CA World Language Reading Challenge Overview

What:

In collaboration with the California Department of Education (CDE), the California Language Teachers Association (CLTA) Underrepresented Language (UL) Special Interest Group (SIG) invites you to participate in the World Language Reading Challenge through reading various authentic texts in the target language.

Who:

All California preschool through grade 12 (P–12) world language and multilingual programs.

When:

National World Language Week

Where:

At the school site with students enrolled in world language or multilingual programs.

Goals:

• To provide language and multilingual programs with recognition from the CDE for encouraging students to improve literacy by reading in the target language
• To celebrate the achievement of the students
• To celebrate the success of the school’s world language or multilingual program
• To celebrate student success
• To engage with authentic materials in the target language
• To discover cross-cultural connections
• To promote community building in the classroom and beyond
• To encourage cross-cultural interactions across language programs at the school site
• To increase students’ motivation to learn the target language
• To create a positive attitude toward the language and culture
• To have fun reading
• To promote literacy fluency
• To put the World Languages Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten through Grade Twelve (PDF) into action

California World Languages Reading Challenge Guidelines and Suggestions

Before the Challenge:

Participating world language departments and multilingual programs and/or teachers will:

• Create parameters for the challenge
  • How much does the student need to participate to receive recognition? You know your students, so the parameters you set should meet them at their level.
  • Students can read any of the following through hardcopy or digital print media in the target language at their level:
    • Books
    • Short stories
    • Letters
    • Song lyrics
    • Poems
    • Cartoons or comic strips
    • Newspaper articles
    • Advertisements
    • Other (For example, movies scripts)
• Decide when and where students will read for the challenge (For example, in class, at home, in groups, individually, how much time per week is expected).
• Create a reading log (reading tracker) (Please note, models and samples are available in the toolkit provided on the CDE World Language Reading Challenge web page “Toolkit and Forms” tab).
• Connect with your local librarian (school and/or community).
• Have books in the target language available for students to borrow.
• Have books in the target language available in all levels (novice to native speaker).
• Create a system for borrowing books (how many per student and for how long).
• Have a system to track the books that are borrowed/checked out (doubles as data for review after the project).
• Share the reading challenge information with the school community and with the parents (For example, in newsletters, department monthly bulletins, social media, etc.).
• If there is not a library at the school, designate a place on campus for students to go to find books and another for promoting the challenge.
• Create a schedule for when students can borrow books (For example, during lunch, recess, after school dismissal. Additionally, you can create a pass for students to come to the library during flex time, choice time, or passing periods).

During the Challenge

• If applicable, visit the classrooms and go over expectations.
• Keep track of the students’ reading log (reading tracker).
• Choose a manner for giving positive reinforcement and celebrating students daily during the challenge (For example, announcements over the loudspeaker, shoutouts during class, updates to the parents at the end of each day, etc.).
• Update the space on campus where you are promoting the challenge with shoutouts.

Post-Challenge

• Create space and time for the students to share out what they learned through reading (For example, create a game or share circle).
• Celebrate students for their participation and achievements.
• Complete the online CDE World Language Reading Challenge Participation Form. When you submit this form, you will be sent the certificate template via email.
• Let the principal and school and district administration know about the students’ achievements so the students receive extra acknowledgement.
• Review the data gathered during the challenge to look for ways to improve for next year. What went well and what should be done differently?
• Send your feedback to the CLTA UL SIG by email at ulsig@clta.net so the UL SIG can share your students’ achievements and add more suggestions for ways teachers can participate and provide fun ideas for implementation.

Suggestions

• Strong students are paired as mentors to motivate students who need extra encouragement and support from their peers.
• Create library cards and organize it by class (Please note, a free template is available in the toolkit provided on the CDE World Language Reading Challenge web page “Toolkit and Forms” tab).
• Use stamps or stickers.
• Use fun themes that will appeal to your students (For example, passports, Candyland pathway, school mascot images, Monopoly, etc.).
• Have low-key prizes (For example, bookmarks, stickers, candy, in-class incentives, phone calls home, in-class privileges, recognition on campus and by administration, etc.).
• Toolkit: Available on the CDE World Language Reading Challenge web page “Toolkit and Forms” tab.
  • The UL SIG provides sample visuals and suggestions for teachers:
    • Reading Passport: get a stamp for each text that is read
    • Book check out sheet
    • Online text resources for teachers
  • The UL SIG partnered with the CDE to create certificate templates to be downloaded by teachers. These templates will be sent via email when you submit the online CDE World Language Reading Challenge Participation Form.

Ideas to incentivize reading in the target language:

• Promote the event prior to and during the week.
• Students select a book, write their name on a poster, and a sticker is placed on the poster for each book they read.
• Stickers are awarded for each grade level.
• At the end of the week, stickers are tallied and the students who read the most for each grade level receive special prizes.