Esol Case Study

With South Florist’s increasing ELL population teachers are trundling to get these students, whose first language is not English, to speak, read, and write proficiently In English before they take the FACT or by the end of the year to be able to show learning gains. This case study will take place at Winston Park K-8 School.

Winston Park Is located In a suburban, middle to lower class multivalent community In the southwest section of Miami-Dade County. The student population is composed of eighty-six percent Hispanics, nine percent white, one percent black, and four percent other.

Sixty percent of the students are eligible for free and educed lunch, 46% are ELL, six percent are SD, and four percent are gifted students. Average daily attendance is 98%. There is a total of 96 instructional staff members. Ninety-one percent of the instructional staff is highly qualified.

Twenty- six percent of teachers have received advanced degrees. Parental involvement is high and growing. The student Interviewed Is an eight-year-old third grade student. Gabriele came from Cuba In March of 2012.

Gabriele and her family came from Cuba In search of freedom and a better life.

Gabriele came to the united States with her father and other. Gabriele states that they lived in a poor neighborhood and struggled to get the little food that they did to put on the table. After school Gabriele would go to work with her mom at a farm to pick fruits, vegetables, and even milk cows. Gabriele has showed great growth in the one year that she has been in the Miami-Dade County Public school system.

Although Gabriele has attended Winston Park from the beginning of this school year, this is the second school she’s attended in the district since arriving from Cuba. Gabriel mom informed that she was very unhappy at ere previous school but that now Gabriele loved waking up in the morning to attend school.

Even though both of her parents work they are very Involved in her studies and will stop at nothing to make sure Gabriele gets a good education. Gabriele Is not your average recently arrived ELL student.

In the short time she has been here, Gabriele has learned to read, write and comprehend English Just as well, If not at times better than many of her non-ELL classmates. Gabriele has made Honor Roll every nine-week grading Perl oh Ana was even retreat e test D EAI Tort ten glut program. In this case study we will answer how do ELLS, their parents, teachers, and other stakeholder understand ELLS academic experiences in school and how can administrators work be informed by a case study that focuses on ELLS and their experiences in Florida schools.

Literature Review In reviewing literature based on paired reading and fluency increase, I found several sources that supported my hypothesis that pairing low (SLOES) and high (Non-SLOES) students during reading is an effective intervention. These findings are particularly significant to those educators who are seeking ways to help students with reading fluency difficulty. Reading fluency is important for comprehension. When students read efficiently and accurately, then they can comprehend what they read more easily. In primary grades, students learn to read but in upper elementary grades students read to learn.

What is fluency? According to the National Reading Panel (2000), fluency is the ability to read text aloud with speed, accuracy, and proper expression (Armatures, Leer, & Osborn, 2001; Meyer & Belton, 1991; Rakings, 2003). Fluent readers can recognize the majority of the words they read automatically without having to decode individual words; they are able to dedicate heir attention to the ultimate goal of reading: comprehension. Fluency is the bridge between word recognition and reading comprehension (Kuhn & Stall, 2000; Nathan & Stanchion, 1991; Raisin’s ; Pad, 2004).

While studies have not determined the ideal number of times necessary to achieve reading fluency, researchers say the more times the better. A typical reader needs to read a passage four times to reach maximum fluency levels (National Reading Panel, 2000). Beginning readers and struggling older readers tend to read slowly, haltingly, and with little or no expression.

Often as a result, text comprehension is affected, confidence levels are low, and they do not enjoy reading. Therefore, fluency is and should be a primary goal of literacy instruction.

The oral reading fluency norms for grades 1-5 are: 1st 53-111, 2nd 89-142, 3rd 107-162, 4th 123-180, and 5th 139-194 (Hazardous ; Tindal, 2006). While conducting my research, I found different types of reading interventions that can help increase an SLOES student’s fluency: Choral Reading, Duet Reading, Audio-Recorded Books, Echo Reading, and Paired Reading (Hudson et al. , 2005; The Partnership for Reading, 2001).

In choral reading, a group of students read aloud from the same selection. The teacher can read along to set the pace and model targeted skills.

Students can improve their fluency skills, including appropriate pausing and expression, by reading along with a group of readers or with a strong reader as a partner (Hudson, 2005). In duet reading, a stronger reader is paired with a less-fluent reader. The stronger reader sets the pace and provides visual tracking by moving his or her finger below each word as it is read in unison.

In audio-recorded books, the student reads aloud with an audio-recorded erosion of a book. The purpose is to encourage the weaker reader to read along with the tape.

In echo reading, the adult reads a short passage and then invites the child to “Say what I say’ or “Copy me,” encouraging the child to repeat what the adult has read (Retention ; David, 2 In tens way, ten adult models Talent reading Ana then provides the child with an opportunity for immediate practice. In paired reading, children who are struggling with reading fluency are paired up with a more capable reader. In this strategy, the fluent reader and reader take turns reading by nines or pages (Matches, Fuchs, Fuchs, Henley, ; Sanders, 1994).

In evaluating the different types of reading interventions, I found that paired reading is the most commonly used to increase fluency.

According to the report of The National Reading Panel (2000), guided repeated oral reading is the most effective procedure for developing reading fluency (Kuhn ; Stall, 2000; Raisin’s & Hoffman, 2003). Paired reading was originally developed as a strategy for parents and children reading at home, but it is easily adapted for classroom use in intervention lessons (Morgan & Lyon, 1979; Topping, 1989).

Paired reading requires the reading partners to read aloud. Reading aloud to elementary school students can have many beneficial effects; it improves their language skills, motivates them to read on their own, makes students familiar with books, and expands vocabulary (Saba, 1994). Research indicates that repeated paired reading leads not only to improving in reading the passage but also improvement in decoding, reading rate, expression, and comprehension of passages that the reader has not previously seen (Dowered, 1994; Kuhn & Stall, 2000; National Reading Panel, 2000).

Raisin’s and Frederick’s (1991) reported on a paired reading project launched by the Akron, Ohio Public School System; the results of the project suggest that paired reading also helped improve reading performance but in addition helps improve reading motivation and child bonding.

Studies on paired reading showed that students of all ages can make extraordinary reading gains. In one study of paired reading over a period of six to ten weeks, students made a gain of at least six months in reading (Limerick, McLaughlin, & Cameron, 1985).

In another study, students made an average of three months’ gain for every month of paired reading. The less proficient readers were not the only ones who benefited; the student who served as the tutor also made substantial gains in their reading abilities (Topping, 1989). In summation, the characteristics of the paired reading instruction (positive one-to-one collaboration between skilled and less-skilled readers, reader engagement, practice, evidence of progress, and reader expression) support my hypothesis that pairing a low and high student during reading is an effective intervention for fluency increase.

It may promote rapid turnaround in reader proficiency for less-skilled readers.

Furthermore this finding is particularly significant to those educators who are seeking ways to help students with reading fluency difficulty. Method Three people participated in this study: Gabriele, an eight-year old student in third grade and an SLOES level one, her mom and the teacher, Mrs.. Sans. Everyone has given full consent and agreed to interview with us and give us information on Gabriele and their culture.

Every person interviewed was cooperative and helpful throughout the interview.

The teacher was a crucial part to our interview since she is the one who works directly with Gabriele on a daily basis and can best describes her strengths and weaknesses. During ten Interview, we asked Mrs.. Sans to please prove us Walt information and data about Gabriele. We explained to her teacher and mother that all of Gabriel information would be kept confidential and that her name would be changed for privacy purposes.

Some of the data we collected was from the SAT (Stanford Achievement Test), FAIR (Florida Assessment in Instruction and Reading), and the CELLAR (Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment).

While the teacher pulled out useful pieces of data she gave us a synopses of how Gabriele is in class and how she is getting along with all the other students. Mrs.. Sans feels she’s a bright young girl (probably gifted) with lots of potential. She is self-directive and puts forth maximum effort.

Mrs.. Sans also told us Gabriele enjoys helping the other students in class. Mrs..

Sans feels this may be due to the high level of importance her parents have instilled in her regarding school. Sandra, Brenda and Mrs..

Sans all discussed and analyzed the data and we identified all her strong areas as well as a ewe minor weak areas. Sandra Removal and Brenda Gomez conducted the study.

Sandra and Brenda were both present at all interviews and had the opportunity to talk to each interviewee. Since the study was conducted by both Sandra and Brenda the work load was distributed amongst each other. Brenda worked on the introduction, method, findings, and consent forms. Sandra worked on the literature review, discussion, and the transcription of the interview.

Findings a) Family Gabriel mom has a positive attitude towards Gabriel education. She is very involved in her schooling.

She tells us that Gabriele has always been a good student and learned how to read and write even before she started school. She also says, since Gabriele could speak, she was the type of child who asked many questions and always had an inner drive to do well. She says when they lived in Cuba, Gabriele was always the best student in her class and if by rare chance Gabriele needed help, she or her father, where always there to help.

She does feel that since moving to the United States the language barrier makes it harder to help her daughter and on those occasions she uses dictionaries, internet, and friends as resources. Due to the fact that she works long hours, Gabriele is enrolled in the after school program where she completes most if not all of her homework and can also receive help from the after school counselor if needed.

At home, she helps Gabriele study her spelling words, multiplication tables and vocabulary words by making index cards and quizzing her daily. Gabriele also reads to her nightly.

She acknowledges the fact that it has been easier on her family (than most immigrants) to adjust to such a big change such as moving to a different country, attending a new school and learning a ewe language but she also says with confidence that it was the best decision her and her husband ever made. She feels part of the reason for this is Gabriele is a very smart girl who is eager to learn but more importantly has teachers that make her feel good and proud of her work. She says her daughter has never been pushed academically like she has been now.

She says Gabriele knows regardless of her and her father’s work hours or language barriers, school comes first and they are there to help her. There are consequences for bad grades but more importantly there are great rewards Tort good ones. Gorilla’s Tamil Yes Attlee rennet’s In near Decease even though she can be overly confident at times, when she takes her time and does her work carefully, it is nicely and well done, all her homework is turned in neat and on time, and Gabriel behavior and attitude are that of a model student.

Gabriel mom claims that in Cuba, when she was younger, education was always a priority for her but unfortunately it is a country where rigorous assessments are not in effect and the importance of school is minimal to most. She says they came to the United States for a better life and she will do everything she can to make sure her daughter test that. B) Teacher We spoke to Gabriel general education teacher and she told us that Gabriele is definitely a smart girl and has the support needed to make sure she achieves academically.

Mrs.. Sans feels that if Gabriele continues down the same path it will just be a matter of time before Gabriele exits the SLOES program. Her teacher feels she is capable of much more than the average student and has even referred her for the gifted program. Our findings show that Gabriele is at fifth grade reading level in her native language, Spanish. Although she is not on grade level when it comes to English eternal.

Gabriele has shown a great amount of growth for being in the SLOES program less than a year.

The FAIR assessment is given three times a year assessing the students in the areas of fluency, comprehension, and phonics. Gabriele did show great progress the two time the assessment was given Just not high enough to be on grade level. In fluency she scored thirty percent, with a overall twenty-nine percent increase. In comprehension she scored twenty-six percent, with an overall fourteen percent increase. In the phonics area she score twenty-six percent with an overall increase f thirteen percent.

On the STAR, Gabriel scored an independent reading level of pre-primer back in August and then raised it to a 2. When taken in January. Our last findings were based on Gabriel pre and midyear district interim assessments. The district interim assessment is are given at the beginning of the year and at midyear. In reading Gabriele showed a thirty-four percent and in math she showed a twenty-seven percent increase.

Gabriele is showing great learning gains. C) Academic Language Gabriele, who scored a Ion the 2011-2012 CELLAR test is currently being tested gain for the current school year. Though it is too soon to know her results, her teacher believes Gabriele will most likely gets score of 4.

If her teacher is right, Gabriele will remain in the SLOES program and stay mainstreamed through general education classes and receive SLOES strategies. Gabriele will be in a English only speaking class but the teacher will modify her lessons to make sure Gabriele gets the appropriate instruction. Through the CELLAR she was tested in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The results are converted into a point scale an appending on tenet Tall plants Is winner ten SLOES level teen wall De classless within for the following year.

In the listening speaking area Gabriele scored 520 classifying her as a beginning student, speaking in English and understanding spoken English that is below grade level and requires continuous support. In reading Gabriele scored 560 classifying her as a beginning student reading below grade level text, requiring continues support. In the writing section, Gabriele 545 which classifies her again as a beginning student writing below grade level, requiring continuous support.