Mrs. Fielding

Mrs. Fielding

Welcome to the Greenvale School English as a Second Language Web Site!

This web site will provide families of English language learners attending the Greenvale School. On this site, you will find an overview of the ESL program at the Greenvale School. You will also find some useful tips for helping your child to learn English. There are also web site listed that provide fun opportunities for your child to practice his or her English language skills on a computer.

ESL Program Overview

The goal of the ESL program is to facilitate the students' English language development while reinforcing content area learning in the subjects of Social Studies and Science. In order to accomplish this, the program is designed as a "pull-out" or "push-in" model. A pull out model is when the students leave their home-based classrooms in order to attend an ESL class in a separate location. A push -in model is when the ESL teacher goes into an English Language Learner's classroom to support the child in the home-based classroom. This model is used generally when several English Language Learners are in the same classroom. ESL classes usually consist of small groups of between 3-5 students. All efforts are made to keep students within their grade and language levels. Beginner level students focus on everyday communication skills in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Intermediate and advanced students focus on English Language Arts skills which also prepares them for the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) exam. Content area knowledge is also taught, which parallels what is being introduced in the home- based classroom. During ESL instruction, the students engage in a variety of hands on, enjoyable activities that makes learning English fun and interesting.

How Do I Help My Child Learn English?

Encourage your child to invite English speaking classmates for play dates. Consider using board games that can introduce new vocabulary and develop communication skills.
Bring your child to the library often. Choose books that are accompanied by cassettes or CD's. You may consult Mrs. Fielding or your classroom teacher to learn your child's reading level in order to find appropriate books.
After school clubs and summer camps provide many opportunities for natural language learning.
Educational television programs which can be found on PBS or The Discovery Channel are good for increasing listening skills and for content enrichment in the areas of Social Studies and Science.
In the evening, engage in "dinner talk". Ask your child specific questions about his or her day. Ask questions such as "How do you play dodge ball?" or other questions that require more than one or two word answers.

Recommended Web Sites:

All of the following websites can help your child to practice while having fun! Just click on a link below to begin!