Multilingual Libraries Deliver Stories of Success
BEF NEWS
Multilingual Libraries Deliver Stories of Success
Tuesday, December 5th, 2023
Colorful signs reading — ¡NUESTRA BIBLIOTECA! — encourage all to explore Our Library, and dive into new multilingual books focused on strengthening reading comprehension, while reflecting students’ diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. New Multilingual Libraries at Meadow Park and Stoller middle schools are an exciting joint-venture, made possible through a Beaverton Education Foundation (BEF) Kids Count Grant.
“I was inspired by growing research linking home-language literacy with greater English comprehension and educational achievement,” said Erik Ortman, Stoller Spanish teacher. “Additionally, significant cognitive advantages have been identified in multilingual students, in comparison to peers who speak only one language.”
Both of their middle schools were serving an increasingly multilingual student body, educators at Meadow Park and Stoller worked together to imagine, stock and fill engaging spaces with collections of academically and culturally relevant reading materials that impacted nearly every student at both schools, including those who speak a different language at home, English language learners and Spanish-as-an-additional-language students.
“High-interest Spanish books have proven a good asset for students,” explained David Campos, Stoller Spanish language teacher. “In addition, enhanced access to high-interest, first-language materials has provided greater opportunities for skills transfer between first and second languages.”
The library’s benefits can be felt throughout both schools. In traditional language arts classrooms, students now have access to popular selections as varied as Wonder, the Smile series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dogman. Children’s classics such as Curious George in Spanish are in high-demand as well, allowing recently arrived students and heritage speakers to better access content, increasing inclusivity, engagement and new language acquisition.
Book selections, which were curated by both schools’ staff and informed by students, are housed in the schools’ main libraries and language classrooms. The primary collections also feature author information, artwork, maps and much more. To facilitate library usage to its fullest, program participants have access to regular free, voluntary or guided reading in their home/target language. Materials in additional languages such as Japanese, Hebrew and Telugu are on the horizon and are based on the current ratios of English Language Learners enrolled at each school.
Generous support from our generous individual donors, like you, as well as foundation and business partners make Kids Count Grants possible. Thank you to First Tech Federal Credit Union, Genentech, Intel, Juan Young Trust, Meyer Memorial Trust, OCF Joseph E. Weston Fund and additional donors through advised funds at the Oregon Community Foundation.
