ERIC Number: EJ1003858
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Mar
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1538-6619
EISSN: N/A
Where's Your Partner? Pairing Bilingual Learners in Preschool and Primary Grade Dual Language Classrooms
Alanis, Iliana
Young Children, v68 n1 p42-46 Mar 2013
Children working alone is a common instructional strategy in some early childhood classrooms. According to foundational work by Johnson and Johnson (1986), however, cooperative teams employ higher levels of thought and retain information longer than children who work individually. Children engage in discussion, take responsibility for their learning, and become critical thinkers when they work and learn together. Teachers of dual language learners can pair children throughout the day in a variety of cooperative learning strategies. The bilingual pairing strategies provided in this article are easy to implement on a regular basis and can be adapted to any classroom setting. They allow children to express themselves in meaningful and nonthreatening contexts and challenge each other's ideas as they engage in conversations about abstract concepts found in the academic curriculum.
Descriptors: Academic Education, Educational Strategies, Cooperative Learning, Teaching Methods, Learning Strategies, English (Second Language), Bilingualism, Language Teachers, Elementary School Students, Preschool Children, Second Language Learning, Elementary School Curriculum, Spanish, Partnerships in Education, Children
National Association for the Education of Young Children. 1313 L Street NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 22205-4101. Tel: 800-424-2460; Tel: 202-232-8777; Fax: 202-328-2649; e-mail: editorial@naeyc.org; Web site: http://www.naeyc.org/yc/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Elementary Education; Preschool Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A