Biliteracy Pathway Recognitions: Development

California Biliteracy Pathway Recognitions:

Home Language Development Recognition

California Department of Education
Multilingual Support Division

Program Overview

For an overview of the Biliteracy Pathway Recognition Program, including information on purpose, equity, recognitions offered, multilingual programs, logistical information, and terminology, please visit the Biliteracy Pathway Program Overview web page.

Home Language Development Recognition Overview

The Home Language Development Recognition may be awarded to any student who is continuing to develop the home language outside of school. This recognition may be awarded to any student with a home language other than or in addition to English including newcomers, English learners at all levels of proficiency, reclassified students, or initially fluent English proficient students.

The parent, guardian, or caregiver may certify that the student is continuing to develop the home language at home or in a program outside of school. This certification could take place through a survey provided to parents, during a conference with a teacher or counselor, or during a home visit, for example. How to certify that the student is continuing to develop the home language is a local decision.

Discussing this recognition with parents, guardians, or caregivers can provide school personnel with an opportunity to share the benefits of biliteracy with families and to frame the home language as an asset. For more information about the benefits of multilingualism, see the US Department of Education Office of English Language Acquisition Benefits of Multilingualism Infographic (PDF).

Information about this recognition could be shared at back to school nights, open houses, school events, parent teacher conferences, English Learner Advisory Committee meetings, and home visits.

Preschool Home Language Development Recognition

The Preschool Home Language Development Recognition may be awarded to a preschool student who is provided with opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language. The parent, guardian, or caregiver of the student completing this grade level certifies that:

The student has had exposure to and opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language demonstrated through:

• Regularly participating in age-appropriate activities in the home language that include listening and speaking (or signing and interpreting signed language for American Sign Language [ASL]) and early literacy in the home language. For examples of activities that cover each of these modalities, see the “Examples of Activities to Develop and/or Maintain the Home Language” section below.

Kindergarten Home Language Development Recognition

The Kindergarten Biliteracy Pathway Recognition may be awarded to a kindergarten student who is provided with opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language. The parent, guardian, or caregiver of the student completing this grade level certifies that:

The student has had exposure to and opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language demonstrated through:

• Regularly participating in age appropriate activities in the home language that including reading, writing, listening, and speaking (or all of the modalities that exist in the language, including signing and interpreting signed language for ASL) in the home language. For examples of activities that cover each of these modalities, see the “Examples of Activities to Develop and/or Maintain the Home Language” section below.

Elementary Home Language Development Recognition

The Elementary Biliteracy Pathway Recognition may be awarded to an elementary student who is provided with opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language. The parent, guardian, or caregiver of the student completing this grade level certifies that:

The student has had exposure to and opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language demonstrated through:

• Regularly participating in age appropriate activities in the home language that including reading, writing, listening, and speaking (or all of the modalities that exist in the language, including signing and interpreting signed language for ASL) in the home language. For examples of activities that cover each of these modalities, see the “Examples of Activities to Develop and/or Maintain the Home Language” section below.

Middle School Home Language Development Recognition

The Middle School Home Language Development Recognition may be awarded to a middle school student who is provided with opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language. The parent, guardian, or caregiver of the student completing this grade level certifies that:

The student has had exposure to and opportunities to maintain and/or develop the home language demonstrated through:

• Regularly participating in age appropriate activities in the home language that including reading, writing, listening and speaking (or all of the modalities that exist in the language, including signing and interpreting signed language for ASL) in the home language. For examples of activities that cover each of these modalities, see the “Examples of Activities to Develop and/or Maintain the Home Language” section below.

Examples of Activities to Develop and/or Maintain the Home Language

The activities listed below for each modality of communication are ideas only and activities that may help students develop biliteracy are not limited to these activities. If a language does not include all of these modalities of communication, select those that exist in the language or adapt these so they are appropriate to and inclusive of all languages including ASL, indigenous languages, and languages that do not include a written system.

• Reading and Early Literacy:
  • For younger children: Reading or being read an age-appropriate story or nonfiction text with a caregiver in the home language. Recognizing letters or characters in the home language with a caregiver. Recognizing or sounding out words or characters in the home language. Playing rhyming, alphabet, or letter/character games in the home language, etc.
  • For older children: Reading an age-appropriate book (fiction or nonfiction), story, comic, recipe, magazine, or other text in the home language, including reading to a younger child in the home language, etc.
• Writing and Early Literacy:
  • For younger children: Using a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to tell a story or describe something in the home language. Practicing writing letters or characters in the home language or writing simple words in the home language with a caregiver, etc.
  • For older children: Writing a story, poem, or letter in the home language, keeping a journal in the home language, etc.
• Listening:
  • For younger children: Learning a new skill from a caregiver who is speaking the home language, listening to a story in the home language, playing a game that includes listening in the home language, etc.
  • For older children: Learning a new skill from a caregiver who is speaking the home language; listening to a story in the home language; interviewing an older relative in the home language; listening to the radio, a movie, or television program in the home language and discussing it afterwards; listening to a speech or sermon in the home language; etc.
• Speaking:
  • For younger children: Asking and answering questions while helping a caregiver make a meal or while playing with a sibling, pointing out and naming objects in the home language, talking about a story with a caregiver in the home language, singing songs in the home language, playing games or doing puzzles in the home language, etc.
  • For older children: Teaching a sibling a game in the home language, telling a story in the home language, explaining what they learned in school that day in the home language, talking on the phone with a relative in the home language, interviewing an older relative in the home language, etc.

Additional Resources for Developing Biliteracy at Home:

• The First 5 California Everyday Opportunities for Speech, Language, and Literacy Development web page provides tips for parents on how to build literacy skills in young children. This page can be viewed in English or Spanish.
• The First 5 California Multiple Languages in the Home, Benefits and Myths web page explains the benefits of learning two or more languages at home and provides tips on how to expand dual language skills. This page can be viewed in English or Spanish.
• The U.S. Department of Education Early Learning: Talk, Read, and Sing! web page includes fact sheets on the benefits of bilingualism, tips for parents of young children, and other resources in English and Spanish.
• The ¡Colorín, Colorado! For Families web page includes resources and tips for parents including information on helping children learn to read and on raising bilingual kids, among other topics. This page can be viewed in English or Spanish.

Note

The criteria above are guidance and may be adapted for all grade levels as established by the school district or county office of education.