Here at St Mark’s we believe that developing a pupil’s first language has a positive impact on their development in English. For this reason we provide opportunities for pupils to work to develop their English acquisition skills
Children with other languages work with Mrs Boland our EAL Lead and within their own classrooms with tailored work.
As well as developing their language capacity, these home language sessions reflect the value we put on children’s language identity and the importance of affirming each child’s cultural and linguistic identity.
The sessions include activities that reflect the outcomes of the National Curriculum including:
· text level discussion around a shared text
· language enrichment including language structures and vocabulary
· drama, singing and role play
When a child first comes to St Mark’s their language is assessed for language fluency using the Newcastle Fluency Levels:
Stage 1 – New to English
Stage 2 – Becoming Familiar with English
Stage 3 – Becoming Confident as a user of English
Stage 4 – Fully Fluent
A child’s language development is monitored closely and Stage of English reviewed every term.
How can parents support their children in their English acquisition?
Support the children in maintaining and developing their mother tongue skills.
Parents should talk to their children in their first language unless they have strong language skills of their own.
Here are some websites that may be useful:
http://www.eslkidstuff.com/OnlineGamesMain.htm (For younger children)
http://www.eslgamesplus.com/classroom-games/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/parents/english_as_additional_language/
