Cabral 1

Reflection – Supporting English Language Learners

Samantha Cabral

CDE115/Professor Homma

18 November 2024
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1. What are the characteristics or behaviors that children who are English Language

Learners demonstrate when they first come into a child care setting that is an English

only setting? This is described in the video; you need to include the time stamp where

you viewed this information and provide two video observations to support these

characteristics. (2 pts)

- The characteristics or behaviors that children who are English Language Learners

demonstrate when they first come into a childcare setting that is an English only

setting include at 1:22 when Beth Martin is telling how children are at the beginning

of the year, she notes that they are “nervous and scared” just like the rest of the

children. But, they are quieter than most because they are not familiar with the

language and/or atmosphere. She also continues at 1:32 to note that though the ELL

children are quieter, they are “also very observant in watching what other kids are

doing so that they know what’s coming next and watching what I’m doing so that

they can get any type of clue…” (1:32-1:40).

2. Why should families be encouraged to support their home language? Refer to the video

and include the time stamp. Provide two video observations that demonstrate teachers

supporting the home language with children in a classroom setting. (3 pts)

Families should be encouraged to support their home language because from 1:01-1:05,

Beth Martin quotes, “The underlying skills that children acquire in their first language are

similar.” Showing that parents should not be afraid to stop speaking their home language

to their ELL children because it is making them more adaptable to learn English. Another

reason families should be encouraged to support their home language is “True cognates”

which are words that have the same meaning in both languages or are basically the same.
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(5:00). So there are many different ways to help ELL children learn the new language

without completely icing out their home language.

3. Describe the three strategies: Parallel Talk, Self Talk and TPR (Total Physical Response)

and provide one example for each that is demonstrated in the video. Refer to video and

provide the time stamp. Provide a total of three video observations (one for each of

the strategy listed) with teachers interactions with the children. (3 pts)

- Parallel Talk is when we are sitting with a child and narrating/describing what the

child is doing step-by-step (3:00) and the teacher is explaining where the child is

placing the legs on the girl’s body.

- Self Talk is when we explain what we are doing to the children (3:23) and the teacher

is showing herself using scissors saying “open, close, open, close.”

- TPR is when we use our whole bodies to do the actions we want them to learn and

builds the relationship between language and movement (4:20) when the teacher is

touching her toes showing the children how to do the same.

4. Describe two additional strategies that were demonstrated to support English Language

Learners. Elaborate. What did the teacher do and say for each strategy and how did a

child/ren respond. Provide the time stamp from the video. Provide two video

observations to support these strategies. (3 pts)

- One additional strategy the teacher demonstrated to help ELL students was to provide

words to actions such as at 1:46 when the teacher is reading a picture book but also

making gestures to her eyes, mimicking what she is saying, and this seems to be

holding the attention of the children whom she is reading to. Another strategy is

explained, but not shown, at 1:45 where the teacher is saying she provides picture
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schedules, “so that they know what’s coming next and so that they can learn the

routine.” Though they may not understand the language, showing a picture of

children eating shows when lunchtime is, and so on.

5. Do we have to learn the home language from every child in our preschool class? What is

recommended according to the video and provide examples of what you saw a teacher

demonstrating? Include the time stamp. Provide two video observations to support

teachers supporting the child's home language. (3 pts)

- We do not have to learn the home language from every child in our preschool class.

What is recommended is for teachers to learn small, common words in the children’s

home language such as at 3:34 when the teacher was saying “Amarillo, Pato” then

“Yellow, Duck”. Another example of this is when the teacher is explaining the book at

4:45, the child says, “they’re giving besos” and the teacher responds, “they’re giving

kisses, right? Besos is kiss in Spanish?” here she is acknowledging that the child says

besos and accepts their response, but then teaches them the English congruent to their

word.

6. Based on these strategies presented to support Dual Language Learners, evaluate and

reflect your own teaching practices. What might you add, maintain, or change? ( 1 pt)

- One thing I might add to my own teaching practices is including more English to

Spanish vocabulary opportunities within my classroom. I have a lot of ELL students,

so providing them more space to learn the words in both languages would make them

feel more comfortable speaking either/or language.