By Karen Nemeth
This post is meant for teachers of all grades who will greet children who speak languages other than English into class this year. I usually focus on preschool, but we gathered a lot of great suggestions that apply to all ages when we discussed this topic on our weekly Twitter chat – #ELLCHAT. (I hope you’ll join in the chat – coordinated by well-known author @JudieHaynes. We talk about specified ELL topics every Monday 9:00 pm Eastern time.)
The first day of school is a big adjustment for students of all ages – AND their teachers. But what must it be like for the child who is new to school and new to the language? Certainly, what happens on that very first day can set the stage for a smooth adjustment. A difficult first day may start the child’s new school experience off on the wrong foot. With thanks to my #ELLCHAT colleagues, here are some
strategies you can use to make a new ELL feel welcome, comfortable, and ready for school:
Next, we thought about what it’s like for a new student to walk into a boisterous, crowded classroom on that first day with no idea what is going on. Sometimes the noise and the constant pressure of trying to listen to instructions that you can’t understand can be exhausting. Here are some ideas from our group:
Now that’s what happens when you get a professional learning community together on Twitter – or anywhere! Feel free to add ideas and resources via the comments for this blog!
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