Biliteracy Research Initiative
Overview
To fulfill its mission of understanding and improving the achievement
of California's growing linguistic minority population, the UC
LMRI Faculty Steering Committee agreed to support longitudinal studies of biliteracy development.
UC LMRI's efforts from 2004-08 focused on five biliteracy research activities (described below).
While it is clearly important for linguistic minority students to develop proficiency
in English literacy, native language proficiency may help contribute to that
end by developing skills that transfer from one language to another (See
August,
Calderón, and Carlo, 2002 (PDF);
Slavin
and Cheung, 2004 (PDF)). Moreover, biliteracy itself may enhance the economic
and social opportunities for all students.
Developing a Statewide Longitudinal Study of English Language Learners
The first activity was to fund a series of studies on methodological
issues related to the development of a statewide longitudinal study of English
language learners in California known as the California Study of English Language Learners (CSELL).
This activity was initiated by the UC
LMRI Faculty Steering Committee in 2000. A series of projects was proposed for CSELL, some of which were completed, and others were not.
CSELL Summary of Activities (Word doc)
Creating a Network of Biliteracy Researchers
The second activity was to create a community of researchers
engaged in longitudinal studies of biliteracy development. In 2004, UC LMRI initiated this activity with the first Research Forum on Biliteracy Development. UC LMRI has convened a Forum annually in January of each year since then.
Developing a Database of Research Literature on Biliteracy Development
The third activity was to develop and maintain an interactive
database of theoretical, conceptual, and empirical research literature on
biliteracy development.
An annotated
bibliography (PDF) is currently available.
Creating an Inventory
of Instruments for Biliteracy Research
The fourth activity was to create an inventory of research
instruments that can be used to conduct research studies on biliteracy development
and to facilitate comparisons among studies.
Inventory of Instruments for Biliteracy Research:
-
Products
from project: Development of Literacy for Spanish Speakers
(DeLSS)
- DeLLS Tests of reading skills (English and Spanish versions)
- Demographic questionnaire (not yet available)
- Products from project: La
Patera
- Phonological Awareness Tests (English and Spanish versions)
- Family Survey-A family survey
of demographic information, language practices, literacy practices, collaborative
literacy practices in the home, and parental biliteracy (English and Spanish
versions).
- Home Visit Interview-Interview
questions designed expand information obtained from Family Survey (English
and Spanish versions).
- Parent Reading Beliefs Inventory-Revision
of DeBaryshe (1990) instrument to measure parents' beliefs about reading
aloud to preschool-age children.
- Storybook Reading Video-Describes
the importance of reading to children at home and displays a series of
reading interactions between parents and their children as examples of
specified reading strategies.
- Information from Southwest Educational Development
Laboratory (SEDL)
North State Biliteracy Consortium
Finally, a network of Northern California schools met quarterly
under the auspices of the UC LMRI Education Policy Center at UC Davis
in order to share information on research, policy, and practice on biliteracy
programs.
Ongoing Biliteracy Research Studies
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