National Evaluation Series (NES) Assessment of Professional Knowledge Practice Test

How should a content area teacher assist a child recently dismissed from ESL who is struggling?

1. Help the child write learning goals

2. Send back to ESL for support

3. Require Saturday detention

4. Provide scaffolded support

The correct answer is: Provide scaffolded support

Providing scaffolded support is an effective way for a content area teacher to assist a child who has recently transitioned out of English as a Second Language (ESL) and is facing difficulties. Scaffolded support involves breaking down learning into manageable steps, which can help the student build confidence and skills gradually. This could include strategies such as providing visual aids, offering sentence frames, and using peer support to facilitate understanding. The approach ensures that the teacher is meeting the student where they are and actively engaging them in the learning process while addressing their unique challenges. This method encourages independence while still providing the necessary assistance, allowing the student to become more comfortable with the content and language demands in a supportive environment. Other approaches, such as sending the student back to ESL for further support, may not help facilitate the integration of language skills into the mainstream content area, nor would requiring Saturday detention address the student's specific learning needs effectively. Helping a child write learning goals can be beneficial, but without scaffolded support, the student may still struggle to achieve those goals independently at the outset.