Creating artworks that inspire vocabulary growth, discussion and ideas for writing

This year a group of Year 2 ESOL students shared a number of stories with their ESOL teacher about dinosaurs and dragons. Each child was asked to decide whether they wanted to create a dragon or a dinosaur and to provide reasons.

Producing the artwork provided an opportunity to discuss specific vocabulary like foreground, background and horizon. The shapes used to create their subject also become a mathematical focus.

The group discussed some of the adventures that a dinosaur or dragon might have. Would these creatures have friends like they did?  How might their experiences affect how they felt?

We share with you their results:

Victor

One day my dragon went to a new school because he got too old for his other school. He was happy to go to the new school. His friend was coming to the same school. They were going to play together. 

Sahi's  dragon story

Yesterday my dragon took me to a circus. My dragon blew fire into a hulahoop. 

One day a girl went to Riccarton and bought a dragon toy. She made a dragon garden and she played with it. She put the new dragon in the garden and it looked like a real dragon garden. At night the dragon turned into a real dragon. It flew up into the sky. There the dragon found and married a princess. They lived happily ever after. 

Radha

My dragon was happy because she was hurt and a girl helped her. Her leg was bleeding so the girl put a bandage on it. The girl and the dragon were friends. They went to the playground to play on the swings. 

 Ben

Bingo the dinosaur was off to Dinosaur School to learn how to run faster so that he could beat the Tyrannosaurus Rex.  One day 32 dinosaurs were playing tag with their teacher when Bingo ran back to his classroom. He did not want to play any longer. He saw Kritosaurus and Bingo ran away. He ran to my house. I opened the door. Bingo ran in.  He locked the door and went into my room. What would he do?

Purposeful Play

When children are provided with the opportunity to create structures out of blocks, there are many teaching moments. Blocks come in different shapes and sizes. While the children build, they are able to learn about the geometric shapes they have chosen to use. The teacher can discuss and demonstrate what a cube, triangular and rectangular prism look like. At this point it may simply be recognition that these shapes are 3D and have a different name. The freedom of play enables the teacher to find out what a student may be interested in. This knowledge provides an opening for relaxed conversation between the group.

These boys are able to support their understanding by conversing in their first language (Japanese).  

Senha builds a robot:

I like my robot. I want to keep my robot. It has long arms. It is tall. 

Shouzo builds a train:

The train is a rectangle.  The wheels are circles. It can't move yet. 

Communicating in the Students First Language

ESOL students with limited knowledge of English enjoy communicating with other children who share their first language.

These Junior School children are provided with quiet spaces in which basic communication language and the building blocks required for reading and writing development are supported. Self drawn pictures are often used in response to a story or question. The pictures provide an authentic insight into the language the child is wanting to share with the group.

 It doesn't take long to establish friendships and support networks. The relaxed environment enables students to experiment with language that they will need to participate in the classroom and wider community on a daily basis.

The children are learning to talk about themselves.  It is clear that Sara likes a teddy bear.

                    We like:  

Teddy Bears

               Robots   

                      Dragons