Alexandra Bodea
Let's talk, Kiddo!
'Let's talk, Kiddo!' can be used by EAL students to communicate their thoughts by selecting the images that correspond to the message they want to convey and arrange them in a sequence to form a sentence.
20% of the students in England are EAL students. When entering the school system, around 50 percent of them are either New to English or at the Early Acquisition level. The products currently available to overcome the language barriers, such as flashcards and instant translators, does not encourage interaction or application of language skills. However, studies have shown that active participation fosters language development, social integration, and improved academic performance (Snow et al, 1998, cited in Mashburn et al, 2009).
The key driver for 'Let's talk, Kiddo!' was to provide EAL students with an inclusive and thriving learning environment by reducing the language barrier between them and their teachers/peers.
The tool not only helps 4-6 years old EAL students with low English proficiency to communicate, but it can also be used to promote collaboration and active participation in multicultural classrooms. Each page of the book features images attached using magnets. 'Let's talk, Kiddo!' can be used by EAL students to communicate their thoughts by selecting the images that correspond to the message they want to convey and arrange them in a sequence to form a sentence.
Alternatively, in can be used in group of students. One student can select few illustrations and arrange them to create a sentence. Using their interpretations of the pictures, the other students might attempt to construct the sentence they believe the first student intended.
References:
Mashburn, A.J. et al. (2009) ‘Peer Effects on Children’s Language Achievement During Pre-Kindergarten’, Child development, vol. 80, no.3, pp. 686–702. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01291.x. (Accessed 04 March 2024)
Acknowledges:
Book’s cover generated using https://www.midjourney.com/
Book’s pages https://www.onlygfx.com/9-watercolor-light-holographic-effect-background-jpg/
htts://pixabay.com/illustrations/animals-cute-animals-wild-animals-5636911/
Poster background: https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/abstract-blue-wavy-with-blurred-light-curved-lines-background_2190857.htm
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