Paper Summary:

This paper reviews the problem of teaching English to immigrant children. The paper reports a concern regarding the level of English that these children learn in ESL classes. The paper further discusses the importance of understanding foreign methods of teaching when dealing with children and ESL.

Outline:
Introduction
Vocabulary Learning in a Second Language
Vocabulary in Course Material
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Even children who have grown up in this country often struggle with the language when they are first learning, and this is especially true if their parents are poor and rather uneducated because the quality of speech that they use and their vocabulary will not be the same as individuals who have had a better education and often use larger words and explain things to their children in a more complex manner (Kameenui, 2000). Contrary to the popular beliefs of many, children are not stupid and they can understand a great deal more than many parents realize. The key is to read things to them at an early age and explain what these things mean as well as explaining the more difficult words so that the child can develop a good vocabulary and a good and thorough understanding of many of the concepts that are being explained to them (Kameenui, 2000).
There are three essential concepts with learning to read. These are an awareness of phonetics, fluency with the text, and an understanding of the actual alphabet (Stoner, 2003). A student who does not have all three of these things or at least have the basic concepts of how these things work will often not do well in school. One of the main problems with the Dibels test is that it is still reasonably knew. Having only been developed in 1996 there is not a great deal of literature that actually explains how well Dibels is doing in predicting problems with reading. Actually, that is not as technically accurate as it needs to be. Dibels does apparently do well in predicting how well students will read (Stoner, 2003). However, it does not indicate the specific problems that a student may encounter because of this and what type of interventions are necessary to help that individual. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Beebe-Frankenberger, M.E. (2001, December 22). The efficacy of phonological awareness training with first-grade students who have behavior problems and reading difficulties. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.
• Black, C. (2002, June 22). Supplemental instruction in decoding skills for Hispanic and non-Hispanic students in early elementary school: a follow-up. Journal of Special Education.
• Blozis, S. A. (2003, September 1). Reading instruction grouping for students with reading difficulties. Remedial and Special Education.
• Chard, D.J. and Dickson, S.V. (1999, May 1). Phonological Awareness: Instructional and Assessment Guidelines. Intervention in School & Clinic.
• Felix, K. (2003, September 1). Mclass: Dibels. Multimedia Schools.

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