My Experience

During my Junior Field Experience I had the opportunity to observe the Pre-K classroom in the day care center that I worked at. During my work hours, I primarily taught in an Intermediate class which contained 2 1/2-3 1/2 year olds. Therefore as I observed the Pre-K class I worked with many children whom I had as Toddlers. This helped to make the field experience much easier due to the fact that the children were comfortable with me and I was familiar with their families. It helped to already know many of their home life situations, backgrounds, and culture before entering the classroom. However during that time I did not experience working with ELL students.
Although, within the center there are many Asian families. Most of the children spend their first couple years of life living in China with thier Grandparents while Mom and Dad working here. Once they come here, they usually don't speak English and have never been in day care. The other teachers and I talk to the ELL children just as we do the others because at this age they usually pick up the language really quickly. We have also adapted to their culture by learning key words and phrases in Chinese in order to help with the transition. Most children eventually adapt to speaking English in school and Chinese at home. Even when asked they become shy about speaking their Native Language to us.
However I was confronted with an unusual experience this past year. We recieved four children in our classroom that only speak Chinese and never experienced day care. They quickly clinged to each other, speaking only Chinese and not associating with the other children. Although it was a pleasure to see them so happy, they weren't adapting to this culture and they weren't learning English. We found it better to split them up every so often in order for them to have new experiences outside their new pact.