Yeung Wai Ko

Educ 160

ELL and after school program

 English language learners consist of a large percent in California public schools.

Schools try to cooperate their primary language into the instruction in order to help them

in understanding what the content says. Similar to after school program, ELLs need

homework help during afterschool program. According to Pray, Afterschool and

summer learning programs can help students negotiate the complicated task of keeping

up with grade-level academic content while concurrently developing their English

proficiency, thus reducing the gaps in academic achievement between ELLS and their

native English-speaking peers (supporting English language learners). Researchers

believe afterschool program is connected with academic achievement and it also helps

increasing students confidence in socializing with native speaker.

ELL speakers consist of a large percent in my placement site. I think educators

successfully engage them in participating the program. In module 6, Maxwell-Jolly talk

about the engagement factors of ELL speakers. Maxwell-Jolly talks about how EL

students can lost motivation because of the low tracks placement. They were also

provided less challenging content sometimes because of their English ability. Maxwell-

Jolly suggests that a smaller group size and less stressful environment can help educators

to know more about individual ELs program (2011). They can know more about the

background of individual EL speakers. They can also communicate to them using

primary language which can access their needs efficiently. In my placement, I can see

that educators try to form small group activities, in a group of 5-6, in order to know more

about each others. Also, some educators speak Spanish to the kids who first language is

Spanish in order to tell them the rules. I also try to speak Chinese to a kid who seems not

really understand of what the educator says.

 In Eccless article , Who Am I and What Am I Going to Do With My Life?

Personal and Collective Identities as Motivators of Act , Eccles summarizes an

expectancy value on identity and identity formation. Self-perception can be formed by

skill and personal goal. Eccles talks about attainment value, utility value, gender role, and

empirical support. According to Ecclies, gender -role experiences could lead male and

female individuals to have different hierarchies of core personal value (2009). I believe

it is true. When the leader of my placement site tells the kids to do art works, girls tend to

be happier and took out the tools quickly. However, when it comes to sport activities,

boys tend to be hyper. They went to find the balls immediately and grouped with their

classmates for a small competition. It is very interesting to see the gender difference

among the middle school kids.

When I saw the diverse setting in school, I also think of the issue about

socioeconomic status and culture. As Simpkins state (2013), Some studies suggest that

markers of acculturation are positively associated with participation or are not associated

with participation. Other studies have shown that markers of enculturation are negatively

or not associated with participation I think the afterschool program can help students

with promoting culture diverse. When the educator is trying to introduce different

countries to a student, the student seems shocked about the other countries culture. The

educator talks about how Japanese is not allowed to talk in the train. The middle school

kid feels weird because we are able to talk loud in the public transportation. The kid

mentions there is even singer performance in New Yorks subway. From them, I can see

the importance of promoting cultural awareness. I suggest student can do research about

different countries characteristics and present them during afterschool program. As an

American, it is very important to increase global awareness.

One of the most memorable scene that I have with the children is the educator tell

them how to balance about their family, peers, and school works. Even they are still

young, it is important for them to learn about how to balance everything that they have.

According to Larson (2000), To advance knowledge of positive development, one useful

avenue for developmental psychology would be to give youth activities equivalent status

to school, family, and peers as a focal context of development. I agree with it and I felt

happy that educator tried to help them in building a positive psychological development

in an early age. One of the student says he doesnt know how to get along with friends at

school because his parents and his friends treat them differently. His parent will give him

everything he wants to eat but his friends dont want to share their food with him. The

educator tries to explain why his friends do not share food with him and tell him in

real world, no one will give him extra food. He needs to earn his food by himself, such as

exchanging food with his friends.

Lastly, I am also concerned about whether participation in after school program

can lead students to a more successful role. As stated by Larson and Hansen (2007),

This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that dosage, motivation, having a

lead role, and adult-youth ratio are associated with greater developmental experiences in

youth programs. I found that educators tend to give different students a leadership role

in different field. For instance, they have a chance to become in leader in a ball

competition, drawing completion or English vocabulary competition. I think it is

beneficial for them to be a leader when they win the game. However, it is also very

important for all students to know it is not a leaders false when they lose. They need to
appreciate a leaders effort whatever the result is.
 Works Cited

Eccles, J. (2009). Who am I and what am I going to do with my life? Personal and

collective identities as motivators of action. Educational Psychologist, 44(2), 78-

89. Retrieved from: http://www.rcgd.isr.umich.edu/garp/articles/eccles09a.pdf

Hansen, D., & Larson, R. (2007). Amplifiers of developmental and negative experiences

in organized activities: Dosage, motivation, lead roles, and adult-youth

ratios.Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 28, 360-

374. http://youthdev.illinois.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/hansen-and-larson-

2007.pdf

Larson, R. W. (2000). Towards a psychology of positive youth development. American

Psychologist, 55,170-183. Retrieved from:http://www.yclc.ca/PDF

%20files/toward%20a%20positive.pdf (Links to an external site.)

Maxwell-Jolly.(Feb 2011). English Learners And Out-Of-School-Time Programs: The

Potential of OST Programs to Foster English Learner Success. Davis,

CA http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org/sites/main/files/file-

attachments/soe_research_brief_0.pdf

Pray, Lisa. Supporting English Language Learners in School and in Afterschool and

Summers." Supporting English Language Learners in School and in Afterschool

and Summers The Expanded Learning and Afterschool Project.

Simpkins, S. D., Delgado, M. Y., Price, C. D., Quach, A., & Starbuck, E.

(2013). Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, culture, and immigration: Examining the

potential mechanisms underlying Mexican-origin adolescents' organized activity

participation . Developmental psychology, 49(4), 706.