Oral Language | Reading | Writing

Meet Gina

Gina is 6 years old, and is in kindergarten at an elementary school in a medium sized Midwest town.  Born in Jalisco, Mexico, she and her father moved to the Midwest when she was six years old.    

Gina is the oldest of three children and misses her mom and her siblings terribly!  Her mother and her younger brothers still reside in Jalisco. Her father moved to the United States to work with his brother at a print shop and to send money back home. He brought Gina so she could attend school in the U.S. with her cousins and learn English. Gina’s father completed some years in college and can speak some English, but prefers to speak Spanish in their household.

Coming to the states was a big step for Gina.  She was really disappointed to leave behind her friends and close family members in Mexico.  However, she enjoys using Skype to communicate with her family.  She usually tells her brothers all about the United States and the schools and they keep her updated on current events in Jalisco.

Gina enjoys school, and particularly enjoys science.  She is fascinated with animals and loves taking care of them. In addition, Gina loves picture books, especially books about animals.  Gina’s official English language proficiency level is 3.4 (WIDA). 

Gina receives daily ESL instruction through a pull-out program taught by a certified ESL teacher. She receives this instruction in a small group with 8 students at the intermediate to advanced levels of English proficiency.  Her school has a one-to-one technology program and provides each student with an iPad for use at school and at home.  Her regular classroom teacher has not yet received specific training on how to work with ELLs. 

When she is not studying, Gina enjoys helping her father make music since he plays the piano.  She finds the musical notes soothing and it reminds her that she may not be in Mexico, but this is her new home.

Reading sample: Putting Up the Tent