Introduction
The paper presents a comprehensive analysis of a lesson targeting elementary classrooms consisting of learners between the age of three and five years. The lesson plan is about pronunciation and speaking Basic English words by mixed learners at the early stage of learning how to speak in English. The dialogue frame is integrated by the teacher as the primary teaching tool for practice on how to pronounce and speak in the English language.
The whiteboard was also used in the delivery of the content of this interactive lesson for the young learners. The lesson itself was delivered in the English language by balancing the receptive and productive skills suggested in the development milestones (CDC, 2018). The teaching method also adopts the ESA lesson delivery model. The lesson was perfectively delivered since it was angled on proactive and practical learner engagement through an interactive process to accommodate the specific needs of individual students. At the closure of the lesson, each learner showed an improved level of competency in pronouncing and speaking the Basic English words.
Development Skills: Lesson Reflection and Analysis
The main theoretical perspectives explored were developmental-behavioral, self-care/adaptive/independence, social development, speech/language/communication, and pre-academic/cognitive learning. The lesson framework was based on testing the above skills through physical illustration by facial expressions capable of depicting different moods. The learners were expected to equally use facial expressions and gestures when pronouncing different words (Kimberly, Mack, Tara, Cole, & Denise, 2011).
This approach was perfectly integrated since in the elementary classroom environment is easy to engage and capture full attention. The approach falls under the Practice, Production, and Presentation module since the primary focus of the lesson was using the right tone to properly speak and pronounce Basic English words.
The lesson was created to proactively test the reading and pronunciation skills in a classroom environment consisting of mixed and multicultural elementary learners who studies English as a second language (Kimberly et al., 2011). The progressive delivery was angled on developing the self-care/adaptive/independence skill. Through direct engagement, the learners enjoyed the content, and individual and group work strategies were effectively applied (Kivunja, 2015).
For instance, the use of humor and simple but practical examples ensured that the learners could relate to the topic. In order to test the speech, language, and communication skill set, the instructor made sure that the reading and pronunciation were simplified through tonal variations to suggest different meanings from a sentence sequence. This strategy ensured that the instructor was in a position to introduce and adjust different descriptive words for each speech sequence.
As the lesson commenced, the learners were allowed to attempt to read the words illustrated on the whiteboard with no assistance. However, minimal interruptions were included whenever an instance of gross misspelling was noticed. Specifically, allowing the learners to carry out the exercise of self-pronunciation without unnecessary interruption would motivate developmental-behavioral skills in the young learners (Kimberly et al., 2011).
In application, it has the potential of building oral proficiency and positive self-confidence among the learners. However, this practice should be applied alongside a guided participation approach to manage objectivity from individual and group participation. A cognitive learning strategy was applied in the lesson to manage the expectations of learners and avoid unnecessary distractions (CDC, 2018). For instance, the lesson incorporated an inclusive learning process characterized by an active learner interaction through individual effort and group productivity.
During the assessment of the impact of direct participation, the instructor was keen on pairing the learners to balance the Student Talking Time (STT) and Teacher Talking Time (TTT). The lesson delivery was done in such a way that all learners participated in the STT to motivate social development. For instance, each learner was instructed to narrate how he or she spent the previous evening at home to build their self-confidence in expression and the mutual feeling of being given attention (Kimberly et al., 2011). However, the application of the STT was guided to avoid time wastage.
Therefore, the success of promoting social development through this lesson could be attributed to the instructor’s capacity to present clear instructions and proactive learner engagement through practical examples. The focus on pronunciation and speaking of different English words was used to introduce tonal variations as part of the meaning expressed in line with Bloom’s cognitive learning (Kivunja, 2015). The primary objectives of cognitive learning are knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and proactive evaluation. Apparently, this lesson accomplished these objectives through the use of different learning modules such as flashcards, brainstorming, and cue-response drill.
The bilingual nature of the classroom environment presented some challenges when applying the cue-response drill. For instance, the level of understanding the Basic English words varied among the learners. Moreover, keeping the entire classroom engaged was a task because learners within the age bracket of 3 and 5 years are easily distracted (CDC, 2018). In order to address this challenge, the instructor incorporated a single sentence structure accompanied by an explanation for each word used. In addition, the use of interactive, practical, and inclusive learning was integrated to minimize the impacts of these challenges on the learning process (Kimberly et al., 2011).
Conclusion
The lesson delivery and content approach is an ideal example of a reading and pronunciation class that can be tailored to make a bilingual elementary learning environment accommodative to different learners. The lesson has also demonstrated how different skill sets can be incorporated and tested during lesson plan delivery and assessment.
References
CDC. (2018). Development milestones. Web.
Kimberly, V., Mack, B., Tara, P., Cole, D., & Denise, S. (2011). Electronic progress monitoring of IEP goals and objectives. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(5), 40-51.
Kivunja, C. (2015). Teaching, learning and assessment: Steps towards creative practice. South Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.