Lakeview students learn language skills through farm experience

The joyful expressions that Sajad, Aliaa and Angel exhibited when they met turtles, rabbits and horses could be understood in any language.
 
The three Lakeview Elementary School students were among 58 children who gained a world-sized amount of confidence at Whispering Acres Tails and Treasures. The English Learners students soaked in knowledge about life in Nebraska and gained language skills that they will use in their classrooms.
 
Sajad, a fifth grader, showed how the language of childlike happiness is universal when he and his friends visited a small pond of painted turtles. They cheered each time that Squirtle the Turtle ate bits of food that they tossed into the water. They later petted horses, held an emu egg and reviewed a range of reptiles on the farm.
 
“It’s really cool,” Sajad said. “It’s really fun to come here and see the ponies and the horses. I really loved the bearded dragon because he let me hold him on my shoulder.”
 
Aliaa, a fourth grader, beamed when Whispering Acres Barn Manager Kambrie Singleton placed a small rabbit on a blanket in her lap. She looked up in delight as the bunny let her gently pat it for more than a minute.
 
“They’re really fluffy and they shed a lot, so I got some hair all over me, but that was okay,” Aliaa said.
 
Angel did not know any English when he started school. Now, as a first grader, he is able to speak English well and has been learning new words every day. What did he like seeing at Whispering Acres?
 
“Bunnies and dogs,” Angel said. “Because those are my favorite.”
 
Jessica Anders has taught EL classes for the past eight years and is in her second year working with Lakeview students. The 18-year Lincoln Public Schools veteran said she was inspired to see the many smiles on display.
 
Some group members have been in LPS classrooms for several years, but one of her kindergarten students arrived at Lakeview the week before the trip. Anders said it was heartwarming to watch how the visit was helping him.
 
“He’s been really nervous and kind of scared, but I’ve seen him here come out of his shell,” Anders said. “He wants to touch the animals, he’s asking questions. He’s just gaining so much vocabulary and having an amazing experience.”
 
Lakeview EL teachers chose to come to Whispering Acres after the school received the Jan Simonson Memorial English Language Learner Opportunity Award. The award, which is designed to help students experience American culture, covered the cost of two buses from Lincoln to the site’s location in between Beatrice and Fairbury. Jill Kuzelka, the founder and president of Whispering Acres, applied for a second grant that covered the cost of admission for all 58 students.
 
Anders said the school district’s new curriculum, CKLA, covers the subjects of farming and agriculture in every grade level. She and other teachers felt their students would benefit from having close-up experiences with animals. Not only would they be able to practice speaking new English words, but they would also get to see many types of mammals, lizards and birds for the first time.
 
“We thought this would be a great opportunity for them to get that vocabulary and that background knowledge, so it’s been really great,” Anders said. “The kids are getting a little time with each group of animals, and they’re getting to pet them and learn new things and ask questions.”
 
Students came to Whispering Acres with a wide range of English proficiency levels. Many older children like Sajad are currently in Level 3 of the EL program, while others in Level 1 have recently started speaking the language.
 
“Some of the kids in my group, I started with them in kindergarten, and they came to us with zero English, so today has been really fun just hearing them speak in English and how much they’ve grown,” Anders said. “Even if they don’t know the right word, they’re trying to ask about the animals.”
 
Kuzelka and other Whispering Acres team members guided students in five groups throughout the late morning and early afternoon. The list of species includes horses, ponies, Patagonian cavies, peacocks, guinea pigs, emus, painted turtles, chickens, tree frogs, zebus, sheep, rabbits, Schneider’s skinks and fish. A hermit crab, bearded dragon, red kangaroo, Kunekune pig and sulcata tortoise also live on the farm.
 
“It was fun,” Sajad said. “It was really cool to see animals that I didn’t see in the wild.”
 
Anders said it was meaningful for her to watch her students have fun at the farm. The trip proved that there are no language barriers when it comes to the joy of watching and caring for animals.
 
“Now you’re going to make me cry,” Anders said. “This is just amazing. It’s so awesome to see everything they’ve learned and their growth and excitement. It’s so cool.”

To learn more about our English Learners (EL) program, visit our website at https://home.lps.org/federal/ell-english-language-learner-program/.
 
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