Jessica Briante

EDUC 359

15 Nov 2017

Observation Questions for ELL/LEP student(s)

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL/LEP student(s)? Are

they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL student(s) or in whole

class/small group instruction.)

- Throughout the time I observed the ELL student, I saw numerous manipulatives,

pictures, graphic organizers, and videos utilized in order to scaffold for the student.

Further, in order to make these materials effective for the student, some techniques I

witnessed were that the videos had closed captioned in their native language, if

possible. If not possible, the video was in their native language with English closed

captions.

The teachers also utilized grouping extremely well, they grouped the ELL student

purposefully, allowing the student to interact with different levels of proficient

English as the activities were occurring, grouping also allowed the students in the

group to provide feedback of the ELLs language development. Background

knowledge was also displayed in order to enhance the ELL students interest and

focus on their goals for the lesson. Overall, these techniques/methods/strategies

proved effective throughout my observation of the student because the student knew

what to do and how to complete the tasks at hand.

2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider out of the ordinary? Please

describe in detail. (This applies to both the ELL student(s) and other classroom students.)

- I did not notice any behaviors that I would consider out of the ordinary because the

ELL student either interacts with the students well or not at all. I would not consider

the student isolating their self out of the ordinary since the student is still new to the

culture and learning the language. Throughout observing the student, there was one

instance where the student was interacting with classmates and observing what they

do, then there was another instance where the student was observing classmates as

they were isolated from afar. However, when the student did interact with classmates

or teachers it was normally through play, which is acceptable because this student is

in kindergarten, but I fear that the play will overtake the student and the students

language development will suffer. I spoke to the co-op about this and they had a

similar worry, but ensured me that they and the other teachers in the school were

keeping an eye on it. In sum, the only out of the ordinary behavior I witnessed was

the isolation and the play, but that is barely abnormal for an ELL student, let alone an

ELL student who is in kindergarten.

3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom students,

and the teacher(s)? Please describe in detail.

- As mentioned previously, I witnessed positive interactions with the ELL student,

other classroom students, and the teacher/other figures in the school. The student is

very comfortable in the school atmosphere and displays that they are happy to be
 there. The student waves when they see someone (student, teacher, administrator,

parent) in the hallway, even if they do not know them. Inside the classroom, the

student interacts well with the other students. I saw one occasion where the student

became frustrated because they could not express what they needed assistance with,

but the teacher came over and assisted the student with expressing what they needed.

The co-op shared with me that the student usually interacts with others very well,

especially other ELL students. The teachers that support the ELL student also have

great chemistry with the student. They know how far to push the limits of the student

in order to avoid aggravation but still allow knowledge/language development to

occur. Mostly, the interactions the student has with others is friendly, kind, and rarely

disturbing/unacceptable behavior.

4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please describe in

detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be effective? Explain.

- As we have learned in class, manipulatives are very significant when an ELL is being

taught. Not only do they serve as a tactile/real life example in certain aspects, but they

also allow the student to explore/count and come to an answer in various ways

(speaking in terms of math class). When I saw the student utilizing the manipulatives,

it seemed very effective because they have been working with them for quite some

time now. Another material utilized with the learning of an ELL student I saw was the

use of pictures. Pictures do indeed speak louder than words. The ELL student is able

to see a picture visually and come to conclusions. Whether this conclusion is

word/picture association or critical thinking based on the picture, the student is able to
 form their thoughts more efficiently. Pictures have been proved to be very effective

when utilizing them with ELL students to enhance knowledge, language

development, and etc. Videos with captions in English were also prominent

throughout lessons in order to increase the students word recognition while being

able to follow the video because it is in their native language. There were a few more

materials used, like highlighters, that I did not think was as effective. I do not believe

the student completely understood why they were highlighting/what they were

highlighting. Besides highlighting, the materials/resources were highly effective.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)? Please

describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.

- The classroom environment seems very comfortable for the ELL student. The student

appears confident and relaxed in this classroom setting. There are many pictures,

labels, and simple site words found throughout the classroom, making the classroom

accessible and easygoing for a student who is learning a new language. Furthermore,

the classmates of the student are very welcoming and patient with the ELL student. I

assessed that the classroom environment is comfortable for the ELL student because

as I was observing the student, they expressed joy and playfulness. As stated before,

the student got frustrated once while I was there, but that is expected, I was surprised

I did not see the student become more frustrated throughout the day. The teachers do

an excellent job in accommodating the student if needed as well, which makes the

student feel even more accepted throughout this classroom. Largely, the environment

seemed comfortable for the ELL student, but more importantly, the student was
 comfortable in the classroom.

6. Whats the comfort level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English language? What

observations help you arrive at your decision? Refer to the Vocabulary Performance

Indicators. At what level would you place the ELL student? How did you decide on that

level?

- The ELL students comfort level to the English language is mediocre. Since this

student is in kindergarten, there is a lot of scaffolding to be done. However, when I

obsessed the student in phonics, the student had a good grasp on the sounds

preformed. Further, the student is able to speak in short sentences such as I need

help or I am hungry. Most of the sentences spoken use site words, which is great,

and the student shows to actual understand the meaning of some words used in

sentences. Because of this I would place the student at a Tier 1 vocabulary level. I

would place this student here because of the observations mentioned above, but also

because the words the student uses are classified as everyday speech and the words

are basic which require little to no instruction once learned. Generally, the students

comfort level of the English language is average thus far, and I already saw

improvement towards Tier 2 vocabulary, but the ELL student has work to do.

7. If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher) what type

of accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student(s). Please

describe the types of accommodations/modifications that were discussed. Do they appear

on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are present/not present on the checklist?
- I did not fully ask the cooperating teacher what type of

accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student. This is

because I was able to observe some of those accommodations/modifications that are

being made. One big accommodation/modification I have seen was the teacher

modeling. Now, the teacher models activities in the classroom anyway, but when the

ELL student gets to the activities, the teacher models them once again. Another

observation I made was that the teacher does not give the ELL student extended time,

which I thought they would have. I do not know if there is a rule not too or if the

teacher has high expectations for the student, but I found that odd. The teacher allows

directions to be read to the ELL student aloud during a test and even used an audio

recording at one point. Modeling and oral instruction/oral test taking appears on the

checklist, which is a huge portion of teaching ELL students. Extended time also

appears on the checklist; however, the co-op did not allow for extended time. I think

the co-op thought the modeling and oral readings were more beneficial than the

extended time for projects. I also think the teacher wants the student to become used

to completing assignments within a given time because the further the student

advances in school, the more exposure they will have to this. In whole, there are

accommodations/modifications made for the ELL, some which are expected as well

as those you do not see very often.