| (a) Introduction.
(1) The Spanish language arts and reading Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) reflect language arts standards that are
authentic to the Spanish language and Spanish literacy; they are neither
translations nor modifications of the English language arts TEKS.
The Spanish language arts and reading TEKS embody the interconnected
nature of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking through
the seven integrated strands of developing and sustaining foundational
language skills; comprehension; response; multiple genres; author's
purpose and craft; composition; and inquiry and research. The strands
focus on academic oracy (proficiency in oral expression and comprehension),
authentic reading, and reflective writing to ensure a literate Texas.
They are integrated and progressive with students continuing to develop
knowledge and skills with increased complexity and nuance in order
to think critically and adapt to the ever-evolving nature of language
and literacy.
(2) The seven strands of the essential knowledge and
skills for Spanish language arts and reading are intended to be integrated
for instructional purposes and are recursive in nature. Strands include
the four domains of language (listening, speaking, reading, and writing)
and their application in order to accelerate the acquisition of language
skills so that students develop high levels of social and academic
language proficiency. Although some strands may require more instructional
time, each strand is of equal value, may be presented in any order,
and should be integrated throughout the year. It is important to note
that encoding (spelling) and decoding (reading) are reciprocal skills.
Decoding is internalized when tactile and kinesthetic opportunities
(encoding) are provided. Additionally, students should engage in academic
conversations, write, read, and be read to on a daily basis with opportunities
for cross-curricular content and student choice.
(3) Spanish, as opposed to English, has a closer letter-sound
relationship and clearly defined syllable boundaries. The syllable
in Spanish is a more critical unit of phonological awareness than
in English because of the consistent phoneme-grapheme correspondence.
Syllables are important units for Spanish because of their strong
effect in visual word recognition (Carreiras et al., 1993) and their
major role in predicting Spanish reading success. In addition, Spanish
presents a much higher level of orthographic transparency than English
and does not rely on sight words for decoding. This orthographic transparency
accelerates the decoding process, and the focus quickly moves to fluency
and comprehension. However, in English sight words are used because
of words that are not decodable such as "are" or "one." In Spanish,
decoding issues are not as prevalent as issues of comprehension. These
specific features of the Spanish language will influence reading methodology
and development.
(4) Text complexity increases with challenging vocabulary,
sophisticated sentence structures, nuanced text features, cognitively
demanding content, and subtle relationships among ideas (Texas Education
Agency, STAAR Performance Level Descriptors, 2013). As skills and
knowledge are obtained in each of the seven strands, students will
continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth to increasingly
complex texts in multiple genres as they become self-directed, critical
learners who work collaboratively while continuously using metacognitive
skills.
(5) Research consistently shows that language and literacy
development in the student's native language not only facilitates
learning English and English literacy, but is foundational to cognitive
development and learning (Cummins, 2001; Thomas & Collier, 2002;
Coelho, 2001). Emergent bilinguals (Sparrow et al., 2014; Slavin &
Cheving, 2013) are students who are in the process of acquiring two
or more linguistic codes, becoming bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.
Emergent bilinguals are often defined by their perceived deficits
(semilinguals) (Escamilla, 2012). However, research has shown that
bilinguals develop a unique interdependent system (Escamilla et al.
2007; Grosjean, 1989; Valdes and Figueroa, 1994) in which languages
interconnect to increase linguistic functionality. This linguistic
interdependence of language acquisition facilitates a transfer of
literacy skills from the primary language (L1) to the second language
(L2) (August & Shanahan, 2006; Bialystok, 2007; Miramontes, et
al., 1997). The strength of learning through formal instruction in
Spanish determines the extent of transfer to English (August, Calderon, &
Carlo, 2002; Slavin & Calderon, 2001; Garcia, 2001). For transfer
to be maximized, cross-linguistic connections between the two languages
must be explicitly taught while students engage in a contrastive analysis
of the Spanish and English languages (Cummins, 2007). Continued strong
literacy development in Spanish provides the foundation and scaffold
for literacy development given that a Common Underlying Proficiency
(CUP) exists between the two languages (Cummins, 1991). Consequently,
direct and systematic instruction (Genesee et al., 2005) in the appropriate
sequence of Spanish skills with early English as a second language-based
literacy instruction is critical to student success. As a result of
working within two language systems, students' metalinguistic and
metacognitive skills are enhanced when they learn about the similarities
and differences between languages (Escamilla et. al., 2014). The extent
to which English and Spanish are used is reliant on the type of bilingual
program model being used (see Texas Education Code, §29.066).
(6) English language learners (ELLs) are expected to
meet standards in a second language, and their proficiency in English
directly impacts their ability to meet these standards. The comprehension
of text throughout the stages of English language acquisition requires
scaffolds such as adapted text, translations, native language support,
cognates, summaries, pictures, realia, glossaries, bilingual dictionaries,
thesauri, and other modes of comprehensible input. Strategic use of
the student's first language is important to ensure linguistic, affective,
cognitive, and academic development in English. ELLs can and should
be encouraged to use knowledge of their first language to enhance
vocabulary development; vocabulary needs to be in the context of connected
oral and written discourse so that it is meaningful.
(7) Current research stresses the importance of effectively
integrating second language acquisition with quality content area
education in order to ensure that ELLs acquire social and academic
language proficiency in English, learn the knowledge and skills, and
reach their full academic potential. Instruction must be linguistically
accommodated in accordance with the English Language Proficiency Standards
(ELPS) and the student's English language proficiency levels to ensure
the mastery of knowledge and skills in the required curriculum is
accessible. For a further understanding of second language acquisition
needs, refer to the ELPS and proficiency-level descriptors adopted
in Chapter 74, Subchapter A, of this title (relating to Required Curriculum).
(8) Oral language proficiency holds a pivotal role
in school success; verbal engagement must be maximized across grade
levels (Kinsella, 2010). In order for students to become thinkers
and proficient speakers in science, social studies, mathematics, fine
arts, language arts and reading, and career and technical education,
they must have multiple opportunities to practice and apply the academic
language of each discipline (Fisher, Frey, & Rothenberg, 2008).
(9) Statements that contain the word "including" reference
content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such
as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1) Developing and sustaining foundational language
skills: listening, speaking, discussion, and thinking--oral language.
The student develops oral language through listening, speaking, and
discussion. The student is expected to:
(A) listen actively and ask questions to understand
information and answer questions using multi-word responses;
(B) restate and follow oral directions that involve
a short, related sequence of actions;
(C) share information and ideas by speaking audibly
and clearly using the conventions of language;
(D) work collaboratively with others by following agreed-upon
rules for discussion, including taking turns; and
(E) develop social communication such as introducing
himself/herself, using common greetings, and expressing needs and
wants.
(2) Developing and sustaining foundational language
skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--beginning
reading and writing. The student develops word structure knowledge
through phonological awareness, print concepts, phonics, and morphology
to communicate, decode, and spell. The student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate phonological awareness by:
(i) identifying and producing rhyming words;
(ii) recognizing spoken alliteration or groups of words
that begin with the same simple syllable or initial sound;
(iii) identifying the individual words in a spoken
sentence;
(iv) identifying syllables in spoken words;
(v) blending syllables to form multisyllabic words;
(vi) segmenting multisyllabic words into syllables;
(vii) identifying initial and final sounds in simple
words;
(viii) blending spoken phonemes to form syllables;
and
(ix) manipulating syllables within a multisyllabic
word;
(B) demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by:
(i) identifying and matching the common sounds that
letters represent;
(ii) using letter-sound relationships to decode one-
and two-syllable words and multisyllabic words, including CV, VC,
CCV, CVC, VCV, CVCV, CCVCV, and CVCCV;
(iii) decoding words with silent h and consonant digraphs
such as /ch/, /rr/, and /ll/; and
(iv) recognizing that new words are created when syllables
are changed, added, or deleted;
(C) demonstrate and apply spelling knowledge by:
(i) spelling common letter and sound correlations;
and
(ii) spelling words with common syllabic patterns such
as CV, VC, CCV, CVC, VCV, CVCV, CCVCV, and CVCCV;
(D) demonstrate print awareness by:
(i) identifying the front cover, back cover, and title
page of a book;
(ii) holding a book right side up, turning pages correctly,
and knowing that reading moves from top to bottom and left to right
with return sweep;
(iii) recognizing that sentences are comprised of words
separated by spaces and recognizing word boundaries;
(iv) recognizing the difference between a letter and
a printed word; and
(v) identifying all uppercase and lowercase letters;
and
(E) develop handwriting by accurately forming all uppercase
and lowercase letters using appropriate directionality.
(3) Developing and sustaining foundational language
skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--vocabulary.
The student uses newly acquired vocabulary expressively. The student
is expected to:
(A) use a resource such as a picture dictionary or
digital resource to find words;
(B) use illustrations and texts the student is able
to read or hear to learn or clarify word meanings; and
(C) identify and use words that name actions; directions;
positions; sequences; categories such as colors, shapes, and textures;
and locations.
(4) Developing and sustaining foundational language
skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking--self-sustained
reading. The student reads grade-appropriate texts independently.
The student is expected to self-select text and interact independently
with text for increasing periods of time.
(5) Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive
skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex
texts. The student is expected to:
(A) establish purpose for reading assigned and self-selected
texts with adult assistance;
(B) generate questions about text before, during, and
after reading to deepen understanding and gain information with adult
assistance;
(C) make and confirm predictions using text features
and structures with adult assistance;
(D) create mental images to deepen understanding with
adult assistance;
(E) make connections to personal experiences, ideas
in other texts, and society with adult assistance;
(F) make inferences and use evidence to support understanding
with adult assistance;
(G) evaluate details to determine what is most important
with adult assistance;
(H) synthesize information to create new understanding
with adult assistance; and
(I) monitor comprehension and make adjustments such
as re-reading, using background knowledge, checking for visual cues,
and asking questions when understanding breaks down with adult assistance.
(6) Response skills: listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student responds to
an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard,
or viewed. The student is expected to:
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