ERIC ED450362: Descubriendo La Lectura: An Interview with Yvonne Rodriguez.

7 Pages·1997·0.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 014 313
ED 450 362
Rodriguez, Yvonne; Askew, Billie; Frasier, Dianne
AUTHOR
Descubriendo La Lectura: An Interview with Yvonne Rodriguez.
TITLE
Reading Recovery Council of North America, Columbus, OH.
INSTITUTION
PUB DATE 1997-00-00
NOTE
5p.
Reading Recovery Council of North America, Inc., Suite 100,
AVAILABLE FROM
1929 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1069. Tel: [phone];
Web site: http://www.readingrecovery.org.
Journal Articles (080)
PUB TYPE
Network News; p6-8 Fall 1997
JOURNAL CIT
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Early Intervention; *Emergent Literacy; Interviews; Primary
DESCRIPTORS
Education; Professional Development; *Spanish Speaking;
*Teacher Education; *Teacher Educators
*Reading Recovery Projects
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
Through an interview with educator Yvonne Rodriguez, this
article discusses Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL), the result of educators'
efforts in the Collaborative for Reading Recovery in Spanish. It discusses
background information about DLL, how it may be implemented, requirements for
and means of teacher leader training, and the requirements for teaching
children during training. The article further discusses "bridging," the
process of learning how to take Reading Recovery from one language to
another, and issues related to "bridging" in training teachers and teacher
leaders. Finally, the article discusses professional development, and notes
states with DLL sites.
(SR)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
Descubriendo La Lectura: An Interview with Yvonne Rodriguez.
by Yvonne Rodriguez, Billie Askew and Dianne Frasier
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and improvement
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1
Fall 1997
Descubriendo La Lectura:
An Interview with Yvonne Rodriguez
ty and quality of DLL is not compromised. These guidelines
address issues related to the instructional setting of students,
teacher and/or teacher leader training qualifications, training
YVONNE RODRIGUEZ
models, and participation in research and development activi-
READING RECOVERY/DESCUBRIENDO LA
LECTURA TRAINER-IN-TRAINING
ties. These guidelines will be interfaced with the Standards and
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY
Guidelines published by the Reading Recovery Council of
North America (RRCNA), currently in the process of revision.
How does a district or site implement Descubriendo
La Lectura (DLL)?
BILLIE ASKEW
First of all, a school district or Reading Recovery site needs
LEADER TRAINER
to have a bilingual program that provides native language
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY
instruction in Spanish. It is strongly recommended that native
language literacy instruction continue through third grade. If
the district's language policy only provides an English as a
Second Language program (ESL), DLL training would not be
appropriate for that system.
A Descubriendo La Lectura teacher leader must be in place
in order to implement DLL. The site may employ its own DLL
DIANNE FRASIER
teacher leader or contract with a neighboring Reading
LEADER TRAINER
Recovery site for the services of their DLL teacher leader.
TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY
The DLL teacher leader has the theoretical understandings
necessary to discuss Spanish reading and writing processing
Can you give some background information about
behaviors with DLL teachers in training. When Reading
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL)?
Recovery teacher leaders and teachers observe DLL lessons,
they are often struck with how similar it is to an English les-
As the number of children learning how to read initially in
son. Student behaviors can be observed and discussed.
Spanish increases, the need to have an early intervention pro-
However, the appropriateness of the teacher's decisions and
gram for children at risk of literacy failure in Spanish also
level of prompting is not apparent. The surface similarities
increases. In addition, the level of literacy success in the native
between Reading Recovery and Descubriendo La Lectura gives
language can affect later success in English literacy.
the false illusion that a monolingual English teacher leader can
In 1988, educators in Tucson, Arizona, saw Reading
train and/or monitor a DLL teacher.
Recovery as a program that could address the needs of at-risk
Spanish-speaking readers. Several Reading Recovery profes-
What are the requirements for DLL teacher leader
sionals and bilingual educators across the country have since
training?
joined forces with Tucson to form the Collaborative for
Reading Recovery in Spanish. Descubriendo La Lectura is the
DLL teacher leader training has the same requirements as
result of such efforts.
teacher leader training in English. In addition, the candidate
needs to have bilingual certification and have a good com-
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) is the reconstruction of
mand of oral and written Spanish. Bilingual certification does
Reading Recovery for first graders whose initial literacy
not guarantee fluency and proficiency. It is strongly recom-
instruction is delivered in Spanish and who are at risk of fail-
mended that teacher leader candidates have experience teach-
ing to learn to read and write. Like Reading Recovery, the
ing primary age children in a bilingual setting.
intent of DLL is to enable these first-grade Spanish-speaking
students to read and write within the average band of bilingual
How can a district get a DLL teacher leader
classrooms. While the theoretical framework is the same as in
trained?
English, there are differences in the ways in which teachers
and students must interact in order to support literacy events
Currently, there are two ways to pursue DLL teacher leader
in Spanish. The two languages function differently in many
training. One way is for the teacher leader to train at a
areas. Consequently, specific training is required to provide the
University Training Center that has the appropriate resources
most effective literacy support in Spanish.
for initial training in Spanish. During the training year, the
Guidelines have been established to ensure that the integri-
teacher leaders begin by teaching their children in Spanish. As
continued on next page
3
Fall 1997
NETWORK, NEWS
Descubriendo La Lectura: An Interview...
continued from previous page
ently. Implementations can and do differ.
their training progresses, they begin working with some stu-
If the DLL teacher leader has a trainer who is bilingual, the
dents in English. With a DLL trainer, DLL teacher leaders-in-
trainer could do the initial training in Spanish. Those teacher
training can engage in discussions dealing with comparative
leaders would then require "bridging" from Spanish to English,
linguistics. These discussions allow them to understand the
either during the training year or in a subsequent training
similarities and differences between English implementation
experience.
and Spanish implementation. In addition, these teacher leaders
participate with the "bridging" course during the summer fol-
Once the DLL teacher leader participates in the
lowing their training. Consequently, the DLL teacher leaders
"bridging" class, does the teacher leader have the
will be able to teach a class in either Reading Recovery or
capability of teaching children and teachers in
Descubriendo La Lectura that following year.
either language?
The alternative is for the teacher leader to train in English
at any University Training Center and to "bridge" to Spanish
During the year following her "bridging" class, the teacher
or DLL the following year. When taking this route, the teacher
leader works with children in Spanish and in English. She will
leader has an additional year before training teachers in DLL.
not train DLL teachers until the following year. The "bridging"
year is for the teacher leader to become a teacher of Reading
During DLL teacher leader training, what are the
Recovery in Spanish.
requirements for teaching children?
How much interaction do the teacher leaders have
If the teacher leader trainer is monolingual, teacher leader
with the person responsible for DLL "bridging" dur-
candidates teach all four children in English because their pri-
ing the course of the "bridging" year?
mary role is to become a teacher leader. They need to develop
understandings about Reading Recovery along with its theoret-
The teacher leaders should be monitored on a monthly
ical constructs. Teaching children in English or Spanish hinges
basis. The teacher leader sends the trainer reflections on what
upon the language of the trainer. If they do not have a bilin-
s/he is learning from teaching her children. Videos and records
gual trainer, teacher leader candidates cannot work with bilin-
are also submitted to the trainer. It is more advantageous to
gual students. Again, if the teacher leader trainer is bilingual,
have face-to-face observations and discussions, but this
teacher leaders begin by teaching all 4 children in Spanish;
depends on proximity. For long distances, there are two visits
they begin working with some children in English as their
by the trainer during the "bridging" year. The trainer observes
training progresses.
the teacher leader teaching children in English and Spanish,
conducting a school visit, and guiding the inservice session
If DLL Teacher Leader training is in English because
with demonstration lessons behind the glass. The trainer also
the trainer is monolingual, what is required for DLL
meets with district and school administrators about the imple-
"bridging?"
mentation of DLL.
"Bridging" is the process of learning how to take Reading
Where is "bridging" for teacher leaders?
Recovery from one language to another. Teacher leaders who
understand Reading Recovery and the procedures for teaching
We are currently working on interfacing the DLL guidelines
children in English have to shift their thinking to teaching
and standards with the RRCNA guidelines and standards.
procedures in Spanish. They have to look carefully at the dif-
Originally "bridging" began in Tucson, Arizona, with a trainer/
teacher leader team at the University of Arizona and expanded
ferences between the two languages. Theoretical aspects are
the same; however, the teaching procedures may have to shift
to a trainer/teacher leader team at Texas Woman's University
and California State University at San Bernardino.
because the Spanish language functions differently from
English.
Currently "bridging" is available for teacher leaders in the
"Bridging" begins with a two-week initial training and then summer at Texas Woman's University. Interested parties can
continues for a full academic year. During those initial two
contact Yvonne Rodriguez for information about "bridging" or
weeks we explore issues related to language differences and why
to inquire about possible alternative sites for "bridging" in the
there may be slight variations of teaching procedures or differ-
future.
ences in sequencing. We also look at bilingual issues which
What are the requirements for DLL training as a
may impact the implementation of DLL. This is an important
aspect of the DLL training because many of our teacher lead-
trainer of teacher leaders?
ers/teachers will have different bilingual
programs in their
We see the importance of having the same requirements for
school districts and they need to be able to address relevant
DLL trainers as we have for English trainers. Teacher leader
issues. They could be working in a district where the language
course work is at the post master's level and, therefore, requires
policy is stated, but schools may implement that policy differ-
a trainer with a doctorate. The current use of a teacher leader
continued on next page
4
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
Fall 1997
NETWORK NEWS:
Descubriendo La Lectura: An Interview...
continued from previous page
At Texas Woman's University, we have been having an
specialist is a temporary one and must be approved by the
annual DLL professional development session, and that is not
North American Trainers Group and the DLL Standing
enough. This year we are going to attach a day to each English
Committee of Reading Recovery Council of North America. It
professional development session that will include behind-the-
is very important to build a cohort of DLL trainers who meet
glass sessions. It is important that teacher leaders also continue
the same criteria as trainers meet for Reading Recovery in
offerings in
to attend the English professional development
English.
their particular network.
How does "bridging" for teacher leaders differ from
What states have DLL sites?
"bridging" for teachers?
Currently 8 states have DLL teachers or teacher leaders or
"Bridging" for teacher leaders is more comprehensive
have DLL teachers or teacher leaders in training. These
because they will be dealing with training of teachers and
include Arizona, California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
implementation issues as well as teaching procedures.
Jersey (New York), Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington.
"Bridging" courses offered by University Training Centers pro-
vide this level of "bridging."
Does DLL have a booklist?
"Bridging" from English to Spanish or Spanish to English
Teacher leaders have access to a DLL booklist for the pur-
requires an additional year of training. This training requires
pose of DLL training.
university credit that reflects the type of training the teachers
are receiving during their "bridging" year.
Is there a bibliography of DLL professional reading?
We suggest a problem-solving conversation with your
The bibliography is also available through the DLL teacher
University Training Center to explore acceptable ways to
leaders. (See Publications and Products on p.14.)
"bridge" teachers. Currently, the DLL Collaborative is explor-
ing issues involved in acceptable and unacceptable "bridging"
Are there other issues that need to be addressed?
practices. Until standards and guidelines are formally proposed,
The DLL collaborative is very aware that we need certified
sites should work directly with their University Training
DLL trainers and we are pursuing that need as a top priority.
Centers to plan for "bridging" teachers.
The trainers will have the same requirements as an English
trainer plus they will have to be bilingual.
What does professional development look like for
DLL teacher leaders?
Yvonne Rodriguez is currently training as a trainer of teacher
Similar to professional development for all teacher leaders,
leaders for both English and Spanish at Texas Woman's University.
DLL professional development focuses on issues related to the-
Anyone interested in such training should contact Texas Woman's
ory, teaching, training, and implementation. Some DLL proce-
University.
dures are not as refined as others, such as text selection. Also,
there are fewer books available in Spanish in some levels
which makes text selection more difficult. Language differences
are particularly reflected in making and breaking and in writ-
ing; these differences are explored in professional development
sessions. Behind-the-glass sessions are needed to deal with lin-
guistic differences. Issues of implementation include the nature
of language use in the bilingual classroom in which the child is
placed.
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