Snapshot 3.7. Learning Two Languages in an Alternative Dual Language
Program in Kindergarten (cont.)Most of the designated ELD instruction in kindergarten focuses on engaging students to join
in the experience of teacher read alouds of storybooks. Through these interactive read aloud
experiences, the children engage in extended conversations in response to text-dependent
questions and have repeated exposure to the rich vocabulary in the books. The children discuss
and write their opinions and ideas about the stories, and their teachers explicitly teach them
some of the general academic vocabulary from the books so that they can use this language
in related speaking and writing contexts. During designated ELD time, the teachers reinforce
(but do not introduce for the first time) concepts of print, phonological awareness, and phonics
in English. The school has made a commitment to include intentional and explicit teaching of
transferable and non-transferable skills beginning in kindergarten and has a well-articulated
plan for gradually developing EL (and other) students’ English language and literacy skills from
early childhood through the elementary years and beyond. All students learn to read and write
primarily in Spanish first, but they also learn critical literacy skills in English early on so that
when they begin to engage with increasingly complex literacy tasks in English, they will have
the language and literacy skills necessary to succeed. The teachers use the following principles
when they plan lessons for engaging their EL children in rich storybook read alouds during
designated ELD time. Each story takes about a week to teach.Interacting with Storybooks: Principles for PlanningBook Choice: Choose books that lend themselves to extended discussions and that contain
many general academic vocabulary words. Frequently use culturally relevant books as well as
bilingual books.
Repetition and Interaction: Read the story several times during the week, delving
into different aspects of the story each day. Ask a few text-dependent questions for literal
comprehension (first day) and inferential comprehension (other days). Use open sentence
frames, appropriate for the questions and adjusted to the children’s language learning needs
(not too easy, and not too hard).
Vocabulary: Stop at strategic points to explain word meanings, act out (with gestures and
facial expressions) the words, or point to an illustration for the word, and have the children
repeat the words chorally. Choose a limited set of general academic words (three to five) to
teach explicitly after reading the story. (Also explicitly teach everyday English words that the
children do not know and that are essential to understanding the story and discussing it.)
Repetitive Phrases: Choose two to three repetitive phrases that are essential to
understanding the story and are fun to say, and have the children join along in chanting the
phrases when the phrases arise.
Primary Language: Use the children’s primary language, when appropriate, to facilitate
story comprehension and vocabulary development.
English Foundational Skills: Strategically reinforce English foundational skills (e.g.,
concepts about print, rhyming words, sounds in English that do not transfer to Spanish and
those that do) while reading or jointly constructing texts about the story.Kindergarten Chapter 3 | 225