Monday, January 13, 2014

Help! I have two kids that don't speak English!

I don't know if your school is anything like my school.... but if it is.... you've been loaded with new kids.... {not in a bad way - the more the merrier! AKA Job Security!}
We've been back at school for a week now and every time I head into the office, there are new families registering their children. Where are these kids coming from? Wowza! Hopefully it will settle down soon and we can go on with our normally scheduled program. 
Anywho..... during this influx of newbies - I got TWO new children.... They have only been in the United States for two or three weeks, and spent one week at another elementary school before moving to me. Sweetest things in the world! I am so happy they moved to our zone - BUT - the thought of the upcoming English test and these two children - sent me into a straight panic. 
So here is what I made to help all of us {kids, homeroom teachers, me....} out. 

I created some picture dictionaries using my massive amounts of melonheadz clip art..... I added word cards for those Level 1 kids (little to no English) ... and added a place for them to write the word in their native language. 
These are pictures of one of my students.... he cut out the picture, looked it up in the larger dictionary in his native language, found the English word in the dictionary and matched it to the English word card on the picture sheets. Then he glued them in and wrote the word (for this student ... in Korean) to help with the transfer of knowledge. 


I was so happy with the way they turned out I made a Spanish one and two basic English ones that could be used with beginning readers and Kinders. These would be a WONDERFUL resource for the regular education classroom - during those times when you know the content is WAY OVER the ELL's understanding, but don't want them sitting idle.... 
Here are links to the other picture dictionaries...
I would like to add more school terms .... color words, shapes, school items.... but that probably won't happen until next month.  (and I have more money to buy clip art... hahahah!) 
And - yes - they are in color... no blackline masters....
My reasoning - the children are working on this with little scaffolding at first and then moving to more independence.... I wanted pictures that matched the real items so they would be able to decide what the picture was - without asking you or another student! The more realistic, the better for any ELL! 

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