Context
LEAD Program
This project is intended for year 2 students in a Literacy English and Academic Development (LEAD) program. The LEAD classroom supports students with interrupted, limited, or no formal schooling. The purpose of the LEAD program is to provide short-term, sheltered, trauma-sensitive, language, and academic instruction to enable learners to successfully transition into mainstream classrooms. Students remain in the LEAD program for two school years (a total of 20 months). Instructional programming is meant to focus on intensive oral English language development, basic literacy, and numeracy skills. The LEAD program adheres to the Alberta Program of Studies (2000), however, the way in which students attend to the Alberta Program of Studies may not be at grade level and is personalized to meet students’ complex learning needs. Students are also tracked on the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks (2011) for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
LEAD Learners
As mentioned above, the students in a LEAD program are newcomer immigrant and refugee students who have had limited schooling in their home country due to circumstances of civil unrest, war, and government instability. This project plan has been developed for LEAD students who are between 9 and 12 years old and have completed 1 year in the LEAD program. Year 2 LEAD students have acquired basic English literacy skills, and are familiar with computers, and simple technological tools such as Google Documents. Year 2 LEAD students would typically be assessed at a language proficiency level of 1 and 2 on the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks. Despite the fact that LEAD students have limited formal schooling and basic literacy skills, all come with rich background experiences and a wealth of knowledge.
This project is intended for year 2 students in a Literacy English and Academic Development (LEAD) program. The LEAD classroom supports students with interrupted, limited, or no formal schooling. The purpose of the LEAD program is to provide short-term, sheltered, trauma-sensitive, language, and academic instruction to enable learners to successfully transition into mainstream classrooms. Students remain in the LEAD program for two school years (a total of 20 months). Instructional programming is meant to focus on intensive oral English language development, basic literacy, and numeracy skills. The LEAD program adheres to the Alberta Program of Studies (2000), however, the way in which students attend to the Alberta Program of Studies may not be at grade level and is personalized to meet students’ complex learning needs. Students are also tracked on the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks (2011) for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
LEAD Learners
As mentioned above, the students in a LEAD program are newcomer immigrant and refugee students who have had limited schooling in their home country due to circumstances of civil unrest, war, and government instability. This project plan has been developed for LEAD students who are between 9 and 12 years old and have completed 1 year in the LEAD program. Year 2 LEAD students have acquired basic English literacy skills, and are familiar with computers, and simple technological tools such as Google Documents. Year 2 LEAD students would typically be assessed at a language proficiency level of 1 and 2 on the Alberta K-12 ESL Proficiency Benchmarks. Despite the fact that LEAD students have limited formal schooling and basic literacy skills, all come with rich background experiences and a wealth of knowledge.