Student-teacher interaction in CLIL and non-CLIL elementary education

This study analyzes interaction in a primary school science classroom. We compare the verbal scaffolding strategies used by a teacher during lessons from the same instructional unit taught in CLIL (English) and regular (Spanish) contexts. Results show that although there was no difference in the amount of information (‘content’) made available to students through the interactions, different verbal strategies were used (precision, justification and recall were more frequent in Spanish and exemplification in English) and that students were more active in engaging with science knowledge in the Spanish context. We discuss these findings in relation to the level of abstraction the teacher supported in interacting about science in the regular session, with implications for supporting children in learning both content and language in CLIL contexts.

Systematic Individualized Narrative Language Intervention on the Personal Narratives of Children With Autism

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an individualized, systematic language intervention on the personal narratives of children with autism. Method A single-subject, multiple-baseline design across participants and behaviors was used to examine the effect of the intervention on language features of personal narratives. Three 6- to 8-year-old boys with autism participated in 12 individual intervention sessions that targeted 2–3 story grammar elements (e.g., problem, plan) and 3–4 linguistic complexity elements (e.g., causal subordination, adverbs) selected from each participant's baseline performance. Intervention involved repeated retellings of customized model narratives and the generation of personal narratives with a systematic reduction of visual and verbal scaffolding. Independent personal narratives generated at the end of each baseline, intervention, and maintenance session were analyzed for presence and sophistication of targeted features. Results Graphical and statistical results showed immediate improvement in targeted language features as a function of intervention. There was mixed evidence of maintenance 2 and 7 weeks after intervention. Conclusion Children with autism can benefit from an individualized, systematic intervention targeting specific narrative language features. Greater intensity of intervention may be needed to gain enduring effects for some language features.

Preschoolers as Digital Designers

This chapter examines how 19 emergent bilingual, 4-year-old students used digital composing skills to create dual language eBooks using touchscreen computer tablets (iPads) and digital photography, drawing, and eBook composing apps. The analyses focus on children's composing processes and products, adult supports, and participants' embodied interactions with the digital tools. Children approached eBook composing through naming, narrating, dramatic play and exploratory play. eBook texts were multimodal and included images, print, and oral recordings. Adult verbal scaffolding and gesture supported children's skills as digital composers. Children became active designers of digital content, independently navigating and experimenting with the multimodal functions of the iPad. Analyses showed how children used their heritage languages and English to compose dual language eBooks and support their emergent writing. The authors argue that children benefit from early opportunities to explore ways of combining print, images, sound, and multiple languages to create digital texts that effectively communicate across modalities and contexts.