Making Connections...that's one of the Reading strategies that we teach our students: connections to self, connections to another book, connections to another author, connections to our world. I'm making some connections today as I am reading, A Framework for Understanding Poverty, by Ruby K. Payne, PhD. I don't currently teach in a district with widespread poverty, but I find that as an Immersion educator I often make connections to books or authors who would otherwise be unconnected. In this case, the book is not about Immersion education, though it would certainly apply to Immersion schools in impoverished districts. But the author, Dr. Payne, helps me to understand what some of the issues are that hinder a student's learning abilities, even if for a short while. Many of the strategies that are used to help a student who is impeded by social, emotional or financial stressors are also adaptable & applicable to students who are learning through their 2nd language, regardless of their financial situation!
For example, One of the cognitive issues that students from poverty deal with is "Impaired verbal tools". These students lack "the vocabulary necessary to deal with the cognitive tasks." (p. 92) A response to this deficit is to "use appropriate and accurate labels, that is, to use very precise words & vocabulary to identify and explain." (p.95) My connection radar jumps to rapid beeping at this point! Every time I read a new publication of some terrific strategies for teaching Reading or Writing, I am overwhelmed by all the cutsie "jingle" type language that is used to provide a "hook" to the concept being taught. That kind of language is not easily translated to a 2nd language, and almost never then is able to utilize the rhyme, acronym, etc. that was used in the original explanation, which made it such a good hook to begin with. So, what do I do? I strain out most of the extraneous, cutsie language & go for the heart of the concept. I look for a possible rhyme, acronym etc. in the 2nd language, but if it's not available, I move on to describing the concept in very simple, concrete, literal language. I label the task, procedure and process so that the students can remember and repeat the task, procedure and process in their next work.
Dr. Payne describes many other strategies to help students build conceptual frameworks. One
that jumped out at me today was to use rubrics. As a first grade teacher I have struggled with
designing a rubric that is simple enough for our 2nd language learners to use without taking up
several days to explain the vocabulary of the rubric. Too often I just
give up in frustration & tell the students if a work is correct or not & how to correct it.
But as I was reading this book today, I was inspired to create a visual rubric for my students.
My first idea was to have a Handwriting rubric. From a 1 to a 4, there would be a sample of
the different levels of handwriting posted below each number. The students could then
compare their handwriting with the various ones posted. I could explain the various levels,
and what the goal is, and then model to the students how to compare their writing to theexamples posted. I think they might just get that! And I would not have to go into all the
explanations at the beginning of the year of what the words, big curve, little curve, tall letters,
lower case, upper case, etc. mean. That will come throughout the year as I teach handwriting.
Then my next rubric could be on writing a sentence. Again, I would post 4 different samples of
what a sentence looks like, including incomplete sentences. I would model how to write and
then compare my sample to the examples. The students could then see where they stand on
the proficiency scale & see exactly what they need to do to become more proficient.
Where will all these rubrics lead? Hopefully to more understanding and proficient students,
and to a less frustrated teacher! You should check out Framework for Understanding Poverty,
by Ruby K. Payne, PhD. You might just find some great new inspiration for success in
Immersion education as well!
Enjoy your summer! Read a lot, rest a lot, and see what kind of new connections you come
back with in the Fall!
Sheryl René
