Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms: Support Resources and

BenefitsMarley MillsREAD 6718

January 31,2016Jeri Corey

Student of Choice The student that I have decided to

choose is a student who I taught last year in Pre-K and now he is in kindergarten. I decided to work with this student because of his home life, background, and cultural heritage he brings to an academic classroom.

Student’s Background

Age: 6 years old Grade: Kindergarten Gender: Male Home Language: Spanish Socioeconomic Status: Low

Academic Challenges Student needs one-on-one support with

language development. Communication with teachers is very

little Student is reading below grade level

and vocabulary development is weak.

Funds of Knowledge Linguistic:

› The student’s family speaks Spanish at home. When I received the student last year, in Pre-K, this student did not understand English and spoke only few words. Throughout the year we worked with him on learning and communicating. He was able to communicate with other students first before communicating with a teacher.

› Now the student receives additional support through the ELL teacher at our school. In kindergarten, she pulls him out for language arts. He works on his ability to read, understand words and vocabulary as well as his language and communication skills.

Funds of Knowledge Cultural:

› The student brings a rich cultural heritage to the classroom. I spoke with his teacher this year and he brings some of his Spanish lunches to school. The students question what he eats which in return opens up for a teaching experience.

› The student enjoys music during his specials time and loves to listen to music from his cultural background.

Funds of Knowledge

Family: › The student’s family consists of Mom, Dad,

and a baby brother. The parents had an arranged marriage and became pregnant with the student after one year of being together.

› The student enjoys spending time with his mother more than his father because his father is very hard and on him. The student is often used as a translator during conferences which is unfair to the child.

Funds of Knowledge Experiences

› The student’s family is low on funds therefore they are unable to take them to many events in the community. The do not have a car and rely on transportation from friends and other family members.

› The student lives in a hotel with his mother, father, and baby brother. His experiences include cleaning and cooking to help his mother with the household chores.

Strengths and Challenges related to Literacy Expectations of the

Common Core Standards “Teachers who are aware of cultural

distinctions and the impact it has on student learning, can develop practices and materials to better meet students’ individual needs” (Garcia & Malkin, 1993).

Challenges include the Common Core Standards related to language development.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.K.4: Determine or clarity the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on kindergarten reading and content.

This standard is an example of the difficulties that a this child possesses in learning the English language.

Strengths and Challenges related to Literacy Expectations of the Common

Core Standards In order to serve the student better and

understand his academic challenges and goals it is important that we scaffold our teaching (Athanases, 2012).

As teachers we are to support the processing skills and the understanding of the text. Differentiated support for learners can begin with communicating, vocabulary games, sentence starters, and graphic organizers to meet the needs of the diverse students in the classroom (Athanases, 2012).

ReferencesAthanases, S. (2012). Maintaining high challenge and high support for diverse

learners, 42(1). Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=7&sid=d597fc96-d205-46ab-bd6e-ba05795bb737%40sessionmgr112&hid=118García, S. B., & Malkin, D. H. (1993). Toward defining programs and services for culturally and linguistically diverse learners in special education.

Teaching Exceptional Children, 26, 52-58. Yurkewecz, T. (2014). Observational tools to inform instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse learners. Language and Literacy Spectrum, 24

Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1034916.pdf