Peel Board Helps Your Child Learn English
Understanding the needs of your child
When you register your child in one of our schools, our staff will immediately begin to get to know your family and the needs of your child. The Peel District School Board provides two types of assistance to help students learn English
ESL students need help learning English
Our ESL program is designed to help students to learn English. ESL support may be beneficial if your child has little or no previous knowledge of English, but has attended school in your home country. If your child was born in Canada, but English is not widely used at home or in your community, this support is also available to help your child.
ELD students need extra help to build literacy skills
For students who have had limited access to schooling and have significant gaps in their education, the board offers ELD support. If you lived in a country where standard English is the official language, but other varieties of English are in common use, your child may receive ELD support. This program will help your child develop the English-language proficiency she needs to succeed in school. Unlike ESL students, ELD students have not had the opportunity to develop literacy skills in their first language.
How is ESL/ELD support provided in Peel schools?
ESL/ELD students may not excel in other subjects because they lack the necessary language skills to understand the lessons or do the school work. Your child will need time to develop his skills in English before we can assess his learning strengths and challenges.
In elementary schools, ESL/ELD students work in a regular classroom for most of the day with the support of the classroom teacher and, where possible, an ESL/ELD teacher. Your child's teacher will help her develop the English skills needed to participate in classroom activities. Over time, your child will learn to meet the expectations of the Ontario curriculum and participate on an equal basis with her peers. The teacher will help your child develop language proficiency to apply to all subject areas
Your child's English skills develop in stages
Your child will move through a series of stages as he becomes more proficient in English. These four stages are not tied to a specific grade or subject
Stage 1: Using English for survival purposes
At stage 1, your child will become familiar with sounds, rhythms and patterns in English. Your child will try to make sense out of messages, but will rely on visual aids to understand what is being communicated. She will respond with actions, single words or short phrases.
Stage 2: Using English in familiar activities
At stage 2, your child will show increased confidence and use language appropriately. He will listen with greater understanding and use everyday expressions.
Stage 3: Using English independently
When your child reaches stage 3, she will speak with less hesitation and show more understanding. Your child will use longer phrases and sentences. She will be able to participate more fully in school activities. Your child will use her vocabulary to retell, describe, explain and compare. She will be able to read and write independently.
Stage 4: Using English with proficiency
At this stage, your child will use a more extensive vocabulary with more accuracy. He will read and write to explore ideas in more depth, while his language skills are still developing
There are also four stages of language development for ELD students:
Stage 1: Beginning to use standard Canadian English
At this stage, your child can read and comprehend some Canadian English. She is beginning to write
Stage 2: Using standard Canadian English in familiar activities
At this stage, your child will listen with greater understanding and use everyday expressions independently. He will show more confidence in using language appropriately
Stage 3: Using standard Canadian English accurately
Your child will have a more extensive vocabulary and use it with greater accuracy at this stage. She can also read and write to explore new ideas in depth while her language skills are still developing.
Stage 4: Reading and writing
Your child will demonstrate the skills he needs to do grade-appropriate reading assignments and use standard written English at this stage
Your child will move from one stage to the next at her own pace. Your child may also show the skills associated with more than one stage at the same time. This reflects a natural progression of learning a second language.
Several factors affect how quickly a child learns English
All children learn and develop at their own pace, but this is especially true for students in ESL/ELD programs. There are several factors that influence how quickly your child will progress through the stages, develop proficiency in English and adapt to a new school environment including
First language provides a solid foundation
Research shows that students who maintain proficiency in their first language while learning English do better in school. You should try to maintain your child's first language for as long as possible. Language skills are transferable from one language to another. Your child's first language provides a solid foundation to develop problem-solving skills, experience a sense of cultural stability and continuity, and communicate with your family.
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