Lynchburg City Schools

Classroom Environment

• Use the correct pronunciation of the student’s name. Know how to address his/her parents.
• Have some peers take the LEP student on a tour of the school. Make the students get a signature at each destination on their tour.
• Seat the LEP student in the middle of the classroom so that he/she can see what other students are doing.
• Use the resources of the learning center/library in your school: Computers, picture books, tape recorder, etc.
• Use cooperative groupings in your classroom and let the LEP student have task in the group.
• Make the LEP student a part of the class as much as possible.
• Make sure the LEP student’s physical needs are met. Does the child know where the bathroom is? Does he/she bring a lunch? Do his/her parents know what school supplies are needed?
• Try to keep the LEP student “on task.”
• Maximize cooperation in the classroom in learning school behavior and culture by demonstrating appropriate non-verbal behavior and communication, but not by criticizing LEP students in class.
• Hold high expectations for all students.
• Give the student jobs he/she can accomplish.

Listening

• Give clear directions. Repeat them for all the students.
• Speak at a normal rate but include some pauses between steps. Ask another student to repeat directions back.
• Use gestures, expression and actions to enhance what is said.
• Try to use visuals and a consistent vocabulary when speaking.
• Verbalize each step of any problem or instruction so the LEP student can deal with each directions individually.

Speaking

• Teach survival language first (e.g. asking, following directions.
• Conduct frequent “verbal reviews” in small groups or the whole class.
• Don’t hesitate to help the LEP student to verbalize an answer or statement they are having problems communicating in English. Say what needs to be said and give the student time to repeat.
• Model correct grammar for LEP student’s responses.
• Focus on meaning, but correct errors through modeling and expansion.
• Use concrete objects to generate discussion.
• Use poetry, songs, rhymes, chants, and games to teach concepts and vocabulary while developing oral language skills.
• Allow students to tape themselves reading stories, poetry, rhymes, etc.

Reading

• Let the LEP student sit in and follow along during reading group time and feel free to put the child in a higher reading group.
• Label objects in the classroom.
• Read aloud to your students daily.
• Review sight words. Go over phonics rules.
• Get lower level storybooks with pictures from the library. If possible find a bilingual book.

Writing

• Let the LEP student use native language and pictures in their journal and with other selected writing work.
• Provide time for students to write in Journals.
• Let students use invented spelling when practice writing. Encourage the student to make comparisons with the first language alphabet.

Comprehension

• Assign a peer tutor to explain what’s going on.
• If there is a peer that speaks the native language, let them translate things such as word problems and new concepts.
• Find out where the LEP student is in math computation and place in a group accordingly.
• Whenever possible use “hands on” activities.
• Use repetition, understanding responses, or other clarification techniques to check for comprehension.
• Use visuals.
• Tap student’s prior knowledge by incorporating their cultural experiences into classroom instruction and making connections between what they already know and the new material.
• Never assume understanding. Students will usually act like they understand. Have them repeat back your directions. Make them feel free to say, “I don’t understand.”

Cultural Awareness

• Learn the student’s country of origin and what language he/she speaks.
• Do projects on the community, and have peers teach LEP student about the area. Give the LEP student the opportunity to describe their previous home and any differences they can see.
• Have the LEP student teach you and their classmates some words in their language.
• Teach the class a lesson about the LEP student’s country. Find out about their family and what you can from their family. Have the class talk about families and find out how LEP students’ families differ and are similar.
• Have story telling time for the entire class. Get the LEP students to tell stories from their culture.
• Read multicultural books.

Evaluation

• Don’t give a grade for something the student did not understand. If the child did not understand any of the instruction in social studies for example, what did they learn?
• Don’t over-praise or criticize the LEP student’s answers. Use the same language and level as for non-LEP students.
• Allow extra time for assignments. Adapt assignments, making them shorter if necessary.
• Allow the student to take tests orally if writing is difficult or vice versa.