Newcomer ELL Handbook Project

This ELL newcomer resource was set-up as a template for new refugee support so that any OASD school may use it.i Simply do a “find and replace” using the Microsoft Word tool bar and replace “Your School” with your school’s name and add other specifications as needed.

Some of the documents didn’t copy well into the landscape page layout (i.e. the student schedule), so you may want to go back to the original created by Stacey Thiede and use that layout.

Feel free to add and change to this document to improve it. Always save your own originals for safe-keeping

Other things to remember:Add Family translation needs to Skyward. If student does not speak Hmong or Spanish and there is another individual who is willing to serve as a translator for the family, this can be added to the notes.

Newcomer ELL Study Materials used during Resource:

Merrill Middle School 2013-14

Access: Building Literacy Through Learning—Newcomers. Great Source (2005)(this one has extensive content-based prep, including math)

Keys to Learning: Skills and Strategies for Newcomers. Longman/Pearson (2005)Rosetta Stone—Set up account through Stacey Thiede

Oshkosh Area School DistrictMerrill Middle School

English Language Learner Newcomer Guide:Guide for the Peer Mentor, Classroom Teacher & the Studentii

--Dawn Shimura, ELL Specialist

ELL NewcomerPeer Mentor Guide

Getting Started with an ELL Student Mentor:

If the goal of the instruction is basic English acquisition and socialization and not academic in content, it is better if the mentor doesn’t speak the home language. (If academic content is the primary goal, then complex comprehension will be required and the native language support is useful whenever possible).

1. Consult with staff to obtain names of students that would be culturally sensitive and is academically successful enough to be late for his/her own classes

2. Meet with potential mentors during lunch3. Read the “Things for Peer Mentors to Know” handout4. Demonstrate how to conduct Total Physical Response (TPR) session. Suggest the activities

constitute a 5-7 minute period during the day5. Read the “TPR Starters” handout6. Ask mentors to think of materials in and around school or home that would complement any of

the above7. Show mentors the ELL Resource room and supplies. 8. Thank the mentors and arrange for another lunch date with the ELL student(s) and mentor(s)9. (If available, have someone bilingual explain this process to the ELL student)

School TourBy Peer Mentor

Dear (Peer Mentor of a student with low-level English skills),

Thank you for your help with our new student. This student will remember you as their first friend and helper in his or her new country.

Please spend some time doing the following and return to our classroom by ________________.

Take the student around the school to show him/her the following places. Make sure to explain what students are expected to do and the rules they must following each location:

Cafeteria Bathrooms Office Library Computer lab Gym Office

Please introduce the student to the following people and explain what each person’s job is through simple words or demonstration:

Head cook Secretary Librarian Principal School receptionist School nurse School counselor Custodian(s)

If the students seems to be confused or has any specific questions, write them down, and bring them to your teacher the end of the tour.

Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated!

Dear (Peer Mentor of a student with intermediate or higher level English skills),

Thank you for your help with our new student. This student will remember you as their first friend and helper in his or her new country.

Please spend some time doing the following and return to our classroom by ________________.

Explain the rules for behavior at recess, lunch, before and after school, and in the hallways.

Take the student around the school to show him/her the following places. Make sure to explain what students are expected to do and the rules they must following each location:

Cafeteria Bathrooms Office Library Computer lab Gym Office

Please introduce the student to the following people and explain what each person’s job is or how that person can help him/her : Head cook Secretary Librarian Principal School receptionist School nurse School counselor Custodian(s)

Ask the student is he/she has any questions, write them down, and bring them to your teacher the end of the tour.

Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated!

Daily Routine Assistance: Class-to-class EscortBy Peer Mentor

Dear Peer Mentor,

Thank you for your help with our new student, escorting him/her between classes. This student will remember you as their first friend and helper in his or her new country.

Please spend some time looking over the new student’s daily routine. If you have any suggestions on how to make adjusting to school life here in the United States and here at Merrill Middle School, please talk to or email the ELL Specialist. You will come to know your peer buddy better, in ways, than the staff at Merrill Middle School and your insight is greatly appreciated.

Greet the student at the doors he/she enters in the morning and walk him/her to his/her locker and then to Homebase. Escort the student to his/her classes, making sure that he/she has been introduced to the teacher and knows where to sit and what to do until class starts. You will be given a hall pass to excuse you from the beginning and end of each of your classes that are affected by your peer mentoring. Please exit each of your classes 2-3 minutes early and meet your peer buddy at his/her classroom door.

If you have an opportunity to work with basic verbs & vocabulary with the student, please add a 5 minute routine to your day using the vocabulary from the “TPR Starters” handout.

If you are assigned to assist as Peer Tutor in any of your classes, please see the ELL Specialist and the classroom teacher for suggestions.

If the students seems to be confused or has any specific questions, write them down, and bring them to a teacher or the ELL Specialist.

Thank you! Your help is greatly appreciated!

Things for Peer Tutors to Know

Peer tutors are VERY IMPORTANT people! Students often learn more from you than they do the teacher. Thank you for choosing this very important job.

Talk more slowly than usual. Use short, simple sentences Repeat the most important words 2 or 3 times Speak in a normal voice. There’s no need to speak louder than usual unless the surroundings are unusually noisy. Your buddy doesn’t need to understand every word of what your….just the main idea Use pictures when you can. If you can’t find any….draw one Act it out or use gestures when you can If your buddy still doesn’t understand, try to explain in different words If you can’t understand what your buddy is trying to say, ask him or her to act it out or to draw it Try not to do the work for your buddy. Try to explain so that she/he understands enough to do it for her or himself When your buddy doesn’t pronounce something correctly, don’t criticize or make him or her repeat it several times.

Instead model the correct way to way it. If your buddy can’t think of the answer, give him or her the choice between 2 words Give your teacher ideas if you can see ways that your buddy could be included more in the classroom. Don’t get angry if

your teacher isn’t able to implement the idea. Continue to make suggestions! Think of ways to make your buddy feel welcome at recess, lunch, after school…any time! Ask your buddy to teach you some things in his or her native language. Perhaps establish a few minutes at the end of each

lesson to learn how to say some things you’ve taught in English in your buddy’s native language

TPR Starters(Total Physical Response: commands to increase receptive English vocabulary)

Stand up Go to the ___________ Write __________Stand up and walk to the door Hum Draw a ___________Stand next to the ________ Sing Read _____________Stand on the ________ Count to ________ in (native

language)Watch _____________

Sit down Count to _______ in English Copy ________________Sit down on the _____ Point to the _______ Fix this ______________Raise your hand Draw a __________ Pick up the ____________Run Fold the paper Put down the ________Run to the _________ Open the ______ Go ____________Dance Close the ____________ Watch meDance next to _________ Throw the ____________ Watch the ________Smile Throw the _____ in the _____ Wash ___________Frown Pick up the ________ KneelCry Underline the ___________ Kneel on the ___________Giggle Circle the ______ Hold the _______Laugh Cut the ____________ Carry the _________Follow me Make ____________ Read the ________

ELL NewcomerClassroom Teacher Guide

Working with new English Language Learners Increase wait time: Give students time to think and process language Simplify your language: Use as few words as possible. Emphasize and perhaps repeat important words and

verbs Respond to the message: even if grammar isn’t perfect—if you understand what they’re trying to say…

respond. Don’t explicitly correct the utterance Model correct usage: if the student responds with incorrect grammar, acknowledge the response and then

repeat it, modeling correct grammar Don’t expect students to speak: but sill ask that they respond: by pointing, answering yes or no, or choosing

among 2 options Demonstrate and use manipulatives: hold up pictures, realia, act it out, draw it…be creative Socialize the student: Remember that for newcomers, the classroom goal is for socialization and language

acquisition, not classroom content. Surround the student with supportive peers. The ELL specialist can meet privately with any students you assign as peer buddies

Routine: It is important for newcomers to establish classroom routines Duties: When the content is too complex for in-class participation, student can assist teacher with classroom

duties ELL Tasks: When the classroom content is too complex for in-class participation, student can work on an ELL

task (worksheets or computer-based) provided by the ELL Specialist in advance (i.e. Rosetta Stone, content-based vocabulary cards (see attached graphic organizer for template), etc.)

Google Docs: Share any classroom work with ELL Specialist for student feedback and progress monitoring Gender considerations: Some cultures are sensitive about working together with the opposite sex

Graphic Organizer for Teaching Content Vocabulary

Topic: Math Science

Social Studies Literacy

Picture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: Sentence: (subject & verb)

One way to help students explore words is to ask them to choose a:*Synonym *Picture *Word to fill in the blank*Antonym *Classification *Definition*Example of description of the definition

Topic: Literacy WordsPicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English)

Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: Literacy WordsPicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English)

Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: MathPicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English) Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: MathPicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English) Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: SciencePicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English) Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: SciencePicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English) Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: Social Studies

Picture:Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English) Sentence: (subject & verb)

Topic: Social StudiesPicture:

Word:

= Synonym:

Meaning: (in Kinyarwandan or English) Sentence: (subject & verb)

ELL NewcomerStudent Guide

Student Schedule

Advisor Room 204- Mrs. Noe

Hour 1

8 19

8 38

Grace’s Schedule

Class Room TeacherGym 204 Mr. Loeper

Hour 2

Hour 3

9 32

10 26

Class Room TeacherScience 112 Mr. Mees

Class Room TeacherLiteracy 124 Dawn

Hour 4

Hour 5

iii

11 20

12 10 12 59

Lunch #34441

Class Room Teacher Teen Life

110 Ms. Parker

Class Room Teacher

Resource 124 Dawn

Hour 6

Hour 7

2 47

Go home at 3:37

1 53

Class Room Teacher

Math 202 Ms.

Gauthier

Class Room TeacherSocial Studies

204 Ms. Noe

Computer Access

Computer Access

Math Program—Front Row

Locker Combination

Hall Locker Gym Locker

31

21

11

School Vocabulary

City Bus iv

(go to http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/transit/pdf/2013-2014_SCHOOL_INFORMATION.pdf for your school’s route(s) and insert the route needed for your student, fares are listed here http://www.ci.oshkosh.wi.us/transit/fares_and_passes.htm)

GO Transit Bus Fares

One-way Cash Fare (ages 6-59) $1.00

Senior Citizen (age 60 and over) $ 0.50

Disabled (w/ ADA card or Medicare Card) $ 0.50

Children under 6 years of age* FREE

UWO Students, Staff & Faculty w/ Titan Card FREE

Disabled Veteransw/ DVA Service Connected ID FREE

Punch Pass (20 rides) $20.00

Reduced Punch Pass (20 rides) $10.00

Monthly Pass (unlimited rides) $25.00

3-Month Pass (unlimited rides) $60.00 (Best Value!)

*Please note: Only 3 Children under 6 per fare paying rider are eligible for the free fare.1. To qualify for reduced fares or free fares, rider must be prepared to show the driver the applicable form of ID. 2. To use a Reduced Punch Pass, rider must show driver proof of age (60 or older), valid ADA paratransit card or valid Medicare Card.

i large portions of the original text were taken from Brown, C. (2005). Powerful Strategies for Strengthening the Literacy and Academic Performance of Your ESL Students. Bureau of Education & Research, Bellevue, WA.Many other ideas come from Margo Goff, ELL Specialist at Oshkosh North High School and Stacey Thiede, ELL Specialist at Webster Middle School (Oshkosh Area School District)ii large portions of the original text were taken from Brown, C. (2005). Powerful Strategies for Strengthening the Literacy and Academic Performance of Your ESL Students. Bureau of Education & Research, Bellevue, WA.Many other ideas come from Margo Goff, ELL Specialist at Oshkosh North High School and Stacey Thiede, ELL Specialist at Webster Middle School (Oshkosh Area School District)iii Contact Peggy West for lunch numbers (2013-14)iv The district buys the bus passes. Ask Fran if they have the refugee student’s initial one to get to school. If Fran (it goes through Jackie Kiffmeyer and Julie Mosher) has it set up, monthly ones will come to school. Ask your secretary if the monthly ones come to her. For Oshkosh North, the District office sends them to the school bank.