Benefits of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms Jerrod Ball READ 6718: Literacy in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

Diverse Learner Information  Age: 10  Grade: 3 rd  Gender: Male  Home Language: Spanish (Mom speaks Spanish. Dad has picked up broken English from being a migrant worker.)  Fluent in Spanish, moved to the United States from Guatemala when he was 9.  Considered low socio-economic status, receives free lunch, ELL and Migrant Education services

Academic Challenges & Strengths  When he first started second grade he was unable to communicate verbally. He could point, shake his head, and make faces. He spent most of the summer in our school’s ELL summer school program in an extensive direct instruction reading program and then entered the third grade school year with a better foundation, recognizing all of his letters and sounds.  He has trouble writing complete sentences and often does not understand or comprehend questions when working independently.  He is very motivated, wants to please, and is great at learning patterns and processes. This has helped him tremendously in reading, but especially in Math, where he has excelled.

Funds of Knowledge  Linguistic  Fluent in Spanish. He is in the decoding stage of reading English, but can be easily understood when he speaks slowly. This can be challenging for him since Spanish is the primary language spoken in his home.  Cultural  We recently read about a story about an ancient Mayan civilization that went missing in Guatemala. When he saw the pictures he instantly recognized them and began talking to two other ELL in Spanish. He had heard stories about this group of people.

Funds of Knowledge  Family  Came straight from Guatemala. They are hardworking people and instill that mindset into their children. He works very hard at everything he does and never seems to be satisfied. He lives with both parents, sister, and cousin, outside of town.  His mother is involved in his education, but needs a translator during conferences.

Funds of Knowledge  Experiences  Like most families, his came to America as migrant workers in hopes of a better more prosperous life and a better education for their children. Many children in Guatemala do not go to school, because of poverty, school costs, or they are working at a young age to help provide for their families.

Funds of Knowledge  Practical  Enjoys goal-oriented tasks  Highly motivated when completing math tasks (especially using technology)  Likes nonfiction and picture books  Very obedient

Literacy Strengths  Hard Working  Determined  Is able to decode most texts and understand materials with teacher modeling or scaffolding  Can read with a partner  Takes his time when solving a problem or answering a question  Not afraid to ask for help if he is confused about a question, etc.  Willing to help his peers.

Literacy Challenges  Struggles answering basic text dependent questions  Often copies straight from the text, instead of paraphrasing or citing from the story in his own words  Cannot answer short or open-ended comprehension questions  Has a hard time making inferences and determining the author’s purpose or point-of-view

Meeting Challenges  Risko and Walker-Dalhouse (2007) suggest using cultural modeling to activate students’ prior knowledge, teach respect for differences, and cultivate diversity in the classroom.  Cooperative learning is one instructional practice that is used in classrooms today to bring about student collaboration and engagement (Toppel, 2015), many of these strategies can be used for English Language Learners, such as “turn and talk,” “think-pair-share.” Placing ELLs in situations where they can practice communicating and sharing ideas with their classmates in a non-threatening environment is beneficial.

References Risko, V. J., & Walker-Dalhouse, D. (2007). Tapping students’ cultural funds of knowledge to address the achievement gap. Reading Teacher, 61(1), 98–100. Retrieved from the Walden Library databases. Toppel, K. (2015). Enhancing core reading programs with culturally responsive practices. The Reading Teacher, 68(7),