Piecing Language Together: Jigsaws in the ESL Classroom
My ESL students need 10 jigsaw puzzles which they will use to work in small groups and build oral language and community language skills!
$240 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
Did you know that jigsaw puzzles can actually help English Language Learners build language skills as they are building the puzzle? I didn't, until I attended a recent workshop for ESL teachers on that very topic. I learned that ESL students, when working in groups to solve jigsaw puzzles, begin to use language that native speakers take for granted! For example, they speak about colors, use directional vocabulary ("This goes at the bottom"), and develop cooperative vocabulary ("I think you're right" or "Let's try this.") When I took what I learned back to my school, I was blown away by what I saw. As they built puzzles, English Language Learners of all levels began using language in ways that they hadn't had an opportunity to do before. Plus, they were super-motivated to do so because to them, it seemed like play time- something our children get too little of.
After the workshop, I begged, borrowed, made, and bought all of the puzzles I could, but now I believe my third grade ELLs will be ready for more of a challenge than my wallet can afford! While they loved doing the puzzles that I made, they flew through them rather quickly. Now they need larger and more complicated puzzles to really get them excited!
That's why I have requested seven puzzles of different levels to challenge beginning through advanced English speakers and problem solvers. The puzzles that I have requested range up to 100 pieces, and one puzzle could last a small group for a week or more. That's a lot of language! Plus, each puzzle ties into a curriculum, such as science or social studies. In this way, students have fun developing the vocabulary of specific animals, plants, states, bodies of water, and more! More advanced English speakers will begin to write about what they see in the puzzle, as well as analyzing their problem-solving strategies. For example, they may use sequence words to tell how they solved the puzzle. ("First we found the edges, then we grouped the pieces by color" etc.) As you can see, the language development surrounding building puzzles is endless, and I have only named a few examples here. Puzzle building will also improve students' math skills as they become better problem solvers and learn the language necessary to solve math problems. At the same time, it builds a close community through teamwork- something that is crucial for ELLs who may be new to the community.
You have an opportunity to re-introduce play to the classroom and help students build language at the same time. This is a rare combination in public schools these days, since test-prep has all but taken over any opportunity for social interactions or play. This is especially true at my school, where students receive gym once a week and recess is non-existent. Now it is up to teachers to give students a chance to play and learn at the same time. And it's up to you too! Please join me as we fight to keep fun in the classroom and to help students love coming to school and learning.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Snoke and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
