Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School

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Casa Esperanza Montessori Charter School

• Dual Language
• Information Program

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What is dual language?

• (target language is used here to distinguish
  the second, or non-English, language of the
  program).
• instruction through two languages
• target language is used for a significant portion
  of the students instructional time (50 English,
  50 Spanish)
• native English speakers and target language
  native speakers are enrolled in the same class,
  with a classroom ratio of 11

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More features of dual-language

• same high standards of content knowledge learned
  in two languages.
• language learning takes place primarily through
  content instruction

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What are the benefits of being bilingual?
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What does the research say about dual language?

• Native English speakers students in immersion
  programs acquire the same proficiency in English
  and achieve the same levels of competence in
  their academic subjects as students in
  all-English programs. They also acquire
  functional proficiency in a second language.
• Native speakers of the target language make
  better progress in acquiring English and in
  academic development if they receive some
  schooling in their primary language at the same
  time as they are learning English
• All students bilingual students perform better
  than monolingual students on tasks that call for
  divergent thinking, pattern recognition, problem
  solving and metalinguistic awareness

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Program Elements

• a minimum of four to six years of bilingual
  instruction to participating students.
• the same core academic curriculum that students
  in other programs experience.
• optimal language input (input that is
  comprehensible, interesting, and of sufficient
  quantity)
• opportunities for output, including quality
  language arts instruction in both languages.

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Program Elements, contd.

• non-English language should be used for
  instruction a minimum of 50 of the time
• an additive bilingual environment where all
  students have the opportunity to learn a second
  language while continuing to develop their native
  language proficiency
• a balance of students from the non-English and
  English backgrounds who participate in
  instructional activities together
• positive interactions among students
  facilitated by the use of strategies such as
  cooperative learning

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Proposed 2006-2007 CH Schedule

• 830-850 Morning meeting/lesson
• 850-1100 Morning work cycle,
• including Spanish Literacy, Math
• Cultural (science, social sciences)
• sensorial, art, music, snack and
  practical life
• 1100-1130 Recess
• 1130-1200 Supplemental English
  literacy
• 1200-245 Afternoon work cycle,
• including lunch, Spanish Literacy,
  Math
• Cultural (science, social sciences)
• sensorial, art, music, and
  practical life

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Sample Supplemental English Literacy Schedule -
CH

• 1130-1140 Teacher-guided writing activity
• 1140-1200 Listening and re-telling in
  English (guided story listening)
• (Silent independent reading in English/Spanish
  occurs at other times during the school day)

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Proposed 2006-2007 LE Schedule

• 830-850 Morning meeting/lesson
• 850-950 Math lessons
• 950-1130 Morning work cycle,
• including Spanish Literacy
• Cultural (science, social sciences)
• Snack and practical life
• 1130-1245 Lunch and recess
• 1245-140 Afternoon work cycle
• 140-240 Supplemental English literacy

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Sample Supplemental English Literacy Schedule -
LE

• 140-200 Teacher-guided writing activity
• 200-230 Leveled reading groups, MWF
• 200-225 Grammar/usage/mechanics, TR
• 225-245 Sharing/presentations/oral
  expression
• (Silent independent reading in English/Spanish
  occurs at other times during the school day)

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What about homework?

• The younger children have very limited homework.
  Parents can focus on native language literacy at
  home.
• In the upper grades, project based homework will
  be completed in the familys native language or
  English.
• Other homework in the upper grades (math,
  spelling) may be in Spanish or English.

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Where can I learn more?

• Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington D.C.
  (www.cal.org)
• Center for Advanced Research on Language
  Acquisition (www.carla.umn.edu )
• National Clearinghouse for English Language
  Acquisition and Language Instruction Education
  (www.ncela.gwu.edu/resabout/index.html/
  twoway.htm)

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Which Rooms Will be Spanish Immersion in
2006-2007?

• CH 2 (Sra Barcena)
• CH 3 (Sra Bush)
• LE 5 (Sra Seila)
• LE 6 (Sra Borrero)