Teachers in two bilingual Spanish-immersion kindergarten classrooms structured opening activities to ensure comprehension and participation of children with little or no knowledge of Spanish. Classroom routines are analyzed in terms of scaffolding provided, focusing on specific communication strategies, teacher and peer modeling of Spanish usage,…

Students in a grade 2-3, two-way bilingual classroom increased their understanding of scientific practice through a model-based methodology for science instruction. Students collaborated with peers and teachers to create computer models, construct physical models, and talk about their models in the classroom. Aspects of second language usage in…

A participatory research project examined the transformative process that a first-grade two-way Spanish immersion classroom underwent to build a community of learners. Drawing on a critical pedagogy framework, the teacher provided daily opportunities to engage young students in dialogue to develop their voices and created a literacy-rich…