Language Development for Beginning English-learners
Books that have a cumulative pattern work best for this activity because they provide many opportunities for repetition. For example, in the Level A book, Waking Up!, each page introduces a new farm animal and all previously introduced animals appear in the background.
To begin the activity, read the first page aloud, show the accompanying picture. You might seize the opportunity to have students share the word for the image in their home language. Then, introduce the targeted English vocabulary word. With the book Waking Up!, you might point to the picture, and have them repeat after you, “Cow.”
Then, introduce a sentence frame and have the students finish the frame with the targeted vocabulary. For example, “Here is the cow.”
Then, show the next page of the book. Ask a question, such as “Where is the cow?” and invite a student to point to the picture and say the sentence they practiced aloud, “Here is the cow.”
Repeat the procedure for subsequent pages to ensure students are confident saying the sentence.
Then, flip back in the book to introduce the second vocabulary word on the first page it appears and introduce the word. You might use the same sentence frame, “Here is the pig.” or, if students are ready, introduce a new frame, “Look at the pig.”
Then, invite a student to repeat the new sentence while pointing to the page.
Prompt for the previous sentence by asking a question like, “Where is the cow?”
As you share the rest of the book, you can alternate your prompts– “Where is the cow?” “Do you see a pig?”– and add in new vocabulary and sentence frames to ensure students respond in complete sentences and extend their language as they are ready.
