One minute strategies-zero prep

 1 minute strategies to adapt for EAL learners that take zero prep time

This semester I am teaching a grade 11 chemistry class. There is an EAL student in my class whose language skills are fairly low. I’ll call him Y. There are several very quick strategies that I have used specifically with him in the last two weeks to support his learning. There are also some things I do during whole-class instruction to make things easier for him and to support the learning of all students in my class.

I hope you will find these quick and easy tips helpful, and I encourage you to choose a couple that you will try out in your classroom.

Quick strategies I use specifically with the EAL student in my class:

-When I circulate as students are working each day, I always stop and ask Y a specific question about the lesson to check for his understanding. Please make a point of talking to the EAL students in your class and asking them questions. They are often too shy to ask for help or tell you they don’t understand something.

-When I give a notes handout, I highlight key words on his page that I want him to look up in his translator. He writes the translation for the words above the English word.

- When I give a reading handout (eg. from a textbook), I highlight the important sentences and ask him to focus on reading those. I usually highlight 10-20% of the text.

- My students completed their first lab activity last week. He didn’t have a partner, so I placed him with another student who seems friendly and understands the material fairly well.

-Last week my students wrote their first quiz. I adapted the quiz for Y in the following ways: (this took me about 2-3 minutes in total)

- For calculation questions I included a completed example for each type of question (eg. The instruction said “convert each number into scientific notation”, I added the completed example: 0.036 = 3.6 x 10^-2. That way he could still understand what to do even if he couldn’t understand the written instructions.)

- For a word problem with calculations, I underlined the known and unknown variables in the question so they were clear.

- I crossed off the multiple choice questions about the states of matter. He didn’t complete them (too much reading for him).

- I added a question where he showed understanding of the states of matter by drawing them.

- I added a word bank to the question about labeling phase changes.

-Prior to the quiz, I gave Y a specific list of exactly what would be on the quiz.

Whole-class strategies I use that benefit all learners (including EAL learners).

-Speak slowly. Pause after important information. Paraphrase important information in simpler terms. Tell students if something you’re about to say is particularly important so they can focus on it.

-Keep test dates or due dates for assignments written on the board.

-Incorporate visuals into your lesson (find them on google images, sketch a picture or diagram, refer to actual objects).

-Give instructions (oral and written) in clear, simple sentences.

-Review material often and in a variety of ways.