Entry #8 Video Clip of Sheltered Lesson

The video clip of the sheltered lesson from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsY0dVkeZSI&feature=related demonstrates many components of an effective sheltered lesson. The teacher did excessive planning and preparation to assure student motivation and learning. She brought realia from outside the classroom, such as vegetables, shopping bags, and a variety of fruits. She also had pictures and plastic foods to reinforce the understanding of the new vocabulary. The children were always engaged in the learning. They were able to use many of the five senses to see, touch, and smell the vegetables. The teacher did an excellent job of making sure each child had the opportunity to see and touch the objects and she repeated her words again and again. While the teacher did most of the talking, the students were allowed to repeat her words without being asked to be quiet. In addition, the children were encouraged to clap and sing along with the song while the teacher held up the objects.
This lesson emphasizes the importance of visuals, repetition, and using the five senses to learn new vocabulary words. The following procedures were used in this lesson and are supported in Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners (2006, p.24):
 Manipulatives, miniatures, objects, realia
 Visuals (photos, pictures, drawings)
 Body movement
 Clear expression and articulation
 Short, simple sentences
 Eye contact with students
 High-frequency vocabulary
 Personalized language and nouns favored over pronouns
 Prior content introduction
The lesson was well developed and catered to the needs of the students. I am unsure of the students’ abilities, but perhaps the teacher could give each student a food or two and have the child hold up the food when it is named in the song. Even if the teacher had to point to the child to hold it up, I think it could more participation from the children. Overall, the sheltered lesson was an excellent example of how proper preparation, careful planning, and the use of realia can assist learning for ELLs.