Sophia Tremont

Professor Riley

Fall 2018

ELL Student Classroom Observation

Student(s) (initials): AR

Grade: First Grade

School: Valley View Elementary

Date: 11/05/18

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)

The student that I observed speaks very good English and is near bilingual. The teacher

explained that he does not need to use many specialized strategies because the student keeps up

with the class. He did explain how the student will sometimes answer a question in Spanish

instead of English, and he uses this as an opportunity for the whole class to learn. As a class, he

teaches all the students both the English and Spanish word for what the student said. This

clarifies the English for the student and also incorporates other cultures into the classroom.

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 student behaviors that I consider out of the ordinary. This is probably due to

the level of comfort and knowledge of the English language that the student I observed had.

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

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

The ELL student interacted well with the other students in the class, but she did not seem

to talk to the other students very often. She sat quietly and worked on her assignment, which was

writing her final draft of story. The student did interact comfortably with the teacher, raising her

hand to ask a question without hesitation.

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.

The ELL student I observed uses many of the same resources and materials that the other

students in the classroom use. The teacher explained that for the most part, she keeps up well in

class on grade-level. While I did not observe her using this, because they were working on their

own writing pieces, the teacher explained that for harder assignments he will modify them

slightly to help her understand, such as translating a harder word that she does not know yet in

English.

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 seems to be very comfortable for the ELL student, and all the students in

the classroom. The teacher created a relaxing and fun environment for the students to learn in.
While I observed, the students were writing final drafts of sentences they had written. The

teacher gave them the option to sit on the floor and work where ever they felt most comfortable.

This is a good environment for an ELL student because there is no pressure to conform to a

certain setting, the students have choices to do what makes them feel comfortable.

6. What’s 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 teacher explained to me that the student is nearly bilingual because while her mother

speaks no English, her father speaks both Spanish and English. This has resulted in the student

being very comfortable with the English Language. I observed her in class working on an

assignment. While she did not speak to her peers often, the student did raise her hand and ask a

question. This showed that she felt comfortable speaking in front of her class in English. I would

place the ELL student in the beginning of the Stage V: Advanced Fluency stage. The student is

able to participate in grade level literacy instruction and can interact easily with her English-

speaking peers. The teacher explained that she keeps up well in class but continues to need

clarification in some areas.

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?
 The teacher explained to me that he does not need to make many accommodations for the

student, but does need to make accommodations for the parents. The ELL student’s mother

speaks no English while the father is bilingual. Because of this, when he sends information home

to the parents he must accommodate for the mother or the father helps to translate the English to

her. This does not appear on the checklist because it is an accommodation for the parent, not

necessarily the child. While it is for the parent, this is important because it allows both of the

ELL student’s parents to be involved in her education. Another modification the teacher uses is

clarifying some Spanish words in English when the student uses Spanish in class. When the

student shouts an answer out in Spanish, the teacher will teach the class the word in both English

and Spanish. The English students will help the ELL student learn the word in English and the

ELL student helps the other students learn a little Spanish. This is a great learning experience for

all the students in the class and makes the ELL student feel comfortable in the classroom. This

appears on the checklist as “Allow translations by peers for clarification” and “provide

clarification in primary language”. This is present on the checklist because it is an essential part

of an ELL student learning English in the classroom. If they do not receive clarification, they

will never pick up the English.