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The offical language is Berber alongside arabic.
thenationalnews.com
Algeria is a Northern African country with a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior.
If my director came to me about a new child that is going to be added to my class, and she mentioned that the family is from Algeria. There are a few questions that I would be asking to help make the transition to the classsroom easier on the child, family and myself & co-teacher.
- How long has the family been in the states?
- Have the child ever been in a preschool/ day program?
- Do he/ she speak English and what is the main language spoken at home?
- I would take the time and familiarize myself with some information about that country.
- Keep an opened mind and gather materials/ paperwork that in both english and the family native language just in case the parents do not speak or read english very well.
The way that I would use these five questions/ ways to help prepare me for the new family that is going to be part of my class is research. In order for there to be a child added to the class, I would have to have the background information. Such as the paperwork that the program director have recieved from the child's parent. With having this information in hand it will help me to feel more comfortable in interacting with the family.
At least if I knew some about where the family came from, it will show that I have atleast tried to show interest in the family that will be with me throughout the year. That can start will building a positive relationships with the family, that hopefully they will feel comfortable enough to ask questions and be involved within the classroom.
Also with doing my research, I would review some information on how to teach an ESL/ ELL child within the classroom.
Strategies for Supporting Dual Language Learners in an Early Childhood Classroom
Strategies for Supporting Dual Language Learners in an Early Childhood Classroom
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Hi Takeisha, You have outlined the basic steps for preparing to receive a family and their child from another country into your classroom. Years ago when a Burmese family was enrolled into our Head Start program I had a Burmese boy placed n my classroom. I was literally thrown to the wolves because I did not have nay training on how to receive a family from Burma. I had to use all kinds of resources to communicate with them. I had to reached out to the agency that sponsored them for a translator. It truly was a learning experience.
ReplyDeleteCynthia
Hello Takeisha,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your expectations and plans for welcoming a child and their family from Algeria. It can seem overwhelming to support a child who does not speak much or any English and yet you still want to build a positive rapport with them. However, children do sense when a teacher does care and respect them by how you spend time in getting to know them and by communicating in words, gestures, and smiles. That is a great idea to review background information about the family that they describe when enrolling the child into the program. Often, the family culture reveals more about how they view education and it can help teachers in knowing how best to communicate with them, who the decision maker is in the family, and who is most likely to attend school events.
- Juanita