Use Raz-Plus to Promote Dual Language Learning

Raz-Plus supports your students' literacy development through any dual language learning model your school follows. Our extensive collection of leveled resources, tools, and instructional materials provides everything teachers need to promote biliteracy, bilingual comprehension, vocabulary development, and key 21st century skills.

Assessments

Teachers can easily determine each student’s instructional reading levels in both English and Spanish using Benchmark Passages and Running Records. These leveled passages can be used as part of our three-part assessment process that begins with students reading a passage aloud, which the teacher scores with the accompanying running record. Retelling Rubrics and Comprehension Quick Check Quizzes complete the process and provide details about the student’s understanding and comprehension.

Small Group Instruction

Using the data from these assessments, the teacher can place students into similar-ability groups and provide developmentally appropriate books for each group to read. This allows students of both languages to practice reading at their individual instructional levels. Raz-Plus offers more than 1,000 leveled books in both English and Spanish that teachers can utilize for small-group reading instruction in both languages. Using Raz-Plus, the teacher can select leveled books based on language, theme, skill and/or level. The range of fiction and nonfiction text types ensure that teachers can find topics that appeal to their students while building their literacy skills in both Spanish and English. Once a book is selected, the teacher can print a copy of each book for each student, assign the book digitally for the student to read on a digital device, or both. The English Lesson Plan accompanying each leveled book provides a comprehensive plan for targeting a specific reading strategy and leading students through instruction, which can be used to support instruction for both languages.

The Spanish and English book collections are also accompanied by other resources that promote biliteracy.

• Practice Sheets and Graphic Organizers support comprehension and other foundational literacy skills. The Spanish language skill practice parallels English skill practice when appropriate or provides authentic, language-appropriate practice.
• Discussion Cards further support critical thinking, collaboration, and discussion with questions focused on higher-order thinking skills and text dependent questions.

Close Reading

As students develop biliteracy, they are also developing skills to think critically about the text they are reading. Close reading is critical analysis and evaluation of a given text. For students to be successful at close reading, they need multiple opportunities to practice and apply these skills with a variety of texts. Close Reading Packs in both English and Spanish provide teachers with a defined process that guides the students to think critically about a given text, communicate their findings with their small group, then collaborate to come up with a group answer to a Key Question. To extend learning, many passages are connected to leveled books at a similar reading level in either English or Spanish. Students can then apply close reading strategies in different texts and text formats.

Home-to-School Connection

Technology provides a variety of ways for students to build literacy skills in the classroom and in their home environment. With the Kids A-Z online student portal and mobile app, students have access to the entire library of English and Spanish books and resources, as well as audio books, interactive tools, and built-in awards and incentives. Parents also have online access to view their child’s activity and send encouraging messages. With online access for both students and parents, the home-to-school connection is enhanced, as parents have opportunities to learn about what their child is learning at school. For homework, teachers can have students practice their leveled books from small group instruction, create personalized learning experiences by assigning appropriate texts in English or Spanish for reading at home, and send notes to the students to read at home to encourage dual language learning away from the classroom.

However you approach dual language learning in your classroom, the assessments, books, tools, and other resources delivered by Raz-Plus can be used to effectively support your students as they develop literacy, biliteracy, and bilingual comprehension, along with many other important 21st century skills. Every day, your classroom can be a place that actively promotes dual language learning, simply by making the most of the resources that are included with a Raz-Plus subscription.