Migrant and Refugee Background Students Learning Through Play. (25th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ferreira, Jonathan; Kendrick, Maureen; Early, Margaret
• Is Part Of: Reading teacher. Volume 75:Number 4(2021)
• Page Start: 453
• Page End: 462
• Publication Date: 2021-11-25
• Subjects: At‐risk factors -- English as a second language -- English for speakers of other languages -- English language learners -- English learners -- Instructional strategies, teaching strategies -- Multilingualism -- Qualitative -- Sociocultural -- Specific subject areas (math, art, etc.) -- Text types, text features -- 2‐Childhood; Reading (Elementary) -- Periodicals; Reading -- Periodicals; Reading -- Remedial teaching -- Periodicals; 372.405
• DOI: 10.1002/trtr.2072
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0034-0561

Abstract

Abstract: With the unprecedented increase of forced displacement in recent years, there has been a growing concern with how children from migrant and refugee backgrounds adjust to resettlement in Western schools. Adopting a sociocultural approach to science education, the authors explore how scientific concepts related to the water cycle and practices such as modelling are realized multimodally through play. By means of two constructive and imaginative play activities, block building and scrapbook making, illustrative examples showcase how four children from migrant and refugee backgrounds repurposed various multimodal resources to make sense of scientific concepts, use scientific language, and problem solve in relation to their life experiences beyond the classroom. Implications encourage teachers to consider designing content‐area language instruction infused with play‐based activities to give rise to alternative avenues through which emerging bi/multilingual learners can take risks, be engaged cognitively, and apply their new knowledge creatively.