Florida's Voluntary PreKindergarten (VPK) Education Program

English Language Learners in the VPK Classroom

As you have just heard, when working with young English language learners, it is important for you as a VPK instructor to remember that:

• Children who are English language learners often understand more than they appear to, so “watering down” instruction for them is neither appropriate nor necessary.
• You should not wait until a child is proficient in English before you begin instruction in higher level or more difficult concepts.
• Using a physical response such as “thumbs up or thumbs down” or response cards can be helpful in ensuring that all children are able to be active participants and demonstrate their knowledge in ways that are not verbal.

Demonstration Lesson:  Using a physical response-thumbs up/thumbs down

As you view the following lesson, Dr. Argüelles will demonstrate how to use a physical response during a lesson on rhyming words. This is not an initial lesson on rhyming, but one that you might use during small group instruction. Let’s say you have been working on rhyming words all through the year with your children. You have read them nursery rhymes and you have used lots of songs and finger plays that engage children in playful ways to listen for the rhyming sounds of words. However, you may notice that several children, including an English language learner, are still not demonstrating that they know how words rhyme. It may be time to work with children a little more closely on this skill.

In the next clip, Dr. Argüelles shows us how to use a physical response rather than a verbal response during instruction.  This maximizes the participation and engagement of all children. The following example focuses on rhyming, but this same process can be used with just about any skill.

To begin the video, press the "play"  button. Click here to print the transcript of this video, then close the pop-up window to return to the course.

KEY POINT:  Model how to use physical response for children.

 

As a word of caution, in some cultures the physical response that is suggested by Dr. Argüelles could be interpreted as a negative gesture.  As we have mentioned before, one of your responsibilities is to be sensitive to the various cultures in your classroom.