Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 1L-Writing
Reproducing Information

Education and Learning

Real-World Task

Copy a short list of orally familiar vocabulary words like class, pencil and binder.

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Letter formation: capitals and lowercase letters
Basic classroom words: student, teacher, class, school

Context:

Learners are often given school supply lists, either for themselves or for their children.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Letter spacing

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Lists are usually made vertically.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

You can ask your instructor where to find or buy school supplies.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Discuss as a class: what do you need at school? Elicit from learners as many school supply words as they know. Do you have children that go to school? What do they need for school? Is it the same or different?
Use vocabulary cards with words and clear pictures to practice school supply vocabulary. Have learners match up the vocabulary card with their actual school supplies, e.g. placing the pencil card next to their pencil.
Use TPR (Total Physical Response) to practice vocabulary. Call out instructions, such as touch your binder and have learners respond by either pointing to the correct vocabulary card or by pointing to their actual binder.
Split the class into two teams. Place a set of school supply items on two desks or tables, one for each team. Have one learner from each team come up to the table. Call out an item. The first learner to pick up the correct item gets a point for their team.
Read a simple instructor-made story about school supplies. Read the story with learners several times and then choral read and echo read the story.
Have learners read School Tools on a computer or other device. Show them how they can play the audio for the book and click or tap to turn the pages.
Have learners work with partners. One learner names a school supply item, and the other learner finds the item.
Practice the letter b. Trace b and B and write b and B. Circle b in a very short list of familiar words in a large font, e.g. circle the b in binder. Note: If you discuss b and p, be aware that /b/ and /p/ are not distinguished in some languages, such as Arabic, and some learners will struggle to hear the difference.
Match vocabulary cards for 2-3 familiar school supply words to words on a list.
Trace 2-3 short, familiar school supply words, like pen, pencil, and book.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Copy a short list of orally familiar vocabulary words like pen, paper, and book.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Copy a short list of orally familiar vocabulary words like class, pencil and binder.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

The standard sizes for paper, binders, and so on are different in different countries. Learners who have acquired school supplies from their own country or from someone in their own culture may find that they aren’t the same size as standard pages in Canada.
Directionality, such as left-to-right, top-to-bottom, is different in different languages. Teach learners English directionality and be prepared to show learners often which is the “front-side” of a piece of paper in Canada and how to file it in a binder.

Digital Literacy Strategies:

Successful completion of some tasks may require some baseline knowledge and digital skills.

Learners may need to:

Have keyboarding and typing skills.
Locate, navigate and use websites.
Type information to appear on screen.

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
Make and/or adapt digital materials.
Introduce websites that are relevant to the task(s).
Support learners in finding, navigating and using websites.
Show learners that the size of an image on the screen can be adjusted.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Use diverse representations of people in all your learning resources and images, including people who are 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, Francophone and of other cultures, and people who have disabilities or who are neurodivergent. Consider this diversity as you choose names for characters in stories you create as well.
Teach learners that the best time of the year to buy school supplies, either for themselves or for their children, is in August, when most stores have “back-to-school” sales.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

When teaching about Canada, you may teach about things that are triggering to learners who have experienced trauma. We can’t know what the triggers might be and what seems commonplace to us may have a triggering component for learners. Be aware of this and be prepared to support learners as needed.

Strategies:

Give learners advance warning of this topic and be aware that there may be learners who require support.
Learners who have experienced trauma often benefit from having routine. Create a safe and supportive classroom environment by establishing familiar routines, repeated activities, and model friendly and non-evaluative interactions.
Learners will benefit from positive relationships established in the classroom with the instructor and peers.
Learners who have experienced trauma benefit from having choices.
- Allow learners choice:
  - the choice to work on a different topic
  - the choice to share or not share their own experiences
  - the choice to work alone or to work with others
  - the choice to take care of themselves
  - the choice to step out of the learning environment
When learners have shared personal distressing or traumatic experiences, make space for learners to feel safe and recover from the experience of sharing their experiences. Follow the activities which may make learners feel vulnerable with routine, predictable and comforting activities.
Giving learners the knowledge, skills and language to access resources can be empowering.

Resources

Outings, Guest Speaker Suggestions, Extension Activities:

Visit a store in your community with inexpensive school supplies. Ensure that learners know that “cheap” is not always better.
Create a class calendar showing the beginning and ending of school, both for learners and local schools. Highlight good times to shop for school supplies.
Create a class poster of school supplies and stores in the area where they can buy them.

Realia:

School supply items

Units and Modules:

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Using School Supplies: CLB FL/1L
Tutela (CCLB): A Child’s Education: CLB 1L/2L

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela (Archway): Items in the Classroom: CLB 1L/2L
LINC 1 Classroom Activities: Education (p. 257-284) (Not literacy but can be adapted)
Tutela (OCDSB): Assessment Task: Copying a List of School Supplies: CLB 2L (Not the right level but can be adapted)
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB 1L
Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia:

Unite for Literacy: School Tools