I observed and interacted with teachers and families during the spring show, put on by our daycare. This show had multi language performances. There was English and Spanish singing, dancing, poems read and a play. The programs were in Spanish and English. The programs also had each song, poem and play typed out for everyone to be able to follow along. Leading up to the spring show I observed and interacted with children ages 2 to 6 years old, teachers and families. The families came in to see how each room was doing with their performances before the show to be shown how to help their children practice at home. Whether it was singing, dancing, reading, or participating in the play. We explained to the families the show programs being in English and Spanish for every family to be able to understand and help their children at home. This was our way of getting the parents involved and feel comfortable doing it. Our school consist of both English and Spanish speaking families. We also have many teachers that speak both languages to encourage all families to feel comfortable enough to participate in the spring show to help their children practice at home.
I observed teachers in pre-K going over the spring show in English and Spanish with parents and children. This way they could help the children read, sing and dance at home with the appropriate resources. This empowered them to help the children at home by helping the families at school.
I thought it was very thoughtful to include all of the spring show in English and Spanish for all to be able to participate and not be left out. This was my first insight. Another insight was seeing the looks of success on the children, families and teachers faces as the children performed the show. This was encouragement to get the parents more involved with other projects and homework at home as well as at school. My advocacy efforts and needs in this module was meet due to all the support the families gave.
Hi Marcia.
ReplyDeleteI like how the program was set up in English and Spanish. This is a great way to get all families together so they can be involved in the child's school life too.
It is truly important to include people who speak different languages. If parents do not speak English and all they get is information in English then they will never know what is going on. I regret never learning another language because that has been a barrier for me when working with Spanish speaking families. I had an interpreter but it isn't the same as being able to communicate with them myself. Children who speak English and are exposed to Spanish speaking children benefit by learning words of a different language. I have a student who is Vietnamese and he sang a solo at our graduation celebration in both English and Vietnamese. The parents of the boy were very proud and all of the other families loved it as well. We have to embrace all of the children's uniqueness and differences and include families who speak another language than our own. It sounds like the daycare you were at did a great job of doing that.
ReplyDeleteIs this program a bilingual program? I think it's great that they are doing the program in English and Spanish however are there other children in the classroom that do not speak English or Spanish? What are they doing for those children?
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