Observation Questions for ELL/LEP student(s)

1. What techniques/methods/strategies do you see being used with the ELL/LEP student(s)?
Are they effective? Why or why not? (Either specifically for the ELL student(s) or in whole
class/small group instruction)
I do not see any techniques being used while instruction is being taken place with the ELL/LEP
student. The student, however, is assigned simplified questions to check for comprehension after
a reading is assigned. He receives tests with two answers to choose from instead of 4. Even
though it is simplified, he often just guesses. The student sits and listens to Rosetta Stone for 30
minutes in the morning to help him pick up the language. He also gets taken out for 45 minutes
during the day to work with the ELL specialist. It must be difficult to have an ELL student in the
class, especially in a setting with 25 students in total. I think the Rosetta Stone and working with
the ELL specialist are helpful, however the other techniques are not. He needs more time to learn
the language before he is assigned work that is way above is academic level in his own language.
2. Do you notice any student behaviors that you would consider
out of the ordinary? Please describe in detail. (This applies to both the ELL student(s) and
other classroom students)
The only behavior I see that is out of the ordinary for this child is his quiet behavior during
class. He does not participate much and often keeps to himself. On the playground however he is
one of the most outgoing students. He is always laughing and interacts well with other students,
even if those interactions are nonverbal. This is typical for ELL students. It is important to not
push the student to talk, but encourage to do so when they are ready.
3. What type of interactions do you see between the ELL student(s), other classroom students,
and the teacher(s)? Please describe in detail.
The interactions I see between the ELL student and other teachers consist of many nonverbal
gestures. The teacher uses motions such as less than, more than, good, bad, etc. She also points to
pictures that are based around the lesson. This allows the child to see a connection between a
new vocabulary word and something of their prior knowledge. The other students are extremely
helpful toward the ELL student. During class time, the other students make sure he is on topic
and are on the right page for the reading. During free time they all make sure he is included and
the other students who speak Spanish direct him on how to play games to make sure he is
included.
4. Identify resources/materials that are being used with the ELL student(s). Please describe in
detail how the ELL student is using them. Do they appear to be effective? Explain.
Simplified tests were used for the ELL student. The teacher often rephrased the questions in a
simpler way, and provided fewer options for the students to choose from when giving the test
one-on-one. The student also worked on Rosetta Stone during the morning. This program helped
the student become familiar with the English language so he was able to understand more of
what was going on during the school day. The last thing I saw that would help this student was
objects labeled around the classroom. Examples consisted of the door, the chair, the window, etc.
The student often looked over to the labels to help him when needed. The labels were in both
English and Spanish.

5. Does the classroom environment seem to be comfortable for the ELL student(s)? Please
describe the environment and explain how you made your decision.
The classroom environment was comfortable for the ELL student. He did not feel pressured to
ask or answer questions in front of the class. If he did volunteer, the teacher often helps guide
him with hand motions or gestures. I have never seen this student get stressed out during the
school day. He enjoys working with the other students in the class, and finds it easy to play with
them. He does tend to communicate more to the students who speak Spanish, but does not get
anxious when they are not around.
6. Whats the comfort level of the ELL student(s) in regards to the English language? What
observations help you arrive at your decision? Refer to the Vocabulary Performance
Indicators. At what level would you place the ELL student? How did you decide on that level?
The specific child I observed was very low in regards to the English Language. My teacher and I
have often discussed that he may have further problems than just learning the language. He
frequently forgets what he had learned ten minutes prior. He is able to hold a simple
conversation, and definitely is stronger in listening than oral language. If put into one of the
English Language Proficiency Levels I would place him in the Basic level. I would use this
classification because he often uses nonverbal gestures in class to answer questions. He rarely
uses English to communicate, even with his peers. If needed to, he will ask a friend who speaks
English to help him with the translations.
7. If you feel comfortable enough to ask, ask the cooperating teacher (or ESL teacher)
what type of accommodations/modifications they have to make for the ELL student(s). Please
describe the types of accommodations/modifications that were discussed. Do they appear on
the checklist? Why/why not do you think they represent/not present on the checklist?
There were many ELL students in the class I observed in, however none were to the extent of
this child. Other students were able to read along and take tests independently. This child
however was not even able to distinguish between letters. This was a rare case. Many of the
accommodations toward this child were demonstrated in the checklist above. Special seating and
extra time on tests are just two examples.