V.   PAHSE I OVERVIEW

Global Description

Phase I learners are becoming aware that print conveys meaning and that there is a connection between oral language and print. They are beginning to recognize the value that Canadian society places on Reading, Writing and Numeracy for employment purposes, reading letters from the government, etc.

Reading

A Phase I ESL Literacy learner:

  • Is becoming aware that print has a variety of forms with different purposes, such as signs, bills and stories
  • Is learning about the organization of books and print conventions
  • Can read a bank of high frequency sight words
  • Can say the names of the letters of the alphabet
  • Understands that there is a letter/sound correspondence.

Writing

A Phase I ESL Literacy learner:

  • Is familiar with the basic mechanics at the level of letter and word
  • Can tell a very short personal story for someone else to write
  • Can form most of the letters correctly
  • Is learning where to write (on the line) and how to space letters and words
  • Can write some sounds such as the initial consonant of a word in a dictated exercise but can't yet apply the knowledge. Therefore, he/she uses invented spelling.

Numeracy

A Phase I ESL Literacy learner is developing:

  • A beginning understanding of place value, money and measurement
  • An ability to perform basic mathematical operations using manipulatives.

Sociocultural and Linguistic Considerations

A Phase I ESL Literacy learner is learning:

  • The importance placed on the written word in Canadian society
  • That both written and oral stories are valued in Canadian society
  • That learning can occur outside of the classroom, such as on field trips, etc.
  • That there are many reasons for reading _ instructions, prices, appointment cards
  • There is a standard way of forming numbers and letters which is recognized in Canadian society
  • That different cultures have different concepts of time and what constitutes being late
  • That errors are considered natural when learning a second language and that correcting them aids in learning
  • The consequences of not obeying signs
    No smoking    No parking
  • The Canadian terminology and order of names
    First name, middle name, family/last/surname

Canadian Language Benchmarks www.language.ca



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