Creating a bilingual after-school program
Abstract
The students at Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, Oregon, were receiving intense English literacy skills during the school day. Jenessa Craig, an AmeriCorps member with Partnerships for Student Achievement, did not want to overlook the valuable native language skills of the schools' English as a Second Language students. She started an after-school biliteracy program, which provided literacy activities to native Spanish speakers in Spanish. This paper won second place in the 1999 Northwest National Service Symposium, hosted by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL).Issue
The literacy program at Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, Oregon, focused only on English literacy. AmeriCorps member Jenessa Craig, was concerned the native language skills of the schools' English as a Second Language students were being overlooked and possibly lost without any first-language support.Action
Craig started a native language literacy program called the Biliteracy Program. The intent was to foster biliteracy through the addition of Spanish language literacy activities after the regular school day. In this way, students received mutually supportive literacy skills in both languages.
The after-school biliteracy program took place on Mondays and Wednesdays after school for an hour-and-a-half.
The goals of the program were:
- To maintain and/or improve literacy in students' first language
- Increase students' self-esteem and pride in their language and cultural background
- Increase the likelihood of students' academic success by reinforcing and strengthening basic and necessary language skills in the first language
- Increase awareness and appreciation of biliteracy in the school and in the community
- Increase parent volunteerism and participation in continuing native language literacy in the home.
Students were referred to the program by their classroom or literacy teachers based on demonstrated Spanish literacy skills.
During the after-school program, Craig was supported by two parent volunteers and 12 community volunteers, including high school students taking third- or fourth-year Spanish classes.
In response to a parent's suggestion, Craig submitted a grant application requesting funds to purchase Spanish language books for the children to take home and read with their parents. She also wrote a grant to provide after-school snacks for the children.
Context
The program was started in Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, Oregon. The school boasts a 25-35 percent Hispanic population and a 35-40 percent English as a Second Language population, which includes speakers of 18 different languages. The program served 21 Hispanic students. Many students attended schools in their countries of birth, but some had never received formal schooling in Spanish.Citation
Craig, Jenessa. "Biliteracy Program." Fourth Annual NW National Service Symposium. Portland, Oregon: Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, May 1999.Outcome
On a mid-year evaluation form, volunteers and teachers commented:
"My students seem pleased about a program that is theirs. It is special for them to be validated with a program in their language, and enjoying activities with others on a regular basis."
"It allows students who don't participate during the day the opportunity to participate and communicate with their peers. ... Students who do not have an opportunity to be social in the classroom are given the opportunity to be social during the program."
"I see the change for my Hispanic students! They exhibit more pride — they also are maintaining or enhancing native literacy, which directly affects English literacy in a positive way!"
Comments from parents included (translated from Spanish):"The program is helping the children to learn to read in Spanish. It helps to interest them more in reading. It helps to motivate them to excel even more."
"For me, the program is very good because it really helps the children to learn, and it is very important as much for the parents as for the children."
Posted On
May 31, 2001Resources
Read "Biliteracy Program" by Jenessa Craig.
From The Resource Center library:
Fourth Annual NW National Service Symposium.
Item Number: M1679