Final project for EDIS 5470 (spring 2011).

1. Meet the student:bimala(pure- Hindi) Rachel Gottlieb EDIS 5470 Spring 2011

2. Who is Bimala? Personal Information: 7 years old 1st grade student 2 years in the U.S. from India, speaks Hindi at home good friends with other ESL students

3. Who is Bimala? Educational Information: WIDA level 2 (beginning) has many characteristics of Stage III on Language Acquisition Chart not literate in Hindi (L1) attended same school for kindergarten second year with same ESL teacher

4. Who is Bimala? Family Background: small farming town, western Bengal father – finished HS, some English mother – 7th grade education, very LEP paternal uncle –15 years in C-ville, translator/home & school contact live in 2 BR aptclose to school, no car family active in school activities

5. Who is Bimala? Personal Interests: Dora the Explorer pink horses and ponies Disney princesses dogs

6. Information about India Country and Culture( Sources: State Dept., CIA World Factbook, Wikipedia) Population: 2nd largest, 15% of world’s population (more than 1 billion) Capital: New Delhi Languages: Hindi (official), English Geography: 3 geographic regions (Himalayan, Gangetic Plain, plateau) Culture: Bollywood, dance, art, music

7. Information about India Education( Sources: State Dept., CIA World Factbook, Wikipedia) compulsory education K-10 literacy level: 61% (U.S. 99%) controlled by Union government, states fundamental right protected in Constitution rote learning, memorization teacher absences

8. Information about India Hindi words Hello/goodbye: Namaste Hello/goodbye (colloquial): rāmrām Please: krpayā/kripaya Thank you: dhanyawaad/dhanyavaad

9. How does Bimala learn? Characteristics Observed: perfectionist wants to be independent likes one-on-one attention, but not help usually quiet and reserved sensitive – feelings hurt easily

10. How does Bimala learn? Reading Behaviors Observed Looks up at teacher when comes across an unfamiliar word doesn’t try to decode or sound out Doesn’t recognize sight words Doesn’t track words with finger Doesn’t follow along when peers are reading aloud, turn page at same time

11. How does Bimala learn? Suggestions to Improve Learning explicit vocabulary instruction sight words, new vocabulary pre-reading activities text previews, picture walks rhyming instruction manipulatives, oral practice