Abstract
Two-Way Immersion language programs are growing nearly as fast as the number of emergent bilingual students in our public schools. The reason for this growth is due to the abundance of research that shows that Two-Way Immersion programs have the best outcomes for the English Learners (Williams et al., 2023). And yet, this program’s promise is often not the reality for students who enter these programs without a strong foundation in their language. Students who enter first grade without the cognitive, oral language, or foundational reading skills necessary to begin formal reading instruction in either Spanish or English begin their literacy journey at a disadvantage. As academic demands increase these students may be continually caught in intervention cycles. This project recommends a response to this problem through a Bilingual Intervention Protocol with research-backed interventions in the areas of cognitive development, oral language, and foundational literacy. Within a translanguaging framework, the protocol focuses on early intervention in kindergarten to prepare students to successfully begin formal reading instruction in first grade.
The Bilingual Intervention Protocol is based on research that highlights the importance of early intervention and the use of best practices in the areas of cognitive development, oral language, and foundational reading skills to help prevent long-term reading difficulties for bilingual students. The value of implementing early interventions during this critical window not only strengthens language and literacy foundations but also boosts students' confidence and motivation as they enter a rigorous dual-language environment. The research underscored the complementary nature of cognitive, oral language and foundational skills interventions best practices. Key patterns emerged from the protocol’s research, highlighting the fluidity of bilingualism and the importance of learning through play. The Bilingual Intervention Protocol offers accessible and easy to implement intervention strategies that target kindergarten students’ specific cognitive, oral language and foundational skills. This protocol includes resources that guide educators and families to observe their bilingual students’ language and literacy needs, develop a goal, implement intervention and monitor progress. Through the Bilingual Intervention Protocol the promise of a Two-Way program can become accessible to all.