English is the language of instruction at KIST. With the exception of foreign language classes and any world language club activities that may be offered, students are expected to communicate in English at all times at school.
As outlined in our admissions policy, in order to gain admission to KIST, students at all levels—with the exception of very young learners—must have some English ability in order to participate in lessons conducted entirely in English. Applicants are required to participate in testing to check their language ability in order to gauge the degree of support that may be required should they be successful in gaining enrollment.
A large percentage of students at KIST come from cultural backgrounds where English is the not the native language. In consideration of the school’s mission to “provide academically motivated children from diverse social and cultural backgrounds with a high-quality education,” various systems are in place to support students whose English ability has not reached the level required to access the curriculum independently. In the Elementary School, these include:
- Differentiation of activities by classroom teachers to suit the individual learning styles and needs of students
- An extensive English language support (ELS) program for students identified as requiring additional support
- Before-school English support classes for students in K3 to Grade 5 through the Learning Enhancement Academic Program (LEAP)
- Language-focused extra-curricular club activities
- An annual Summer Academic Program held during the summer vacation
Although it is recognized that all instructional staff are language teachers and that language must be taught across the curriculum, not only in designated language activities, it is also recognized that each student is an individual with an individual learning style and individual needs. To cater for the needs of students requiring support in developing language skills, in addition to the instruction provided by regular classroom teachers, specialized ELS instructors work closely with students from K3 to Grade 5 who have been identified as requiring support. One ELS instructor is assigned to each K3 and Grade 1 class, and one instructor is assigned to each grade from Grades 2 to 5. The instructors are also responsible for conducting the LEAP support classes and in providing instruction during the summer program.
The ELS program in the Elementary School caters for:
- students of any cultural background whose English level does not allow them to fully access our curriculum independently; and
- students from non-English-speaking backgrounds who are developing their English language skills.
Depending on the language level of the students, and on the activity or lesson material at hand, the ELS program is administered through a combination of two support models—push-in and pull-out—as outlined below, which are used to facilitate English language learners’ access to the curriculum and English language development.
- Push-in support: In this model, ELS instructors work with students within the main lesson together with the classroom teacher.
- Pull-in support: In this model, one student, or a small group of students with similar needs, is taken out of the main lesson by the ELS instructor for a separate lesson.
In both models, joint planning between the ELS instructor and the classroom teacher ensures that the unit objectives are met for all students and that students’ language needs, individual learning styles and other individual needs are all taken into consideration when differentiating instruction. To enable students the maximum opportunities to use language in meaningful contexts, particularly in their interactions with English-fluent peers, the push-in model is chosen most often. The ELS instructor, therefore, provides differentiated scaffolding and adapted resources within the main classroom. There are times, however, when a pull-out session is deemed the most effective way to achieve review of content or skills. A series of pull-out sessions may be established; however, pull-out sessions are often one-off sessions to consolidate understanding before returning to the next lesson in the main classroom
The support provided through the ELS program helps students comprehend the material and concepts presented during their regular lessons, and to express their understanding of this content. It also facilitates the language development of English language learners. Support continues until such time as students are able to work independently in the classroom. Depending on the student’s level, the degree of effort made by the students themselves, and the level of cooperation and support provided by parents, this may take from one semester to several years.
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