Coexisting Languages: Reading Bilingual Books with Biliterate Eyes

Abstract

This article presents the outcomes of a biliteracy project designed, following an action-learning methodology, to supplement the district-mandated literacy programs with afterschool reading cooperatives where 100 families whose children were enrolled in an elementary school located in the Imperial Valley, California, and teachers dialogically read bilingual books. The outcomes of this project suggest that parents whose children attend schools in which literacy programs are enriched with the community's linguistic wealth and knowledge become active participants of the learning process; this parental participation seems to help students in their academic performance.

Notes

¹ http://www.ed-data.k12.ca.us

²This proposition mandated that California ELL (English Language Learners) must be taught in English through immersion programs, which normally would not exceed one year.

³In kindergarten and first grade, students are tested on their listening and speaking skills. In grades 2 to 12 students are tested on the four areas of the ELD standards: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

⁴ http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/el/

⁵All the names that appear in this article are pseudonyms.

⁶ www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/documents/histsocsciframe.pdf

⁷ http://www.makingbooks.com/hotdog.shtml

⁸ http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/elacontentstnds.pdf

⁹ http://literacynet.org/science/scientificliteracy.html

¹⁰ http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sr/documents/cstrtqela2.pdf