Scenario Response 2

The methods to help this student depend a great deal on their length of time in America and their current grade level. If they have not been in the U.S. very long a large part of the slow accumulation of vocabulary and conceptual understanding could stem from cultural differences. And depending on the grade level we’re talking about, will determine if the focus should center around vocabulary or conceptual help. 

Regardless, of the students age the teacher will need to create a good deal of interactive reading techniques that incorporate references to background knowledge of our culture. This could be accomplished with a read-aloud pertaining to everyday life, interjected with questions to the class, followed by small group work where students discuss solutions or further information & completed with brief presentations from each group. All this, perhaps followed by a self-reflective exercise written by each student.

Vocabulary reinforcement will not only benefit the ELL student but every reader in the class. Something like a Vocabulary Bee could prompt either teams or individual competitors to define (instead of spell) words given to them.