{"id":1022,"date":"2014-02-10T20:28:04","date_gmt":"2014-02-10T20:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/?p=1022"},"modified":"2014-12-09T20:52:00","modified_gmt":"2014-12-09T20:52:00","slug":"helping-kids-learn-english-and-spanish-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/helping-kids-learn-english-and-spanish-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Helping Kids Learn English &#8212; And Spanish, Too"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>In recent decades, <\/em><em>demographic changes have transformed school districts in N<\/em><em>orth Texas. Schools have also transformed the way they teach English \u2013 by teaching Spanish, too. At Bowie Elementary in Grand Prairie, Spanish-speaking kids are learning both languages as early as pre-kindergarten.<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aMkmOQLYsvU\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>One morning, Teresa Martin\u2019s kindergarten students gather on the carpet for storytime. She reads a book in Spanish about Thanksgiving. She stops and asks a question.<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>When I read, what&#8217;s the objective?<\/em><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>A girl, Brianna, raises her hand. Martin calls on her.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>We\u2019re supposed to listen to you read so we can ask each other questions about the story<\/em>, Brianna says.<\/p>\n<p>Martin tells her students to form small groups and talk about the book. The kids pair up and do just that \u2013 in Spanish.<\/p>\n<p>The goal is to get these Spanish-speaking kids to learn English. But to speak English well, you need to master Spanish first, educators say.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_972\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-972 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/student-5-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Briana, a student in Martin's class, says her favorite book is about princesses. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >Brianna, a student in Martin&#8217;s class, says her favorite book is about princesses. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum<\/p><\/div>\n<p>At Bowie Elementary in Grand Prairie and beyond, schools have been turning to what&#8217;s called dual language classes. At Bowie, the classes are popular: Half the students are what\u2019s known as English language learners.<\/p>\n<p>Martin wants her kids to speak both Spanish and English. Reaching them in kindergarten is critical, she says, because learning two languages works best when you\u2019re very young.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose kids that do come in strong fluently, that pick up the Spanish \u2013 they can write it, speak it and read it phonetically \u2013 the English comes in a little bit easier,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Grand Prairie has been taking this dual language approach for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mt-insert\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_1020\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 1059px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1020\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/02\/bowie-3.jpg\" alt=\"Teresa Martin, who teaches Spanish and English to her kindergarten students, says learning two languages works best when you\u2019re very young. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum\" width=\"1059\" height=\"595\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 1059px\" >Teresa Martin, who teaches Spanish and English to her kindergarten students, says learning two languages works best when you\u2019re very young. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<h6><\/h6>\n<p><\/figure>\n<h6>If It&#8217;s Monday, It&#8217;s Spanish Day<\/h6>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works: students in pre-kindergarten through first grade are taught language arts in Spanish. Beginning in second grade, they\u2019re taught in both languages.<\/p>\n<p>Math is always taught in English, while science is always in Spanish, regardless of the grade.<\/p>\n<p>Outside of those classes, there\u2019s the language of the day. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it\u2019s Spanish. On Tuesday and Thursday, it\u2019s English. Kids and teachers use the designated language in the hallway, on the playground during recess, in the library or computer lab. That can be a challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Some kids have trouble at first.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_963\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-963 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-4-300x168.jpeg\" alt=\"In Grand Prairie ISD, students in pre-kindergarten through first grade are taught language arts in Spanish. Beginning in second grade, they\u2019re taught in both English and Spanish. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-4-300x168.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-4-1024x573.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-4-800x448.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-4-450x252.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-4.jpeg 1165w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >In Grand Prairie ISD, dual language students in pre-kindergarten through first grade are taught language arts in Spanish. Beginning in second grade, they\u2019re taught in both English and Spanish. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cSometimes they are very shy; they\u2019re not comfortable with the language, especially when I\u2019m doing math,\u201d Martin said. \u201cI know I have very smart students. They\u2019re capable. \u2026<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey can explain it to me in Spanish perfectly, but when I\u2019m asking them to do it in English, it\u2019s like they shut down or they\u2019re quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Martin says that\u2019s because they don\u2019t have the foundation at home to speak English since most of their parents only speak one language.<\/p>\n<p>Yet most of the Grand Prairie district\u2019s English language learners were born in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>Martin encourages them to speak English.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI always tell my kids we do not use the word \u2018I cannot,'&#8221; Martin says. &#8220;I had some that told me \u2018I don\u2019t speak English. I do not understand.\u2019 They\u2019ll tell me \u2018I don\u2019t want to speak English.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"quotemark \">We are giving these kids something that can never be taken away from them. We\u2019re building a foundation for their life.<div class=\"quote-source\">Delisse Hardy, principal at Bowie Elementary in Grand Prairie<\/div><div class=\"quote-rating-\u201c3\u201d\"><\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_969\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-969\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/student-2.jpg\" alt=\"Martin encourages her students to speak English. \u201cI always tell my kids, we do not use the word: \u2018I cannot,\u2019&quot; she said. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum\" width=\"900\" height=\"504\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 900px\" >Martin encourages her students to speak English. \u201cI always tell my kids, we do not use the word: \u2018I cannot,\u2019&#8221; she said. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum<\/p><\/div>\n<h6>Giving Kids Something &#8216;That Can Never Be Taken Away&#8217;<\/h6>\n<p>That\u2019s where the buddy system comes in. Each kid is paired with a classmate who\u2019s stronger in the other language. Look at a chart on the wall \u2013 blue is for the best English speakers. Red is for Spanish. Martin says kids are usually less shy about speaking English when they\u2019re practicing together. And that\u2019s where the fun comes in.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_966\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-966 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-7-300x168.jpeg\" alt=\"At Bowie Elementary, each kid is paired with a classmate who\u2019s stronger in the other language. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >In Bowie Elementary&#8217;s dual language classes, each kid is paired with a classmate who\u2019s stronger in the other language. Photo\/Mark Birnbaum<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The kids sing words and practice the sounds that different letters make.<\/p>\n<p><em>Oso, oso &#8212; oh, oh, oh <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Sombrero, sombrero &#8212; ss, ss, ss<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Uva, uva &#8212; uh, uh, uh<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Five-year-old Dania Villatoro, one of Martin\u2019s students, says she likes her class.<\/p>\n<p>Her favorite book: a story about princesses.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re reading; we&#8217;re going to centers; we&#8217;re learning new things,&#8221; she says. &#8220;We do stories. We&#8217;re learning words. We say the months of the year. We use magnets. We also learn things that we can do with our families.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Dania doesn\u2019t just want to learn English. She wants to learn a lot of English. She wants to understand what others are saying.<\/p>\n<p>Bilingual education has changed dramatically, says Delisse Hardy, the principal at Bowie Elementary. A couple of decades ago, it was more of a transitional program to get kids to learn English as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow we\u2019re looking at biliteracy and we\u2019re looking at bilingual students,\u201d Hardy says. \u201cSo no longer is it just about developing the English, but it\u2019s developing the English at the same time as we\u2019re developing the Spanish. And so we\u2019re producing students who can go eventually into the workforce. They can be bilingual, biliterate. &#8230;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We are giving these kids something that can never be taken away from them,&#8221; Hardy says. &#8220;We\u2019re building a foundation for their life &#8212; about how to start seeing themselves as not just getting through, but succeeding.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_968\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 900px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-968 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-9-1024x575.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"900\" height=\"505\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 900px\" >Martin sees a lot of potential in her students: &#8220;I know I have very smart students. They\u2019re capable.&#8221; Photo\/Mark Birnbaum<\/p><\/div>\n<h6>&#8216;They Didn&#8217;t Have To Sacrifice&#8217; Their Spanish<\/h6>\n<p>Alicia Salinas oversees the Grand Prairie district\u2019s dual language efforts. She says they\u2019re working. Two years ago, English language learners in Grand Prairie had higher passing rates on STAAR tests in reading writing, math and science than their counterparts statewide.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_967\" style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-967 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/stories.kera.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2014\/12\/bowie-8-300x168.jpeg\" alt=\"English language learners don't have to sacrifice their Spanish skills, says Alicia Salinas with Grand Prairie ISD.\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\"style=\"max-width:100%;  width: 300px\" >English language learners don&#8217;t have to sacrifice their Spanish skills, says Alicia Salinas with Grand Prairie ISD.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cNot only are our English language learners doing better in English in regards to academics \u2013 talking, reading, everything else \u2013 but they didn\u2019t have to sacrifice losing their Spanish,\u201d Salinas said.<\/p>\n<p>Learning the building blocks of one language makes it easier to learn the basics of another.<\/p>\n<p>Rossana Boyd, principal lecturer of teacher education and administration at the University of North Texas, says speaking two languages can help people process information more quickly, stimulate brain growth and even delay the onset of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople sometimes need to understand that it\u2019s not just a matter of \u2018yeah, let\u2019s just learn English and move forward.\u2019 Long-term effects need to be looked at, too,\u201d Boyd says. \u201cWhere do you want these people to go after high school? Do you want them to be able to travel to China or travel to South America and establish businesses that will help the United States economically?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While younger kids may struggle with English, you can see the progress the older kids are making in a fourth-grade math class at Bowie Elementary. Teacher Maria Mercado asks her students some questions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The income?&#8221; a kid says.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;What is another word for that?&#8221; Mercado says. &#8220;You&#8217;re completely right.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The kids yell: &#8220;Receipts. Receipts.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As Mercado explains, her students aren&#8217;t just learning how to solve math problems. They&#8217;re building vocabularies in Spanish &#8212; and English.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h6>One district, many languages<\/h6>\n<p>Here\u2019s a sampling of some of the languages spoken by students in Grand Prairie ISD during the 2013-14 school year:<br \/>\n<div class=\"one_third\"><span class=\"langBox\">Arabic<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">French<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Greek<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Igbo<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Khmer<\/span><\/div><div class=\"one_third\"><span class=\"langBox\">Krio<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Japanese<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Lao<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Malayalam<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Portuguese<\/span><\/div><div class=\"one_third last\"><span class=\"langBox\">Shona<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Swahili<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Thai<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Vietnamese<\/span><span class=\"langBox\">Yoruba<\/span><\/div><div class=\"clearboth\"><\/div><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Texas Education Agency<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<style>\n.largeAudioCaption{\n     color:#efefef;\n}\n<\/style>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In recent decades, demographic changes have transformed school districts in North Texas. Schools have also transformed the way they teach English \u2013 by teaching Spanish,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"audio","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-audio","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-generation-one","post_format-post-format-audio","byline-stella-m-chavez"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1022"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1029,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1022\/revisions\/1029"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1022"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1022"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stories.kera.org\/generationone\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1022"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}