View Content #884
| Contentid | 884 |
|---|---|
| Content Type | 1 |
| Title | Overcoming the Fourth-Grade Slump |
| Body | From: OELA Tess Kalinowski writes in the Toronto Star that research has shown that ESL students and children from economically disadvantaged homes keep pace with the other students until grade 4 when the vocabulary and concepts become more complex. During the last two years, local school officials have worked with professors Jim Cummins and Sandra Schecter to "develop ways of reinforcing students' language skills, both in English and the literacies they learn in their homes" to prevent the fourth grade decline. In the beginning, educators wanted to highlight students' abilities in their native languages. However, when they began searching for dual-language books, they found that there were "so few available, they decided to have the children write their own stories." The resulting series of books includes subjects such as ethnic folktales and alien invasions. These books not only entertain incoming English-language learners in their own language, but also assist teachers in assessing students? literacy. The project, known as the Dual Language Showcase, "was so successful in drawing the...community together, raising students' language skills and self-esteem" that the idea was expanded. At a recent literacy conference, professor Cummins and a colleague revealed a new computer program they have been working on to assist students in mastering the academic language needed to succeed in school. To read the entire article, visit: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/A rticle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1069283411293&c all_pageid=968350130169&col=969483202845> |
| Source | Dual Language Showcase |
| Inputdate | 2003-11-28 13:20:00 |
| Lastmodifieddate | 2003-11-28 13:20:00 |
| Expdate | Not set |
| Publishdate | Not set |
| Displaydate | Not set |
| Active | 1 |
| Emailed | 1 |
| Isarchived | 1 |
