Ideas for supporting EAL children in EYFS settings

Transcription

1 Ideas for supporting EAL children in EYFS settings Music, Songs and Rhymes Musical activities are particularly valuable for supporting language learning. Simple songs, rhymes and refrains chanted in a rhythmic way are often the vehicle for children s first attempts to articulate an additional language. Sharing songs and rhymes in home languages reinforces similarities in patterns of languages and fosters home-setting links. Music is a wonderful medium for sharing cultures, languages and benefits, and enhances language learning. Songs and rhymes can be obtained from a variety of sources such as books, CDs, websites and from parents and other children. Parents and bilingual staff may be able to translate favourites such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star as well as sharing traditional rhymes and songs. To introduce vocabulary or concepts relevant to a particular theme Many early childhood programmes introduce concepts and vocabulary in songs such as those which relate to parts of the body, for example, Heads and Shoulders, knees and toes, Put your finger on your nose, My hands are clapping and Hokey, cokey. Other songs introduce emotions in an enjoyable way, such as If you re happy and you know it. Other songs teach number concepts, for example, Ten green bottles. To practice the sounds of the language in a non-formal and enjoyable way The natural rhythms and intonation patterns of many songs are emphasised. These occur naturally and are therefore useful as models of language for children. Many rhymes and songs can be used to practice pronunciation of different sounds. To provide opportunities for expressing feelings Songs such as If you re happy and know it provide natural opportunities to introduce a range of emotions and feelings. To practice language structures in an enjoyable, non-threatening environment Many songs and rhymes that are generally used with young children provide opportunities for children to practice language, which is useful for communicative purposes. Songs such as old MacDonald had a farm are good because they have natural repetition so give lots of opportunities to practice language. To develop listening skills and develop the memory Simple rhymes and songs provide many opportunities for children who are becoming accustomed to listening to the new language and hearing the intonation and rhythms of the new language. Children begin to imitate the sounds and also begin to attach some meanings to sounds. Listening is an integral part of music. Children hear a variety of sounds of the environment and can begin to discriminate these sounds. Special activities and games can be provided which stimulate these senses, helping children to concentrate on the sounds they hear, to identify these sounds and discriminate between them. Children can respond to a variety of rhythms: marching, walking and running. They can clap to different rhythms. A cassette of sounds, which children can identify, is easy to make. Sounds could include a telephone ringing, a doorbell, a car horn, water running, a dog barking, a clock ticking, people talking etc. 1

2 To encourage children to participate in an activity without using spoken language A selection of songs using the children s names is very helpful for children leaning English. These songs help involve the children and also offer opportunities for practising communicative functions, for example Mary wore a red dress, Johnny works with one hammer, Down by the river, Jack is quiet down in his box. All these songs can be sung replacing the names in the songs with the names of the children in the group. 2

3 Games Games provide a way for EAL children to acquire language in a non-threatening and relaxed way. Initially it can be useful to provide opportunities to play auditory discrimination games involving the identification of different speech sounds and games where children can respond using non-verbal communication. Later, guessing games can provide useful opportunities to practise formulating questions. EAL children will benefit from the opportunity to watch, listen and learn as others play the game. Support the child to grasp any rules and rehearse any responses and don t place them in a position where they have to be the first to take a turn. Memory Games: Kim s game A small group of children sit with an adult on the floor and a tray of 5-6 objects is shown to them, for example, apple, scissors, car, doll, peg, crayon, book, cup or key. The adult names each object This is a key. Version 1: A child goes out of sight or closes his/her eye. An object is then removed. The same child is called back again and tries to guess what is missing. Version 2: A cloth is placed over the tray of objects. One object is removed without the children seeing. The children guess what has been taken. The adult playing has the opportunity to model the sentences and the language extended and elaborated, for example, I think it is something to unlock the door. Memory Games: Memory Pairs Prepare picture cards in pairs of associated subjects, for example Fruit (apple/pear), Animals (dog/cat), People (boy/girl) The cards are shuffled and laid face down in rows. The first player turns over two cards from anywhere. The object is to find a pair of cards. If the cards are the same the child retains the cards. If the cards are not the same they are turned down again. The game ends when there are no cards remaining. As the children turn over the cards they should be encouraged to say, This is a pear/banana. I ve found the.. It s a This is the same/different. Listening Games: Whose tail is this? Prepare cards with pictures of animals without their tails, for example a rabbit, dog, cat, pig, fish and horse. Make separate tails and fix to a cardboard disc that can be spun. Distribute the animal cards amongst the children. Children match their animal cards with the tails when the disc is spun. 3

4 Listening Games: Musical Boxes Two identical tins are prepared, for example two each of rice, stones, paper clips, ping pong balls, bottle tops, sand or pulses. Children shake the tins and try to find two tins that are the same. Language would include: Is it light/heavy? Are these the same? Is this the same as/different from this? Shanaz has two that are the same. Mohammed has two that are different. Listening Games: Sound and Picture Match-ups Provide a series of cards with pictures of things that make sounds. Ask questions such as: Find me the card that makes this noise miaow. What animal is it? Can you make the noise for me? Find me the picture of the clock. What noise does a clock make? Cards of pictures or photos can be used by children to match with the sounds they hear playing on the cassette. Children can group these pictures according to the sorts of sounds. For example: Transport for car/train/motor bike/truck Animals for dog/cat/cow/frog Household objects for toilet flushing/clock/telephone Listening Games: Window, window open wide Mount a series of large pictures on a piece of cardboard, with each picture covered by a flap. The children all say, Window, window, open wide The adult chooses a child saying, Hazara will tell us what s inside Hazara opens the window indicated and, without showing the object illustrated, imitates its sound. The other children guess the name of the object. Listening Games: Mystery Voice Children sit on the floor. One child comes to the front and faces away from the group. One child on the floor says, Hello (name of the child). The child at the front turns to face the group and tries to identify the child who spoke their name. If they are correct they have another turn. If incorrect the children swap places. 4

5 Listening Games: Barrier/Screen Games Games can be introduced by an adult working with a pair or group of children or by two adults demonstrating the game to the whole class. Adults may need to spend time modelling questions that the children can use to seek clarification or obtain further information. Children can play with a partner or as a group of three children with an accompanying adult who is the partner of one of the children. It is beneficial to have at least one good language model within the group or as one of the pair. The children have to complete a task with pictures or objects to match a task performed or set behind a simple barrier. Where there are more than two children playing a barrier game then; Several children can work independently and respond to one child who acts as the instructor. Several children can work together to reach a collaborative decision about how to respond to the instructions. It is easier to check solutions at the end if the children sit next to each other rather than opposite each other or back to back. Once the task has been mastered, the children can invent their own version. Listening Games: Please Mr Crocodile Version 1: Children are given a coloured token such as a counter, bottle lid or peg. The children say to the person chosen as Mr Crocodile, Please Mr Crocodile, may I cross the sea? Mr Crocodile answers, Only if you have a blue peg (or whatever you have chosen to use as a token). Those children with the colour called run across the room to the destination identified before the game commences. Those children who run with the wrong colour or those who didn t run when their colour was called, sit beside Mr Crocodile for his dinner. Version 2: One child or an adult is chosen to be the crocodile. An area in front of the crocodile becomes the river and the other children stay at the opposite end of the room. The children call out to the crocodile, Crocodile, crocodile can we cross the river? The crocodile answers, Only if you have.(names a colour) Children wearing that colour move across the river safely. This is repeated a few times, then Mr Crocodile invites all the others to cross. Come, come. The remaining children try to cross the river without being caught by the crocodile. Whoever is caught becomes the crocodile. 5

6 Matching Games: Singular and Plural Make pairs of cards illustrating singular and plural examples of the same thing. Use the cards to play Memory, Pairs or Snap. Matching Games: Snap Two cards of familiar objects are prepared. For example fruit, vegetables, clothing, parts of the body, animals. The two children play together. Cards are placed flat on the ground or table. If the cards match, the children say snap and the first to call takes the cards. The game can be extended by encouraging the children to describe the card they have snapped, This is a It s a They re both.. Matching Games: Picture Lotto There are a variety of picture lotto games available commercially. You can also make your own games using pictures from store catalogues, drawing familiar objects and then making individual cards to match. Version 1: Children can play this game in a group. Each child has his/her own board. An adult has the pile of cards and calls out the fruits as they are held up - Who has the apple? The children can be asked to identify the fruit Does anybody know what this is? Who can tell me the name of this? Is it an.? It s not a Version 2: The adult has a pile of cards with objects known to the children. There is also a list of the objects. The adult gives each child six counters and six cards, which they place, face up in front of them. The adult calls the name of the object and the child who has it indicates this and places a small counter on it. The child with six counters wins. The game can be made more difficult by having the adult describe rather than name each object. For example, It ticks and has numbers. The child should name the object as he/she places the counter on top of the card. Naming Games: Hello Stand four or five children in a line. Throw the ball to each child. As you do so chant Hello (the child s name). Each child responds by chanting the adult person s name, Hello Mrs Smith as they return the ball. Naming Games: My name your name Stand a small group of children in a line. Throw the ball to a child and chant, My name is..what is your name? The child catches the ball and throws it back to you saying, My name is..what is your name? Naming Games: Name Rolling Children sit on the floor in a circle with a medium sized ball. One child says another child s name and rolls out the ball to that child. This chid (who now has the ball) says another child s name and rolls the ball to him/her. 6

7 Naming Games: Pass the object A small group of children sit in a circle with an adult. A familiar object such as a cup, crayon, scissors, toy or block is passed round the group. The passing of the object stops when the adult taps on a drum. The adult says, What do you have? The child names the object if they can. Naming Games: Going shopping Prepare card pictures of fruit, clothing, toys, vegetables, sweets, meat. Children sit in a circle round a table. The adult begins by saying, Yesterday I went shopping and I bought The adult picks up a picture card to show the children and names the object. Then each child in turn repeats the sentence and picks up another picture. If children don t know the name of the object they have picked up, other children or the adult can help by naming it. This game can be played bilingually with parents, who can help children by saying the name in the first language. Other children or an adult can then say the name in English. Sorting Games: What s in a house Provide five ice cream containers for sorting. Glue a picture of a room of the house on the side of each, for example bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, lounge. Cut out a selection of pictures form magazines and mount these on cardboard. Children can work individually or in small groups, preferably with an adult, to sort objects into appropriate containers. Other categories can be used such as Warm/cold clothing, Clothing for bedtime/beach/parties/play and Objects for inside/outside. Sorting Games: Sorting Box From a box of assorted objects, children can arrange items in groups which belong together, objects which: Feel the same Look the same Make a noise Float/sink Are soft/hard Whenever possible this should be done with small groups of children and an adult. Sorting Games: Doggie, doggie who s got the bone? Children sit in a circle. One child is chosen to be the dog. He/she crouches in the middle with eyes hidden. The bone (a bell) is placed behind the child. Another child is chosen to steal the bone then return to the circle and put it behind his/her back. All children bang their knees and chant; Doggie, doggie who s got the bone? The child in the middle has to try and identify who has the bone. Other children then take turns. 7

8 Sorting Games: Treasure Box Version 1: Small objects that the children are familiar with are placed inside a box with a hole cut into the top. Each child takes it in turns to put a hand into the box and select an object. The other children try to guess what the object is by asking questions i.e. Is it a toy? Can you eat it? The child who selected the object feels it and tries to answer yes or no. After a short time, or if another child guesses correctly, the children change places. After naming all the objects the lid is raised and the objects are named by the adult and other children. The adult has the opportunity of modelling the correct name and expanding information. For example; Child: A spoon. Adult: Do you think it s a spoon? What sort of spoon? Is it a teaspoon? Child: It s a small spoon. Version 2: Enclose in a bag items with the same initial sound, for example: Ship, sheep, shovel. Saucer, sandpaper, saltshaker, sand. In turn the children take out an article and say its name. Rhyming articles, articles with the same final sound ending, objects or pictures can be used and all are helpful for language development. Additional ideas for planned adult-led and child-initiated small group games and activities can be found in the Phase One guidance of the Letters and Sounds programme. 8