Detailed Sample Task: EAL Literacy

CLB 1L-Reading
Getting Things Done

Education and Learning

Real-World Task

Read your own name and classmates’ names and deliver messages to classmates’ “mailboxes.”

Planning Context

Helpful Knowledge:

Sounds of letters
Letter formation: capital letters

Context:

One of the first words most people learn to read is their own name.
It is helpful to be able to read the names of other people around you.

Vocabulary and Grammar

Sample Vocabulary:

Sample Grammar:

Imperative voice: Put it in his/her/their mailbox.

Knowledge and Strategies

Textual and Functional Knowledge:

Letters make sounds and are blended together from left to right in English.

Sociolinguistic Knowledge:

Learning to read a classmate’s name is a good way to connect with them.

Activities and Tasks

Sample Skill-Building Activities:

Every day, at the start of class, go around the class and say everyone’s names. Invite learners to try to name every person in the class.
Sit in a circle. The first person says their own name and where they are from (e.g. I am Marta. I am from Ukraine.) The next person says their own name and where they are from and says the name and country of everyone who has come before them (e.g. I am Julio. I am from Colombia. This is Marta from Ukraine.) Learners at this level can also say only their name and country, e.g. Marta, Ukraine. Julio. Colombia.
Make name cards for each learner (e.g. a coloured piece of cardstock with the learner’s name printed on it) and tape them to the board. Use them frequently in class whenever you ask a learner to do something or when you have learners work in groups, e.g. when you want Anteneh, Erudis, Nagat, and Tan to work together, group their name cards on the board and read them as a class. Do this in every class over many days.
Sing the phonics alphabet, learning the sounds of the letters rather than the names of the letters: Phonics Alphabet Song.
Incorporate phonics activities based on vocabulary words and other vocabulary related to the topic.
Use air writing and sand trays to practice making different kinds of lines: straight and curved.
Practice tracking by lining up stones or other small objects along sheets printed with curved lines.
Review letter formation, 2-3 letters at a time, over many days.
Trace own name, and then copy own name.
Trace and copy the names of 2-3 classmates.
Create a “mailbox” for each learner, e.g. a file folder stapled on the sides. Write the name of the learner on their mailbox and have them decorate their mailboxes with drawings or stickers.
Give learners dollar store cards or printed cards from the internet and have them copy a classmate’s name onto the card and deliver it to the classmate’s mailbox.

Sample Skill-Using Tasks:

Read your own name on a message from a friend. Demonstrate understanding by pointing to the name and saying it out loud.

Sample Assessment Tasks:

Read your own name and classmates’ names and deliver messages to classmates’ “mailboxes.” Demonstrate understanding by delivering a message to the correct mailbox. Choose the correct mailbox out of 2-3 mailboxes.

Teaching Considerations

Cultural Considerations:

Make sure to use learners’ preferred names in class, and invite learners to teach you how to pronounce their names the way they do. Encourage learners to learn each other’s names.

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.
Read information from a screen.
Send and receive text messages and messages on other texting apps.

Instructors can:

Dedicate time to improve digital literacy for learners.
Make and/ or adapt digital materials.
Support learners in navigating and using texting and messaging apps.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Strategies:

Avoid using judgemental language like “difficult” when referring to a learner’s name and do your best to pronounce learners’ names as accurately as you can. Avoid giving learners nicknames or anglicized names.
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.

Trauma-informed Strategies:

Possible Trauma Triggers:

Learners who have lost loved ones may be triggered by the act of delivering or receiving messages with their names on it. Learners who have experienced trauma may be more strongly impacted emotionally by connecting with others. Watch for learners who feel sad or emotional and be prepared to support as needed.
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:

Look for opportunities to exchange cards in class, such as holidays (from any culture), birthdays, or just to give encouragement or gratitude to each other. Get cards from the dollar store or print out colourful messages for learners to write names on.
Use names and name cards as often as possible, such as name cards for desks, spaces on the bookcase, binders, and so on.

Realia:

Learners’ names and (with their permission) photographs

Units and Modules:

Lessons and Activities:

Tutela (Archway): Personal Information: Numeric Focus: CLB 1L/2L
LINC 1 Classroom Activities: Classroom Language (p. 257) (Not literacy but can be adapted)

The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Reading Skills Stories
The Literacy Centre of Expertise at TIES: Adults Learn to Print

Tutela: Norquest LINC Phonics Curriculum: CLB FL
Tutela: Foundation L-CLB 2L Phonics Curriculum
A search of NLCG (nlcg.achev.ca) may provide additional tasks that can be adapted.

Multimedia:

YouTube: ABC Phonics Chant
YouTube: Phonics Alphabet Song