Adaptive phonics and literacy tutoring for EAL learners

Adaptive tutoring for EAL (English as an Additional Language) learners is a method of tutoring that is tailored to the specific needs and abilities of each individual student. This approach is based on the idea that learners have different strengths, weaknesses and learning styles, and that tutors can adapt instruction to meet their unique needs.

Here are some strategies that can be used in adaptive tutoring for EAL learners:

1. “Hook” young children into learning

Parents are motivated for their young children to learn English, but where is a child’s motivation? How is it possible for a tutor to develop a child’s intrinsic motivation to learn something that their parents wish them to learn? Tutors can emotionally hook children into learning. Characters and stories are an instant hit. Once children connect emotionally with what they are learning, the rest flows naturally.

That’s exactly what the three Jigsaw Phonics characters do. They have their origin stories so children are immediately drawn into the characters’ world. And the characters do double duty of signaling to the children to strategies they can use to read and spell: Puzzle is all about real words that children can sound out, Wug tells them to use their segmenting and blending skills to read alien words, and Trick shows children they need their sight-word reading skills to read words in one go, because it's just not possible to sound out so many words in English.

2. Get support from a teaching assistant

If children speak absolutely no English, and the tutor does not speak the childen's language, it’s vital that tutors have the support of a teaching assistant in the lesson who speaks their language and understands English. Agree beforehand how they will support understanding by translating and how they will give general support so children can join in.

3. Personalized instruction

In adaptive tutoring, because groups are small, the tutor has time to personalize instruction to the needs of each individual learner. This includes identifying the specific areas where the student needs help, such as grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation, and tailoring the instruction to address those needs.

4. Make lessons as visual as possible Young EAL learners benefit from visuals to help them understand new words. Unless children can make meaning from what they are learning, it isn’t going to stick. So good adaptive tutoring incorporates visuals to make learning more engaging and effective. Jigsaw Phonics lessons are full of visuals.

5. Keep the lesson structure consistent Using the same teaching routines and the same language in those routines is an effective way for children to experience the repetition that will help them learn language in chunks. The Jigsaw Phonics lessons always start with an emotional check in, so the tutor will always ask “How do you feel today?” Children will come to learn that phrase quickly, so they won’t need a translation. There are lots more of those valuable language chunks in the structured routines throughout the Jigsaw Phonics lessons.

6. Feedback and reinforcement Adaptive tutoring provides immediate feedback to the learner helping them to identify and correct mistakes. This kind of live marking is instant, so it doesn’t rely on children trying to remember or recall what they did some time ago. Tutors can give corrective feedback or positive reinforcement, such as praise for a job well done. There are regular praise phrases throughout the Jigsaw Phonics lessons. At the end of each lesson there is a prompt for children to reflect on what they liked best in the lesson. This helps children to develop vital metacognitive strategies - they begin to think about how they learn best. And it also gives them a sense that the time they spent learning English was valuable to them.

7. Encourage interaction Adaptive tutoring can incorporate interactive learning experiences, such as role-playing or group discussions, where tutors encourage learners to practice their language skills in a supportive environment. This is why small group tutoring is so much more valuable than 1:1

Adaptive tutoring for EAL learners is an effective way to improve learners' language skills, build confidence, and achieve academic success.

What other strategies help EAL children with phonics and literacy learning?