Standard 1.3 | Aitsl Portfolio

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds

AITSL Standard 1.3 Example 1

I design and implement teaching strategies that are responsive to the learning strengths and needs of students from diverse linguistic backgrounds (EAL/D students). I support EAL/D students by:

pairing native-speakers and EAL/D learners up to encourage scaffolding
respecting the silent period
explaining vocabulary
not putting EAL/D learners on the spot to answer questions
providing EAL/D learners with wait time
use of more visuals in lessons
use of gestures in my lessons
providing a welcoming physical environment that reflects diversity both indoors and outdoors
displaying a variety of books, fiction and non-fiction in English and other languages
selecting items for the home corner that reflect diversity including kitchen utensils, materials and dolls
supporting families to understand the value of maintaining their first language
greeting students everyday using repetitive language such as ‘Hello’, 'How are you?’, ‘Bags go here’, ‘You can hang up your coat’
helping students become familiar with English by using routine phrases every day such as, ‘Come and sit on the mat’, ‘Is everyone listening?’, ‘Would you like to do a puzzle?’ ‘You can wash your hands’
using visual clues when speaking with students, using photos of familiar routines such as lunch and fruit times and referring to visual timetable, see Figure 1
encourage students to repeat the words said by other students
using gestures to describe what is happening, E.g. hand movements of washing hands when instructing students to wash their hands
acknowledging what students say, including single words
providing ‘props’ to encourage socio-dramatic play
providing opportunities for students to hear everyday language and introduce new vocabulary in context
encouraging student’s attempts at communication
using visual materials such as pictures, photos, toys and puppets when talking with students
modeling and extending the language used by the students
asking open-ended questions, rather than questions that require a 'yes' or 'no' response
praising student’s attempts to communicate.

I also provide EAL/D students with visuals materials and print around the classroom. Examples of this are our daily timetable, mat manners visual chart, 'Give Me Five' and labels of items around the classroom with photos of the objects, see Figures 1-4.

Figure 1 - Our daily timetable

Figure 2 - Mat manners

Figure 3 - Give me five ready to learn prompts

Figure 4 - Labels on items around the classroom

EYLF Outcomes: 2 & 5

NQS Quality Area: 1, 3 & 5

Domains: Language, Personal & Cognitive

AITSL Standard 1.3 Example 2

I cater for students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds by providing them with hands on and interactive experience in which they do not need to use language to participate and can succeed regardless of their language needs, please see examples in Figures 5-8. These experiences give EAL/D students the opportunity to play, experiment and learn. They are also opportunities for them to interact with their peers and form friendships, in which they can learn English from their peers.

Figure 5 - Hands on interactive experiences with students interest in dinosaurs

Figure 6 - When studying the seasons the students used their senses to feel, hear, see and touch

Figure 9 - For the letter of the day - 'e' the students cracked eggs, beat them and as a class we made them into scrambled eggs

Figure 7 - Sand and water play with sea animals

Figure 8 - Parking cars, recognising numbers and ordering 1-10

The photos below in Figure 10 are an example of a lesson in which I modeled the names of the different natural objects to the students, I encouraged them to explored the natural objects and use their senses to feel, see and touch. For EAL/D students I modeled vocabulary, E.g. soft, prickly and hard as we compared different objects and invited the students to describe what they felt, saw and touched.

Figure 10 - Hands on experience with natural objects

EYLF Outcomes: 1, 2, 4 & 5

NQS Quality Area: 1, 3 & 5

Domains: Language, Personal, Social, Emotional, Creative, Cognitive, Physical and Spiritual

AITSL Standard 1.3 Example 3

Outlined below are a number of ways that I am responsive to the needs of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. I am aware of Maslow's hierarchy of basic needs in which Maslow organised human needs into a pyramid that includes (from lowest-level to highest-level) physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, and self-actualization needs. According to Maslow, one must satisfy lower-level needs before addressing needs that occur higher in the pyramid.

In my classroom I assist all students in meeting their needs. I have provided children from low socioeconomic backgrounds with their basic needs.

I have provided them with recess and lunch when they are not provided with any, plastic cups filled regularly with water throughout the day when they have no water bottle and a spare jumper to wear on cold days.

I develop strong relationships with all students and provide a safe and secure environment in which students are welcomed and develop friendships with classmates and staff.

Figure 11 - Maslow's Hierarchy of Basic Needs Pyramid

Figure 12 is an example of how I provide the students with a number of play-based activities both inside and outside the classroom which are aimed at the student's developmental level to ensure students in my class feel a sense of accomplishment.

Figure 12 - Learning area plans - play based activities

EYLF Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

NQS Quality Area: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5

Domains: Language, Personal, Social, Emotional, Creative, Cognitive, Physical and Spiritual