Leader’s Guide
Strategies to Facilitate and Enhance ELLs’ Peer Interactions in the Classroom
Session Preparation. Prior to the session, the facilitator may request that participants bring a
lesson plan for an upcoming unit or a lesson plan template that they can use during an Action
Plan activity.
Handouts/Materials: Pre-Planning Analysis handout, Action Plan template
Slide number
1.
Title: Strategies to facilitate and enhance ELL’s peer-interactions in the classroom
2.
Opening Group Brainstorm
The facilitator can open up the discussion and encourage participation by inviting
participants to brainstorm. Preschool teacher interaction is addressed in another
module, so peer interaction will now be considered. The facilitator can write
participants’ ideas on an easel or board.
3.
Communicative Interactions
We know that language facilitation benefits all children, including typically
developing children and children with language delays, and that strong language skills
are necessary for strong reading achievement. Therefore, the language environment is
often included as a domain on assessments of teaching quality, such as the Classroom
Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and the Early Language and Literacy Classroom
Observation (ELLCO). Language stimulation is also critical for English language learners.
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To enhance preschool children’s language growth to the extent possible, we need to
think of different environments in which language facilitation can be enhanced. Clearly,
the classroom environment is one in which SLP's can work with children using a push-in
service delivery model. SLP's have very specific and extensive training in language
facilitation techniques, but they typically see children only once or twice a week.
Children spend significantly more time with their classroom teachers, yet teachers
cannot interact with all children all of the time. Therefore, today we will be talking
about how adults can enhance peer interactions to cultivate the richest language
learning environments to meet children's needs.
4.
Peer Interactions
The facilitator can again stress the importance of teacher-child interaction and
teachers’ ability to provide rich language stimulation (e.g., expand on and recasts
children’s utterances; model new vocabulary, correct grammar, complex grammatical
structures), but also acknowledge the logistical limitations in his/her ability to engage in
1:1 conversations with every child each day. However, there are still multiple areas and
opportunities for children to receive language stimulation. If the teacher cannot be
there, then who can? Peers.
5.
Listening and Learning
Children learn not only from speech directed to them, but also from
observing/listening in on others.
6.
Listening and Learning
ELLs also learn from their peers. Children with language impairment are not
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likely learn as much as their typically developing peers, but they, too, learn from peers.
7.
Enhancing Peer Interactions
Yet, there is more to it than just putting children in close proximity with one
another, and more strategy is indeed beneficial for ELLs. English language proficiency
(addressed in a previous learning module) will impact children’s interactions, as will
other individual personal factors.
8.
Additional Variables
The facilitator can invite the participants to share their ideas as a large group or
to first discuss their ideas with a neighbor and then to share in large group. Discuss
both individual characteristics of the ELLs themselves as well as the characteristics of
the English monolingual peers. Some examples:


Potential individual characteristics of ELLs
o
Their personality (e.g., introverted, shy, extroverted, outgoing)
o
Comfort level in the classroom
o
Play skills
o
Ability to use cues and context to glean the message
o
Motivation to interact
o
Etc.
Potential characteristics of English monolingual peers
o
Patience
o
Willingness to engage with ELLs despite language differences
o
Etc.
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Some ELL students will engage very readily with their English-speaking peers,
while others will not engage as readily with their peers. Many English-speaking children
will be more reluctant to engage with their ELL peers. Why? It is relatively natural for
people to continue communicating with others who meet their expectations for
reciprocity and response. When there is a language difference, some children may be
less likely to want to continue the interaction. It is not uncommon for a classroom
observer to notice that an ELL student routinely is alone and playing independently, or
for ELLs of a common language background to engage with each other more than with
other English speakers. This is okay at times, because we do not want to push ELLs at
beginning stages of English language acquisition into stressful situations. Sometimes
they need a safe haven. However, we want to balance those moments with natural and
meaningful opportunities for social interaction. That takes planning.
9.
Enhancing Peer Interactions
Part of high quality early education involves lesson planning for and monitoring
of the environment to promote enriching experiences in multiple classroom areas
simultaneously.
10.
Planning to Support Peer Interactions
11.
Pre-Planning Analysis
Invite the participants to think about one or more ELL students in their
classrooms and note where they tend to see these particular students in their
classrooms (if students are allowed to choose their centers).
12.
Pre-Planning Analysis
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How do these particular children play? Some participants may have noticed that
certain children always gravitate to the same area, the same activities, by themselves, or
with the same children. Invite them to think about types of play. Some children may
routinely engage in parallel play, near other children, but not necessarily engaging in
communicative interactions with them. In cooperative play, each child is an important
part of the interaction.
13.
Personal Brainstorming Example
The facilitator can invite the participants to think about their own experiences.
For example, ask if anyone has been to a social event in which it was difficult meet and
interact with other attendees. What made it difficult? What could the host have done
to help? The facilitator can also have participants imagine that they are planning a party
for someone who would love a variety of people there, including family, friends, and coworkers. Some of those invitees might be other married couples, some of those invitees
might be single, some might have children, and some might not. In other words, there
might be many types of people that the host or hostess wants to invite, and yet, wants
everyone to enjoy themselves and mingle rather than to cluster off into their usual
groups. A good host plans some ways to facilitate some social interaction. Give the
participants time to think and discuss in pairs before discussing in large group.
For example, you might introduce two friends and point out something they
have in common, such as “You are both from Chicago and big Cub fans.” Perhaps you
point out that two people are in the same line of work or share a hobby. Perhaps you
know a couple of people who attended that party by themselves, and you think they
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might feel more comfortable if given a task to help out. So, you might ask two or more
people if they could both help finish up some appetizers, which might also give them a
reason to interact with each other.
After sharing, the facilitator can then summarize the concept that planning can
serve to facilitate interactions between ELLs and their peers.
14.
Planning
Engaging in peer interactions may be easy for some children and more difficult
for others. Therefore, think about some ways in which we can make positive peer
interactions more likely to happen; for example, modifying the environment, using
strategic grouping, presenting activities, and incorporating teacher support.
15.
Enabling context/environment
Reiterate the importance of teacher interaction with preschool children within
centers, yet the benefit of facilitating interaction when the teacher cannot be in that
center. Some locations or centers are more suitable for rich communicative interactions
than others. Invite participants to think about and share their thoughts about this.
Acknowledge that children’s free choice is valued in early childhood education, that
children be able to choose what they want to do during center time. The facilitator can
clarify that the concept of planning is not to control children’s play, but rather, to offer
and facilitate additional enriching opportunities in a way that meets children’s learning
needs. There is a balance. The facilitator can also remind the participants that it is okay
if ELLs need some quiet, low-stress time, particularly children in pre-production and
early production stages (discussed in a previous learning module) of English acquisition,
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and that children also appear to learn from listening to the talk around them, even if it is
not directed to them. Again, there is a balance, such that ELLs are not always on their
own. Invite the participants to think about noise level in the environment. For example,
there may be two adjacent areas in a classroom which tend to be louder than other
areas in the room. Noise level can impact language learning, particularly for ELLs when
trying to listen to and comprehend English.
16.
Strategic Grouping
Discuss how children may have more positive interactions with certain peers
than with others. Children, of course, must learn to get along with everyone; however,
for purposes of facilitating enhanced communicative interactions, strategic grouping for
certain activities can be very beneficial. Some children may be more supportive, better
turn-takers, etc. Encourage the participants to think about their classrooms and
students as specifically as possible.
Next, we want ELLs not only to listen and learn but also use their expressive
language skills when they can. The ideal number of peers for grouping may depend on
the particular child and his/her English proficiency skills. A child with emerging English
skills may be more likely to communicate with a supportive peer in a 1:1 interaction and
less likely to communicate in a group. Other children may feel less pressure and be
more likely to verbalize when lots of children around him/her are also talking. The more
teachers can observe and identify these facilitators, the more effectively they will be
able to plan.
17.
Activities
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In which interactive activities is the ELL student most interested? Students may
be more likely to communicate in activities in which they are interested, so these might
be activities in which you use strategic grouping.
18.
Pre-Teaching to Support ELLs’ Comprehension
Pre-teaching of vocabulary words and concepts before storybook reading, for
example, is a common strategy intended to support ELLs’ comprehension. If teachers
are already familiar with this strategy, you can discuss how this same strategy can also
be implemented to support children’s comprehension of their peers’ language during
particular play activities. Many preschool teachers introduce centers before children
choose them by explaining what is in the center, how it relates to what they are learning
in class, rules for participation, and so forth. Similarly, teachers may pre-teach words
and concepts to support their ELL students. For the block center, for example, English
speaking children with typical language skills will likely already know many words
associated with the materials. Children with emerging English skills, however, will
benefit from some pre-teaching (e.g., block, big, small, please, fall). Teachers can tailor
the targeted vocabulary and phrases according to the level at which the child will be
successful.
19.
Teacher Support/Scaffolding to Support ELLs’ Production
Engaging in peer interactions is easier for some children and more difficult for
others. Less teacher support may be required for the former, and more teacher support
may be required for the latter.
The facilitator can again remind the audience that if there is a group of ELLs of
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the same language background in a classroom, it is natural for them to want to play with
each other. This is beneficial, as we know that children learn a great deal from play and
conversing with each other. The language and cognitive level involved in their
interactions may be much higher, as we want to encourage that. At the same time, the
idea is to provide a variety of rich opportunities for learning and to help children
develop strong skills in both languages. So, again, planning ways to foster language
learning environments in the classroom is important.
To promote inclusion, the teacher may help assign roles or prompts that are
integral to the play activity. Children may benefit from pre-teaching of some key
phrases that they may have difficulty generating on their own and that they can use
successfully and meaningfully in the play interaction. If children are playing store and
the ELL student is the cashier, for example, the teacher could pre-teach a key phrase
such as, “One dollar please.” The teacher may observe that a child needs help
expressing her/her ideas and feelings during a play interaction, so the teacher may
prompt the child, “Tell Sarah…” These key phrases can be based on the child’s English
proficiency level, as discussed in a previous module. Some children will be successful
with gestures and single words, whereas other children who have had more time to
acquire English will be successful with longer utterances. The goal is to offer a prompt
that the child will be successful producing. The facilitator can give the participants a few
minutes to think about and write down some phrases that might benefit their ELLs
during peer interactions.
Finally, the teacher may initially decide to stay with that group of children for a
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prolonged period of time to facilitate and ensure successful interaction. Teachers, of
course, cannot be in all places at all times, so the teacher can provide some initial
support in a group and then fade his/her presence and rotate to another group,
checking in again periodically. This is similar to what good hosts/hostesses do.
20.
Routines
We know that all children benefit from routines. Routines help children make
predictions, reduce the fear and anxiety of the unknown, and help children feel secure.
This is particularly important for many ELLs, particularly those in the pre-production
stage and initially enrolled in an unfamiliar, English-speaking classroom. Routines help
support children’s language comprehension and serve to give them time and multiple
opportunities to practice, refine, and expand on new language skills. Therefore, ELLs
may benefit from multiple opportunities to experience and participate in a given center
activity with their strategic peer grouping. As children are successful, the teacher may
provide new vocabulary and key phrases to help them expand their conversational
language and play while reinforcing targeted learning objectives of the preschool
curriculum.
21.
Action Plan
At this point in the session, the facilitator can give the participants some time to
develop and write their individual action plan. If participants have brought an upcoming
lesson plan or lesson plan template, they can tailor it by incorporating specific strategies
that have been discussion during the session. The more concrete the plan, the easier it
will be for participants to attempt to implement it after this session.
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Next, invite the participants to discuss their plans and help each other
brainstorm and problem-solve in small groups. There are always some participants with
wonderful and unique ideas that are beneficial for everyone. This can also be a very
motivating part of the workshop. In some settings, literacy coaches may be available to
help teachers monitor and reflect on their incorporation of ELL strategies. If not, and if
the workshop facilitator cannot conduct a later follow-up session, perhaps participants
can schedule a follow-up meeting with each other to share their findings, discuss their
progress, and problem-solve.
22.
Large Group Sharing
Once the participants have had the opportunity to plan and discuss their ideas in
small group, the facilitator can invite them to share in large group. Again, this can be
particularly beneficial and motivating for participants.
23.
Summary
After summarizing the key points, the facilitator offers time for questions.
24.
Optional
Follow-up sessions are beneficial to promoting participants’ incorporation of
presented strategies into their practice and for trouble-shooting.
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