Running head: LITERATURE REVIEW – DOMAIN C 1

Carly E. Wudel

Literature Review – Domain C

TED 690: Capstone Course

March 27, 2018

National University

Dr. Carol M. Sheperd

LITERATURE REVIEW – DOMAIN C 2

Abstract

This paper contains a review of Integrating Best Practices in ELL Classrooms with Quality

Physical Education Instruction by Yara Santillan, Jennifer Jacobs, and Paul Wright (2015). The

article being reviewed provides multiple examples of strategies in the areas of planning,

instruction, and assessment in order to address the specific needs of English Language Learners,

or students with limited English proficiency, while they are in a Physical Education class. A

personal reflection of why I believe this article fits into the California Teaching Performance

Expectations Domain C – Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning is also included in this

paper.
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Literature Review – Domain C

There are English Language Learners (ELLs) or other students with limited proficiency

in English found in schools all across the country. There has actually been a large amount of

research conducted and published regarding the best practices suggested for teaching ELLs in a

classroom setting; however, there is limited research published about teaching ELLs in Physical

Education specifically. It is important for P.E. teachers to understand how to teach ELLs and

become more purposeful in the use of teaching strategies so that they can better meet the needs

of all students in the class.

Santillan, Jacobs, and Wright (2015) claim that “one of the best practices for successful

PE instruction for ELLs begins with the physical educator developing strong communication

with classroom teachers and ELL support staff” (p. 51). Communicating with these people on

campus who work individually with the ELL students will be beneficial because they will play

an instrumental role in helping P.E. teachers gather background knowledge about the student

(Santillan et al., 2015). It is vital to anyone’s success as a P.E. teacher to gather background

knowledge and establish a baseline for what the students already know and do not know

regarding the particular topic for each lesson (Santillan et al., 2015). It is important to keep in

mind cultural differences in sport. For example, in the United States “football” is something

totally different than “futbol” and some of the ELLs may get those two sports confused. I also

need to take into consideration that ELLs may not be familiar with sports and their related

terminology. If I told students “to grab the laces on the football” or “toss the pigskin,” they may

not understand.

Santillan et al. (2015) also suggest that P.E. teachers provide “a visual display of the

learning objectives for the students” (p. 51). This will help students “to clarify complex concepts
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and predict what might come next” (Santillan et al., 2015, p. 51). Modeling appropriate

techniques and behavior will also be beneficial for ELLs, especially for the visual and auditory

learners (Santillan et al., 2015). Creating cue cards or posters is another effective strategy for

teaching ELLs in a P.E. setting. Santillan et al. (2015) also stress the importance of including

clear visual gestures and signals in order to help minimize any confusion an ELL student might

have with verbal instructions.

I chose this article to represent Domain C – Engaging and Supporting Students in

Learning because I want to improve my ability to support English Language Learners when they

come to my P.E. class. I want to become more aware and purposeful in the use of best practices

for teaching ELLs so that I can better serve all of the students in my classes. I completed my

internship at a Title I school in California that has identified around 35% of the students as ELLs.

This article provided me with multiple examples of strategies in the areas of planning,

instruction, and assessment that I can begin using immediately.

When planning my lessons, I can use the background knowledge that I have learned

about each of my ELLs to introduce activities such as games or dances from their country of

origin and share with the rest of the class. This would help to increase the feelings of belonging

and help to show the ELL students that I care about them and their cultures as well. Introducing

activities from other cultures will also benefit native English speakers because they could have

an increased understanding/appreciation for diversity. I can also plan to provide students with

meaningful social interactions during the instructional period. P.E. class is an opportunity for

ELL students to practice their academic language without too much pressure. For assessments, I

can allow the ELL students extra time to take written tests or when they are answering open-

ended questions during class discussions.

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References

Costantino, P., Lorenzo, M., & Tirrel-Corbin. C. (2009). Developing a professional teaching

portfolio: A guide for success, 3rd Edition, Pearson Publishing.

Santillan, Y., Jacobs, J., & Wright, P. (2015). Integrating Best Practices in ELL Classrooms with

Quality Physical Education Instruction. JOPERD--The Journal of Physical Education,

Recreation & Dance, 86(3), 51.