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Georgina has had 8 years experience teaching both mainstream
and special education. She has created her own website
www.sensupport.com which makes learning resources to help
children with Special Educational Needs. If you are looking for
additional advice and support, you can follow
@sen_support on Twitter and on Facebook or email Georgina on
4. Celebrate a child’s culture.
Firstly, celebrating a child’s culture is going to make them feel welcome and valued. Take time to find out about their traditions and celebrate them in your setting. Secondly, it is often hard to gather evidence of children showing an awareness of, and respect for, other cultures. By celebrating the culture of your EAL child you have a fantastic opportunity to gather observations of the other children’s Personal, Social and Emotional Development and their Understanding of The World. It goes without saying that the more respect that peers show towards your child with EAL, the happier they are going to be.
5. Respect their family’s wishes.
Make the child’s whole family feel welcome by taking the time to find out about their culture. You may find that the family do not wish for their child to take part in any activities to do with other religions or eat certain foods. Taking the time to find out these things will make the family feel at ease, and therefore the child.
6. Use local support.
You should find that you local council have a team dedicated to supporting children with EAL. They are likely to have books in the child’s home language for you to have in your setting, again helping the child to feel more at home.
Of course, the most important advice is to have patience, as you would with any child. Be supportive and take time to speak directly to, and listen to a child with EAL and you should start to see real progress in not just their spoken language and understanding, but in all areas of their development.