(2006). Effects of an Elementary Dual Language Immersion School Program on Junior High Achievement. Middle Grades Research Journal, v1 n1 p27-47 Spr. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a two-way immersion elementary school program on academic achievement at the end of the elementary school and the end of the first year of junior high school. Longitudinal high stakes test data in reading, writing, and mathematics were collected on native English speakers and native Spanish speakers from the two-way immersion program and on matched controls through the use of an ex post facto quasi-experimental design. Findings suggest consistent support for the two-way immersion program over matched control students across all three achievement areas. It appears the greatest effect for native English speakers may be in reading, while native Spanish speakers may benefit more in writing and mathematics. Limitations to generalizability and causal inferences due to the small sample sizes and inherent weaknesses of the research design are noted. (Contains 3 tables.)… [Direct] [Direct]
(2006). Learning to Read "Properly" by Moving between Parallel Literacy Classes. Language and Education, v20 n1 p44-61. This paper explores what kinds of advantages and strengths the process of learning to read simultaneously in different languages and scripts might bring about. It is based on a socio-cultural view of learning and literacy and examines early literacy in three parallel literacy classes in Watford, England. It analyses the learning experiences of five bilingual children who are of second or third generation Pakistani background. At the start of the study the children are five years old and they attend the same school and class. They learn to read in English during their daily literacy hour lessons; their home language is Pahari. They attend weekly Urdu lessons that take place in a community language school. They also learn to read in classical Arabic–in a language they do not speak or understand–in their daily Qur'anic classes and, typically, in the local mosque. The data shows that the children learn to switch between three literacy systems. They talk about their literacy learning in… [Direct]
(2006). Is a Separate Block of Time for Oral English Language Development in Programs for English Learners Needed?. Elementary School Journal, v107 n2 p181-199 Nov. The issue of whether to separate English language development (ELD) into a separate instructional block or whether to integrate it with reading/language arts instruction is an unanswered question with theoretical and practical implications. We addressed this question by observing instruction across the year in 85 kindergarten classrooms that varied in (a) whether ELD was a separate block and (b) whether the program was characterized as English immersion or bilingual. Observational data indicated that classrooms with separate ELD blocks had greater percentages of instructional time devoted to oral language and literacy activities for both types of programs. In comparison to English learners in classrooms without separate ELD blocks, English learners in classrooms with separate ELD blocks had modestly but significantly higher English oral language and literacy scores on the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery, controlling for fall performance. Educational implications are discussed…. [Direct]
(1994). Practical Ideas and Resources for Offering a Quality Group Program to Spanish-Speaking Families and Their Infants and Toddlers. This conference presentation describes services to Spanish speaking families developed by the Hope Infant Family Support Program in San Marcos, California. It discusses the program's evolution from one-on-one translation, to a more bilingual program, to monolingual Spanish, and shares the pitfalls and the successful strategies encountered in offering family-centered services in Spanish. Advantages of teaching a child in his natural language are listed, along with strategies for implementing such an instructional program. Sample program materials are provided, such as a sample schedule of learning activities, lyrics to children's Spanish songs, and instructions for arts and crafts activities. The importance of fathers' participation is emphasized. A list of publishers of picture books and other resources is offered. (JDD)…
(1992). Segundo Paso. Jardin de Ninos (Second Step. A Violence-Prevention Curriculum). This document is the Spanish language supplement to "Second Step" for preschool and kindergarten, a violence-prevention curriculum designed to reduce impulsive and aggressive behavior in young children and to increase their social competence. This supplement contains the translated portions of text from "Second Steps" that a teacher would need to communicate to the class. These include stories and discussions, role plays and activities, take-home letters, puppet scripts, and song sheets. The following three units are included: (1) a unit of 12 lessons on empathy that centers on feelings, self-esteem, and concern for the feelings of others; (2) a unit of 10 lessons on control of impulses that focuses on problem solving and social behavior; and (3) a unit of 6 lessons on managing anger, with advice on how to react to provocation. (SLD)…
(1994). CLAD/BCLAD Certificate Handbook. The primary purpose of this handbook is to assist teachers who want or need to become authorized by the state of California to teach limited-English-proficient (LEP) students by earning the new Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) or Bilingual, Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (BCLAD) certificates. Section 1 discusses who is required to hold the CLAD/BCLAD certificates, which were first authorized for issuance in July 1994 and replace Language Development Specialist certificates and Bilingual Certificates of Competence. Teachers who provide instruction for English language development, specially designed academic instruction delivered in English, instruction for primary language development, and content instruction in the primary language are required to have the CLAD or BCLAD certificate. Section 2 describes the CLAD/BCLAD system for the preparation and credentialing of teachers for ESL students. Section 3 provides the general requirements for… [PDF]
(1983). Variables Affecting the Performance of ESOL/Bilingual Students in Non-ESOL Classes. The Montgomery County (Maryland) Public School system is currently in its second year of a multiyear evaluation of the ESOL/bilingual program. The focus of the first year's effort was an analysis of test results and teacher evaluations of the overall classroom performance of over 3,000 students receiving ESOL/bilingual services. Findings were as follows: (1) Student performance in English as measured by the Language Assessment Scale (LAS), published by Linguametrics Group, correlated well with student performance on a Montgomery County developed instrument, the Minimum English Competency (MEC) Test. Correlations of .7 or better were observed for comparable subtests and total scores. (2) For 1,400 students tested in fall and spring of the same school year, statistically significant gains were observed for LAS and MEC results at all grade levels. (3) When teacher evaluations of students' classroom performance were compared to test scores for Asian and Hispanic students, it was found…
(1983). Utilization of Knowledge Acquired through the First Language in Comprehending a Second Language: Narrative Comprehension by Spanish-English Speakers. Three issues were examined in a study of children's use of first language knowledge in acquiring a second language: (1) understanding of narratives, (2) the degree to which knowledge available in the child's first language is used in understanding second language input, and (3) the relationship between knowledge utilization in two languages as children become bilingual and acquire more literacy skills. Selections from \Aesop's Fables\ were used for a series of comprehension studies involving a variety of students in kindergarten through grade 5. The data from the experiment are discussed with reference to two issues: the relationship between comprehension of Spanish language input and English language input by students exposed to both languages, and the relationship between students dealing with both languages as compared with students dealing only with English during elementary school. The three aspects of comprehension tested were story recall, ability to answer why-questions, and… [PDF]
(1982). The Construction of Meaning in a Second Language: The Polemics of Family and School. Sociocultural and psychological processes are involved in a person's acquisition of meaning. In the case of the Spanish speaking child who is learning English in the United States in a school environment and who lives in a Spanish speaking environment at home, there is a conflict of perspectives on reality. The acquisition of new culture and language has as much potential for bringing psychological stress and destruction of the child's sense of well being as it does for creating a bilingual/bicultural individual. Preliminary data from a study in progress, along with examples, clarify the discussion of the differential effect of home and school on the Puerto Rican child's semantic system in each language and culture. The question is whether, in the case of the Hispanic, the English and Spanish language systems depict a reality which is in coexistence or in conflict with the surrounding world. It seems that, as acquisition progresses, context begins to take precedence over language of…
(1975). Meeting Needs of Children with Diverse Linguistic and Ethnic Backgrounds. Foreign Language Annals, 8, 4, 306-316, Dec 75. A program at one elementary school served foreign students' needs by teaching language arts, as well as tutoring in other subjects, in their native language. Native English speakers studied a second language, and varying cultural backgrounds of teachers and students were emphasized and studied. (CHK)…
(1990). Teaching Mathematics with Understanding to Limited English Proficient Students. Urban Diversity Series No. 101. This document provides research-based information to help school district personnel select appropriate mathematics education programs for their limited English proficient (LEP) elementary school students. A review of the mathematics education literature is discussed in the context of the reform movement in school mathematics. Two instructional programs for effectively teaching mathematics to LEP students, Active Mathematics Teaching (AMT) and Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), are discussed in detail. Examples, using addition and subtraction problems, illustrate each program. Since teaching math in a student's native language may be more effective than limiting instruction to English, Spanish translations of examples are also included to demonstrate how simple presentation of problems can facilitate their solving. Recommendations are woven throughout the text and each section ends with a list of additional recommendations for teaching mathematics to LEP students. The following… [PDF]
(1986). Project TRAIN, 1985-1986. OEA Evaluation Report. New York City's Project TRAIN offers parents of high school students of limited English proficiency (LEP) an opportunity to improve their English-language skills. The targeted language groups are Spanish, Haitian Creole (the largest group), Khmer, Korean, and Chinese. Classes are offered at four sites around the city. In 1985-86, the second year of the program, English as a second language (ESL) classes were offered at all four sites, and General Equivalency Diploma preparation classes were offered at three sites. The project served a total of 334 participants, most of whom improved significantly in ESL. Proposed activities were not implemented uniformly at all sites. More coordination is needed and these specific recommendations are offered: (1) the proposal should be revised to broaden the target population; (2) participants should be screened to determine if they meet minimal eligibility criteria for entry; (3) evaluation objectives that require the tabulation of high school… [PDF]
(1985). Employed Mothers: Combining Work and Parenthood = Nguoi Me Giua Hai Trong Trach: Gia Dinh Va Nghe Nghiep. This bilingual booklet is intended to help female Vietnamese refugees learn to combine the tasks of work and motherhood. Included in the booklet are Vietnamese and English translations of a discussion of the effects of a working mother on her family, suggestions for employed mothers, and guidelines for learning about and selecting from available child care services. (MN)…
(1988). Crossing the Schoolhouse Border: Immigrant Students and the California Public Schools. A California Tomorrow Policy Research Report. Detailed interviews with immigrant students in the California school system indicate that the schools are not meeting the challenge of providing these students with an education adequate to prepare them to be productive members of American society. The first section presents demographic data and background information on immigrant children and their immigration experience. The second section reviews the content and structure of school programs, describes the school experience of immigrant children, and presents data on the achievement and school success of immigrant students. The final section offers suggestions for steps to be taken at the state, local, school site, and community levels to create a more adequate school experience for immigrant children. Appendices include the interview guide used in this study and a bibliography with 134 references. (SKW)…
(1984). La famille, l'automne, l'identite, l'ecole (The Family, Autumn, Identity, and School). Curriculum Guide: Levels K, 1, 2, 3. The curriculum guide for a series of French language lessons includes four units graded for levels K, 1, 2, and 3. The units cover the topics of the family, autumn, identity, and school. In each unit there are four graded lessons. Each lesson contains a set of objectives for the lesson, followed by a series of exercises matched to the objectives. The exercise for each objective consists of teacher notes on materials needed, description of a demonstration the teacher is to perform, a number of specific activities for applying the concept or material addressed, and one or more evaluation techniques. When applicable the lesson also includes vocabulary and phrase lists. (MSE)…