I don't know what to do with this kid!

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Fourth Grade Teachers Chatboard

I don't know what to do with this kid!

by Ms. S

Apr 25, 2012

The title says it all....I don't know what to do with a particular student. I am tutoring a 4th grade boy, C, and I am trying to figure out what to do about this problem. His English level is on the low side and he is making little effort to learn and work with me. C claims that the reading material I use with him (2nd grade level) is too easy and that it is borring. However, he doesn't know the vocabulary very well. He also answers my questions/comments in Spanish most of the time and I am not seeing much evidence of effort to learn and use English. (I do speak Spanish, fortunately!)

All I want is to see him learn and do well. It's hard to get him on board though. What do you suggest I do with him?

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Steve On 4/25/12, Ms. S wrote:

Learning a foreign language asks any student to continually take a risk - for a young child it likely makes him feel dumb. It's understandable that he doesn't want to learn a new language -many young children don't and a lot of adults don't seem much interested either.

The 'it's boring' is a cover-up for ...See MoreOn 4/25/12, Ms. S wrote:

Learning a foreign language asks any student to continually take a risk - for a young child it likely makes him feel dumb. It's understandable that he doesn't want to learn a new language -many young children don't and a lot of adults don't seem much interested either.

The 'it's boring' is a cover-up for 'it's hard.' He knows it's supposed to be easy reading but it's not easy for him. Try to find other activities at which he can be very successful.

What about teaching the cognates? To emphasize the point to him that English and Spanish share a great many words and the cognates should help him to feel that it's truly possible for him to learn English.

I'd also recommend watching cartoons with him - a wealth of research shows that cartoons are an excellent way to further your language skills. The sentences are short and there are visuals to demonstrate the meaning of what's being said.

Make it fun, praise him, teach the cognates and watch cartoons until he's feeling more comfortable.

Play a game - you have to say the word in Spanish and he has to say it in English - you each get a point for knowing the word. You can take turns pointing to things in the room, items of clothes, body parts, pictures in books. See who wins or - let him win. Start with the easy things that he might know to reinforce his confidence and ask him to take it each on you too.

> The title says it all....I don't know what to do with a > particular student. I am tutoring a 4th grade boy, C, and > I am trying to figure out what to do about this problem. > His English level is on the low side and he is making > little effort to learn and work with me. C claims that the > reading material I use with him (2nd grade level) is too > easy and that it is borring. However, he doesn't know the > vocabulary very well. He also answers my > questions/comments in Spanish most of the time and I am not > seeing much evidence of effort to learn and use English. > (I do speak Spanish, fortunately!) > > All I want is to see him learn and do well. It's hard to > get him on board though. What do you suggest I do with him?

Apr 25, 2012

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