Translanguaging: The Key to Comprehension for Spanish-Speaking Students and Their Peers

Translanguaging: The Key to Comprehension for Spanish-speaking Students and Their Peers is a teacher’s guide for effective vocabulary and comprehension instruction in the translanguaging classroom. Translanguaging is a new approach that incorporates students’ languages and cultures with the goal of strengthening academic achievement. This book focuses on Spanish-speaking emergent bilingual learners, as they constitute over 70% of the English learners in American schools. Also included are activities designed for students who speak only English or languages other than Spanish. We provide teachers with practical tools for achieving translanguaging goals through a method called Cognate Strategy Instruction (CSI). The goal is to teach upper elementary and secondary students to unlock academic texts and meet Common Core Standards. This approach has been classroom-tested and validated by research in English immersion and bilingual classroom settings. This book includes detailed vignettes and over 30 lessons plans, demonstrating how to purposefully plan and deliver translanguaging instruction. Also provided are student texts, games, and assessments – all of the materials needed for a complete instructional program.

Table of Contents:
Dedication Foreword Robert Jimenez (Vanderbilt University) Chapter 1. Introducing Four Big Ideas for this Book First Big Idea: Translanguaging Second Big Idea: Unlocking – The Key to Comprehension Third Big Idea: A Focus on Spanish-Speaking Emergent Bilingual Students and Their Peers Fourth Big Idea: The Importance of Teachers in this Process Layout of the Book Other Resources Chapter 2. An Overview of Cognates and the Translanguaging Classroom Part 1: Background Information for Teachers Part 2: Cognate Patterns and Clusters Chapter 3. Translanguaging in Action: Getting Started with Cognate Strategy Instruction Part 1. Information for Teachers Are False Cognates Really such a Big Problem? Is it True that Bilingual Students Do No Know Academic Words in Either Spanish or English? Can Non-Spanish-Speaking Teachers Teach Cognates? Can Bilingual Students Who Are Not Literate in Spanish Recognize Cognates? Part 2. General Cognate Instruction An Overview of Cognate Strategy Instuction (CSI) in the Classroom The Cognate Lesson Matrix Lesson 1. Introduction to Cognates Lesson 2. Cognates are Everywhere! Lesson 3. Introducing Cognate Clusters/Patterns The Cognate Word Wall Cognate Dictionary Home-School Connection Part 3. Exploring Cognate Clusters and Patterns Lesson 4. Contrastive Analysis Lesson 5. Cognate Raps Lesson 6. Cognate Strategy Instruction Chapter 4. Exploring Cognate Clusters and Patterns Part 1.Information for Teachers Orthographic Transparency Phonological Transparency Vowel Pronunciation in Spanish and English Structural Difference between Spanish and English Cognate Pattern Instructional Guidelines Part 2. Exploring Cognate Patterns The SAME Cluster Lesson 7. SAME Cluster Cognates: Focus on Pronunciation Lesson 8. SAME Cluster Pronunciation Continuum Lesson 9. Text-based Lesson with SAME Cluster Cognates The ADD/Change Cluster Lesson 10. Introducing ADD/CHANGE Cluster Cognates Lesson 11. Finding and Sorting ADD Vowel Pattern Cognates Lesson 12. Working with ADD/Change Pattern Cognates Lesson 13. ADD/CHANGE Spelling Continuum Lesson 14. CLOZE Activity with ADD/CHANGE Cluster Cognates Lesson 15. ADD/CHANGE Cluster Review Lesson 16. Writing Immigrant Stories Chapter 5: Exploring Complex Cognate Patterns and Partial and False Cognates Part 1. Information for Teachers Verb Cluster Instruction-Information for Teachers Verb Cluster Instruction Lesson 16. Introduction to Verbs Lesson 17. Working with Verbs: A Focus on Infinitives Lesson 18. Past Participles Lesson 19. Past Participles and Infinitives Part 2. Words that Begin with ES: ES Pattern/Cluster Information for Teachers Lesson 20. Cognates that Begin with ES. Part 3. OTHER Cluster Cognate Instruction Lesson 21. Working with OTHER Cluster Cognates Part 4. Teaching Students to Work with Partial and False Cognates Information for Teachers Partial and False Cognate Instruction Lesson 22. Partial Cognates and False Friends Chapter 6. Putting it all Together Part 1. Reviewing Cognates from a Variety of Clusters Lesson 23. Cognate Review-All Patterns Lesson 24. Cognate Review with CLOZE Lesson 25. Cognate Review for Reading Comprehension Part 2. Academic Language Development: Unlocking Instruction Based on the Academic Word List (AWL) The Academic Word List (AWL) Scope and Sequence of Academic Language Development Instruction AWL Lessons: Word Parts and Word Families Lesson 26. Introducting Word Parts and Word Families Lesson 27. Word Family Cognates Ending in ION Lesson 28. Word Families: Cognates in Textbooks Lesson 29. Using Cognates to Unlock Texts and to Foster Reading Comprehension Lesson 30. Using Cognates to Unlock Complex Texts and to Foster Reading Comprehension Part 3. Games that Reinforce Instruction Concentration Go Fish! War Around the World (Using Cognate Flash Cards) Bingo AWL Family Feud V-Tweets VSS+ Additional Electronic Resources Chapter 7: Managing the Translanguaging Classroom Part 1. Meeting the Needs of ALL Students in the Classroom The Translanguaging Classroom: Melting Pot or Salad Bowl? Building a Translanguaging Classroom Adapting Cognate Lessons for Students who Speak only English or Languages Other than Spanish Translanguaging Activity 1: Map of Our World Translanguaging Activity 2: Flags of Many Nations Translanguaging Activity 3: Greetings Translanguaging Activity 4: Name Day Translanguaging Activity 5: E Pluribus Unum Grouping Students for Instruction Cooperative Groups Translanguaging with a Partner Scope and Sequence Part 2. Unlocking texts and Translanguaging Across the Curriculum Translanguaging Methods Across the Curriculum Lesson: Unlocking Social Studies Texts Lesson: Unlocking Science Texts Lesson: Unlocking Math Texts Why Unlocking Words in Literature is So Difficult Part 3. Assessments Cognate Identification Test Cognates in Context Test Multiple Choice Comprehension Test CLOZE Comprehension Test Vocabulary Test Part 4. A Final Word to Teachers References Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C

About the Author :
Shira Lubliner has been an educator for over 40 years. She is a professor of teacher education at California State University East Bay and is the author of numerous books and articles on literacy. Dana L. Grisham is retired Professor from the California State University who has worked in teacher preparation for over 25 years. She currently edits Reading and Writing Quarterly. She has published over 80 professional publications in the area of literacy instruction, technology, and action research.

Review :
Understanding and incorporating the assets Spanish-speaking emergent bilingual learners possess into classroom instruction is essential to their success. This book is a timely, accessible guide that will build on teachers’ skills repertoire in reading. It is a must-have! Translanguaging: The Key to Comprehension for Spanish Speaking Students and Their Peers is a must havefor districts and teachers serving English language leaners and dual immersion students. Lubliner and Grisham provide culturally relevant scenarios, techniques that are actionable and an effective approach to maximizing the potential of language learning students. After years of being without an effective and comprehensive curriculum for ELD instruction, this book has been a saving grace. I have used the cognate methods with various groups of students ranging from Spanish-only speaking newcomers to native English speaking dual language students within the same classroom and across different subject areas. I have found that starting the school year with the book's lessons on cognate instruction fosters a sense on inclusivity among both Spanish and English language learners and serves as a bridge to both languages throughout the school year. I have found that the progression of lessons in the book have made learning a language feel less daunting for students, fosters a sense on inclusivity and serves as a bridge to both languages not just in school but in their daily lives outside of school as well. The strategies throughout the book empower students to take risks as language learners and become teachers of their native languages.