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Early Childhood

ESL Students & Science

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Katherine Hinson Katherine Hinson 235 Points

Hello! I am a preservice teacher at the University of Arkansas, and I am going to be teaching a science lesson to an ESL-heavy class of 1st graders this semester. Do you have any tips or lessons suggestions for this class? Thank you!
Lauren Wolbers Lauren Wolbers 1920 Points

Hello Katherine,
I am also a preservice teacher at the University of Northern Iowa. My minor is teaching English to speakers of other languages, so I have been looking into how to best teach science to my future ELL students. There are a few small things you can do like talk slower, repeat, use visuals, word walls, step by step directions, or rephrasing. Some more in-depth concepts you could try is frequently summarizing what you just went over or using different learning styles throughout the lesson. There are so many ways to help ELL students in the classroom. Some ways may work better than others. One thing to keep in mind is that an ESL student may be very competent in every day conversation. That does not mean that their academic language is on the same level. ESL students pick up quicker on their conversation language than their academic language. It is often hard to remember that the student still is struggling with their English proficiency when they can make a conversation with the teacher fluently.

Lisa Shimabukuro Lisa Shimabukuro 455 Points

Hi, Katherine!

One good resource to look into is Project GLAD. They have a lot of strategies for teaching ESL students. So one thing I can think of off the bat is to pre-teach them the vocabulary to be covered in the unit. You can put a picture next to the word that represents what you want to teach because as we all know 'a picture is worth a thousand words,' right? So if you're trying to teach the word 'bay,' for example, put a picture of the bay next to your definition. Keep your list of words w/pics up as a resource and reference for the kids. Look up 'Cognitive Content Dictionary strategy Project GLAD' if you want to google the way to actually use that strategy.

Lisa S.

Kaimiloa Elementary School

Ewa Beach, Hawaii
Melissa Biddinger Melissa Biddinger 435 Points

Hi Ms. Hinson,

I am a preservice teacher as well.  Your question is very relevant given that classrooms are becoming more diverse each day.  It can be challenging to teach students concepts in their non-dominant language; however, one of the great things about science is that science occurs everywhere.  Students see science in motion every day when rain falls and seasons change; therefore, whatever you choose to teach, it is always effective to make it relevant to your students.  Furthermore, visuals can be very effective to use.  Although some words may be challenging or unfamiliar to the students, many pictures are universal and can serve you well in helping your students to better comprehend your lesson.  Also, frequently recap the main ideas of the lesson.  Recapping is beneficial to all students because it can help prevent students from feeling too overwhelmed with the material or that you are just ploughing through the information.  Finally, I would suggest that you have your students learn a science concept through an experiment or some type of experience.  Hands-on activities that are entertaining can leave a lasting impression on students’ lives as well as make the material easier to recall. 

~Melissa          
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