Clark, Ellen Riojas; Flores, Belinda Bustos (1997). Instructional Snapshots (IS) in Mexico: Preservice Bilingual Teachers Take Pictures of Classroom Practices. Bilingual Research Journal, v21 n2-3 p273-83 Spr-Sum. Ten preservice bilingual teachers went to Mexican elementary and junior high schools to gain a better understanding of immigrant students' needs. They gathered data on school structure, classroom interactions and management, and educational strategies. They found that Mexican children achieve despite disadvantaged conditions, immigrant students need a transition period, and bilingual teachers must understand immigrant students' prior educational experiences. (TD)…

De la Colina, Maria Guadalupe; Hasbrouck, Jan E.; Lara-Alecio, Raphael; Parker, Richard I. (2001). Intensive Intervention in Reading Fluency for At-Risk Beginning Spanish Readers. Bilingual Research Journal, v25 n4 p503-38 Fall. A study assessed an intensive fluency intervention for low-achieving at-risk beginning Spanish readers in grades 1-2. Data from 53 first- and second-graders in bilingual classrooms in southeast Texas indicated that implementing intensive reading fluency interventions in bilingual classrooms is feasible and valuable if conducted with fidelity and if students are highly engaged. (Contains 74 references.) (Author/TD)…

Guerrero, Michael D.; Sloan, Kris (2001). When Exemplary Gets Blurry: A Descriptive Analysis of Four Exemplary K-3 Spanish Reading Programs in Texas. Bilingual Research Journal, v25 n1-2 p173-201 Win-Spr. A study of four high-performing third-grade Spanish reading programs in Texas found six common features: explicit support for Spanish literacy and biliteracy; high expectations; skills-driven reading instruction beginning in kindergarten; shared understanding of program practices; alignment between Spanish and English programs; and explicit targeting of the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) test. (Contains 52 references.) (Author/TD)…

Minami, Masahiko (1995). ESL: Asian High School Students' Perspectives. A study of 30 Asian high school students (9 males, 21 females), who were in U.S. schools for a variety of reasons, ranging from extended visits to families of relatives to temporary academic or occupational appointments of parents in U.S. universities or corporations investigated student perspectives on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction and bilingual classrooms. The subjects represented a variety of nationalities and educational backgrounds. The students were interviewed, most individually, and all but one in their native languages. They were encouraged to speak openly about their experience in classrooms, with teachers, and with other students. It was found that ESL classes offer a haven for student to relax and relieve some of the tension of other classes, and also provide students with many more opportunities for active participation. The students were sensitive about being understood. Some negative comments reflect feelings of isolation and lack of incentive to… [PDF]

Molina, Huberto; And Others (1992). Do Students from Bilingual Families Have Higher Achievement Levels than Monolingual Students in High School?. This paper examines the schooling achievement of children from bilingual homes and compares them to comparable samples of children from monolingual homes. Extensive follow-up data were gathered in 1985 on a sample of approximately 4,000 high school seniors who entered kindergarten in 1973 as part of a Kindergarten Reading Follow-up (KRF) program. Data included dominant language spoken in the home. Nearly 500 students were from bilingual families. The primary study instrument used was \The Reading Biographer,\ a booklet designed to measure the schooling history of students from preschool through high school. The major conclusion from the 1985 KRF study was that the student who received initial reading instruction in kindergarten, as compared to those receiving it in first grade, clearly emerged as better readers as high school seniors across all ethnic, social class, and bilingual groups. The current study confirms previous findings and indicates that bilingual students generally are…

Cook, Janet Pemberton (1990). Does Fathertalk or First Language Literacy Predict Academic Success?. This article reports on an ethnographic research project that investigated the relationship between home language use and acquisition of academic English as determined by the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) scores. The subjects were 33 children ages 10 to 14 from bilingual Spanish-English families. Data on home language use was collected through interviews and taping, with variables including the type of reading and writing in Spanish or English and the language preference for family communication. Results indicated a strong correlation between children's ability to read in Spanish and scores on the CTBS reading and language tests, with no correlation between the amount of Spanish spoken at home and success on the CTBS tests. There was also a correlation between father's educational level and their children's CTBS scores. The findings of this study show that Hispanic children whose parents are monolingual Spanish speakers do better on school measures of academic English if… [PDF]

Duran, Richard P. (1990). Teaching the Discourse of Cooperation. This paper discusses implementation of Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC) with bilingual 2nd- through 4th-grade students. The CIRC curriculum is intended to help students in the early grades acquire a variety of reading and literacy skills. The curriculum centers around "treasure hunt" units that last 5 or more days each. These units focus on the reading of a narrative that is presented in two successive segments. Student dyads are required to discuss and answer questions developed for each segment. Questions for the first segment end with a prediction question that asks students to predict what will happen next in the story. Analyses indicate the occurrence of three main functions in the interaction of students in dyads (in which the teacher occasionally participated). These functions include: (1) teachers or students giving assistance to a student; (2) students demonstrating competence in offering answers to a question or solutions to a problem; and… [PDF]

(1987). Project CARIBE, 1985-1986. OEA Evaluation Report. In 1985-86, the second year of funding, Project CARIBE proposed to increase career awareness among Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP) through a computer-literacy program. The project operated at two schools in Brooklyn, New York, Eastern District High School and Clara Barton High School, but after the number of Spanish-speaking students at Clara Barton were found to have declined, the project's second site was switched mid-year to Far Rockaway High School. The project provided instruction in English as a second language (ESL), native language arts, and content-area subjects taught in Spanish; these classes were supplemented by enrichment experiences related to careers. For these experiences, the project planned to provide a resource/computer center in each of the participating schools, additional guidance and career-planning services for students, and ESL/Americanization classes for students' parents. All of these proposals were not fulfilled at both…

Bountrogianni, Marie (1984). A Cross-Cultural Study of Children's Metaphoric Capacity. In order to gain a better understanding of metaphor comprehension in different cultural contexts, this study compared the performances of two groups of children from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds but with common schooling experiences on two tests of metaphor: the Metaphor Triads Task (MTT) and the Proverbs Test. The Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices Test (CPMT) was also administered to examine how performance on a standardized nonverbal intelligence test compared with performance on the metaphor tests. Subjects were 30 Canadian-born Greek-speaking children of Greek-born parents, aged 8 and 11 years, and 30 same-aged Canadian-born children of Canadian-born parents. All tests were administered in English. Results for both cultural groups showed significant differences between 8- and 11-year-olds' performances on the two metaphor tests. Raw scores on the Ravens CPMT correlated significantly with correctness and correct abstract scores but not with correct literal…

Bermudez, Andrea B.; Prater, Doris L. (1988). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Writing on the Comprehension and Retention of Content Reading in Bilingual Students. Two studies of integrated language instruction for students of English as a second language (ESL) are reported. The first had two objectives: to (1) investigate the effects of writing activities on the comprehension and retention of content area reading and (2) examine the relationship between the students' ability to select the main idea and their comprehension and retention scores. The subjects, 36 bilingual middle and secondary school students, read brief social studies texts, with one group writing summaries of the passages. Analysis of the subjects' comprehension, retention, and identification of the main ideas suggests that merely incorporating the summary-writing exercise did not improve comprehension or retention, but those students who could identify main ideas and incorporate them into the summaries performed better on the comprehension and retention measures. The second study examined the effects of brainstorming and clustering on reading comprehension. The subjects, 36…

Schulman, Robert; Velazquez, Clara (1984). South Bronx High School, Project CASS. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1982-1983. Project CASS (Career Awareness/Survival Skills) in its first year of a two-year funding cycle provided English as a second language (ESL) and native language instruction, as well as bilingual instruction in mathematics, science, history and economics, to 250 low income, Spanish speaking students at South Bronx High School. The program's primary goal was to prepare students both linguistically and academically for the occupational world in the shortest time possible. To this end, students were provided with language instruction and with opportunities to develop those survival skills necessary for obtaining employment and being financially self-supporting. Program activities and services (provided with Title VII, Chapter 1, tax-levy, and Module 5B funds) included curriculum materials development, peer tutoring, personal and vocational guidance, and staff development efforts. Parent involvement in Project CASS was limited. Quantitative analysis of student achievement indicated that in… [PDF]

Collazo-Levy, Dora; Sica, Michael (1984). Clara Barton High School Bilingual Program. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1982-1983. In 1982-83, the program evaluated here provided tutorial and supportive services to approximately 50 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP) in grades 9-12 at Clara Barton High School, Brooklyn, New York. The program's main objective was to enable LEP students to function successfully in terms of language achievement and content courses, acculturation, and motivation to remain in school. Students were not scheduled for tutorial sessions but came in when they needed help and specified areas in which they most needed help. Supportive services offered by the project included services from the school's grade advisors and guidance counselors and more informal advice and encouragement from program staff. Quantitative analysis of student achievement indicates that (1) students did not meet the program's criterion for English language development, but high pretest scores limited the possible growth in this area; (2) passing rates for program students in Spring social… [PDF]

Bulkin, Elly; Sica, Michael (1984). New Utrecht High School Project IMPACT. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1982-1983. Project IMPACT, a magnet program in its third and final year of funding, provided instruction in ESL and Italian language skills, as well as bilingual instruction in mathematics, social studies and typing to approximately 200 students of limited English proficiency in a Brooklyn, New York, high school. Nearly all program students were born in Italy; they varied in English language proficiency, native language ability, and overall academic preparedness. Transitional in nature, Project IMPACT aimed to expedite the acquisition of English language skills necessary for full mainstreaming within one or two years of entering the program. Title VII funds supported administrative and support services staff. In addition to the student services provided, the program focused on curriculum development, staff development, and parent participation. Students were assessed in English language development, growth in mastery of Italian, and in mathematics, science, social studies, and attendance…. [PDF]

Friedman, Grace Ibanez; Schulman, Robert (1984). John Jay High School Project "RESCATE." O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1982-1983. [Final Report.]. Project RESCATE, in its third and final year of funding, provided instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) and native language skills, as well as bilingual instruction in science, mathematics, and social studies, to 185 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency (LEP) at John Jay High School in Brooklyn, New York. In addition, ESL instruction was provided to 20 Haitian, 20 East Asian, 3 Middle Eastern and 2 Italian LEP students. The overall program goal was dropout prevention. To this end, staff worked with students and their parents, offering a variety of supportive services including individual and group guidance, career orientation, home visits to reduce truancy, tutoring, and an alternative school for students unable to function in the mainstream. The program was supported by a combination of Title VII, Chapter 1, and tax-levy funds. Students were assessed in English language development, native language mastery, and in mathematics, social studies,… [PDF]

Dato, Daniel P., Ed. (1975). Developmental Psycholinguistics: Theory and Applications. Georgetown University Round Table on Languages and Linguistics (Washington, D.C., 1975). The proceedings of this Georgetown University Round Table on developmental psycholinguistics are divided into four sections: (1) "Children's Language Acquisition: Linguistic and Psycholinguistic Theory"; (2) "Children's Language Acquisition and Communicative Disorders"; (3) "Developmental Psycholinguistics and Second Language Learning"; and (4) "Developmental Psycholinguistics and Education." The papers in the first section deal with sound patterns, speech, psychologically real grammar, and the acquisition of meaning. The second panel deals with the acquisition of transformations, children's language problems, and postsemantic processes in delayed child language related to first and second language learning. The panel on developmental psycholinguistics and second language learning treats cerebral dominance and language learning, second language learning, approaches to discovering universal strategies of child second language acquisition, and…

Mace-Matluck, Betty J. (1982). Literacy Instruction in Bilingual Settings: A Synthesis of Current Research. Professional Papers M-1. Research on the effectiveness of literacy instruction of bilingual children is reviewed. Most research on reading in a bilingual setting involves college students in the United States or younger students in other countries, while research on writing in a bilingual setting is only beginning to emerge. The review focuses on the nature of literacy, reading, writing, and the interface between reading and writing. Specific topics include: the distinction between oral and written language, language and context, learning to read and write, factors contributing to the acquisition of literacy, the relationship of first language literacy to acquisition of second language literacy, transfer of skills across language, second language oral proficiency and reading achievement, and teaching practices and materials. In conclusion, literacy involves language which moves beyond the scope of interpersonal communication with its contextual cues. For children whose second language is not English,… [PDF]

Becker, Adeline (1980). The Role of the School in the Maintenance and Change of Ethnic Group Affiliations. The public schools play a major role in the Americanization of foreign-born students. This process gives rise to questions regarding the meanings attached to ethnic identity and the effect that the schools have on the formulation and change of these meanings. To examine these issues, 18 Portuguese immigrant students in an urban New England school were studied to determine whether there were differences in manifestations of ethnic identity in various settings. Comparisons were made between 8 \recent\ immigrants (in the United States for less than 2 years) and 10 early arrivals (here from 6-16 years). Additionally, both the school's official policy and actual practices (including teacher attitudes) vis-a-vis limited English proficient (LEP) students, were examined. In a general sense, it was found, the 18 students lived in two cultures, one at home and the other at school. Instead of helping them adapt to their bicultural reality, the school tried to negate the students' Portuguese…

Roos, Peter D. (1984). The Handicapped, Limited English Proficient Student: A School District's Obligation. This paper, in a question and answer format, discusses a school district's obligation to handicapped, limited English Proficient (LEP) students, in relation to the following Federal laws and regulations: (1) the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142), (2) the Administrative Regulations of the Act; (3) Civil Rights Law 504 and the 504 Regulations; (4) Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act; and (6) the Equal Education Act of 1974. First, it is pointed out that Federal law has priority over conflicting or less protective State law. Second, relationships among the above-listed authorities are outlined. Third, the local education agencies' obligation to locate handicapped LEP students is discussed. Fourth, the requirement that tests and evaluations of students for the purpose of placement be conducted in the students' primary language is made clear. Fifth, the emphasis of the law that placement teams should include persons fluent in the child's language and, in addition,…

Bernadt, Ruth (1981). Teaching Units for Consumer Home Economics. Topic: Housing and Interior Decorating, Bilingual/Spanish. The instructional aids in this packet were designed to be used by high school home economics teachers who have Spanish speaking students with limited English skills mainstreamed into their regular classes. The teaching aids can be used by both English and Spanish speaking students at the same time because both Spanish and English are presented on the same page. Materials in the packet include information sheets, quizzes, checklists, illustrated information, and graph materials. They cover the following topics: renting an apartment; housing styles; furniture arrangement; furniture styles; furniture buying; elements and principles of design; color in decorating; wall treatments; floor treatments; window treatments; making drapes; kitchen planning; and caring for a home. (KC)…

(1980). Louis D. Brandeis High School Bilingual Program. ESEA Title VII Final Evaluation Report, 1979-80. This is an evaluation of a Title VII bilingual program that was conducted at Louis D. Brandeis High School in New York City in 1979-1980 to serve Spanish speaking students. The evaluation provides a demographic analysis of the schools's environment, information on student characteristics, and a program description. Instructional components of the program discussed include: (1) programming and mainstreaming; (2) funding; (3) English as a second language; (4) Spanish language arts; and (5) content area offerings. Non-instructional components reviewed include: (1) curriculum and materials development; (2) supportive services; (3) staff characteristics and development; (4) parental and community involvement and (5) affective domain. Tables show students' performance in mathematics, science, social studies, native language arts, oral language ability, and native language reading. Attendance figures are presented and conclusions and recommendations are offered. (APM)… [PDF]

Rodriguez-Brown, Flora V.; Yirchott, Lynne S. (1980). A Comparative Analysis of Reading Miscues Made by Monolingual versus Bilingual Students. An adaptation of a miscue taxonomy developed by G. A. Cziko was used to compare the reading performance of (1) monolingual English and bilingual third grade students reading in English, (2) monolingual Spanish and bilingual third grade students reading in Spanish, and (3) bilingual third grade students reading in both English and Spanish. Eight English monolingual, seven Spanish monlingual, and eight bilingual students participated in the study. While being videotaped, each read a story, first from his or her current reading book and then from reading materials especially prepared according to the language group the student was in. The sessions were then coded using a miscue analysis system that was adapted by adding or deleting categories. The results revealed that the students relied more on graphic information than on contextual information while reading. A trend toward increasing the use of contextual constraints of the text was found that seemed to be consistent with an… [PDF]

Koehler, Virginia, Comp. (1979). Teaching as a Linguistic Process. Mid-Project Research Report. Investigators wrote proposals for research on the nature and learning of communicative processes in the elementary classroom. Three questions were addressed: (1) What is the nature of communication in the classroom? (2) How do students acquire the rules of classroom discourse? (3) What is the effect of inadequate learning of classroom discourse rules? Abstracts of eight federally-funded projects on the topic and two commissioned papers are included here. The first, \A Summary of the Research Area: Methodology and Substantive Issues,\ by Louis A. Gomes, suggests that successful research methodology should be shared to benefit other researchers. In \Practical Implications of the Research,\ Marie E. Shiels-D'Jouadi examines each project in terms of its implications for the\educational practitioner.\ The degree of attention to practical areas in the projects varies from extensive to minimal. It is suggested that expectations for research, basic or applied, should be made clear by the… [PDF]

Schon, Isabel (1978). Books in Spanish for Children and Young Adults: An Annotated Guide (Libros Infantiles y Juveniles en Espanol: Una Guia Anotada). Intended to aid teachers, librarians, and others in the selection of Spanish-language books for children in grades K-12, the annotated guide includes books by Hispanic authors which highlight the lifestyle, folklore, heroes, history, fiction, poetry, theatre, and classical literature of Hispanic cultures. Most books included in the guide have been published since 1973. Still in print as of January 1978, all the books are readily available and widely read by children in Spanish-speaking countries. Textbooks and translations are not included. The books in the guide have their origins in Aregentina, the Caribbean region, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The listings are organized by country; within country, by genre; and within genre, by author. Each citation includes: publishing data; a tenative grade level assignment; a descriptive and evaluative annotation; and a designation of the book as outstanding,…

Skoczylas, Rudolph V. (1971). Home Bilingual Usage Estimate. The Home Bilingual Usage Estimate was designed to measure a person's home-family language usage and to yield a single classification according to a criterion scale. The following classifications were established: English monolingual, English dominant, apparent bilingual, Spanish dominant, or Spanish monolingual. Validity was determined by the rating of 25 students' home language usage by an experienced bilingual educator. The Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was .95 between the ratings on the Home Bilingual Usage Estimate and the ratings assigned by the bilingual educator. Test-retest reliability was .97 at the .001 level of significance. (The test form is appended.) (MH)…

Belding, Nancye; And Others (1972). A Survey of the Literature Relevant to Spanish-Surname Rural Youth in the Southwestern States. Final Report of Phase 1. The objective of this study is to optimize the benefits of youth projects for Spanish-surname rural youth in the Southwest. A search of the literature published between 1965 and 1970 which is relevant to the problems of Spanish-surname rural youth in the Southwest is included. The survey population consists of Spanish-surname youth living in rural areas of the Southwest in 1963-68. The changing environment of these youth is described in terms of population trends, mobility, social and cultural environment, economic environment, and outmigration. The educational system of the rural Southwest, job opportunities, and the characteristics of the rural Spanish-surname youth are also described. Major recommendations for revisions in the rural educational system include improved teacher preparation, the use of Spanish literature, smaller student-teacher ratios, expanded counseling services, more community involvement, and additional social services. (PS)…

Mondale, Walter F. (1972). Justice for Children. On December 9, 1970, Senator Walter F. Mondale addressed the Senate on this nation's failure to meet the needs of its children and the need to implement the recommendations of the 1970 White House Conference on Children. Speaking a week before the first meeting of the 1970 conference, he reviewed a series of preliminary forum reports which contain a number of constructive recommendations, as well as a trenchant, critical analysis of present programs and institutions affecting children. Among the issues overlooked by these reports is the insurance of the immediate implementation of the conference's recommendations. The delegates are urged to insist that a representative group from the conference be formed to call on the President personally while the conference is still in session, and seek his public support for implementation. They should get an agreement from this administration for immediate funding of an action committee, with an office in Washington and staff picked by this… [PDF]

Whitehurst, Keturah E. (1969). The Professional Education of Teachers of the Disadvantaged. This paper presents a discussion of preparation of teachers to work with disadvantaged children. In developing a curriculum for this group of teachers, emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary academic preparation, experience, and training. Teachers should learn to be respectful, aware, understanding, democratic and encouraging (among other things). Training in the social and behavioral sciences, such as cultural anthropology, social psychology, sociology, linguistics, economics, and political science is essential. (SET)… [PDF]

Burkhard, Marianne (1974). Switzerland: Economy, Language and Politics. An overview of the economic policy, political structure, and four official languages of Switzerland is presented. The following topics are discussed: (1) economic expansion without natural resources, (2) linguistic diversity, (3) Swiss-German, and (4) politics and governmental organization. (PMP)… [PDF]

Palomares, Uvaldo H. (1968). Special Needs of Mexican-Americans: PROJECT DESIGN. Educational Needs, Fresno, 1968, Number 27. Educational needs of Mexican-Americans in the Fresno City Unified School District are assessed as part of PROJECT DESIGN, funded under ESEA Title III. Representative cross-sections of both the Mexican-American and non-Mexican-American populations of Fresno were contacted. Individuals interviewed in groups and individually totalled 153. The sample of Mexican-Americans included children, young adults, parents, professionals, and organizations. The non-Mexican-American population was composed of citizens, teachers, principals, school managers, and administrators in city agencies involved with Mexican-Americans. A classification matrix established for all the reports of PROJECT DESIGN is used to organize the data and recommendations. The major conclusion is that a negative self-image exists among Mexican-American students and that negative school conditions surround them. Recommended changes in the attitudes of educators and educational procedures are outlines. Related documents are EA… [PDF]

Kloss, Heinz (1969). Research Possibilities on Group Bilingualism: A Report. This report examines the problems involved in researching institutional and socio-cultural bilingualism and contains suggestions for about 60 projects and related case studies. These projects are presented under the following headings: (1) The Service, Methodological and Geographical Aspects, (2) Inventories, (3) Problems of Conceptualization and Classification Common to All or Most Countries, (4) Heterogeneous Polities, (5) Problems of the Nation State and of the Monolingual Society, (6) Socio-Cultural Bilingualism, and (7) Language Planning. (FB)… [PDF]