I teach English Language Learners (ELLs) at a public school in the North Austin area of Chicago. My students range from Kindergarten to 7th grade and all are served by the federally funded breakfast and lunch program.
My students come from families that hail from many countries including: Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru.
My mission is to expand my students' capabilities in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in English, so that they are on equal footing with their classmates. Unfortunately, most of our urban students spend their free-time at home playing video games rather than reading books or educational websites. So this year, I have provided a lending library of popular and award-winning books to expose children to the joy of reading. It has been very rewarding to have students come to my classroom, first thing in the morning, asking if I have another book in a series or from the same genre.
My Project
Many of the children have not been exposed to classic fairy tales and folk tales. I have found puppetry and acting to be wonderful ways for them to enjoy and fully comprehend these stories. Role-playing is especially effective for experiential learners. This is also a way to incorporate multiple cultures in their learning since many countries have their own versions of classics like “Cinderella.” We will conclude our unit by seeing a play at a professional theater. Such a field trip will also provide an opportunity to practice appropriate social skills in a community setting.
I have found the phrase, “Become a better writer by becoming a better reader,” to be very true.
Students are so proud to share their own writing with others. However, they often need an example to follow when trying to structure their own stories. Fairy and folk tales all have a beginning, middle, and end with rich characters and engaging conflicts to resolve. My hope is that eventually, we will be able to perform plays written by the children, using the puppet theater and puppets.
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