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OVERVIEW
In our first year of operation, 83% of our students will be English
Language Learners and we will have six primary languages represented
within our student population: Spanish, English, Tagalog, Vietnamese,
Cantonese, and Mien.
As we work to develop English proficiency in our students, support
the home language development, and teach Spanish to all of our
students beginning in 6th grade, we believe that students come
to school with a great deal of linguistic resources that are found
in the home and we work to build upon these resources. We also
recognize that these language resources may not be in English,
the language of instruction at LCCS, and that English language
skills are essential for success in our current world.
In order to support our students’ English Language Development
and enable students to continue to develop the language resources
they come to school with, we have developed a language development
program at LCCS that supports both Academic English development
and Home Language Development. The purpose of this Language Development
program is twofold; 1) to provide students with the skills necessary
to speak, and 2) to listen, read and write in English and to allow
students to either acquire a second language or develop their
first. English Language development, in all the domains, is a
focus of our literacy instruction. Home Language support is provided
in the primary grades through our Home Language program. While
one goal is to develop student’s academic language in their
home language, the other goal is to encourage intergenerational
language use in our families and school community. We also know
that students are more successful in acquiring a second language
if they can build upon their language skills in their primary
language. In the secondary grades students also begin instruction
in Spanish. For some students this will be a second or even third
language and for others it is an opportunity to continue to develop
their Spanish language skills. We assume bilingualism to be an
asset and strive to build on the language skills students bring
in order to reach that goal.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The Language Development Program at Lighthouse has been develop
to meet three goals:
- To provide excellent English instruction and instruction
in English to all of our students
- To provide students the opportunity to develop fluency
in a language other then English (Spanish)
- To provide home language support for students as they are
acquiring Academic English
Our Language Development objectives are as follows:
- All students at LCCS receive excellent instruction in Academic
English. Recognizing that all faculty are teachers of English,
content area teachers also use research based ESL teaching strategies
(such as SDAIE and CALLA) in order to incorporate English Language
development into their content areas.
- The LCCS literacy program was developed to support the
needs of a linguistically diverse student population.
- Lighthouse primary grade students (K – 5) receive
content rich academic instruction in their home languages for
an hour a day. The content will complement or extend the content
of the regular classroom program. Primary grade students whose
home language is English in the K-1 loop use this time to further
develop Academic Oral English.
- Lighthouse primary grade students (K – 5) also have
the opportunity to take Spanish classes as part of the after
school program.
- Lighthouse secondary grade students (6 – 12) are required
to take Spanish as an academic subject and must meet Spanish
graduation standards in order to graduate from LCCS. For many
of our students this is continuing to build upon their home
language and for others, it is a new language.
- Lighthouse parents have the opportunity to help their children
develop academic skills in their home languages. Teachers work
with parents to provide home extension activities. Family Literacy
and Family Math programs also facilitate this home extension.
- Lighthouse parents who wish to develop their language skills
may take English Classes at a school site offered through our
Family Resource Center. In the future, we also hope to offer
Spanish as a Second Language to our English only speaking families.
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