Judy G. Reinhartz - Growing Language Through Science, K-5: Strategies That Work

Strategies That Work

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ISBN: 978-1-4833-5831-4

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Growing Language Through Science, K5: Strategies That Work is anexcellent and much-needed resource for all teachers of language learners in thescience classroom. Too often, students whose first language is not English aretaken out of the science classroom for additional tutoring with the idea thatscience is too difficult for them, thus depriving them of a science contentbackground that might lead to future careers in science and technology. On amore global scale, such actions rob our nation and society of the contributionsthat these individuals may make in the future in science and related fields. Itis past time to take action to ensure that all of our young people receive asolid foundation in science, not only for future careers, but to contributeintelligently to our society. To fail to do so is to fail our youth, our nation,and our future.

Growing Language Through Science, K5: Strategies That Work focuses on thecodevelopment of science and language learning in grades K5. With theimplementation of the Common Core State Standards and the Next GenerationScience Standards, this book provides a rich resource for school systems,districts, and teachers to help students in learning both science and language.The NGSS were developed for the purpose of providing all students aninternationally benchmarked science education. This includes the thousands ofstudents in our classrooms who are English learners. The book affords a teachera way to accomplish this goal and to develop and supplement an outstandingscience program in their own classroom through exercises, investigations, games,ideas, and other activities. All of these are based on the way students learnscience effectively. The NGSS includes critical thinking and communicationskills that students need for postsecondary success and citizenship in a worldfueled by innovations in science and technology. The NGSS integrates thesepractices with the science content. This book provides a practical approach for K5 teachers toaccomplish the goals of the NGSS and to facilitate language learnersunderstanding and practice of these skills.

Up until recently, with the arrival of the NGSS and the Common Cores emphasis onstudents reading texts in science, many elementary teachers left science out ofthe school day due to high stakes testing associated with teaching and learninglanguage arts and mathematics. Because of this, many experienced K5 teachershave not taught science and are very uncomfortable with the thought of doing so.Growing Language Through Science, K5: Strategies That Work offers aneasy-to-follow road map for both experienced teachers and new teachers todevelop and implement a very successful science program in their classrooms. TheEnglish Language Arts Standards of the Common Core stress critical-thinking,problem-solving, and analytical skills, and the book suggests easy-to-followmethods for teachers to teach these skills to their students. The book providesthe link between the English Language Development Standards, which identify therelationship between what students need to know and be able to do as they movetoward full fluency in English, and the Next Generation Science Standards.

On a personal level, the book is dear to me because of the emphasis it places onthe natural curiosity children have for science and the importance of theteacher in building on this curiosity and motivation to learn science. My ownpursuit of a PhD and a career in science education was fueled by the knowledgethat children have an innate desire to understand our natural world, but thattoo often the desire and curiosity about science is doused by the way science istaught. Growing Language Through Science, K5: Strategies That Workpresents practical strategies that capitalize on students desires to learn. Thebook connects research and best practice for the elementary school grades inteaching and learning both science and language, and it provides the way forlearners to experience success in a language-rich science program.

Katherine I. Norman

Professor, California State University, Stanislaus

Former President of the Association for Science Teacher Education

Perhaps the greatest idea that America has given the world is educationfor all.

R. Hutchins

Teacher learning is an evolutionary process in which this learning must be linkedto classroom practice. Building on this connection, teachers are more likely toimplement what they have learned to contribute to the academic success of theirstudents. This book endeavors to change the dynamics of teacher learning andsubsequent student learning. My hope is to empower and engage teachers inpurposeful and relevant instructional experiences that link current researchwith effective science classroom practice.