Key principles

SCAFFOLD PUPILS' LEARNING

Scaffolding provides support, 'training wheels' to enable pupils to access tasks beyond what they can do unaided. The support is gradually reduced to aid independence which is the ultimate goal. Scaffolded support can be in the form of writing frames, talk frames, sentence starters or sentence structure prompts. This scaffolding can be combined with practcal support such as vocabulary lists, visuals, mind maps, whiteboards for drafting ideas, peer and teacher support.

HOME LANGUAGE IS A BENEFIT

Home language usage aids fluency in English. Providing opportunities for pupils to write in their home language, if they have the skills, ensures that skills learnt in one language transfer over to the other language. It also sends the message that understanding other languages is a skill not a problem. For the teacher it provides clues as to the similarities and differences between their language and English. If you have resources available you can translate what the child has said and benefit from this communication.

ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING LEADS TO SELF AWARE WRITERS

The first step in supporting children with EAL is knowing what common errors they are likely to make. The list of common errors is useful in alerting you, the teacher, to enable you to address these errors within your teaching. Obviously not all children will make the same errors. Each child brings a different repertoire of skills and knowledge about writing. Finding out about the scripts and alphabets of other languages can be beneficial in determining what kind of individual support children may need.
Assessment for Learning strategies are very useful in developing advanced EAl learners' skills in writing. Teaching pupils to self-evaluate their referring to a set criteria for success helps pupils to clearly think out the strategies they are using and make changes as needed. Taking part in peer-evalutation develops children's critical thinking and evaluative skills: as they talk with their partner about the strengths and areas for development they are reinforcing their conceptual understanding. Finally, sensitive and constructive teacher marking and feedback is vital to ensure pupils reach their full potential. Acknowledging what pupils have achieved is important in maintainig high levels of motivation. It is also important to indicate what children need to work on next, so that they are continually challenged to reach the next milestone.

PICTURES ENHANCE COMPREHENSION