RESPONSE TO PROMPT 6

I see a lot of support and multi-language teaching in the school that I tutor in. They have bi-lingual signs in the hallways of the three things they value and that are daily reminders of how to be a good student and person. The room I tutor in has the room filled with educational posters that are bi-lingual. The teacher herself, having an English speaking, and who is Italian herself, talks to the children in Spanish sometimes. Not only is it Spanish that teachers have to be concerned with, but I feel its also children that may be hard of hearing or that need things said to them in certain ways for them to understand. On a few occasions I have seen the teacher address the difference of the children and demonstrate sensitivity to their sociocultural and linguistic differences. As I have said before in a previous blog that when the teacher gives tests she explains it in different ways and sometimes during a math test she will say some numbers in spanish. When she is speaking to a child in a one on one conversation I have also heard her use words in Spanish. Also, during their circle or meeting time in the morning she always asks the kids about their families and the language they speak at home and also asks what something means in that language. I have worked in small groups with children, one whose first language was Spanish who also had a heavy accent. I asked her something in English and seeing that she was somewhat confused, I asked her again in Spanish and she clearly understood it. Once she answered the question I congratulated her and then also explained to her what the same thing meant in English.