Students in both my 4th and 5th grade EAL classes have been working hard on reading and speaking fluency over the past few weeks. This week they practiced their fluency and shared their home languages by reading or reciting a poem in their home language or English for an audience of peers and teachers! Although they were a little nervous, they did a fantastic job of reading their poems with passion, humor, and expression. Some even chose to share their own poems that they had authored! Their audiences enjoyed listening to the rhythm and, in some cases, rhyme, of the poems in different languages, including Hungarian, Korean, Bulgarian, Swedish, Arabic, Georgian, Dutch, and English. Below are some pictures from the 4th grade class reading. If your child is interested in trying to write some poems of his/her own at home, there are some links to helpful websites on our Class Links page, under the Units of Study heading. |
"I felt nervous and excited." - Freya, 4th grade
"I felt good because there were Hungarian people, so they could understand my poems. I was a little bit nervous, too, because there were lots of people." - Noemi, 5th grade
"I was excited to hear all those languages." - Gabor, 4th grade
"I really liked to share my own languages! I am happy!" - Eline, 4th grade
"Before I read a poem to 2nd and 1st grade, I was kind of embarrassed that I might have some mistakes. But actually, it was cool, and I didn’t feel embarrassed." - Chaewon, 5th grade
"I was nervous when I read a poem in my language. I was so nervous that I was shaking." - Archil, 4th grade
"I felt excited, but when I started reading it and everybody was laughing, I felt happy and then I started laughing." - Zsofi, 4th grade