Rebecca Silverman

EDUC 359- Intro to ELL

Professor Reilly
Observation Questions for ELL/LEP student(s)
1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used
with the ELL/LEP student(s)? Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for
the ELL student(s) or inwhole class/small group instruction)
There are very few ELL students within the Valley View School District. The population
is so small that there is only one ELL teacher for the entire district. The ELL student I observed
was in the kindergarten classroom that I observed in. This student is considered ELL even though
his primary language is English and he was raised in a primarily English-speaking household.
However, on the Home Language Survey, his mother wrote that his grandmother, with whom he
lives, speaks to him in Spanish. When any language other than English is checked off on this
survey, a student legally has to undergo ELL testing. Unfortunately, my student suffers from
many health issues and is constantly absent from school, causing him to fall behind. This caused
him to fail the ELL test and now be required for ELL services in school. VVSD allowed for his
aid to work with him to help him complete small tasks, work throughout the school day, and help
him to stay focused and on task in the classroom.
His aid is very helpful with getting the student caught up and helping him to complete
small tasks in the classroom. My cooperating teacher allows the student to sit however he would
be comfortable during the lesson and lay down whenever he needs to due to his medical
condition. The other students are very kind to the student and are aware of his health issues. They
constantly try to make him laugh or smile or assist him with schoolwork. The student is included
in all classroom activities when he is in school. The teacher treats him the same way she would
any other student.
2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider
out of the ordinary? Please describe in detail. (This applies to both the ELL student(s)
and other classroom students)

Odd behaviors that I would consider out of the ordinary would be the way that the
student screams and cries for his mother. However, with his medical condition, he is very much
used to being at home or at the doctors office constantly surrounded by his mother. He has a
very hard time transitioning from being in the car on the way to school to walking into the
kindergarten classroom. Unfortunately, his medication causes him to have these smalls freak
outs and there is not a lot that can be done to help him. The other students of the class get very
sad when they see him get so upset. They all try to help him and/or hug him to make him feel
better. I have noticed great progress in the student since I first started observing him. He has a
much better time transitioning and participates a lot more in the class.
3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom
students, and the teacher(s)? Please describe in detail.
The student has a very good relationship with his aid. He is always smiling when she is
around and he feels most comfortable when he is with her. Unfortunately, the few other ELL
students in the district need her sometimes, so she is not able to be with him every day. However,
she is there most of the time. My cooperating teacher shows great enthusiasm when the student
completes his work efficiently and shows that he tried his best. Both his aid and my cooperating
teacher show a lot of positive reinforcement toward the student. The other students enjoy his
presence in the classroom and get sad whenever he is not in school.
4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please
describe in detail how the ELL student is
using them. Do they appear to be effective? Explain.
The student receives all of the same materials as the rest of the class. Because English is
his primary language, he understands most of the work put in front of him. His aid is there most
of the time to guide him through the work and if his aid is not there, I would usually step in to
help. When he is absent from school, my cooperating teacher will send home the work that he
missed so that he can complete it with his parents on his own time and at his own pace. Overall,
he usually completes all of his work efficiently and just needs someone to sit with him and guide
him through the process.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)? Please
describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.
The classroom environment is definitely comfortable to the ELL student. As I previously
mentioned, the students and my cooperating teacher are very accepting of him and his medical
conditions. He is able to sit comfortably or lay down on the carpet whenever he feels he needs to
rest. The other students as well as my cooperating teacher always treat him with kindness and
show excessive positivity toward him. He brings a certain type of joy to the class when he is
there. He is very sweet and has a contagious smile.
6. Whats the comfort level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the
English language? What observations help you arrive at your
decision? Refer to the Vocabulary Performance Indicators. At what level would you
place the ELL student? How did you decide on that level?
Being that my student technically isnt an ELL, he comfortably speaks English. The only
issue I have detected with him is that he has a slight speech impediment. Because of the
medication he is on and his course of treatment that he undergoes, he tends to slur his words and
use a little bit of baby talk. This is not because he is unfamiliar with the English language or
that he does not understand English. However, when someone speaks to him, he does show some
confusion because his words sound different than how I would say them because of his speech
impediment.
7.If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL
teacher) what type of accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL
student(s). Please describe the types of accommodations/modifications that
were discussed. Do they appear on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are
present/not present on the checklist?
The accommodations/modifications an ELL student would receive are all
accommodations/modifications provided for all kindergarten students. On the checklist, there
were four accommodations I felt were made for the student. First, he is allowed extended time
for completion of assignments. Second, he is allowed to express key concepts in his own words.
For example, when asked a comprehension question based on a story being read, if the students

answer is somewhat on the right path, the teacher accepts his answer. Third, peer tutoring. The
other students of the class will step in to assist the ELL student in any way that they can. They
even help him hold a crayon properly or write his name on a worksheet. Lastly, shortening the
length of oral tasks. As long as the student shows that he is paying attention, he is not called on
to speak very frequently. The teacher will call on him from time to time to make sure he is on
task and comprehending the content being taught.