Teachers wondered: wouldn't an easier path to literacy be one that includes English?

Near the end of kindergarten, dual language learner Tiana was referred to the reading specialist as a candidate for intervention. She was introduced as a nonreader who had no language. Tiana had performed far below average in assessments; these tests, along with her literacy instruction, happened solely in Spanish.

Conversations with Tiana revealed that she knew many things about language! Tiana was a simultaneous bilingual who spoke both languages since birth. She spoke to her mom in Spanish and to her babysitter in English, and to her siblings in the language that matched her communicative purpose at the time. Tiana’s literacy instruction was entirely in Spanish, but as a speaker of two languages, her knowledge flowed freely across the two.

After honoring, modeling and inviting, Maestra Emily closed the session by saying, “Isn’t that cool how what we used in Spanish, we could also use in English?” A shift in Tiana transpired. She learned that a helpful strategy she was using in Spanish (one-to-one match) could indeed apply in English. Though her literacy instruction was separated by language, Tiana was invited to utlize all of her strengths for reading new texts. Tiana would benefit from ongoing oral language supports, especially when it came to predicting new language structures and vocabulary. In her foundational skill development, this lesson opened the door for future resourcefulness.