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Sylvia Cavazos Peña and Jaime H. García
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A Texas Two-way Bilingual Program: Its Effects on Linguistic and Academic Achievement Iliana Alanís University of Texas at Brownsville Abstract This study examines a variety of student outcomes
in the area of linguistic and academic development and determines
whether students enrolled in a two-way bilingual program for a minimum
of three years are achieving academically. Participants were native
Spanish-speaking and native English-speaking fifth-grade students
of Mexican origin. The findings indicate that the majority of students
who participated in the two-way bilingual program were performing
at academic levels equal to or greater than their non-participant
campus peers when tested on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills
(TAAS). In addition, participants were developing a high level of
English literacy skills. Spanish literacy skills for the native
English speakers, however, were not as highly developed. While there
appeared to be promising bilingual development in the early years
of the program, the rate of development seemed to be difficult to
sustain in the upper grade levels.
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Developing Voices: Transformative Education in a First-Grade Two-way Spanish Immersion Classroom, A Participatory Study Josephine Arce San Francisco State University Abstract This study drew a portrait of an actual classroom striving to initiate a transformative educational experience in an urban elementary school among students of different socioeconomic status, cultures, and languages. This participatory research design (Ada, Beutel, & Gottesman, 1991; Kieffer, 1981; Park, 1989) described the transformative process that a first-grade two-way Spanish immersion classroom underwent to build a community of learners. The researcher analyzed how, within the process of a transformative classroom, the teacher provided daily opportunities to engage young students in dialogue to develop their voices, created a literacy rich environment that serves multiple purposes including becoming literate, and fostered a strong sense of community. The following research questions were posed: How is critical pedagogy applied to a lower primary-grade classroom? Through the teacher’s own reconceptualization of voice, how can opportunities be provided for young children to develop voice? How does literacy function as a means of empowerment for first-grade students?
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Case Studies of Expectation Climate at Two Bilingual Education Schools Robert J. Johnson University of Houston-Downtown Abstract The purpose of this inquiry was to examine expectation climate at two schools where bilingual education was an approach to educating language minority students. Using purposive sampling based on criteria of similar student demographics but with contrasting settings, two schools were selected for the inquiry. Case studies were prepared of each school based on qualitative data collected, such as interviews, videotapes of instruction, and teacher responses from a self-report instrument. Comparing and contrasting the data from the two schools revealed that: (a) different standards (enrichment versus basic education) affected the type of expectations each group of teachers had for their students; (b) beliefs about the value of student native language influenced the type of expectations held for students (a higher valorization for Spanish reduced the perception that student acquisition of English was problematical); (c) the values and beliefs regarding curriculum as well as district and state expectations impacted the respective climates of the two schools differently; and (d) the use of the accelerated school model appeared to influence the kind of expectations one school faculty held for students. The data inferred the importance of viewing expectations as two-dimensional: standards and belief in student capability. A model of the socio-political dynamics of the expectation climate observed at the two schools is provided.
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Mexican American Mothers’ Perceptions and Beliefs About Language Acquisition in Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities Anita Méndez Pérez Austin, Texas Abstract This study examined the perceptions and beliefs about language acquisition of seven Spanish-speaking Mexican American mothers who had young children (age 24–37 months) with language disabilities. These children were served in an Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) program in central Texas. How mothers’ perceptions and beliefs influenced their decision as to whether ECI services were provided in Spanish or English was examined, as was their understanding of how to support their children’s language development. Data were gathered using a home language questionnaire, a structured interview, and observations of mother-child interactions. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach. Themes that emerged from the interviews and mother-child interactions are examined and implications for early childhood intervention are discussed.
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Mexican American Preschoolers Create Stories: Sociodramatic Play in a Dual Language Classroom Mari Riojas-Cortéz University of Texas at San Antonio Abstract This article describes partial findings of a microethnographic
study that focused on the use of language functions and cultural
knowledge displayed during sociodramatic play in a pre-kindergarten
classroom. The study was conducted at a public elementary school
in a small rural community of south central Texas that offers a
dual language program from pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. Twelve
Mexican American children, seven boys and five girls (4- and 5-year-olds)
participated in the study. Data were collected for eight weeks through
videotaped observations of free play in the housekeeping and block
center. Field notes and a reflexive diary were included as methods
of data collection. The children’s parents were interviewed to determine
the cultural traits that emerged in the children’s play. A total
of 25 hours of videotaped sociodramatic play episodes was collected.
The article illustrates the stories Mexican American children created
while engaged in sociodramatic play in a preschool classroom where
play was the focus of the curriculum.
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Involvement of Portuguese-Speaking Parents in the Education of Their Special-Needs Children Dora Tellier-Robinson Alpine, New Jersey Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of Portuguese-speaking families in the education of their special-needs children. The qualitative methods of participant observation and ethnographic interviewing were used to explore the following research questions: How do these parents want to be involved in their children’s education, and what are their feelings about parent involvement? Participants were parent(s) from each of nine families who were foreign born, Portuguese-speaking, and had at least one child in special education. Findings were analyzed within two major categories: (a) the special-needs children in their families, and (b) the families’ experiences with their children’s education. The focus in this article concerns findings that emerged from data discussed under the following thematic statements: We have to ask for what we want and fight for our children, and lacking proficiency in English makes it more difficult for us to procure the services to which our children are entitled.
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Best for our children: Critical perspectives
on literacy for Latino students Reviewed by Katie Van Sluys
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