Here’s an interesting study being done in South Florida where students who aren’t yet fluent in English are given a little boost in science education by having some of the learning materials in the subject offered in their native language.
Learning science can be tough enough; but for students like Leinsa, for whom English is a second language, it is even more of a challenge.
To help, a program in some Miami-Dade schools is incorporating scientific inquiry, hands-on learning and vocabulary in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole into one curriculum.
The initiative, known as Promoting Science among English Language Learners, or P-SELL, is a five-year research project run by the University of Miami. It provides teachers with a unique way to teach science to kids who are still mastering English. Researchers are studying the results.
Here is a website with more information about the study done through the University of Miami.
During this five-year study, the University of Miami (UM) and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) will examine and improve elementary school teachers’ knowledge, beliefs and practices involving their teaching of science to English language learners (or ELL students) within an environment that is becoming increasingly driven by high-stakes testing in science.
