Learning Tips
Reading:
- If there is a word you don't know, don't give up and just skip it. First, read around the word. How does this word make sense the sentence? What does the sentence before and after say?
- Look up the words using picture dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, or English dictionaries.
- When you don't know how to read a word, don't give up. Read each letter at a time. Think about your word families and try to connect similar words that might rhyme.
- Read your own writing to your friends or your family.
Writing:
- Practice free writing at home. Don't worry about spelling or grammar when doing this. Write what comes to your mind and keep writing.
- Use your sight words and words from your classroom word wall when writing. When you keep using these words, you will begin to understand them better.
- When you don't know how to spell a word, sound it out and write your best.
- Look at your own writing and see what words you spell wrong many times. Try to memorize the spelling of those words and keep using them as you write.
- Copy words that you see around the room and practice using them. If you don't know the meaning, ask your friends, parents, or teachers.
- Look at your own writing, revise, and edit it!
Speaking:
- If you don't want to talk in front of the class, make sure to talk to your friends or in small groups. Your ideas need to be heard!
- If you have an idea but you are not sure how to say it, write it down first.
- If you are called on but do not know what to say right away, ask the teacher to give you more time or to come back to you.
- Practice using your new vocabulary words and sight words with your friends, family, and teacher.
Listening:
- When your teacher gives you instruction and you don't understand, ask your teacher to repeat the instructions or explain it in a different way.
- If the teacher is playing an audio or video and you need to complete a worksheet, read the questions before the audio or video is played.
- If the teacher is speaking to fast, politely ask them to slow down.
Increasing academic content knowledge:
Modeling and scaffolding are two important components of teaching strategies in any content area. Students need to have an example of what they are expected as well as guidance in order to become autonomous.
All of the above strategies can be used across content because all of these components are necessary in all academic content knowledge.
References:
Boyle, O. F. & Peregoy, S.F. (2013). Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English Learners.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Coombe, C. & Folse, K. & Hubley N. (2007). A practical guide to assessing English language learners.
United States of America: University of Michigan.
Boyle, O. F. & Peregoy, S.F. (2013). Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English Learners.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Coombe, C. & Folse, K. & Hubley N. (2007). A practical guide to assessing English language learners.
United States of America: University of Michigan.