STRATEGIES TO FACILITATE AND ENHANCE ELLS’ PEER-INTERACTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM

Include handouts in teacher manual

Gorman, B.K. (2014)

Opening Group Brainstorm

What promotes ELLs’ language development in the classroom?

With whom is it more beneficial for children to communicate and why?

With whom is it easier for ELLs to communicate and why?

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Communicative Interactions

With the teacher or teaching assistant Large group interactions Small group interactions Individual 1:1 interactions

Without the teacher or teaching

assistant Peer Interactions

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Peer Interactions

Not limited to where the teacher is

Children learn by listening to and interacting with each other.

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Listening and Learning

Children learn not only from speech directed to them, but also from observing/listening in on others (Crago, 1992; Forrester, 1988; Rogoff,

Paradise, Mejia-Arauz, Correa-Chavez, & Angelillo, 2003; Saffran, Newport, Aslin, Tunick, & Barrueco, 1997)

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Listening and Learning

Research showed that that 2-year-olds were equally good at learning novel words that they overheard as those that were directly addressed to them. (Akhtar, Jipson, & Callanan, 2001)

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Enhancing Peer Interactions

However, merely putting ELLs with other children is insufficient

ELLs may have more difficulty interacting with peers due to their English proficiency.

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Additional Variables

What other factors may influence the interactions ELLs have with their peers?

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Enhancing Peer Interactions9

PLANNING TO SUPPORT PEER INTERACTIONS

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Pre-Planning Analysis11

Where do you see the ELLs in your classrooms play?

Block center Water and sand table Library Art center Dramatic play center Computer center Others

Pre-Planning Analysis12

How do these particular children play? What type of play?

Parallel play beside each other, not necessarily

interactive

Associative play shared materials

Cooperative play Interactive play, planning, assigning roles

Brainstorming13

Imagine that you are hosting an event, and you are inviting a mix of family, friends, and co-workers.

How do you encourage interactions, so that guests mingle and no one is excluded?

Planning14

Increasing the likelihood of positive interactions

Enabling context/environment Strategic groupings Activities Teacher support

Enabling context/environment

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Some locations within classrooms are more suitable for sustained communicative interactions than others Why?

Consider arranging the physical and social environments to increase opportunities for peer interactions

Strategic Grouping16

Think of a particular ELL in your classroom. With whom it is difficult/easier for the

child to communicate? How many peers in a center is optimal?

Activities17

In which interactive activities is the ELL student most interested? e.g., exploring, building, playing

structured game, dramatic play

Pre-Teaching to Support ELLs’ Comprehension

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Pre-teaching words and concepts before storybook reading or initiation of activities is a beneficial instructional strategy for ELLs

This pre-teaching strategy, using a variety of cues (e.g., visual, gestural, graphic), may help support ELLs comprehension of the language that their English-speaking peers will be using in play.

Teacher Support/Scaffolding to Support ELLs’ Production

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Assign roles or props to promote the student’s inclusion that are central to the activity to promote inclusion (Bunce & Watkins, 1995).

Give child some key phrases

“Two dollars please” Prompts to help express

Tell Sarah, “Blocks please”. Sometimes stay to support interaction and turn-

taking, sometimes fade presence

Routines

The predictable sequence of routines supports ELLs’ language comprehension.

Routines support children’s learning and recall of new information.

Routines provides multiple opportunities for children to practice and expand on new skills.

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ACTION PLAN

Which 3 will you try tomorrow/next week?

Lesson plan: objective, activity, outcome measure

LARGE GROUP SHARING

Summary

Teacher-child conversation enriches children's’ language skills

Peer interactions and observation also enrich children’s language skills

Optimal instruction for ELLs includes planning to facilitate and support ELLs’ peer-interactions in the classroom

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Optional

Assignment Three-month follow-up reflection and

trouble-shooting

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Contact Information

Facilitator’s contact information

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References

Akhtar, N. (2005). The robustness of learning through overhearing. Developmental Science, 8, 199-209.

Akhtar, N., Jipson, J., & Callanan, M.A. (2001). Learning words through overhearing. Child Development, 72, 416-430.

Bunce, B. H., & Watkins, R. V. (1995). Language intervention in a preschool classroom: Implementing a language-focused curriculum. In M. L. Rice & K. A. Wilcox (Eds.), Building a language-focused curriculum for the preschool classroom: Vol. I. A foundation for lifelong communication (pp. 39-71). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Crago, M. B. (1992). Communicative interaction and second language acquisition: An Inuit example. TESOL Quarterly, 26, 487-505.

Forrester, M.A. (1988). Young children's polyadic conversation monitoring skills. First Language, 8, 201-225.

Rogoff, B., Paradise, R., Mejia-Arauz, R., Correa-Chavez, M., & Angelillo, C. (2003). Firsthand learning through intent participation. Annual Review of Psychology, 54, 175-203.

Saffran, J. R., Newport, E. L., Aslin, R. N., Tunick, R. A., & Barrueco, S. (1997). Incidental language learning: Listening (and learning) out of the corner of your ear. Psychological Science, 8, 101-105.

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