Observation Questions for ELL/LEP Student(s)

Student(s) (initials): YJ-A Grade: 2

School: ValleyView Elementary Date: 11/13/17

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL/LEP student(s)?
Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL student(s) or in
whole class/small group instruction)

In the classroom where I observed the ELL student, there are co-teachers. Usually one

teacher does the instruction with the students and the other sits in the back and works with

another student. I did not see the ELL student working in the back with the one teacher while I

was there, however, the student usually gets pulled aside to work with that teacher. This method

is effective because the student gets a lot of one-on-one instruction as well as whole-group

instruction. This also works within the whole classroom because the students get full instruction

with one teacher and other students who are getting pulled aside get that one-on-one with the

other teacher, so there is always some sort of teacher involvement.

2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider out of the ordinary?
Please describe in detail. (This applies to both the ELL student(s) and other classroom
students)

I noticed that the ELL student only answered questions during the one teachers instruction,

and when the teachers switched places, the student did not participate for the other teacher. I

thought this was very out of the ordinary at first, however, the one teacher then explained to me

that the student only really talks to her, not the other teacher.

3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom
students, and the teacher(s)? Please describe in detail.

I saw some interactions between the ELL student, other classroom students, and the teachers.

The ELL student is very social. According to her teacher, the student usually talks to the other
ELL student at lunch and recess in their native language (Spanish). The student also talks to their

cousins a lot in Spanish who also go there. When I was observing, I saw the student interacting

with the students near her on the carpet and at their desks (in English). According to the teacher,

the ELL student is always seated near her desk because she talks more to that teacher than the

other one (since they co-teach). I did notice during that teachers instruction that the student

raises her hand more and is more social during her lesson than the other teachers lesson.

4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please describe
in detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be effective? Explain.

There are some resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student. In their reading

series, Wonders, there is an ELL component that the student uses. The student also meets with

an ESL teacher about 2-3 times a week for 45 minutes of ESL instruction and that teacher brings

a lot of resources. The teachers in the regular classroom get a lot of their materials from that ESL

teacher. Also, Scholastic has leveled books for ELL students so the student reads a lot of those.

All these resources seem to be effective because the student is getting lower leveled books and

worksheets that are created specifically for ELL students. These materials are definitely helping

the student in the regular education classroom.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)? Please
describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.

I believe the classroom environment is comfortable for the ELL student. There are two

groups of desks with two rows attached and the ELL student is in the middle so she is

surrounded by her peers. Like I previously mentioned, her desk is always close to the teacher that

she socializes more with which I think is beneficial for the student and the teacher. There is a

carpet between the desks that the students sit on and there is a table in the back of the room when
the student has her one-on-one instruction with the teacher. This classroom seems like a typical

classroom to me which makes it a comfortable place for the ELL student.

6. Whats the comfort level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English language?
What observations help you arrive at your decision? Refer to the Vocabulary
Performance Indicators. At what level would you place the ELL student? How did you
decide on that level?

The students comfort level with regards to the English language seems pretty low. While

observing this student I did not see much communication, but when she was answering questions

she did speak decent English. According to her teacher, she does not know much English. At

home she only speaks Spanish because her mother does not speak any English. However, her

older siblings speak English pretty well so they help her out as well as her grandma who is

bilingual. I would say that the student has a general sense of vocabulary words, however, the

student definitely needs improvement. It appears that the student struggles with some words so I

would place her at the lower end of the indicator.

7. If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher) what
type of accomodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student(s). Please
describe the types of accomodations/modifications that were discussed. Do they appear
on the checklist? Why/why not do you think they are present/not present on the checklist?

The student has many accommodations/modifications. Some of these include an adapted

spelling list, vocabulary words are sent home in Spanish and English, tests are read to the

student, every test is shorter, the student sits closer to the one teacher and the student gets time

and a half to complete everything. Each of these modifications/adaptations is shown on the

checklist. I think these all appear on the checklist because they are important modifications that

an ELL student should be able to have. Especially since this ELL student has very poor English
skills, each of these modifications are necessary so that the student can achieve in a regular

English classroom.