Students from grades 1-6 who are new to Australia and to the English language participate in an EAL (English as an Additional Language) program to develop their social, emotional and intellectual development, particularly, their English language skills. Students utilise our wide range of language development resources and participate in activities to promote and encourage learning for up to seven hours per week. The language experiences reflect each student’s ability at every stage of their learning. As part of the EAL program, Lalor East Primary School has ensured there is always a Multicultural Aide in Arabic or a Teacher’s Aide in the classroom to support the students.
Students are assessed on the EAL continuum across three domains: speaking and listening, reading and writing. They undertake individual, pair, group and whole class hands-on activities, use computer applications and play with interactive and stimulating games to involve and engage them as much as possible. It is imperative students also explore the language of mathematical concepts to promote more effective learning in their mainstream classroom.