Virtual School/Equalities Learning

English as an Additional Language Guidance for Teaching Assistants Primary Working with children learning English as an Additional Language

1 Contents

Background Information p2 Support for New Arrivals p4 Information from the tda p6 Tda information: supporting maths p7 Tda information: literacy p9 Interventions for EAL pupils p11 Talking Partners p12 Talking Maths p13 Young Interpreters p15 Useful websites and further information p17

The aim is to promote support for independent learning. Don’t do the work FOR the child. Instead, promote inclusion.

2 Background Information

Children learning English as an additional language are not a uniform group. Some children are born in the UK but speak little or no English other pupils have had age-appropriate schooling and are literate in their home languages. They may know all about a subject but have not yet developed the English vocabulary to show this. Other pupils enter an English school for the first time and have not yet learned to read or write in their home language. In some counties formal schooling does not start until several years later than in the English education system so children may not have the same school experiences and will not have covered the same curriculum. Some countries have a much more formal learning style and children and parents may not be used to a “learning through play” approach in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Some families move house in order to find work so some children have already attended several schools before they arrive in yours for the first time. Some children experience an interrupted education through moving schools frequently and/or returning to their home country for extended visits.

Finding out about the child’s language/s and prior experiences of education Find out as much as you can about the languages spoken in the home: some pupils speak more than one language outside school. For example, parents/carers may speak different languages; the family may speak one form of a language but read and write it in another form (such as people who speak Sylheti and read and write in Bengali); some members of the family may speak English; the pupil may use yet another language for religious purposes; and some pupils have lived for a time in a third country before arriving in the UK and have picked up the language there. Find out as much as you can about a child’s previous education and schools attended.

BICS and CALP It takes a child about two years to become socially fluent in English and this is knows as BICS Basic Interpersonal Conversational Skills but about7 years to achieve CALP (Cognitive and Academic Language Proficiency) so pupils will continue to need extra visual support, scaffolding and high quality speaking and listening activities otherwise their progress will plateau and they will not achieve

3 their full potential. It is really important to encourage parents/carers and pupils to maintain and develop home languages because this provides a sound basis for the learning of English as an additional language.

Support for New Arrivals.

 Find out as much as possible about the child’s country and home language/s. The school library service has an excellent selection of dual language and multicultural books.

 Provide clear signs round school

 Create a visual timetable and other key visuals such as word mats dual language maths vocabulary.

 Group the pupil with good role models for language and learning

 Start a “new vocabulary” book with pictures. Write the word in English (always use “a” with nouns) and encourage parents and carers to write the word in the home language

 If the pupil is literate in the home language encourage him/her to write in this at first and to use a bilingual dictionary

 Set up a buddy system with other children.

 Encourage active listening and opportunities for a pupil to show his or her understanding without needing to speak. eg. By holding up a card

 In whole class carpet sessions sit with the child and encourage interaction, draw diagrams for explanation. It’s amazing what you can do with a whiteboard!

Allow the child to hear several other people speaking before asking for an oral contribution and allow extra time for thinking and answering.

4 Experience has shown that all EAL learners benefit from taking part in whole-class and group activities where there are clearly defined objectives, interactive teaching approaches, opportunities to listen to and join in planned talk, and where the meaning of texts is made clear through visual support and oral explanation. Story telling with props and the approaches outlined in Talk For Writing are ideal for scaffolding EAL learners.

Pupils who are already literate in a language other than English will already know the conventions of reading and will actively search for cues, such as the relationship of letters to sounds. They will also seek contextual and picture clues to meaning. For these pupils books provide a powerful medium for learning English, and they usually make rapid progress in English language acquisition and literacy. There needs to be a focus on reading for meaning as decoding skills can be in advance of comprehension as the child develops a wide vocabulary in English.

Pupils who have not yet learned to read and write in their first language will still need to have the early reading experiences that all learners undergo in the process of becoming literate. Hearing texts read aloud and talking about the story, the characters or the topic of an information book is an invaluable part of the process. Early learners of English may not be able to have this experience at home in English, so reading or sharing books with a Teaching Assistant either individually or in a small group, in addition to taking part in literacy work in lessons, will greatly enhance their language and literacy development. Many favourite stories are now available in dual language editions and can be turned into a story sack shared in the child’s home language with parents and carers which will enhance the child’s understanding.

5 TA roles in supporting pupils who are learning English as an Additional Language (from TDA induction training for Primary Teaching Assistants)

Planning  Being aware of lesson objectives  Discussing access strategies for focus pupil  Contributing ideas based on knowledge of pupil’s progress  Having clear expectations of TA roles within the lesson  Where appropriate, being aware of the role/intervention planned for by the teacher, as stated in the short-term plan.

Preparation  Ensuring appropriate visual aids/props are available  Ensuring a dictionary is available  Preparing any specific resources required by focus pupils.

Delivery In a whole-class session, sitting near pupil in order to:  echo the teacher’s message  explain the teacher’s message  encourage engagement  encourage responses to question  rehearse responses  act as a talk partner, or facilitate pupil working with another pupil as talk partners. ● echo the teacher’s message ● explain the content of the lesson ● signal to the teacher when the pupil is ready to answer.

In group/individual work: ● encouraging talk and acting as a role model of English ● explaining key words ● demonstrating/supporting the task ● supporting reading ● supporting writing through talk, scaffolding (ie. writing frames/sentence starters

6 At any time during the lesson the TA can observe a group or individual pupil’s engagement with the teacher’s presentation or the group’s or pupil’s approach to any task/activity.

Review ● Discuss successful/less successful aspects of the lesson in relation to the focus pupil ● Feed back specific detail on the focus pupil’s progress within the lesson.

Mathematics EAL pupils may know a lot of mathematics, but this might not be apparent. These pupils may recognise written numerals on paper or on the board, but may not know the words in English. For example, they may recognise “36”, but not the word “thirty-six”. It can be difficult to find out exactly what these pupils are able to do if they are unable to explain.

TAs may need to give EAL pupils picture clues or keywords to help them understand instructions. You can encourage the pupils to watch others and to learn how to play a game or do an activity from observation or use appropriate equipment with EAL pupils to help them understand what to do.

Learning and using vocabulary is important in mathematics especially for EAL children and they need to be given opportunities to learn and use new vocabulary. Try using games that involve simple words and phrases picked up from other players. TAs can encourage children to repeat number sentences, such as “nine add six equals fifteen” or “five times four equals twenty” in chorus with other pupils.

It is really important to model sentences and phrases using correct mathematical vocabulary. As soon as EAL pupils feel confident, they should be encouraged to speak in complete sentences.

Don’t forget these strategies are beneficial for EAL pupils but that they will help all pupils with their mathematics.

Some low-attaining pupils, or those who are not yet fluent in English, may not understand a question the teacher has asked. It is worth repeating it,

7 perhaps using simpler vocabulary or explaining the vocabulary that is being used. Remember, however, that some pupils might become dependent on an adult repeating questions and instructions to them and won’t expect to have to listen to the teacher. It is important that pupils don’t become too dependent on the TA.

• repeat discreetly questions the teacher asks and help the pupils find an answer

• alert the teacher if a pupil has an answer

• ask questions that will help pupils to think when they are discussing in pairs

• observing pupils and making notes about their responses to questions

Pupils who are not yet fluent in English, are often reluctant to speak out in front of the class, even when they have an answer. TAs can attract the attention of the teacher or occasionally, if appropriate, give the pupil’s answer for him or her.

Sometimes teachers ask pupils to discuss a question in pairs before they give an answer. Often EAL pupils need support in this. Ensure pupils are familiar with the appropriate terms and have practised answering in full sentences

Sit near the less confident pupils in the review at the end of the maths lesson and whisper prompts to them. Don’t distract the pupil from what the teacher is saying or be disruptive for the rest of the class.

Some ways of supporting the teacher in the daily Literacy lesson

8 Tips for Drawing in reticent pupils These are the pupils who are too timid to put up their hand and answer a question. Examples of how you can do this: “I think Jarek has an idea”, “Kelly has a good example”, “Go on, Ben”.

Dropping helpful pointers Starting the ball rolling, such as: “I can see something that starts with that sound on your desk”, “I think we were talking about one of these the other day”.

Supporting pupils Drawing pupils in and encouraging the less-able and less-confident, including those with particular learning, social or emotional difficulties, such as by nodding, smiling and giving encouragement, saying “Hmmm”, making eye contact.

Joining in and making contributions For example: joining in songs or shared reading aloud, to encourage the pupils; making contributions to keep discussion going when it flags (but being careful not to pre-empt the pupils). This can be useful as long as TAs are careful not to interrupt unnecessarily when the teacher is hoping for responses from pupils. Sensitively staged contributions can provide a useful model for the pupils of how to join in – the sort of content, tone, length and manner of contribution required.

Demonstrating for the teacher Under the guidance of the teacher TAs can demonstrate activities such as using a dictionary, scanning a passage, working out a spelling.

Raising questions or problems This includes raising questions or problems which a pupil or the teacher can answer, pretending not to understand so the teacher can go through a step-by-step tuition, or acting as a character in a book.

Echoing the teacher Repeating or rewording phrases for pupils who need extra help; for example saying: “That’s right, look for the speech marks”, “See where Mrs

9 Goodwin is pointing”,” Remember what you’ve been told about blending phonemes to read words!”

Acting as a partner for a less-able pupil during discussions When pupils are given opportunities to think and discuss to generate ideas or develop a point to feed back to the class, TAs can help reticent or less-able pupils to formulate a response and alert the teacher that they’re able to make a contribution. This guarantees less-able pupils a secure and risk-free opening through which they can contribute to the class.

Using supportive props Supporting the use of teaching ‘props’, such as changing screens on whiteboards, holding up pictures, showing objects to think and discuss to generate ideas or develop a point to feed back to the class,

Supporting group discussion (including the use of additional languages) This includes reinforcing speaking and listening skills: for example, ensuring everyone is given the opportunity to contribute, considering alternatives, asking for clarification. It is sometimes useful, particularly with younger children, for TAs to get involved in the discussion themselves, for example by taking a part in a role-play scenario and even being in role themselves. Asking pupils questions can support their thinking: for example, “What do you think will happen next?”

Introducing and reinforcing specific vocabulary This can be done before, during or after an activity and is particularly useful for bilingual learners. For example, use of the term ‘phoneme’ while helping a pupil to write a word, using photographs to revise key vocabulary and aid an oral recount of a trip. The Letters and Sounds materials include specific examples of activities that aim to engage children and to develop and extend their use of language, sounds and words.

Helping pupils with activities When a new activity is introduced to a group, pupils need a lot of support (taking it step by step) to manage and understand it. Once they know a basic activity – such as where children recognise the first letter of their name and sound this out to learn letter/sound correspondence, or how to organise a spelling investigation – they will have learnt some principles

10 that they can be gently reminded of when the same activity is used in a different context.

Assisting during group and independent work • Small group phonics activity • Guided reading and guided writing • Supporting group discussion • Introducing and reinforcing specific vocabulary • Helping pupils with activities, eg. playing Pelmanism (memorising letters, words or sounds) • Assessing progress to feed back to the teacher and recording this in a way that best fits the school’s assessment systems

Interventions for EAL pupils

In many schools with a rising number of pupils new to English and schools with a growing number of EAL pupils on role Teaching Assistants play a vital role in induction and through small group and individual work.

New Arrivals Small group and individual support Talking Partners 10 week intervention programme Talking Maths 10 week intervention programme Young Interpreters training for pupils to be effective buddies and interpreters

11 Talking Partners: 1. What is it and where did it come from? The original speaking and listening programme was developed in Bradford. It has been used extensively in other authorities. It is a structured speaking and listening programme suitable for children learning English as an additional language. It is not suitable for newly arrived learners and is designed for pupils operating at L1 Threshold on the QCA extended language levels. It is also suitable for native English speakers and is used to develop their expressive language. Delivery: Initial assessments Renfrew and story retelling. Assessments repeated at the end of the programme. 10 week programme 3x20 minute sessions per week split into 2x10 min activities delivered by a school TA. T.A will need time for planning and recording. Approx 40 mins per day Children should not be removed from core subjects for the programme. (Could use assembly time/quiet reading time)

Resources: Equalities Learning Officer has a set of 10 weekly plans most suitable for pupils in Y2/3 Nurturing Talk- comprehensive resource pack based on Talking Partners KS1-3 Talk across the curriculum Bradford PNS Speaking, Listening, Learning working with children in key stages 1 and 2

12 Talking Maths

This is a scheme developed by Liverpool Maths Team and aims to develop the use and understanding of mathematical language.

 Talking Maths is a 10 week programme comprising of 3 X 20 minute sessions per week with an emphasis on developing the use and understanding of mathematical language. Each session is made up of 2 X 20 min practical activities

 There are 3 stages in each activity: Stage 1 the adult partner supports the child through modelling, demonstrating and prompting. As the children gain confidence they are guided through the 2nd and 3rd stage where the partner will extend the use of language and questioning and promote more independent interaction. There is very clear guidance on the stages for each activity on pages 19-36 on the handbook with guidance on the language focus for each activity. This is followed by extended activities for Y4-7

 The programme can be administered by a teacher, teaching assistant or adult helper working with a group of 3 children

 There is minimal preparation and planning in administering the programme.

 Recommended resources are listed in appendix A of the handbook and most resources can easily be found in a primary school.

 Why do we need it?  Mathematics is about problem solving.  Problem solving requires thinking skills.  Thinking skills require academic language

 Who is it for?  The typical pupil profile is that of a child who is showing mathematical potential but who would benefit from developing their use and understanding of language in the context of mathematics.

13 Session 1 Session 2 Session 3

A. On The Table A. What’s Different? A. Let’s Say, Let’s Play

An activity that presents a This activity presents a A chance to practise collection of objects ‘on the variety of objects that maths vocabulary through table’ to stimulate show differences and songs, rhymes, actions, discussion, questioning and similarities to compare pictures and games. This interaction and provide and contrast. It is a fun activity which opportunities for sharing provides opportunity could use resources mathematical vocabulary for asking and already known to answering questions, children/adult or estimating, measuring developed by themselves. and checking results.

B. Puppet Problem B. Copy Cats B. Detectives Solving ‘Copy Cats’ is an Be a detective... In this activity, the puppet opportunity to use simple plays a central role in barrier games to provide a  Ask questions introducing the problems to purposeful context for the children. It can: using mathematical  Use clues  Introduce the language.  Solve problems problem  Ask the children for Barrier games provide help children with the  Make silly mistakes opportunity to give  Help generate ideas precise, clear instructions  Encourage checking and become active strategies listeners  Help find the right answer

14 Young Interpreters Scheme

This is a scheme developed by Hampshire Ethnic Minority Achievement Service which aims to use pupil interpreters to support the emotional well being of newly arrived pupils and families who are learning English as an additional language.

 Training a group of pupils as ‘interpreters’ using the ‘Hampshire Young Interpreter pack’ (Separate training for pupils in KS1 KS2 and KS3/4)

 Values this group by giving them an official role and status within the school

 Through this group, providing additional peer support to newly arrived EAL learners either through first language or child friendly English.

 Communicating and celebrating the group’s work with parents and carers.

 Adding to and extending the buddy system for new arrivals, not replacing it.

 Sending positive messages to all about valuing bilingualism.

 Working with this group to listen and respond to the needs of pupils, parents and visitors with EAL on a day to day basis.

 A member of staff is appointed as co-ordinator for the scheme and delivers a short training course using the Young Interpreters pack.

 Special assembly to award Young interpreters with badges and Yong Interpreters pack to which parents are invited.

15  Pupils, overseen by co-ordinator, support new arrivals in school. This could include supporting new pupils at playtime and helping them make friends, helping show new families round school, helping welcome parent’s at parent’s evenings, supporting new pupils in a variety of ways in class by being good language modes, helping explain things in child friendly English.

 Pupil interpreters help train the next set of Young Interpreters

Schools in Hampshire have reported the following benefits.

 Pupils developed empathy towards new arrivals and an increased understanding of some of the challenges they face.  School staff, including office and lunchtime supervisors, are supported.  Parents and carers of new arrivals felt reassured.  It offers more extensive and focussed peer support in addition to a buddy system.  Pupil interpreters received recognition and used bilingual and communication skills to develop strategies to clarify, explain and interpret using home languages , visual support or child friendly English.

16 Useful websites and information.

Translating and interpreting advice

Allyson Carty Partnership Development and Participation Officer CCC Children’s Services Blencathra House PO Box 10 Whitehaven CA28 0BN Tel. 07554438474 Email [email protected].

EAL advice and training

Rachel Lee Equalities Learning Officer (EAL) East Wing First Floor Kingmoor Business Park Carlisle CA6 4SJ Tel. 01228 221188 mobile 07876396970 Email [email protected] Website Cumbria County Council, Children’s Services, Education and learning, Information for schools, virtual schools equality learning, EAL www.literacytrust.org.uk The Early Years section has an English as an Additional Language are with a useful series of downloadable advice leaflets in several languages called Talk to your Baby. Despite the title they are suitable for children up to 3 years old and included titles such as Talk To Your Baby Using Your Home Language, Making The Most Of Television, Sharing Songs and Rhymes as well as some downloadable games including Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See and Handa’s Surprise. www.mantralingua.co.uk/ Dual language books, a small selection of toys and games for visual support and story retelling or story sacks, talking pens, cds and dvds plus welcome booklet which enables Nurseries to print off school information in several languages www.education.gov.uk

17 For the latest Department of Education information regarding Early Years Foundation Stage and English as an Additional Language

www.primaryresources.co.uk Translated letters for parents can be found by going to the “other” section down the left hand side and going to EAL resources

Language of the month www.newburypark.redbridge.sch.uk/langofmonth Say hello in many languages and activities to promote language awareness

Websites for dual language books, songs and rhymes Little Linguist www.little-linguist.co.uk

Mantra Publishing www.mantralingua.com/uk

Milet Publishing www.milet.com

Hounslow Language service www.hvec.org.uk multi lingual talking stories and multilingual songs and rhymes cd and booklet

Dual language songs on cd www.babyboomboom.com

This CD features nursery rhymes and songs in English and a second language. Currently choose from English and either French, German, Spanish, Italian or Polish. Words in both languages are included with the CD. Songs include:

Emas4success www.emas4success.org Lots of information and games for new arrivals with links to other useful websites.

Racing to English is a CD ROM with more than 250 fun & flexible language activities for you to print out and use with your pupils/students www.racingtoenglish.co.uk

18 Collaborative Learning www.collaborativelearning.org -‘talk-for-learning’ activities in a range of subjects

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