Dr. Liza Speece, World Languages and Partial Immersion Coordinator [email protected] How is my child doing in immersion? As an immersion parent myself, I am concerned not only that my son is learning math and science, but that he is becoming more fluent in French. I am excited, now that he is in third grade, that he will be tested for the first time in all four language skills of French: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Why am I looking forward to a test? Because the STAMP test is a STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency. That means it is a nationally recognized instrument that will help me understand how my son is progressing in his language skills. Starting in the third grade, all immersion students begin taking the STAMP test and are tested each Spring through the 12th grade. This test does not affect students' grades; however, it gives us a chance to measure the progress of immersion students' language development. It also helps us assess the success of our immersion program. The state of SC also accepts STAMP scores to award the Seal of Biliteracy (see the October update for info on the Seal of Biliteracy). In the picture below you will see a data dive with PHES administrators and immersion teachers. Data dives give us the opportunity to look closely at student scores from the previous school year, to set goals for improvement for the current year. Across the nation, immersion students typically score higher on listening skills than the other four; however, we are seeing an increase in reading, writing and speaking skills and we continue to focus on improving instruction. It's exciting to see how our students are growing in their language skills. Thank you for valuing bilingualism and biliteracy. It is a valuable gift for your child's future. If you have further questions about STAMP testing, your child's scores, or anything to do with your child's development, his or her teacher should be able to help you. You can always send me an email as well. Elementary Updates Amanda Hajji, Teacher Support Specialist for World Languages
Students speak Mandarin in the classroom. We love when we get to see students speaking and having fun in the language. The videos below show students problem solving and competing in Ms. Li's class on a tower-building activity. You can also see the partnership RBHS and MGE have formed through book buddies, and hear students doing math in Mandarin!
Middle School Carolina Springs Middle School teachers implement Capturing Kid's Hearts training in the classroom by encouraging students to share good things going on in their lives. This practice serves to build a welcoming school community and make each child feel appreciated. See how Sra. Zimmerman's class does "Cosas Buenas" where students are sharing good news with their classmates in Spanish! This welcoming environment that has been created through Capturing Kid's Hearts encourages students to take risks with the second language. Sra. Mayride's students presented research projects on Uruguay and Paraguay in Spanish. High School Sra Rapio's Spanish immersion class at Gilbert High School is studying the topic: Identifying Strengths. To do so, they created an illustrated story in class, in which they told the story of a character who had to use his/her strengths to overcome conflict. Each student shared their stories with the class. Rapio's students also practiced grammatical forms with the activity "Running in Circles" where they went on a scavenger hunt around the classroom. This was a fun and active competition to practice grammar and meaning. Comments are closed.
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