Mainstreaming Language Minority Students in Reading and Writing

Download or read book Mainstreaming Language Minority Students in Reading and Writing written by Kenneth Melville Johns and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide, designed for regular classroom teachers in whose mainstream classes language-minority children are enrolled, offers background information and suggestions for helping these students become proficient in English reading and writing and for involving them as resources for global and cultural awareness in majority-language classmates. The first chapter discusses specific barriers to language acquisition among language-minority students: (1) reductionist concepts of language and learning implicit in the mainstream curriculum; (2) cultural differences; and (3) inadequate communication among adults in the children's lives. The second chapter examines the reading and writing needs of this population, including instructional materials, classroom environment, topics, and nonverbal communication. The third chapter describes useful classroom techniques, all within the whole-language approach to teaching, including: using literary works; providing substantial oral language experiences; providing time for silent, sustained reading; encouraging use of student journals; incorporating technology; and promoting cooperative learning. It is concluded that meeting the needs of language-minority students in a mainstream classroom is possible if teachers recognize the barriers to educational opportunity facing the children, understand that they are better prepared than they realize to work with this population, use cooperative learning strategies, and see the children as cultural resources. (MSE)