Literacy Fun

Hello Readers, 

Welcome back to my blog! For this week’s topic, we will be discussing literacy skills in the classroom with English Language Learners. 

A few weeks back, I mentioned how effective teachers make sure to go above and beyond for their students. Effective teachers make sure to be open to their class, and they find ways to teach all school curriculum in a way that includes everyone- however, how would effective teachers help build students’ literacy skills? First, it is essential to explain what literacy skills mean. Per Gail E. Tompkins (2017), “Literacy development has been broadened to incorporate the cultural and social aspects of language learning, and children’s experiences with and understandings about written language—both reading and writing—are included as part of emergent literacy. Literacy is a process that begins in infancy and continues into adulthood, if not throughout life (Tompkins, 2017). Therefore, literacy is the student’s ability to recognize the English language via speaking, reading, and writing it effectively. Yet, for many English only-speaking students, reading, speaking, and writing in English comes a little easier than someone whose primary language is not English. Let's focus on English Language Learners, and how an adequate literacy understanding can also be applied to them. 

In her chapter, Tompkins (2017) explains various methods that effective teachers can use to help students become proficient in their speaking, reading, and writing in English. Tompkins (2017) gives many examples that could be used in the classroom, including read-alouds. Read-alouds are lovely to have in the classroom because the teacher gives students an example of how words are to be said in the English language. This is especially crucial for those younger students and English Language Learners. English language learners are filling our classrooms every year, so it is important as an effective educator to provide them with rich sources to understand English. Many English Language Learners suffer the first year of entering school, and learning English, because they are immersing themselves in a new language they are not familiar with. Per Tompkins (2017), “By age 5, children have acquired the oral language of their home culture. Children learn a second language much the same way they learn their first language: Both are developmental processes that require time and opportunity. Young children learn a second language best in a classroom where talk is encouraged and where the teacher and classmates serve as English language models. Even though English learners in third or fourth grade may appear fluent in conversational settings, they may still struggle academically because they haven’t learned more formal, academic English. Societal and cultural factors influence language acquisition; children’s personalities, the attitudes of their cultural group, and teacher expectations all play a role (Otto, 2014; Samway & McKeon, 2007). Therefore, exposing students to any form of environmental print, having words written down somewhere for the student to see, or having listening devices for students to use when they hear directions or listening to a book are wonderful methods to incorporate in the classroom. By continually exposing students to English words and writing, they will begin to understand the language. 

One main concern, however, is making sure not to overwhelm English Language Learners with too much English when they first begin school. When reading The Circuit, by Francisco Jimenez (1997), Dr. Jimenez explains that when he was a young immigrant child, he would feel sick and dizzy from hearing too much English at once. As effective teachers, we do not want this to happen. Effective teachers make sure to give students various opportunities to slowly but surely feel comfortable being exposed to the new language. Schools should allow teachers, to speak in their native language if they have one, and connect with students that way, so students feel comfortable being in the classroom. Being bilingual should not be shameful, so by the teachers showing to the class and ELL students that they know more than merely English, it motivates students not to forget where they come from. Children’s oral development and literacy is a necessary process for them to build on their reading, writing, and speaking skills. Young children move through the three stages as they learn to read and write: emergent, beginning, and fluent (Juel, 1991). Effective teachers make sure to see where their student(s) are at. Then they find ways to help those students gain knowledge and understanding as they pass those different stages.

One main concern is whether students should get punished for using their primary language in the classroom. Although times have changed and being bilingual is accepted, there are still some teachers who do not agree that another language should be spoken in the classroom. ELL's should be guided with extra support in the classroom for knowing another language. As an English Language Learner, myself, I know it can be difficult at times to express something in English when I quickly know how to say it in Spanish. Over time, I have learned to express myself better, yet I find myself still stuck on what exactly to say to prove my point in English at times. Therefore, I am a firm believer that if teachers know another language, they should feel free to speak to that child in that language if they know it. A student should not be in trouble for not knowing English. So, if a teacher can communicate in another language to the student(s) and then help them out so they can succeed in English, why not do it? It benefits both the teacher and the student because they practice another language together and are still building on their literacy skills even though it may not be English- perhaps it is Spanish, Tagalog, or Arabic. Tompkins (2017) mentions how “Students learn all four language models: phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.” Thus, if students can fully comprehend their native language and bring in what they know about it to the English language, they may be able to make connections that would not have if they did not know another language. 

Lastly, by having teachers “monitor young children’s oral language development because they understand its importance for academic achievement”- effective teachers can see how well the students understand the concepts (Tompkins, 2017). Also, by having teachers be examples of everything such as reading a book out loud to the class, or reading out the vocabulary words, or putting on oral recordings of stories or themes, students will be exposed to the language that will help them with their interactive writing, handwriting concepts, writing skills, sounds, reading, and all that helps students recognize familiar words.

Thank you for reading! Check out next weeks blog!

-M