Fountas & Pinnell Resources in Spanish

When it comes to literacy education, I consider Irene Fountas, Gay Su Pinnell, and Lucy Calkins as close to gods as it comes.  I've devoured everything I can get my hands on by them and just wish I had the money to get it all!

I am a strong believer that guided reading and, for some readers who struggle significantly--small group and one on one reading interventions, are KEY to reading achievement in any elementary classroom.  While most of F&P's resources are in English and are geared to English literacy, much can be applied to Spanish literacy in many areas (Spanish is especially unique when it comes to phonological awareness, phonics & the alphabetic principle, etc).  You can imagine my excitement when a few minutes ago I stumbled on a few Spanish F&P resources that are or soon will be available.  The first is a prompting guide for literacy instruction--a flip chart that can be used throughout the literacy block, providing teachers will precise language to use that will help enhance reading and writing instruction.  You can order it here.

I also saw on F&P's blog that they are developing a Spanish version of the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System 1.  Unfortunately they don't yet know if they'll actually develop LLI (Leveled Literacy Intervention) in Spanish--I'm crossing my fingers they eventually do as it is a powerful English reading intervention.  Good news for teachers in grades 3 - 8....they are developing LLI for the upper grades (in English).   For those schools with a lot of money to invest in the ultimate one on one reading intervention, Reading Recovery (English) and Descubriendo la Lectura (Spanish) are as good as it gets.

ELLs & Special Education

One of the most challenging and pressing issues we face as bilingual educators committed to helping every ELL be as successful as they possible can is that of how to best serve English Language Learners with learning disabilities.  Whenever I reflect on this topic I think about my sweet third grade student Miguel (name changed) who was learning English as a second language, was a year older than his peers and yet grade levels behind, was placed in Special Ed due to a severe learning disability that evidenced itself most fully in reading and writing, and came from an incredibly impoverished single parent home.  This little boy faced a number of challenges, and though I worked very hard to understand his learning disability and to understand how his language needs, learning needs, and social-emotional needs were alike, different, etc, I still reflect on my two years teaching Miguel and feel like there was so much more I could have done.

I also think of Kaylee, Jose, and several other students I've taught who were English Language Learners and learning disabled.   Some I taught while in a 50/50 or 90/10 dual immersion setting, others in an English immersion environment.  All struggled tremendously--mostly because I wasn't very well equipped to meet their unique needs.  As committed bilingual educators, the more we can learn about serving our special needs ELLs, the higher the chances they'll be able to reach their full academic potential.

Check out this video webcast with Dr. Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan who discusses effective assessment and instructional strategies for English Language Learners with disabilities.  Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan developed the Esperanza Spanish reading and writing program and runs a bilingual speech pathology center down here in Brownsville.



The resources about ELLs and Special Ed are few and far between.  I have reached out to Francisco Najera with a question or two before--he is the faculty director of the Bank Street College of Education's program in Dual Language/Bilingual Special Education.  George Washington University's website reports that there are only eight graduate programs in the country "that prepare educators to meet the cultural, language, social and learning needs of a growing number of culturally and linguistically diverse, and/or exceptional students." 

Here are a few more resources I've stumbled upon:

• Bilingual Special Ed, ERIC digest
• Blog: Effective Practices in Bilingualism & Special Ed
• Bilingual Students with Disabilities get Special Help: How a school in NV does it
• Book:  The Bilingual Special Education Interface
• MA's SIG for Bilingual Special Education (also scroll down for links to add'l resources)
• Bilingual Special Education resources for purchase
• ELLs with Special Needs: Effective Instructional Strategies (CAL Digest)
• Empowering Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Students with Learning Problems (by Jim Cummins; ERIC Digest)  This digest is based on A Theoretical Framework for Bilingual Special Education by Jim Cummins (Exceptional Children, October 9, Vol. 56, No. 2, pp. 111-119. EJ 399079). 

Spanish Intervention Resources

Here are some more Spanish and bilingual resources for additional support, reteach, and intervention.  Most are from PSJA's website--good stuff!

Download handbook for Struggling Spanish Readers
Download PowerPoint about differences between Spanish & English literacy (by Kathy Escamilla)
Download presentation about Teaching Spanish Literacy in the U.S. (from the Illinois Resource Center)
Download Article: Selecting Materials to Teach Spanish to Spanish Speakers

LEER MAS I: ACTIVIDADES
Grupo A Apéndice
Grupo A Lenguaje Oral
Grupo B Apéndice
Grupo B Conocimiento Fonológico
Grupo C Apéndice
Grupo C Conocimiento de la letra impresa
Grupo D Apéndice 1
Grupo D Apéndice 2
Grupo D Apéndice 3
Grupo D Relación entre las letras y sonidos
Grupo E Apéndice
Grupo E Fluidez
Grupo F Apéndice
Grupo F Comprensión
Grupo G Apéndice
Grupo G Expresión escrita

SCIENCE IN SPANISH
TAKS 1 Review Science Spanish 
TAKS 2 Review Science Spanish 
TAKS 3 Review Science Spanish  
TAKS 4 Review Science Spanish  

ABC BOOKS (Great for PK & K Teachers)
ABC Book English (Block)
ABC Book English (D'Nealian)
ABC Book Spanish (Block)
ABC Book Spanish (D'Nealian)
ABC Game Spanish