Developing+Literacy

Literacy ! At Home and in the Classroom : This page is set up for regular education teachers and parents for promoting literacy. Literacy is not only important, but crucial when discussing the needs of an ESL learner. Language Disorder or Difference? There seems to be many issues on the topic of "labeling" school aged children. Most educators knwo that this is something that may follow a child through out their school career. This issue also exists with ESL students. Unfortunately, some children are pushed into special education services because of their English level. It is extremely important to look closely at the differences between a language disorder and a langauge difference. According to Langdon (1989), to conclude that a student with limited English proficiency has a language disorder, the assessor needs to rule out the affects of different factors that may stimulate a language disorder. It is also necessary to investigate what instructional modifications within the regular program were used to accommodate the needs of the students.



__Informational Websites :__ This website is titled : Focus on Effectiveness: Developing Literacy. On this website you can find valuable information and tolls on developing literacy. __ [] __

This website contains an informative article on oral language development in SLA. In this article, you can find an explanation of the learning patterns that are largely consistent among all ESL students. [] ESL lesson plan about shopping for groceries:

__http://www.teachersdesk.com/lessons/esl/shopping%20for%20groceries/shopping_for_groceries%20lessons_.htm__ This includes great activities on the following: making choices about food, shopping for groceries, dining out, gifs of food, and a game entitled " The Cooking Class Game." This is a great plan to work on litearcy at the elementary level.

__Informative Article: http://www.jstor.org/pss/3586272__ This article, titled: Yes, Talking! Organizing the Classroom to Promote Second Language Acquisition, comes out of the TESOL Quarterly, Vol. 19, No. 3, September, 1985. Authors: D. Scott Enright and Mary Lou McCloskey. Enright and McCloskey summarize the central assumptions of the communicative language teaching model, as well as outline possible difficulties and ways to organize interaction.

__Suggested Children's Literature Book:__ Title : //Naughty Little Monkeys// Author: Jim Aylesworth Ages : 4- 8 years old ( depending on English level) Summary: Mom and Dad head out for the night and leave their 26 monkey children at home. The young monkeys misbehave and then worry that they will get in big trouble. This book is not only great to improve reading skills, but it also focuses on the alphabet, rhyming words, humor, and emotions.

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Michelle Samoray MSamoray@gmail.com