Include students' languages and cultures in classroom practice and lesson planning
Suggestion for implementing the strategy ‘Valuing what each student brings to the classroom’
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Engage student languages
Engage student languages
Rae Siʻilata, urges educators to create opportunities for students to bring their language into the classroom.
Utilise personal experiences
Utilise personal experiences
Connect learning materials to student experiences. Consider how you will plan to:
- ask students about interests and personal experiences
- learn about the cultural background of your students
- use students’ interests to support the selection of materials and contexts for learning
- enable learners to see and connect to their culture e.g. signs, choice of texts, poetry, art and music
- enable learners to use their first language, for example providing texts in the different languages fiction and non-fiction books and magazines
- work with learners to give agency, voice and choice over content.
Use first language texts
Use first language texts
The Pasifika Dual Language Books are designed to support the early language and literacy learning of Pasifika students in English-medium classrooms.
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Create authentic contexts
Create authentic contexts
Julie McLaughlin recounts how she adjusted lesson contexts to make them relevant.
Useful resources
Useful resources
Thumbs Up! An introduction to New Zealand Sign Language
An introduction to New Zealand Sign Language that supports teaching and learning NZSL as an additional language in English-medium schools for students in years 7–8.
Publisher:
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy (Apple App Store)
This book is available as an interactive QBook. It has video narration in three sign languages; NZSL, AUSLAN, and ASL.
Publisher: Kiwa Digital Limited
Price: One off charge
Ministry of Education – Ready to Read (Apple App Store)
Some of the Ready to Read series is available in NZSL as apps for iPhone and iPad
Next steps
More suggestions for implementing the strategy “Value what each student brings ”:
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Current page Include students' languages and cultures
Return to the guide “Developing an inclusive classroom culture ”
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How to use this site
Guide to Index of the guide: Inclusive classroom culture
Strategies for action:
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Value what each student bringsShow suggestions for Value what each student brings
- Understand identity, culture, and language
- Develop learner profiles
- Know your learner
- Include students' languages and cultures
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Establish a respectful class climateShow suggestions for Establish a respectful class climate
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Plan for everyone to participate and achieveShow suggestions for Plan for everyone to participate and achieve
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Take a community approachShow suggestions for Take a community approach
