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Elementary teachers showcase 50/50 dual-language kindergarten, report strong early literacy gains
Summary
Teachers Jacqueline Martinez and Celia Mendoza described a 50% Spanish / 50% English instructional model with the same adopted curriculum in both languages; presenters said many students are reading and writing in both languages and demonstrated a Spanish food-web song with sign language.
Lisa Upton, elementary principal, introduced the district’s reestablished kindergarten dual-language program and said the district opened a kindergarten cohort this year as part of a planned expansion. Teachers Jacqueline Martinez (Spanish lead) and Celia Mendoza (English partner) told the board each classroom teaches the adopted curriculum in its target language while coordinating weekly on standards and lesson responsibilities.
"In our dual language program, we teach 50% of our day in Spanish and 50% of our day in English," said Jacqueline Martinez. She and Celia Mendoza emphasized that classrooms are general-education settings using the same standards as other kindergarten classrooms; they described dual-language students reading, writing and counting in both languages. Martinez said many children in the program are reading at or above kindergarten grade level in their native language and some are proficient in both.
Teachers demonstrated a short Spanish-language song about the food web and pointed to classroom strategies — visuals, songs, sign language and GLAD strategies — used to support biliteracy and oral language development. Principal Upton said the district plans to expand the program into first grade next year and invited board members to visit the classrooms.
