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Feedback is the buzz-word and, as with most things, it is not being reinvented, but constantly readapted. In recent years, we see more formal national approach. One can become overwhelmed with the copious elements that need to be considered when feeding back to learners.
The key is to be clear a on what exactly you are feeding back on and how the ultimate goal will improve the individual child's learning. Feedback provides students with an evaluation of their work, either written or oral. It can be descriptive, but needs a clear layout in order to channel learners to focus on specific areas. It is important for students to establish clear goals in order to feed forward (use these evaluations to inform next steps). Feed forward gives learners a clearer idea of areas in need of development, which is crucial in goal setting. This is central to successful learning.
The attached template provides a useful tool for use with students to create an individualised learning chart. It includes visuals to understanding, important for EAL learners. The student is able to see areas that have improved and the learning goals to be worked on.
As educational pedagogies continue to move cyclically, with new strategies moving in and out of favour, the battle of reading approaches continues to rage on between the 3 main approaches: Synthetic Phonics, Analytical Phonics and Whole Language methods. They are often viewed on a continuum, with the Whole Language approach (Top Down method) being the least skills based and the Synthetic Phonics approach (Bottom Up method) being the most (see figure 1).
It’s hard to even start to highlight the challenges of teaching EAL students in such a short article but there are a few key areas to consider:
Including learners of all cultures into the classroom environment and the school
We all learn in different ways. Helping your students to identify what works best for them is really important. Do they prefer visual aids, make links with existing learning or use movement and actions to help them remember things? Identifying their own personal preferences and effective practices will benefit lifelong learning and help your students to succeed.