. We then asked students to come stick their words under the heading of NOUN (Thing) or ADJECTIVE (Describing word). This produced many interesting results which made us as teachers aware that students were very confused as to not only adjective forms and endings, but what actually constitutes "a thing". As teachers, we decided students would need to do a little more exploration of these concepts.

The next lesson, we had students refocus on the fact that we were learning ways to make our writing more interesting, and were really going to concentrate today on building up some knowledge of words that could be used to describe how something tastes, looks, sounds, smells, and feels. Students again mixed and exchanged words, this time only adjectives, before going to meet with a teacher who shared a number from 1-3 that students found on their individual words. In these three groups, students and teachers classified words based on which of the five senses they helped describe, and then we shared our sorts with the class.

Next steps? Now to link it all up! Next week students will do a partner sort at their desk, matching appropriate adjectives of taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound to relevant nouns before completing an exit ticket or drafting and revising poems that are extensions of what students are writing in their homerooms! Students will also engage in a writing/treasure hunt activity to give them practice with identifying location.

Supporting Writing Through Scaffolds and the Writing Process and Reading Through Teaching Cognitive Academic Language in Grade 2

It was a busy week with assemblies, Back-to-School Night, and meetings but Ms. Mom and I managed to provide our Grade 2 EAL students (and homeroom students in general) with the following learning engagements this week:

On Monday, we jumped right into a Finding Out research/reading/viewing series of lessons in which students learned about how the amount of sleep they need compares to the amount of sleep needed by various animals. Us EAL teachers saw this as an opportunity to practice speaking and using English for the language purpose of "comparing". As such, Mom and I modelled having different amounts of paintbrushes and asked students to compare using the key sentence frames of:

(Name) has more/less (paintbrushes) than (Name).

We then each pretended to sleep and wake up after different amounts of time and transferred this comparison language to:

(Name) gets more/less (sleep) than (Name).

Students practiced saying these model sentences in various formats and we wrote them onto our small instructional whiteboard so that they would be visible throughout the instruction.

We then analysed an information gathering graphic organiser and it's accompanying text together that we would use while viewing a slideshow on iPads about sleep on Kids Health.org. We used this graphic organiser both to teach the terms "table", "columns", and "rows" and as a device to preview the information students would find on the slideshow. We previewed this information by asking students to make predictions as to whether they thought animals got more or less sleep than they themselves did. We discussed how we were going to view a slideshow to see if our predictions were correct.

On Tuesday, these students then viewed the slideshow and were able to orally discuss the comparisons of sleep amounts in full sentences. Students also began to discuss whose final responsibility it was to get the recommended amount of sleep, 10 - 11 hours, THEIR OWN! They also discussed reasons why it was important to get this amount of sleep.

In another grade 2 class, as an EAL team, we created scaffolds for all students to help them draft a poem about an emotion of their choice in an effort to help them understand these emotions and how they might affect our senses of wellbeing. Together with the homeroom teacher. we modelled use of this scaffold, also taking the opportunity to introduce the concept of the writing process.

We discussed how we had done some prewriting together, coming up with ideas for different emotions, and that now we were going to draft. Students drafted, at times being supported and encouraged to think deeper by the homeroom teacher, Ms. Mom, and myself. Afterwards, students shared with a buddy, and some students volunteered to share their work on the carpet. Tagging on to this, the homeroom teacher and I asked, "As good writers, are we finished with these poems?" Students answered no and we affirmed that tomorrow we were going to learn one way that good writers can revise their work, by getting feedback from peers!

The next morning, as a team, the homeroom teacher and I introduced students to the concept of peer conferencing as a way to gain ideas for revision. One method of peer conferencing that we conceived of, which also ties into teaching students to inquire, involves asking each other questions about our writing. We first asked students to remind us of the question words that would give us the most information. We listed these on the whiteboard for student reference. I then modelled coming up with questions that came to mind when I read the first draft of the homeroom teacher's emotion poem that she had modelled writing yesterday. I wrote these questions down on sticky notes, which I then stuck at the appropriate places in her poem. She in turn modelled adding to her poem, based on information I requested on the stickies.

We then paired students together and asked them to do the same thing! Students loved reading each other's poems and asking questions. In this lesson many students also began the process of revision by adding the requested information.

In later lessons, as a team, we planned to have students revise for sentence variety as well, by asking students to try and think of adjectives related to sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch in favour of sentences discussing how an emotion was "like" an object.

We also plan to help our EAL students and all writers in the class to make connections between the writing cycle and a growth mindset, the idea behind our current unit of inquiry being that "Our choices and mindset affect our personal wellbeing." We want students to understand that good writers believe in growth. They believe that through seeking feedback, revising, and changing what they have written in first drafts they create more satisfying and communicative pieces.

Week 2 in Review - Introducing, Practicing, and Extending Basic School Language and Interactions in EAL Grade 2 (During Foreign Language Times)

It has been another exciting week in EAL during Foreign Language times slots this week as we have wrapped up our introduction lessons intended to help build our community of learners, make newcomers feel welcome, and make sure that all students have some utility with discussing classroom and school items, school places, and behaviours we need to exhibit in class to learn well together.

After a quick teacher scribed and led discussion about what it means to respect each other on Monday, students began to try to answer these questions:

What things do we need in the classroom and school to help us learn? Where can we find them? 
What places are in our school? What things do we do at these places to help us learn? 

Students first wrote down the names of different classroom items on scrap paper, engaging in a learning strategy known as "Mix and Match". As teachers, we noticed that students seemed to only write down, discuss, and be familiar with a limited amount of classroom items. We therefore devised a second activity where in three groups, students played "Headbands" in which they helped describe a school item to a student wearing a photograph of the item on his or her head.

"Family playing the headbands game" Photo by Lars Plougmann https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Next this week, students pooled their knowledge while working with their "12 o'clock buddies" in order to describe places around our school during a learning activity entitled "Roving Charts". With their buddies, students rotated around pictures of various places at our school. At each picture, they had to try to answer the following questions with words, phrases, or sentences:

Where is this place?
What do you see in this place?
What words describe this place?
What can we learn to do at this place?

Here is the information they came up with:

Students then practiced listening to the names of various places by playing a game called "Go to the..." in which individual and groups of students were "sent" to various "places around the school" in the form of signs hung up at different places in the classroom. Then in three groups, students practiced "sending" each other to these different places, sometimes by naming the place, other times by describing the place.

As part of a future game when we have ten minutes, we may reinforce basic descriptions and names of places around the school by playing "I have...who has...?" involving these places.

All of these early language activities involving discussing and describing various people, items, and places in the children's learning environment allowed them to practice using English for the purpose of informing.

Next week, we begin to dive into language related to the students' current unit of inquiry.

Building a Community of Learners in Grade 2 EAL Classes

A student shares his group's ideas for our Essential Agreements

Some of our Grade 2 students attend English as an Additional Language classes during the times that other students attend Foreign Language classes. In these classes, students will engage in language experiences that deepen their understandings of concepts related to their units of inquiry and literacy lessons. These classes are taught by myself and two of our very capable EAL teaching assistants, Ms. Mom Meach and Ms. Boramey Bun.

However, as in all types of classes, students spend a few lessons getting to know each other and collaborating on a variety of projects in order to build what we refer to as a community of learners. As part of this first week's classes students created informative "ID Cards" that they wear in class to help other students remember their names and find commonalities. As part of a lesson we introduced with the question, "How do we get to know each other?" students completed key sentence frames that they could refer to as they circulated around the class introducing themselves and listening to information about their peers. 

Students also worked in groups to think about, discuss, and scribe rules that they thought we should live by in order to make sure our classroom is a good place to learn. Altogether, students came up with the following Essential Agreements:

Clean up after ourselves!
Give friends a chance to speak.
Take care of books.
Listen to the teacher and others.
Help each other.We respect each other.
If we want to talk, we should raise our hands.
We are allowed to run outside with permission [but should walk in the class].
We should do good work.

A student demonstrates how to make eye contact while reading... 

Moments from class!

Welcome to 2016 - 17 with Mr. Jon Banules, Grade 1-2 IB PYP EAL Teacher!

Welcome to parents of Grade 1 and 2 students who are learning English!

If you are reading this, it is likely that your child is getting some extra help for his or her learning of English with an EAL (English as an Additional Language) specialist teacher. At ISPP, we support English language learning inside and outside of the homeroom class in many ways.

What does this English language support look like for a grade 1 EAL student?

In grade 1, your child will be supported by an EAL team consisting of me, Mr. Jon Banules, my teaching assistant, Ms. Mom Meach, another EAL teacher from our team, Ms. Tatiana Stadnitski, and her teaching assistant, Ms. Boramey Bun. At this level, we primarily work with the grade 1 homeroom team to develop lessons that promote students' use of English in more professional ways necessary for an academic environment. For example, your child will learn how to use language for many different functions in spoken and written form. We will also be helping students grow and develop in reading and writing through activities that connect to the homeroom's unit of inquiries and even math units.

What does this English language support look like for a grade 2 EAL student?

If your child is a grade 2 EAL student, he or she may receive EAL support during Foreign Language time to build understanding of concepts and vocabulary related to units of inquiry and literacy. In these lessons during the week, we can really focus on getting more practice with parts of language that students need to discuss deeper ideas and thinking.

He or she will also be supported by me and Ms. Mom during many lessons in the homeroom. Sometimes this support will look like your child working in a group that is facilitated by either or both of us. At other times, you might see me leading or team teaching with your child's homeroom teacher, using materials specifically designed to get students using and understanding the kind of English needed to discuss, read, present, or write about academic topics.

How long will it take for students to learn English?

"There is no definite answer to this question, as all children are different. It is helpful to think of the second language like a mirror of the first language. Generally, it takes about 2 years for your child to acquire social English (used for conversation on the playground) and 5-7 years to acquire ‘school’ or ‘academic’ language, which is much harder to master."

-Marcelle Houterman, Founder of SPELTAC (Social Platform for English Language Teaching Across the Curriculum)

How can I support my child in learning English?

If English is NOT your mother tongue, leave the English language teaching to us! Here at ISPP you can be assured that your child's EAL teacher and her homeroom teacher are working all the time to plan and lead activities that will foster deep language learning for all students. We do this mainly by making sure we combine what parts of the English language we are teaching and what the children need to discuss or create in class.

The best thing you can do at home is...USE YOUR MOTHER TONGUE! Talk to your children about school, ask them to explain themselves and their learning, and read together in your home language. Studies show that when a child's use of his mother tongue is stretched, he will more effectively develop in his understanding of other languages and deeper concepts.

Who is Mr. Jon?

I am Mr. Jon Banules, the Grade 1 and 2 EAL teacher here at ISPP. I taught English as an Additional Language for 9 years in Thailand before becoming a full homeroom teacher in 2009. I facilitated learning in grade 4 and 5 homeroom classes in Chiang Mai and here at ISPP until 2015. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of ISPP's transition towards a push-in model of EAL support and look forward to working with all students in grade 1 and 2, their homeroom teachers, and parents this year.

I am always available at jonbanules@ispp.edu.kh.

Let's have a great year of language learning!