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Reflection:

    As I am constantly stumbling upon literature that supports my research I often find myself analyzing not only the validity of the information but also how it applies to my current teaching situation.  I have recently found valuable information withing the Harvard Education Letter Spotlight Series,  Teaching Immigrant and Second-Language Students that I hope to share with the parents of all of my students. Wiltz (2004) states the following:

BENEFITS OF DUAL-LANGUAGE CLASSES

In promoting English-language learning, AVANCE emphasizes a dual-language approach so that Spanish speaers develop skills in their native language and in English. "We support the bilingual philosophy," says Mathur. "But someties people think of literacy as only English literacy. I think that's narrow. Research has shown that children who develop a high level of literacy in their home language are subsequently more adept at transferring that literacy to English."

This approach is especially helpful in fostering home school connections with immigrant families. Immigrant students often grow up in a split world, encountering a vastly different culture at school than they do at home. If they are foreigners in English-only classes at school, they may also begin to feel estranged at home, where their culture and language are different from what they encounter each day at school.

     This research provides support to one of the current topics of discussion among the parents at Teton Literacy Center, which is the dual immersion program. When students enter into kindergarten within the public school district they have the option to enroll their child in the dual program. However,  because it is a highly sought after program a lottery is used to determine who will be able to participate in the program.  
     The common point I find myself, along with my co-teacher attempting to convey to parents is the importance of continuing to support their child's native language at home. The passage above not only describes the benefits of developing their native language but it also talks about the importance of helping their child to maintain a connection to their own language and culture.

Reference
Harvard Education Publishing Group, 8 Story Street, Cambridge, MA 02138.