respond to discussion 3AM

Discuss applications and modifications of best practices found in research journal articles, with specific focus on effective practices and strategies for using children’s literature to address the needs of ESOL/LEP, including the use of common themes.

Using children's literature to address the needs of ESOL/LEP is beneficial because they catch the student's attention. When choosing the literature to present to the student, the teacher should take into consideration what the student will find interesting. After deciding on the literature to present to the student, the teacher should plan an engaging lesson. The lesson should include activities that can help develop their learning process. The material that can be used for these lessons may include flashcards, workbooks, and tape recordings. Children's literature can be very effective for the needs of the students and when an appropriate lesson plan is produced, the students will find enjoyment and it will increase their desire to learn. When they find enjoyment in their learning, they "forget their worries and anxieties about the new language" (Ferey, p. 4).

The teacher needs to form a relationship with their students. It is also important for the students to form relationships with their classmates. When a student forms relationships with the people surrounding them, they will feel more comfortable and interact with others. After forming relationships, the student will be able to make connections with the things around them. This is where children's literature becomes relevant to the student. The student will have new knowledge and build on the knowledge that they already have through the literature. The student will be able to communicate what they have learned through a discussion form with the people surrounding them, and it's "enriching children's vocabulary and enhance their communication skills- but also ensure emotional support during problematic circumstances of the life" (Pulimeno & Colazzo, p.57).

Kimberly

ffective teachers need to determine three areas in their teaching practices to successfully implement best practices to meet the needs of ESOL/LEP students. Firstly, educators need to be cognizant that the ELLs’ native language will more than likely impact their ability to deconstruct and understand information in English (Turkan et al., 2012, p. 3). Secondly, ELLs’ will need to acquire academic language and will need the support of their teacher while developing their academic language (Turkan et al., 2012, p. 3). Thirdly, educators will need to scaffold and support ELLs while they are building their skills to think metacognitively and implement reading strategies, techniques, and methods (Turkan et al., 2012, p. 3).  

An effective modification is to differentiate vocabulary instruction for ELL learners to help build their academic vocabulary. By building background knowledge, ELL learners will be supported and “teachers could better ensure that they enable 100% of the class to participate (Turkan et al., 2012, p. 8). Additionally, according to Tompkins, the use of graphic organizers, and teaching strategies such as getting clues from text or speakers will also support students and their understanding and development of language (Tompkins, 2018, pp. 90-91).  

Other best practices include reading aloud using mentor texts to reinforce the mini lessons in the reading and writing workshops’ units of study. Additionally, effective teachers will implement small-group conversations, set goals, and pose questions to guide the conversation (Tompkins, 2018, p. 99). Collaborative work along with implementing think, pair, share techniques, will help students think more analytically and support ELLs while they are acquiring academic language. Also, ELLs benefit from oral language activities that involve hands on active learning, small groups, photos and visuals to clarify meaning, graphic organizers, scaffolding, listening to informational books, and small group projects (Tompkins, 2018, p. 112). 

By chunking text, using visual aids, teaching how to use morphology to break down complex vocabulary, and encouraging collaborative group discussion are additional strategies for using literature to support the needs of ESOL/LEP learners. Research revealed that, “teachers’ integration of nonfiction literature into instruction provides ELLs the opportunity to encounter concept-related vocabulary terms in more authentic contexts that aid in understanding vocabulary at a deeper level. Nonfiction literature such as poems, biographies, journals, or diaries offers more current, relevant, and interesting ways to engage ELLs in authentic experiences when compared to textbooks; the language of textbooks tends to be abstract, relying heavily on technical vocabulary and avoiding controversy by presenting ideas from a nonspecific, objectified perspective” (Turkan et al., 2012, p. 11).