How to Help a Bilingual Child to Get Used to the Classroom

Spanish is one of the main languages bilingual children speak.

According to Education Week, there were 5.3 million English-language learner students enrolled in public schools nationwide during the 2008-2009 school year. Bilingual children, sometimes called English-language learner (ELL) students, face two difficult adjustments as they come to school. First of all, they may only speak their native language and may not know English, especially if they are the oldest child in the family. Secondly, they must adjust to a foreign education system. As these children come to school, especially for the first time, they need to feel comfortable. Educators can present an inviting environment to help children get used to the classroom.

Instructions

1. Welcome children. Make the classroom feel inviting. Depending on the culture the teacher works with, that can look different for each room. A comforting environment will help children feel safe.

2. Help children learn in two languages. Find books in other languages. Invite a parent or other family member to come to class, when appropriate. This helps both parents and children relax in their new environment. If you speak the child's language, explain things to him in his native tongue for clarification, even if you need to do it after school or during a time when other students go to a special.

3. Assign a buddy, especially one who speaks the new student's language. Not only will this help the incoming child, but the buddy acts as a mentor who can show his new friend the ropes. The bilingual child has a go-to person for questions, which helps the teacher.

4. Make a gradual transition. Go to the student's home. Invite him to talk and play. Then, before the school year starts, ask the whole family to come to your classroom by themselves. That way, the child will come to a more familiar environment on the first day of school.

Tips & Warnings

• Several different methods of instruction can help ELL children learn. English immersion instruction uses English only to teach kids, but simplifies lessons. English as a second language uses immersion techniques, but does offer some support in the child's native language. Transitional bilingual education teaches in both English and in the child's native tongue. Dual-language education teaches the entire class is two languages. Two teachers teach, each selecting a language to teach in. Other names for this approach include two-way bilingual or dual-immersion.

References

• Education Week: English-Language Learners
• The Columbus Dispatch: Bilingual Teachers Help Kids Adjust
• Children's Advocate: Teachers Help Immigrant Children Adjust to Life in the US