Drawing Attention to Key Areas of Growth for AALLI Students

Sam Oertwig and a PreK teacher discuss how to boost time spent on developing students' language abilities.  Sam frames the need to build components of literacy like vocabulary within the context of serving African American, Latino, and low-income (AALLI) students.  She and the teacher talk through ways that these needs are already being met, as well as ways that the instructional balance in the classroom could be strengthened.

• Why is it particularly important for teachers of AALLI children to intentionally focus on building components of literacy like vocabulary?
• How can educators balance focusing on areas where students need instructional support with continuing to recognize the strengths and abilities that their students bring to the classroom? What does that balance look like within the PreK-3 setting, during lesson planning and beyond?
•  Why do you think integrating vocabularly instruction more seamlessly throughout the day might be a stronger strategy than just focusing on vocabulary during designated lesson times?
•  Can you think of any other examples of a key instructional component that you would like to integrate more seamlessly into your instruction, in order to benefit your students?