Building a Successful Bilingual Program

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Building a Successful Bilingual Program

• Presented by Robin Law
• and
• Karon Priest

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Willis Independent School DistrictPhilosophy or
the Bilingual/ESL Programs

• The Willis Independent School district has a
  commitment to each individual student, in terms
  of the students ability. The Bilingual and
  English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are
  designed to assist the limited English proficient
  (LEP) learner in acquiring the necessary language
  skills to function in a mainstream program of
  instruction.
• The goal of the Bilingual and ESL programs is to
  provide a high quality education for culturally
  and linguistically diverse students in a way that

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Philosophy Continued

• Provides instruction for the child in the most
  appropriate program format in accordance with TEA
  guidelines.
• Provides instruction which reflects the Texas
  Essential Knowledge and Skills and Willis I.S.D.
  Content Standards.
• Promotes acceptance of Bilingual/ESL instruction
  as an integral part of the whole school program.
• Develops behavior patterns which will make each
  student a responsible member of society.
• Promotes understanding of and respect for
  diversity by students,parents, staff, and
  community.
• Provides instruction for students in all content
  areas.
• Enhances the students self-esteem and the
  positive climate of the school.
• Evaluates data and makes adjustments to
  continually improve student learning at both the
  campus and district levels.
• Develops higher teacher competencies through
  in-depth training of all staff on cultural and
  linguistic diversity, variety of
  strategies/methodology, and second language
  acquisition.
• Solves increasing staffing shortages and
  instructional organizational arrangements.
• Communicates successes of Bilingual/ESL programs
  to students, parents, staff, and community.

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• GOAL To enable limited English proficient
  students to become competent in the
  comprehension, speaking, reading, and composition
  of English language through the development of
  literacy and academic skills in the primary
  language and English. Such a program shall
  emphasize the mastery of English language skills,
  as well as mathematics, science and social
  studies, as integral parts of the academic goals
  for all students to enavle limited English
  proficient students to particpate.

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The district provides for the three instructional
components required by 19TAC Chapter 89,
Subchapter A, State Plan for Educating Limited
English Proficient Students.CHAPTER 89 DOMAINS

• Affective-Limited English proficient students
  shall be provided instruction in their home
  language to introduce basic concepts of the
  school environment, and instruction both in their
  home languages and in English to instill
  confidence, self-assurance, and a positive
  identity with their cultural heritages. The
  program shall address the history and cultural
  heritage associated with both the students home
  language and the United States.
• Linguistic-Limited English proficient students
  shall be provided instruction in the skills of
  comprehension, speaking, reading, and
  composition, both in their home languages and in
  English. The instruction in both languages shall
  be structured to ensure that the students master
  the required essential knowledge and skills and
  higher order thinking skills in all subjects.
• Cognitive-Limited English proficient students
  shall be provided instruction in mathematics,
  science, health, and social studies, both in
  their home languages and in English. The content
  area instruction in both languages shall be
  structured to ensure that the students master the
  required essential knowledge and skills and
  higher order thinking skills in all subjects.

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

• To conduct the Bilingual/ESL program in such a
  way as to gain the understanding and active
  support of all segments of the community.
• To provide language minority students the
  opportunity to develop confidence,
  self-assurance, and a positive identity with
  their cultural heritage and the history of the
  United States.
• To provide language minority children with
  instruction in their native language so that they
  can succeed academically while learning the
  English language.
• To provide every language minority student in
  grades PreK-5 the opportunity to participate in a
  two way developmental program so that they may
  become proficient in English and Spanish.
• To provide all personnel involved in the
  planning, development, and delivery of services
  to language minority students with professional
  development opportunities so that they have the
  knowledge that will enable them to offer the
  appropriate curricula for language minority
  students.
• To ensure that language minority parents are
  involved in the educational development of their
  children and included in decision-making
  processes affecting their childrens education.

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Programs Offered to Ensure Student Success

• Integrated Classrooms
• Bilingual Lab
• ESL Lab
• Waterford Lab
• Learning Lab
• Reading Lab

• ARI-AMI
• Optional Extended Day
• Optional Extended Year

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Bilingual Classrooms

• Our Bilingual Classrooms offer a variety of
  learning experiences. The children are taught in
  their home language and connections are made to
  the English language. Our teachers focus on
  projects and products that encourage creativity
  and bridging the gap between the two languages.
  We offer the emerging students an opportunity to
  create in Spanish and then have the teacher
  translate into English. The more advanced
  students are able to complete the translations
  themselves.

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Grouping

• Our students are grouped into several different
  categories. We group them according to language,
  level, and ability. We also group them with
  diverse groups so that they may not only learn,
  but teach other students as well. Our students
  participate in a peer tutoring program to ensure
  that each one receives the opportunity to be a
  student and a teacher. We believe that if
  students can teach the concepts to others, they
  truly understand it.

• We also encourage interaction with the entire
  school population. Our bilingual students
  participate in all programs including music, art,
  physical education, reading buddies, and other
  programs. Our bilingual students are also paired
  with English students for lunch and recess to
  ensure that they are treated equally and gain as
  much exposure as possible.

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Benchmarking

• We believe the key to getting our students where
  they need to be is a clear understanding of where
  they are.
• We benchmark our students starting in 2nd grade.
  
• 2nd grade tests twice a year district wide. We
  also test them at the campus level in addition to
  the district testing. The 2nd graders also
  participate in a weekly benchmarking in April.
• 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades participate in all the
  testing mentioned above, but they also take
  weekly benchmarks focusing on a particular
  subject beginning in January.
• This benchmarking allows us to pinpoint our
  students weaknesses and focus our lessons on
  these areas.

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Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten ESL Activities

• English is introduced to students through ESL
  methodology and activities. The following are
  examples of how ESL is incorporated into the
  curriculum through developmentally appropriate
  activities.
• Songs
• Nursery Rhymes
• Chants
• Stories
• Role Playing
• Games
• Finger Plays
• Modeling (commands, instructions)
• Drama
• Vocabulary Development (pictures and real
  objects)
• Learning Centers
• TAKS Objectives

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First Grade ESL Activities

• Vocabulary and language development are continued
  in first grade. The following are examples of
  how ESL is incorporated into the curriculum
  through developmentally appropriate activities.
• Thematic units- Families, School, Senses,
  Seasons, Body Parts, and Clothing
• Dolch Words
• Vocabulary Development
• English Reading Program- second semester
• Games
• Music
• Graphic Organizers
• Commands
• TAKS Objectives

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Second- Sixth gradeESL Activities

• English reading is taught through ESL
  methodologies and activities throughout the
  content areas. The following are some examples
  of how our teachers get students on level in
  English reading.
• Theater Arts plays and skits
• writing T.V. commercials
• puppet shows
• pantomime
• charades
• Fine Arts painting, sculptures, artifacts
• main idea of a painting
• elaboration with art
• illustrating picture books
• murals-summarizing a story
• details of a picture
• generalizations

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Second-Sixth GradesESL Activities Continued

• Social Studies cooperative learning
• using newspaper for reading and writing
  skills
• travel videos for oral language development
• interpreting pictures, charts, and graphs
• visual aids
• recipes
• menus
• toy assembly directions
• labels from food products
• Almanacs
• travel brochures
• T.V. Guides
• Movie listings
• airline, bus, train schedules
• maps

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ESL Activities Continued

• Language Development writing mini books to
  share with other students
• books on proverbs
• books on similes and metaphors
• thematic units
• graphic organizers
• antonyms and synonyms to expand existing
  vocabulary
• daily oral language activities
• technology
• share language
• cognates

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ESL Activities Continued

• Games children design their own board games
• write rules for game
• state goal of game
• art work to design it
• play the game with the class
• summarize a story
• stress vocabulary development and main idea
• include supporting details and prediction
  skills
• crossword puzzles
• word search puzzles
• Charades
• Jeopardy

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Secondary Level ESL Activities

• Math Restate word problems in simpler, more
  familiar language.
• Use visuals such as charts, graphs, and
  other manipulatives.
• Introduce vocabulary and structure used in
  common mathematical sentences.
• Use active student participation in example
  problems and introduction of new concepts.
• Utilize LEP strategies found in the margins
  of the teachers text.
• TAKS Objectives
• Science Include as much hands-on
  experimentation as possible
• Introduce vocabulary common to the chapter.
• Encourage higher level thinking skills in
  hypothesizing and predicting.
• Use inductive and deductive reasoning
  allowing students to become actively involved.

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Secondary Level ESL Activities

• Science Continued convert finding from
  discussion to written.
• Chapter vocabulary cards to include student
  drawings for word association. Use
  Spanish/English Glossary in the back of the
  student text to include Spanish translations
  of key terms for the chapter.
• Utilize LEP strategies included in the
  margin of the teachers text.
• TAKS Objectives
• Social Studies Combine main idea and context
  clues with visuals.
• Introduce vocabulary with students own
  experiences.
• Use chapter vocabulary cards with
  student- created pictures and Spanish
  translations. Utilize the Spanish/English
  Glossary found at the back of the student
  text.
• Use videos, cassette recordings, newspapers,
  magazines, and historical artifacts.
• Use role playing, creative drama, music and
  class discussion.

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Secondary Level ESL Activities

• Social Studies Continued Use role playing,
  creative drama, music and class discussion.
• Convert discussions to personal written
  accounts and summaries.
• Almanac Activities
• Use movie and T.V. preview guides.
• Use travel brochures
• Utilize LEP strategies found in the
  teachers text.
• Use political cartoons and news broadcasts.
• TAKS Objectives
• English Use daily oral language.
• Use journals.
• Use newspapers and magazines to enhance
  written and verbal skills through discussions
  and interviewing activities.
• Use Mad Libs, blank cartoons, skits, and
  jokes to bring humor into the learning process.

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Secondary Level ESL Activities

• English Continued Read aloud and silently
  before class discussions.
• convert discussions to written summaries and
  explanations.
• When reading plays, short stories,or novels,
  read in small groups and rewrite plays in
  more commonly spoken English to check
  comprehension.
• TAKS Objectives
• Games Crossword puzzles
• Word Search Puzzles
• Wheel of Fortune
• Jeopardy
• Charades
• Pictionary

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Secondary Level ESL Activities

• General Stress vocabulary development.
• Use gestures and examples to accompany
  directions.
• Set high expectations.
• Encourage higher level thinking skills.
• Use a variety such as peer tutoring,
  cooperative learning, partner projects, as
  well as individual activities.
• Plan often both vertically and horizontally!

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Validating the Student All Grade Levels

• Avoid placing blame.
• Avoid stereotyping.
• Use different ways of praising.
• Recognize differences in cultures.
• Provide role models.
• Provide multicultural curriculum.
• Recognize the importance of other languages and
  cultures.
• Recognize contributions of different ethnic
  groups.
• Use variety in the classroom environment.
• Use humor.

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Bilingual Lab

• We established our Bilingual Lab just this year.
  We have two teachers that work with younger
  students in groups of no more than four.

• These teachers focus on specific problems that
  these students are facing. They work on phonics,
  comprehension, and fluency. Teachers can send
  students to the lab that are struggling in
  general or just having difficulty with a specific
  concept.

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ESL Lab

• Our ESL lab uses the state adopted ESL
  curriculum. Our ESL specialist monitors all of
  our students and attends all necessary meetings
  regarding each individual student. These
  students are pulled several times a week as
  deemed necessary for their individual needs. Our
  specialist also goes into the classrooms and
  assists these students on a daily basis.

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Waterford Lab

• Our Waterford Lab is housed in our ESL classroom.
  This program is designed to help the ESL
  students from beginning to end. The first level
  focuses on letter recognition and sounds and it
  continues up to level 3 which is fluency. We also
  use this program for our struggling English
  students. The students are pulled every day for
  a period of 40 minutes to complete the lesson.

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Learning Lab

• Our Learning Lab consists of two teachers who
  work daily with struggling students.
• Manipulatives and repetition are the keys to the
  success of this program.
• The Learning Lab instructors closely monitor all
  students progress and see students from all grade
  levels with kindergarten second being a
  priority.

• The students that require extra assistance are
  sent to this lab and the teachers help them with
  the concepts they are struggling with.
• Some students come daily and others weekly just
  depending on the need of the child.

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Literacy Lab

• Our Literacy Lab focuses primarily on all
  students identified at risk. The students are
  grouped according to benchmark results and state
  assessments and individualized lessons are taught
  to ensure success at their instructional level.

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ARI-AMI

• In addition to all of the previously mentioned
  programs, we also offer our Bilingual and ESL
  students the opportunity to participate in this
  program which is even more intensified. The
  students are pulled out once again and receive
  taylored instruction on weak areas.

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OED

• If a student is still struggling in the spring
  after all of the previously mentioned programs
  have been put in place, that student qualifies
  for Optional Extended Day. This program is two
  days a week after school and yet another remedial
  class to help the student catch up.

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OEY

• Sometimes, no matter how much we assess and
  assist, a student simply needs more time during
  the summer to either catch up or stay on top of
  their game. If this is the case, we offer an
  Optional Extended Year program. This is
  extremely helpful for those students who may be
  close to grade level but we fear may slip
  backwards during the summer. The curriculum is
  intense, yet fun and the kiddos start the next
  school year with all of the concepts fresh on
  their minds.

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Thank You!

• If you have any questions or would like to
  schedule a visit, please feel free to call us or
  email us!
• Cannan Elementary
• 7639 County Line Road
• Willis, Texas 77378
• 936-890-8660
• Robin Law Karon Priest
• rbairrington_at_willisisd.org kpriest_at_willisisd.org