IV. Language, Communication, and Emergent Literacy
- Listening and Understanding
- Increases knowledge through listening
Benchmark a: Child shows understanding by asking and answering relevant questions, adding comments relevant to the topic, and reacting appropriately to what is said.
- Increases knowledge through listening
- Speaking
- Speech is understood by both a familiar and an unfamiliar peer or adult
Benchmark a: Child’s speech is understood by both a familiar and an unfamiliar adult.
- Speech is understood by both a familiar and an unfamiliar peer or adult
Welcome to Section 2 of English Language Learners in the VPK Classroom. In this section, we will explore the diversity represented by Florida’s families and discuss some of the common characteristics of children in our VPK programs who are English language learners.
The following objectives will be covered in this section:
- Identify the characteristics of young children who are English language learners.
- Review the roles of culture and the family in learning a second language.
- Explore effective practices used by teachers of English language learners.
Learning a second language is a skill that builds over time, in many ways and in many places. Prekindergarten programs such as Florida’s VPK Education Program are some of the most important places where this learning takes place. Well-structured and planned experiences will promote acquisition of a new language. As the prekindergarten teacher, you have the task of planning and implementing activities that will promote successful language acquisition. As you plan activities for your classroom, it is important to be mindful of the challenges faced by children who are English language learners and their families.
As we go through this section, we invite you to keep in mind the children and families who are English language learners that you work with in your classroom. In Florida, the most common home language of children who are English language learners is Spanish, with Haitian-Creole being the second most common. What languages other than English are spoken by children in your classroom and in your community? Consider how the information presented in this section may reflect their experiences. Children are eager to learn and to meet the challenges of life in a linguistically diverse society. Gaining competence in English is both an exciting and challenging journey for these young children and their families, and often for their teachers as well!
