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Communication Breakdowns and Language Intervention in Elementary Classroom: A Case Study, Assignments of School management&administration

Michigan State University (MSU)School management&administration

An insight into the communication breakdowns between a teacher and a fifth-grade student during independent work time. The topics discussed range from assignments to non-school related matters and behavioral issues. The document also explores the causes and impact of these breakdowns and the language intervention strategies used to repair them.

Typology: Assignments

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 07/28/2009

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koofers-user-zni 🇺🇸

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Allie Sturk
CEP 802C Sec. 001
Case Study-Student
Contextual Information:
Description: The conversations I have with my student take place in the
classroom. They either take place during snack time, transition time when we
switch with the other 5th grade class, or during independent work time. The
conversations always take place through speech.
Most Important: The most important context would be during independent work
time because that is when the largest array of topics is discussed depending if the
student has finished his work or not.
Topics Discussed: The topics we discuss are either assignment related, non-
school related, or behavioral conversations, as the student has some difficulties
following rules and meeting certain behavioral expectations of the classroom.
Assign
ments
Non-School
Related
Behavio
ral
20-Oct 1 0 1
21-Oct 1 0 0
22-Oct 0 1 1
*27-Oct 0 0 0
28-Oct 2 0 0
29-Oct 0 0 1
3-Nov 1 0 1
**4-Nov 0 0 0
5-Nov 0 0 1
10-Nov 0 1 1
11-Nov 0 0 1
pf3
pf4
pf5
pf8

Partial preview of the text

Download Communication Breakdowns and Language Intervention in Elementary Classroom: A Case Study and more Assignments School management&administration in PDF only on Docsity!

Allie Sturk

CEP 802C Sec. 001

Case Study-Student

Contextual Information:

 Description: The conversations I have with my student take place in the

classroom. They either take place during snack time, transition time when we

switch with the other 5th^ grade class, or during independent work time. The

conversations always take place through speech.

 Most Important: The most important context would be during independent work

time because that is when the largest array of topics is discussed depending if the

student has finished his work or not.

 Topics Discussed: The topics we discuss are either assignment related, non-

school related, or behavioral conversations, as the student has some difficulties

following rules and meeting certain behavioral expectations of the classroom.

Assign ments Non-School Related Behavio ral 20-Oct 1 0 1 21-Oct 1 0 0 22-Oct 0 1 1 *27-Oct 0 0 0 28-Oct 2 0 0 29-Oct 0 0 1 3-Nov 1 0 1 **4-Nov 0 0 0 5-Nov 0 0 1 10-Nov 0 1 1 11-Nov 0 0 1

12-Nov 0 1 0

*Student was absent

**No School-Records Day

Language Assessment Information:

 Communication Breakdown: The most important context for communication

breakdowns between my student and I would come when we are talking about

assignments. It is usually when I am explaining a part of an assignment to him

individually during independent work time. When a breakdown has occurred, the

student furrows his eyebrows and looks just past my face, without changing his

body position but tilting his head slightly. When he says something I don’t

understand and there is a communication breakdown, I furrow my brow and cross

my arms, and tell him that I do not understand. I will often ask a question about

what he is talking about.

 Communication Breakdown Topics:

Assignments Non- School Related Behavioral *27-Oct 0 0 0 28-Oct 1 0 0 29-Oct 0 0 1 3-Nov 1 0 0

*Student was absent

**No School-Records Day

 Causes of Communication Breakdowns: Communication breakdowns can occur

when the student and I are talking about assignments. I’ve found that some of the

time is because the student was not paying attention the first time the directions

are given to the class. This particular student has some focus difficulties, so he

doesn’t always listen when directions are given about a particular assignment or

when the students are set to individual tasks. After the other students begin their

individual work, he often sits and looks around, not knowing what he is supposed

to be doing. So if I go over to him and ask him if he is getting his work done, the

breakdown occurs because he doesn’t know what he is supposed to be doing.

 Impact of Communication Breakdowns:

Repaire d Unrepair ed *27-Oct 0 0 28-Oct 1 0 29-Oct 1 0 3-Nov 1 0 **4-Nov 0 0 5-Nov 1 0 10-Nov 1 0 11-Nov 0 0 12-Nov 0 0

*Student was absent

**No School-Records Day

After the breakdown occurs, I have to try to repair it because he can’t very well

do what we expect of him if he doesn’t know what to do. So I re-explain the directions to

him but I talk to him about how he needs to focus better when the teachers are giving

directions so he knows what to do. It is important that I repair these breakdowns so he

knows what he needs to do to get his work done. If there was a breakdown and I didn’t

try to repair it, the student would not know what to do and therefore not get his work

done that counts toward is overall grade in that particular subject.

Language Intervention Information:

 Language Goal: The student needs to understand that he needs to be focused on

the instructors when they are talking so he knows what he is supposed to be doing

when the time comes for him to do work independently. In order to help him do

this, I will use a different pattern of behavior and language with him. I (and my

CT) want to be able to give a direction to the entire class and not have to repeat it

for this particular student. He should know what he has to do when the class

breaks to work independently and not wait for one of us to go over to him and

explain everything again.

 Language Intervention (LI) Strategy: The language intervention strategy that I

will be implementing with the student will begin before the independent work

time even begins.

o 1.) Right before I give the directions for independent work time, I will

stand right in front of his desk. He sits in the front row because of

focusing difficulties (and his tendency to chit chat with neighbors), so I

will be able to attract his attention easily if his mind has wandered off.

o 2.) I will make eye contact with him so he knows he is supposed to be

listening to the directions.

o 3.) When he is paying attention, I will give the directions to the entire

class.

The language intervention strategy helped by drawing the student’s attention to

the instructor when directions were given, which diminished the number of

communication breakdowns. Through administering the intervention strategy, the

student was able to focus on the instructor and know what he was supposed to do during

independent work time. When I asked if he understood the directions, he said he did and

knew what he was supposed to be doing. So for interactions with his teachers in this

class, the intervention strategy works. My concern is with next year and the years

proceeding when he will have teachers that will not give him this cue. This breakdown

strategy works for us now but I’m afraid in the future he still may trouble with this kind

of a breakdown.

Resources and Reflections:

Schirmer, B. R. (2000). Language and Literacy Development in Children

Who are Deaf, 2nd^ Ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Spencer, P.E. (2003). Parent-Child interaction: Implications for

intervention and development. In Bodner-Johnson & Sass-Lehrer.

The young deaf or hard of hearing child: A family-centered

approach to early education. Paul Brooks, Baltimore, MD.

 Language Competence: Through this case study, I have learned much about

language use in the classroom and also about my students’ abilities to use

language themselves. My case study student is capable of using productive

language skills to communicate, but it is his receptiveness of language that causes

the problem. His expressive language capabilities are functional like any other

fifth grader. For each communication breakdown, he was able to tell me what he

was confused about or a direction he didn’t get. It was hearing and receiving the

message to begin with that caused the breakdowns in the communication. It was

because of this difficulty in language reception that caused him to seem to be off

task and distracted during independent work time. The students’ language

difficulties do not fall under the same explanation that we discussed in class about

d/hh children in that he is not given enough opportunities to develop his language

skills. He has many opportunities at school and at home with his siblings and

parents.

 Language Problems: the language problems that I found with this case study is

that my student has difficulties focusing when the instructor is giving directions in

class, so he is not receptive to the instructor’s teachings. When the students are

allowed to go forth and do their work independently, he is frequently behind the

other students because he doesn’t know what he is supposed to be doing. So it

wasn’t his expressive language that was the problem, but his receptive language

skills.

 Language Assessment: The assessment I used for this case study was to keep

track of the number of communication breakdowns between me and my target

student. My goal was to not only decrease the number of breakdowns the student

experiences during this particular time of day, but also to repair any other

communication breakdowns in less conversational turns than before the

intervention. Since I am the student’s instructor, I have to repair all

communication breakdowns when they occur, so my goal was decrease the

number of breakdowns that are taking place.

 Language Intervention: The intervention strategy that worked to decrease the

number of communication breakdowns between me and my student involved my

body placement. I would stand in front of the student when I am about to give a

direction so the student knows a direction is coming and he can refocus himself to

get ready to listen. Then if a breakdown occurs I can repair more easily because

he will have been more likely to hear and receive all of the directions.

Over the two weeks I implemented the intervention strategy, I noticed a

difference in the student’s behavior when the strategy is implemented. He is more

on task when the class is given their independent work time and he asks fewer

questions about what he is supposed to be doing. When he notices that I am

standing in front of his desk, he knows he needs to pull it together and pay

attention so he doesn’t miss any information. The communication breakdowns

we experienced after the intervention strategy was implemented involved

clarification rather than additional information. This told me that he was

receiving all of the information, but he had a question or needed clarification on

something. This also helped cut back on the amount of time it took for me to

repair the communication breakdowns as there were not as many conversational

turns. If he had been missing information, then the strategy would not be helpful

and I would have to move on to another strategy.

Since my intervention strategy decreased the amount of communication

breakdowns and the amount of time it took to repair the communication

breakdown, I can say that my intervention strategy was successful and I reached

both goals I had at the beginning of the case study.