The article “Instruction for English Language Learners in the Social Studies Classroom” by Yoder, Kibler, and van Hover focuses on the nature of instruction given to English Language Learners (ELLs) in class settings focused on social studies. Yoder, Kibler, and van Hover (2016) come up with two key finding; (1) the need for culturally and linguistically adapted instruction of ELLs in social studies; (2) the need for enhancing the training for instructors to make them adequately prepared for teaching ELLs. The authors also believe that there is an urgent need for further study pertaining to ELLs and the discipline.
The research highlights an important yet largely ignored area in the field of social studies; that is, the way future professionals are taught. If current scholars are realize the objective of preparing all learners for college and civilian life, as well as their future careers, the discipline of social studies must embrace instructional methods that are culturally and linguistically responsive (Yoder, Kibler, & van Hover, 2016). The instructions need to be dynamic and applicable in various contexts to enable their effectiveness. Such a process necessitates training instructors with the aptitude to meet student needs. Also, it is also important that future studies focus on the development of more effective pedagogy methods for social studies. On the downside, the scope of the research is limited since it does not suggest ways instruction could be improved. The researchers could have tapped into studies covering best practices in other disciplines to propose improvements for social studies. Such an approach would have made their article more effective.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Overall, the article is useful since it highlights that the field of social studies is lacking when it comes to instructions for ELLs. There needs to be adjustments and improvements to enable students to be better prepared to apply concepts outside the classroom. Also, these improvements are necessary to ensure the longevity of the discipline and relevance in the modern world. There needs to be a focused effort among professional in the field of social studies to improve the dissemination of instructions to ELLs.
Reference
Yoder, P. J., & Kibler, A. (2016). Instruction for English Language Learners in the Social Studies Classroom: A Meta-synthesis. Social Studies Research & Practice (Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama) , 11 (1).
