Culturally Diverse Student 1 st grader, Sam (pseudo) New Mexico Kendra Wright

Student Overview Age: 7 1 st grade Female Bilingual – Navajo and English

Home Life Bilingual Navajo/English spoke at home Low income family Separated parents/step parents One younger sibling with mother Two older siblings with dad

Academics Low reading skills and ability Low writing ability Medium math skills and ability Broken English skills Sam’s broken English skills affect her reading and writing skills.

Funds of Knowledge Language Bilingual language skills – Navajo and English Navajo spoken in her home Introduces class to culture and heritage ◦ Sam’s mother participated in Native American Day, teaching students how to say some words in Navajo.

Funds of Knowledge Cultural Celebrations ◦ Sam shares about the “parade” and pow wow dances with the class through her writing. Language ◦ Sam shares with classmates how to say the names of objects in Navajo. Traditions ◦ Sam shares cultural traditions with the class, such as sand paintings, games, and ceremonies.

Funds of Knowledge Family Family traditions ◦ Attend ceremonies ◦ Participate in dances and the parade ◦ Cooking family recipes ◦ Create sand paintings with family members are ill ◦ Plays games with siblings, cousins, and parents

Funds of Knowledge Experiences Learn traditional dances Participate in bilingual class ◦ Speaks fluent Navajo ◦ Participates in discussions in bilingual class Can teach others how to play games and discuss how to sheer sheep for wool weaving

Funds of Knowledge Practical Use sheep wool to show how to weave ◦ Able to carry on family traditions and life skills Teach and play games with others ◦ Social skills, share language Can tell stories through storytelling ◦ Share cultural stories and practice language skills

Strengths and Challenges Language barrier ◦ Affects reading and writing Able to contribute to class discussions When considering CCSS, our school lacks the support of specialists to help ELL students TESOL endorsement is required by all teachers in my district

Parent Involvement Parent involvement in our classroom ◦ Volunteers to help bilingual Navajo students during reading and writing ◦ Volunteers to assist with Native American Day activities Field trip volunteer

Challenges with CCSS Standards do not “define the full range of supports appropriate for English language learners and for students with special needs (Yanoff et. al, 2014).” Standards do not define a student’s reading success as much as how we see ourselves as readers (Abodeeb-Gentile & Zawilinski, 2013).

References Yanoff, E., LaDuke, A., & Lindner, M. (2014). Common Core Standards, Professional Texts, and Diverse Learners: A Qualitative Content Analysis. Language And Literacy Spectrum, Abodeeb-Gentile, T., & Zawilinski, L. (2013). Reader Identity and the Common Core: Agency and Identity in Leveled Reading.Language And Literacy Spectrum,