Some Resources for the Elementary level

I’m taking a “Teaching English Language Learners” class this semester, knowing that a great deal of the things learned here will generalize to working with autistic children. So I should have a great deal of resources to present in the coming weeks.

The first I’d like to mention is the “Oxford English Dictionary for Kids“ .  My instructor uses it when working with children first learning ESL, but I was struck by how similar it was in design to some of the tools we were introducing to Josh this summer.

In the classic version, a large picture sits on one side, and on the opposite side, each item in the overall shot is blown up and labelled. This would be more successful with Lawrence who already has the words but hasn’t yet made the connection with the meaning.

The “Word and Pictures Cards” edition has words on one side and the image on the other. They cover topics ranging from emotions to food to toys and games- basically topics kids like to talk about. They can be carried around separately as flashcards or kept in the original binding for organization. For a family pondering trying the PECS program but wanting to try a simpler form first, this item could be an ideal first step. A content version is also available which could be used in a classroom setting for academic topics.

The third item I liked from the same seller was the Picture Dictionary for Content Areas. From dinosaurs to the civil war, this book has pictures and labels for every subject covered in a typical elementary school curriculum. You can easily make a game out of the pages, covering the side with the labels and asking the child to find a particular picture in the larger setting. This would increase both language competency and tracking skills. This would be great for Charger who has a rather complete basic vocabulary and is now ready to move on to science and history.

In all three books, the pictures are clear, the words are relevant, and the book is visually appealing. As it would be less than $100 for the three book set, I am going to suggest to the outreach center that they order the collection for their resource shelves.