Parents of ELLs: Here’s What To Look For in a Preschool Program
By Daniella Mini
My goals as a preschool teacher are for all my students to:
Feel happy and safe in my classroom, and,
Have fun and enjoy learning even as they develop the ability to function as part of a group.
This last part — that is, to function as part of a group — is one of the hardest things children need to learn when they’re in preschool. It involves suppressing the habit and urge to do what they want at any given time. There are surely constraints at home too but rarely do they involve having to share the space with a dozen other children, and following an agenda created for the group as a whole.
Learning what I’ll call “group skills” is obviously harder for English Language Learners (EELs), who don’t understand what the teacher is saying, not because they have difficulty hearing or understanding language but because they don’t speak English.
Based on my 15 years as an early childhood special education teacher, here are five general preschool program components particularly beneficial for ELL preschoolers, and specific questions to ask:
1. Structure and routines
Consistency is key for ELL preschoolers as it helps them catch on as to what’s going on and what to expect. Structure and routine involve consistent communication, which also helps ELLs’ language acquisition.
Children thrive on structure, especially in group settings. When there’s structure and routines in place, children don’t have to be told what to do throughout the day. And guess what? Nobody likes to be told what to do. From a behavioral perspective, then, consistency also makes sense.
Ask: What’s your philosophy on structure and routines?
2. Teacher qualifications
No one tells you how hard being a parent will be. In the same way, no one emphasizes how difficult it is to be a good preschool teacher. Requirements and credentials are not all that matter, yet they do indicate a standard in terms of qualification.
While a preschool here might require a high school diploma, a preschool somewhere else might require an early childhood certificate and a bachelor’s degree. “Requirements for becoming a licensed prekindergarten teacher vary greatly depending on the state, school district, source of funding and even classroom location (public school vs. privately owned child care facility),” notes the National Conference of State Legislators.
The needs of ELLs will best be met by teachers who know how preschool-age children learn, what they should be learning, and how to engage students at the individual and group level.
Ask: What are the minimum teacher qualifications for headteachers/ teaching assistants/ aides in this program?
3. Visual supports
Visual supports are images or symbols that convey expectations and situations. For example, one form of visual support commonly used in preschool classrooms is a visual schedule. I, for one, have it posted on the wall by our “group learning” area, and it consists of cards with images that depict morning meeting, snacks, books & puzzles time, playground, special activity, play… and, finally, home.
At the individual level, I often use a visual I created that shows a “First- Then” statement. Under the “First” I might have a picture for “color” and under “Then,” a picture of trains. Then I’ll use simple language “First, color and then, play with trains.” Again, children catch on very quickly!
Those are just a couple of examples of multiple ways to use visuals to support ELLs.
Ask: What kinds of visual supports or aids do you use in the classroom?
4. Child-to-adult ratio and group size
I believe all preschool children, and especially ELLs, need a level of individual attention, and staff can only be sufficiently responsive to their needs when the group number allows.
Requirements vary by state. A common standard for a preschool class is a ratio of 10 children to 1 staff, and a class size of 20. I personally believe that two staff for a class of 20 four-year-olds is NOT appropriate — unless there are no ELLs and no children with any type of special need, disability or developmental delay in the group. I would imagine this would be the case for a private preschool that can select which children are accepted and can dismiss a child deemed too “difficult”.
That’s not the type of preschool I work in. In an inclusive class, in this teacher’s humble opinion, you need at least 2 staff for 15 children (and ideally at least 2 staff for 12 children).
Ask: What’s the maximum number of children in each class and what child-to-staff ratio do you maintain?
Final Thoughts
A preschool teacher’s goals for their ELL preschoolers and their native English-speaking friends are the same: for them to feel happy and safe in the classroom, and for them to enjoy learning and develop group skills.
Given the right environment, ELLs can do all this even as they learn to speak and understand the language of school.
Daniella Mini is a preschool special education teacher and blogger. She writes about parenting and autism on her blog publicponder.com
