English Speakers of Other Languages Cunningham Park Elementary School

 

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program at Cunningham Park Teresa Saunders -    ESOL Resource Teacher Laurie Chaker     -   ESOL Resource Teacher What do students learn in ESOL? Students learn how to read, write, and speak in English in ESOL classes. ESOL students are grouped by level, determined annually by ESOL assessments. . Level 1 students are beginning students who are learning to speak, read, and write basic English. Level 2 students are intermediate English language learners. They need help strengthening reading and writing skills. Levels 3 & 4 students have strong reading, writing, and speaking skills, and they still may need help to reach the reading and writing level of other students in their grade level. They are close to exiting the ESOL program. ESOL students in Fairfax County usually spend 3-5 years in the ESOL program. ESOL teachers collect all tests and students work for ESOL students to demonstrate students growth in learning English. At Cunningham Park we have pull-out ESOL classes and inclusion. In a pull-out class, students come to the ESOL classroom to practice English reading, writing, and speaking skills in a small group. Many beginning ESOL students in grades 1-6 go to pull-out classes for ESOL. In the inclusion program, ESOL students receive help in their regular classrooms. An ESOL teacher works with the classroom teacher to teach reading, writing, or sometimes science and social studies lessons to the students. If you have questions about the ESOL program at Cunningham Park, please contact Teresa Saunders at (703) 255-5600.

Cultural Diversity at Cunningham Park

By Teresa Saunders, ESOL Specialist

At a recent in-service for FCPS English as a Second Language (ESOL) teachers, we were shown statistics of the number of ESOL students in the county.  The data included numbers and percentages from 1987 until the present.  Not surprisingly, the trend has been an upward growth.

At Cunningham Park, approximately 1 out of every 5 students is an ESOL student.   That equals just under 20% of our student population.  This percentage shows an increase from the last few years, when the ESOL population at Cunningham Park was around 15%. 

Cunningham Parks ESOL students are from many different countries.  We have students from countries such as El Salvador, Egypt, Honduras, Nepal, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Korea, Indonesia, Pakistan, Panama, Bangladesh, and the United States.  These students enrich our classes, our school and our community.  They often add a personal perspective to social studies lessons.  When our second graders were studying Mexico, the Spanish-speaking students made and shared many relevant connections between their cultures and Mexican culture.  Both third and fifth grades study Ancient Egypt.  Our Egyptian students can contribute first hand facts about modern Egypt for a rich comparison/contrast activity of Ancient vs. modern Egypt.

Additionally, our ESOL students create many opportunities for classes to learn and practice tolerance and understanding.  Just because someone does something differently doesnt make it wrong.  Learning this at an early age encourages cultural sensitivity, a skill that will serve our students well throughout their lives.

Email any questions or concerns to Teresa.Saunders@fcps.edu

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This page was last updated February 25, 2011
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