Reply to Half of K class is ESOL

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]  I have a four-year-old, and if we get our way, she will be attending my 60% ESOL elementary school next year.  A K class with a high ESOL population DOES have a different dynamic than one that's primarily English-only speakers, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.  Your child may very well be one that benefits from strategies aimed at reaching diverse learners.

[/quote]

As an ESOL teacher, do you speak Spanish

I'm asking because IMO, it makes a huge difference if you are able to speak Spanish.  I'm a PP who mentioned that it's been tougher for DS (and DH and I) to build friendships in the same way we would if DS' classmates/families spoke English.

If you are able to speak Spanish, that is a tremendous help!  
[/quote]

No, actually, I don't speak Spanish, but agree that communication with other parents can be an issue.  At my school, you tend to see friendship groups forming around neighborhoods, not necessarily classrooms (one reason why I find these "invite the whole class to the birthday party" threads baffling!).

To answer another question posted about who goes into ESOL, in MCPS all new students (usually at K orientation) are given a home language survey, asking what languages are spoken at home.  If there's a language other than English, the student will be given a one-on-one listening and speaking test once school starts.  This can sometimes result in a shy kid getting placed in ESOL in kindergarten because he or she didn't want to talk during the test, even though their English is on par with English-only peers.  The end of year test is more thorough (and presented like a game) and accurate, so it's not unusual for that same shy kid to test out after only one year.  Parents can also refuse ESOL service, but in my experience, that's pretty rare once they understand the model at my school.[/quote]

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