This is the presentation I used for PAACE 2012

1. Supporting English
Language Learners in the
Early Childhood Classroom

2. Session highlights…
The preschool years represent a very critical period of
development in young children, particularly in the
area of emergent literacy. Children are expected to
enter school with a very specific set of skills, much
more advanced than of years gone by. With the
increasing demands, English Language Learner
(ELL) children are particularly at risk. Not only are
they faced with learning these fundamental skills,
they are learning to master a new language.
In this session, we will explore:
I The realities of working with young ELL’s
T Children’s acquisition of language
C Best practice in working with young ELL’s

3. Icebreaker
Turn to your neighbor and introduce yourself. Discuss
your name. How did you get your name? What does
it mean? Anything else interesting regarding your
name?

4. Icebreaker
Suntory Time, Lost in Translation

5. What do you think?
“I was leaving school and talking to my friend, talking in
Spanish. They had told us that we couldn’t speak
even a word of Spanish inside the school. And we
were very careful, but on that day I just forgot. As we
were leaving the building, there was the principal.
She was a lovely teacher but really tough. She
slapped me twice, really hard, and said, ‘You know
you cannot speak Spanish in school,’ and she
turned away and started leaving. I followed her and
asked what I should do. She turned around
and told me, ‘I never want to hear you
speaking Spanish inside this school.’ I
will never forget that.” (Murillo and Smith, 2011)

6. Core Beliefs
Stem from research and understanding the challenges
of working with pre-school English language
learners.

7. Check this out…
Patricia Kuhl, Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences
The Linguistic Genius of Babies

8. Language Development
• Children develop language similarly but at different
rates
• In-utero, babies are exposed to the sounds of the
world around them
• Infants are immersed in a world of language and
non-verbal communication
• As infants begin to comprehend,
they are preparing the way for speech
• First words help children obtain things and
cause reactions in adults
• Early speech is telegraphic
• Toddlers and preschoolers are creative
with their language use

9. Language Acquisition
Language is a puzzle. The pieces are essential and
they interlock. The pieces are:
1. Phonology: how the units of sounds (phonemes)
are put together to form words
2. Morphology: rules for how meaningful units of
language are put together to form syllables and
the words of language
3. Syntax: rules for how words are put together to
form sentences
4. Semantics: meaning of words and phrases
5. Pragmatics: system of rules and
conventions for using spoken language
appropriate within different social contexts

10. Mastery of a 2nd Language
External:
• Access to speakers of that language
• Frequency of coming into contact with those
speakers
• The degree to which that language is relevant
• Messages and pressure in school and society
regarding the mastery of the 2nd language
Internal:
• Child’s cognitive abilities
• Need to learn a 2nd language
• Talent in learning language
• Temperament and social skills

11. 2nd Language Acquisition
• Simultaneous : Child develops two languages
equally or near equally through consistent exposure
to and opportunities to use both.
• Successive: Child learns a 2nd language after their
1st language has been established
Receptive Bilingualism: Child has limited opportunities
to speak one of the languages and as a result,
understands but is limited in expression of that
language

12. 2nd Language Acquisition
Milestones…
2. There may be periods of time when the child
continues to use their home language in the second
language situations.
3. When they discover the home language doesn’t
work in this situation, they enter a nonverbal period
(possibly use non-verbal communication)as they
collect information about the new language and
perhaps spend time in sound experimentation.
4. Children begin to go public, using individual words
and phrases in the new language.
5. Children begin to develop productive use of the
second language.

13. Supportive Practices
Communication
• Double your message – gestures, non-verbal with
words
• Use repetition
• Talk about the concrete
• Expand and extend
Classroom Environment
• Predictable routines
• Careful selection of small groups
• Create a safe haven

14. Supportive Practices
Curriculum Support
• Activity selection
• Book reading
• Snack and lunch
• Outside time
• Circle time

15. Contact Information…
Emily Wolfe, Professional Development Specialist
Tuscarora Intermediate Unit, Family Literacy
Consultation Project
Email: ewolfe@tiu11.org
Cell: 814.280.5287