The Multilingual Message Edition 2
January 2025 The EL Department of WCS
OELPA season is here! All hands on deck for student success!
All English Learners must take the Ohio English Language Proficiency Assessment between Feb. 3 and March 21. It consists of 4 separate sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking (which must be administered individually); some students may miss class due to testing. Your EL teachers will create the testing schedule soon. Please be mindful in your lesson planning so that students are NOT penalized for missing classwork, or class information while taking these state mandated assessments.
Turtles, tarantulas, and terrific readers!
Our new curriculum resource includes colorful readers which are helping our youngest English Learners grow in their foundational reading skills. Watch out, the tarantula photo made us all jump a little!😀 Photos courtesy of McVay Elementary.
Fishing for solutions for deep environmental issues!
An essential question was posed to this group of 5th grade students, " How can humans help the oceans?" After learning about the oceans and pollution, students engaged in a hands-on activity where they fished out common pollution objects. This is the application of learning in action! Photos courtesy of McVay Elementary.
You can "count" on kinesthetic activities to make abstract concepts more concrete!
Tracing the numeral while naming it activates multiple language modes and proves to be fun and effective for students.
Art and Literature Collaboration
Otterbein students put in countless hours to capture the essence of each students' resilience and determination in their portraits.
Students and Teachers Share Their Stories
WCHS teachers Pablo Chignolli and Deb Jones, along with their students, received a standing ovation as they shared their collaborative project celebrating students' cultures, hopes, and dreams.
Reading is our sweet spot!
Run, run, as fast as you can to read about how our students not only read books, but practice oral language development while performing for their peers. Students at Walnut Springs practiced fluent reading by reenacting the Gingerbread Man play. The students read numerous versions of the Gingerbread Man story. The sweetest spot for them after all of that active interaction was munching on the delicious settings and characters that they had created.
Fun Facts!!
The Gingerbread Man/Story shows up in many languages and cultures. From The Matzo Ball Boy ( Hebrew), The Run Away Tortilla ( Mexican), The Runaway Injera ( Ethiopian), The Run Away Wok (Chinese), The Run Away Pancake (Norweigan), American Sign Language, and more. Teachers can find many multicultural books to take students on a literary tour around the world.
Paraprofessionals use AI tools to support students in their English development!
EL Paraprofessionals are an essential part of our program. They support students in their general education classroom. Here is an example of Walnut Springs paras using AI tools like Diffit and Magic School to reduce text complexity and provide notes with key vocabulary. These tools help make learning more accessible comprehensible for students.
