Phonics Instruction for Middle and High School ELLs. I recently had the opportunity to teach summer school, and two of my sixth- grade students barely read at a first- grade level. We began to make some progress, and I discovered some new ways to help older students build a stronger foundation of basic reading skills. Before reviewing those strategies, however, it is helpful to understand where the difficulty lies when teaching phonics to older students. Challenges. Teaching phonics to middle and high school English language learners (ELLs) poses the following challenges: Phonics: Challenges for Older ELLs. Curriculum. Phonics becomes a minimal part of the Language Arts curriculum for students in intermediate grades and above — it is assumed that students have learned the sound/symbol correspondence necessary to read by the upper elementary grades. For ELLs who start their education in the U. S. Once the concept of matching a symbol with a sound has been learned, it can be applied to new languages. Students who have not learned to read in their native language or whose native language does not use a phonetic alphabet may struggle to grasp the concept of phonetic relationships between sound and letters. In addition, these students must master that concept while applying it to a new language. Unfamiliar vocabulary words. Phonics instruction may also be tied to vocabulary words that are unfamiliar to ELLs. Worksheets with . While some materials can be adapted for use by older students, most are unlikely to be engaging or appealing for middle and high school ELLs. Standard 1: Foundational Skills begin at prekindergarten and focus on early childhood, with some standards reflected through Grade 5. These foundational skills are a.Language Arts: Ideas in the Classroom. Fun Grammar Activities Learning grammar has been compared to other fun things, like having teeth pulled or being assigned. They may feel embarrassed at using . Despite these challenges, there are a number of strategies which can be effective for older ELLs. Month- by- Month Phonics for Upper Grades: A Second Chance for Struggling Readers and Students Learning English also offers a number of ideas for incorporating phonics activities into the curriculum. Learn how KinderCare uses the educational power of play and a balanced approach to learning to grow your child each day. Starfall's movies, games, and ebooks create an environment where children have fun as they learn to read. We use a proven sequential phonics method. Provide targeted support for students whose native language is non- alphabetic: Language skills transfer from one language to another; students literate in their native language will already have background knowledge of how reading works. If their native language is non- alphabetic, however, students may need extra practice in the following areas: Direction: Students may not be accustomed to reading from left to right and top to bottom. Letter- sound recognition: Students may need extra practice on matching sounds and letters, particularly if they are used to a system of characters that symbolize words rather than sounds. Use an alphabet chant: If older students need to review their alphabetic skills, look for a jazz or hip- hop alphabet chant that students will find entertaining and engaging. There are many examples online and on You. Tube. Have students write for sound: Say a short sentence that includes one or more words that include the target phonics feature(s). Ask students to listen carefully and then write what they heard. This activity trains students to listen for the individual sounds in words and represent them phonetically in their writing. Work in small groups: If students are past the age at which phonemic awareness and phonological skill- building have been addressed (typically kindergarten through first or second grade), attend to these skills one- on- one or in small groups with developmentally appropriate and engaging activities. Ask your school's reading specialist for help finding appropriate activities and materials. Help students make a connection between their first language and English: For students with stronger native language literacy skills (especially in languages related to English like Spanish), help them understand that the process of sounding out words is the same across languages. Explain some letters may make the same or similar sounds in both languages. Knowing this can help Spanish- dominant students, for example, as they learn to decode words in English. Make sure they are aware of cognates as well! Teach phonics in context: Use authentic text and/or vocabulary words that are known to the ELLs. You may also want to try short games of Scrabble, Hangman, and Memory. These are quick activities but they can effectively reinforce the targeted phonetic concept. You can find a number of suggestions in the following resources; many of the books listed may be available in your school's library or in your local public library. Motivating ELL Student Readers: This article from Color. The genres that are included are: . Recite the text aloud, and then give students time to practice reading aloud as well. Integrate phonics instruction with word study: Teach students how to identify word parts, break words down into syllables, and use word families.
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