Ming: A Case Study EDUC 5435, Summer 2007 Keri Kilker and Connie Garcia Book used: One Frog Too Many By Mercer and Marianna Mayer

Ming: Student Background Information  Older 2 nd grader (retained in 2 nd grade in ’05- ’06/started 1 st grade at the age of 7)  Attends Denver Metro Elementary School  Most current HLS (’06-’07) 70% of language spoken in the home = English/ 30% = Chinese  Chinese was learned first and usage and knowledge of Chinese and English are now equal  Reading and Writing are done only in English

Ming’s ESL Information  Last documented LAU level= LAU B (obtained through the Woodcock-Munoz in ’04-’05)  Currently receives pull-out ESL for 5 hrs/wk.  Ming’s regular ed teacher and her ELL Specialist think she has a higher LAU level

Ming’s CELA/District Assessments  2007 CELA: Speaking 505/3  Listening 538/5  Reading 419/1  Writing 466/2  Overall 483/3  PALS: Primmer/DRA: 12  2 nd grade Writing: 11/16  2 nd grade Math: 69

Ming’s Strengths  Use of expression in her voice  Use of correct, simple emotion adjectives  Use of the past progressive tense (was ______ing)  Able to use some slang: ‘cuz and “they were saying mean stuff to him”  Stayed on topic; the story had continuity and flow

ELD Structures Identified  Issues with plural subject/verb agreement (error: 6 times)  Issues with pronunciation (/th/ vs. /dd/) with the words “other” and “another” (error: 6 times)  Run-on sentences without proper transitional words

Teaching Strategy: Plural Subject/Verb Agreement  Single subject / verb agreement vs. plural subject / verb agreement This can be difficult for ELL learners After mastering single subject / verb agreement an intermediate ELL student might need direct teaching on the plural subject / verb agreement

Demonstration  Cooperative Grouping (groups of 3)  3 sets of cards that contain pre determined vocabulary (subject, was / were, feelings as adjectives)  Students create sentences with cards  Students expand sentences with the word “because” on the chart paper

Procedure  The teacher does a picture walk through the book “One Frog Too Many.”  Number off in groups of 3  Each group receives a baggie with 3 sets of cards: subjects, verbs, feelings/adjectives  Person 1 takes the subject cards and places them face down in front of him/her. Person 2 places the “was/were” cards face up in front of him/her. Person 3 places the feelings cards face down in front of him/her.

Procedure continued  All 3 students approach the paper and write a sentence adding the word “because” and finishing it (with something related to the story or not).  When the 3 sit down, they rotate “jobs”. (Person 1 now is the person choosing “was/were”, Person 2 becomes the person choosing the emotion card and Person 3 becomes the person who chooses the subject.)  After the groups have rotated so each one has had a turn at all 3 jobs, the class comes back together. Each student stands and reads one of the sentences created on the chart paper.  The teacher then can facilitate more oral language by asking questions about the sentences after everyone has had a chance to read a sample.

What comes next???  Choose another wordless picture book or story that the student is familiar with and at his / her reading level  Whichever type of book is chosen, there should be characters in the book that can serve as both singular and plural subjects so when she tells or re-tells her story, she can continue working on this skill.  WPB: Tell the story in their own words  Storybook; Re-tell the story in their own words