EDF3030 - Diversity in child development.

Assessment task 2: Report on developing strategies to teach a child with

diverse ability needs in ways that meet curriculum and legislative
requirements
Lecturer: Dr Joseph Agbenyega
Students: Michelle Congerton (26388278), Vivian Phan (25955691) and Nicola
Kenny (26950006).
Transcript of Presentation
In this presentation we will be discussing how we developed a program for children aged 45yrs, focusing on a child from a multicultural background where the child does not speak
English. We will be discussing the importance of language and communication, both in and
out of the classroom, including specific milestones for children of multicultural backgrounds.
We will then be discussing useful tools and lessons to ensure the best possible learning
outcome for the child.
With the right planning and teaching strategies, children from multicultural families with
diverse language backgrounds can develop upon their ability to learn the English language.
The overall developmental milestones achievable by these children would be:

Oral Language
Reading Comprehension
Writing Development

The individual milestones (which is also our short and long-term goals for the child) that we
will work to help the them achieve will include:

Becoming familiar with sounds of the English language. This will be achieved through
phonological awareness, which is being able to recognise, identify and manipulate
particular sound units in the English language (Gillon, 2004 as cited in Yeong,
Fletcher, & Bayliss, 2014).
Relating the sounds to the English alphabet. This can be achieved through
orthographic processing, which is the use of the visual system to form, store, and
recall words (Yeong, Fletcher & Bayliss, 2014). Through the use of repetition and
visual cues, the child can work on their ability to recognise the alphabet and become
more familiar with different sounds.
Introduce them to writing the English language, particularly the letters of the alphabet
and their own name. After learning the English alphabet and the sounds that the
letters make, the child will now be introduced to writing, as literacy is part of the
language; thus, reading and writing develop alongside speaking and listening (ErnstSlavit, Moore & Maloney, 2002, p.119).

Children who enter classrooms that do not know how to speak the English language, are
often children who have been raised from multicultural backgrounds with a different
language being spoken at home. The main influence which would have contributed to their
differing language would be the act of listening to others in social settings where talking and
interactions are present. This allows the child to have a deeper understanding of new
concepts and also develops upon their natural ability to learn the language easily (Ernst,
1994 as cited in Ernst-Slavit, Moore & Maloney, 2002). With the same language being
spoken to them everyday as they were growing up, the children would be most influenced by
their parents, and so would have learnt the language mainly through them. This can be

related to Albert Banduras Social Learning Theory (1977), where Bandura believed that
children learnt their new behaviours through the process of observing, imitating and
modelling (Grivas, Down & Carter, 2004). This would have been clearly displayed as the
child grew older through the copying and imitations of the language that their parents used
to communicate with them.
As the children have become so familiar with their own language, they will most likely
encounter some language barriers as they learn the new English language. Their difficulties
in reading and comprehending the new language can be related to the difficulties of young
and slow learners whose first language is English (Fung, Wilkinson, & Moore, 2002). This
can include facing problems in word decoding, which requires children to sound out and
blend certain sounds together. As a result, this hinders upon their ability to develop their
reading of new and unfamiliar words (Yeong, Fletcher, & Bayliss, 2014). If children face
these problems on a daily basis for a period of time, this can often lead to a pessimistic
mind. Their frustrations and negativity could result in circuits being constructed into the part
of the brain associated with fear, causing pessimism (The Lost Lectures, 2013). As future
educators, this is not something that you hope will occur within your classrooms, therefore
as mentors, we need to ensure that we are able to implement the right teaching strategies
and plan the right programs to help the children and prevent them giving up.
To cater to a childs individual differences within a classroom, we developed a learning plan
that is appropriate for teaching a child English, incorporating the home culture and language
to make learning relatable to the child. By using the Vygotskys sociocultural theory, we
were able to create a developmentally and culturally appropriate plan, incorporating
interesting experiences that will engage the child in learning and also assist the child in
learning English.
These experiences will also help the child to achieve outcomes 1 (Children have a strong
sense of identity) and 2 (Children are connected with and contribute to their world) of the
Early Years Learning Framework (Department of Education and Employment Workplace
Relations [DEEWR], 2009).
Vygotskys sociocultural theory allows us as educators to engage with children in
experiences, using conversation as a means to explore language, giving children the
knowledge to understand the experiences they are engaging with, further developing their
words and skills within English as their second language (Moll, 1990, as cited in
Shepardson, 1999). Within the classroom, social relations build on childrens knowledge
and are facilitated and mediated by teachers, using appropriate contexts for children to apply
their new knowledge (Moll and Whitmore, 1993, as cited in Shepardson, 1999). Educators
can build on childrens knowledge by incorporating a variety of practices, such as play based
learning, child and family centred practice, and culturally relevant instructions, to assist
children in achieving maximum results (Feeney, Moravcik & Nolte, 2013). Children will
respond not only by the practices educators engage in, but also to the experiences and
strategies used during play experiences.
Experiences provided to children will have an impact upon how they learn and what
information is retained by the child. Visual cues and visually rich experiences assist children
in relating information to language. The use of movement and gestures during lessons and
experiences enables the educators to develop the childs semantic and conceptual
knowledge (Huss, Verney, Fosker, Mead & Goswami, 2011, as cited in Greenfader &
Brouillette, 2013). Through visual experiences educators can also guide children in
experiences through charts containing songs and poems with written words as an added
aide, and visual cue cards during routine times (Feeney, Moravcik, & Nolte, 2013). Children
are also able to explore language through storybooks that include cultures represented
within the classroom, allowing the child to follow their own culture through the English

language (Feeney, Moravcik & Nolte, 2013). Experiences that also allow for
compartmentalisation is also useful when learning new languages in the classroom
environment as the child is able to take in more information from the experience as the
information delivered is easier to process (Feeney, Moravcik & Nolte, 2013). Through the
use of all of the above practices and implementation tools we can identify how to engage
childrens cognitive and behavioural needs in regards to positive learning.
Engaging children in experiences when English is a new or second language, teachers must
offer the necessary guidance to enable positive learning in cognitive and behavioural
development needs of the child. Mixed teaching strategies in arts, reading, and
comprehension will further childrens development in cognitive and behavioural
development. Educators who provide experiences within the arts medium can expand
childrens verbal interaction, promoting opportunities to be interactive and engage with the
environment, allowing learners of English to feel supported whilst learning and developing
their oral language development (Castro, Paez, Dickinson & Frede, 2011, as cited in
Greenfader & Brouillette, 2013). Children engaging daily in interactive, interesting
experiences will develop their language quicker as their vocabulary is being enhanced
through listening to and engaging in conversations during experiences (Magruder, Hayslip,
Espinosa & Matera, 2013).
Interesting experiences assist in guiding childrens behaviour as they use cognitive skills to
focus their attention on the task at hand.
Experiences that we as a group planned for this particular child with English as a second
language would be:

Read and act out fairy tales - little red riding hood, three little pigs etc. Emphasis on
story and words - use props etc to act out story line - enables child to become
actively involved. This again relates to (Castro, Pez, Dickinson, & Frede, 2011) as
they outlined that the arts can promote and expand opportunities for verbal
interaction through interactive and engaging learning environments. This activity
creates these engaging learning environments, and not only introduces the child to
different forms of the English language, but encourages verbal interaction between
students.
Read aloud in small groups - Children take turns to read their favourite books out
loud in small groups of 4 -5 students. This allows the child to experience and become
familiar with the english language, and hear children of the same age read aloud.
This also presents the opportunity for the child to read and explore books from their
own culture, bringing in familiarity and comfort into the classroom. This also relates to
Vygotskys sociocultural theory, as children are interacting and communicating with
each other, providing a wider range of meaningful interactions.
Morning Routine - As a class group, each morning children go over the date,
weather, which includes a chart which has a calendar on it - children learn and
become familiar with the numbers. Repetition allows the child to become aware and
familiar with the numbers in an informal manner.

These experiences relate to many areas of the Early Years Learning Framework (2009),
including but not limited to:
OUTCOME 1 - CHILDREN HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF IDENTITY

Children feel safe, secure, and supported: Communicate their needs for comfort and
assistance, sense and respond to a feeling of belonging

Children develop their emerging autonomy, inter-dependence, resilience and sense

of agency: Approach new safe situations with confidence
Children develop knowledgeable and confident self identities : Reach out and
communicate for comfort, assistance and companionship

OUTCOME 2

Begin to recognise they have a right to belong to many communities.

(Young children should understand from a young age that they can live happy and
peacefully within two communities, this is outlined within Outcome 2 of the early
years learning framework. It is important for young children to understand that they
can belong to both home and school communities, even if there are different
languages spoken or daily tasks participated in. As educators, it is important to
demonstrate to children from multicultural backgrounds that they are welcomed,
accepted and part of all communities.)
Demonstrate a sense of belonging and comfort in their environments
Children respond to diversity with respect:
Explore the diversity of culture, heritage, background and tradition and that diversity
presents opportunities for choices and new understandings
Become aware of connections, similarities and differences between people.

Margruder, Hayslip, Espinosa, Matera (2013) outlined that children from multicultural
backgrounds communicate their knowledge through a method they feel safest using. This
does not always mean the English language, as it could be a language their families speak
at home, or a mixture of both. As educators, it is our role to ensure children feel safe
communicating both their knowledge and needs within the school environment. This will help
to allow the children to begin to recognise that they have a right to belong to many
communities, as well as feel a deeper sense of comfort and belonging within their
environment (DEEWR, 2009). For children of multicultural backgrounds, this may be a
lengthy process, as learning a new language in a new environment can be a scary and
daunting process. This is why the above lessons and tools have been created, to ensure a
safe mix between the familiar and the unknown for children, so they can begin to feel safe
transitioning into the school environment. Feeney, Moravcik and Nolte (2013) outlined the
importance of involving families as strategic planners within a childs learning, to ensure the
child receive the best educational opportunities possible.
In conclusion, it can be seen that through the implementation of our program, the child will
be able to develop upon their knowledge of the English language. By providing a range of
engaging and interactive experiences and routines for the child, it will allow them to become
more familiar, confident and comfortable within their classroom and community. As early
childhood educators we explored the influences which could have an effect upon the child as
a dual language learner, discovered strategies that we could implement within the classroom
to assist them in their learning and identified learning experiences that will cater to the childs
individual needs. The combination of all these components will work to help the child in
achieving the learning goals intended for them to improve upon their English language skills.

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