• Hobby's Dual Language Program 

    William P. Hobby Elementary has started implementation of a school-wide dual language program this year with all PreK and Kindergarten classrooms. The Dual Language Program is both an additive bilingual program for Spanish-speaking students and foreign language immersion program for English-speaking students. In Two-Way classrooms, a combination of native Spanish speakers and native English speakers are taught together in an effort to develop full bilingualism, bi-literacy, and bi-culturalism, for both groups of students. At Hobby, we implement the 50/50 Dual Language model, which means that scholars receive 50% of instruction is in English and 50% of instruction in Spanish on a daily basis.
     
         

  • What Are the Characteristics of the Program ?
     * An enriching bilingual enviroment that has full support of the school's administrators, teachers, and parents
    * A minimum five-year commitment, but ideal from kindergarten through 12th grade
    * Both English and Spanish speakers are instructed together
    * Separation of the two languages, with teachers using the leguages of instruction
    * A rigorous core academic curriculum that is aligned too state standards

     
    What Are the Program Standards?
    * A minimum of 50 percent to a maximum of 80 percent of daily  instruction in the non-English language
    * Equitable access to students, screening only for language to dominance
    * Strategic seperation of languages by the teacher -- no translation
    * An enrollment comitment from Kindergarten through fifth grade (Kindergarten through 12th grade is encouraged)
    * decisions on program, curriculum, and instruction based on research and best practices for English Language Learners
     
    Hobby students who participate in the 50/50 program model will receive 50% of their instruction in Spanish and 50% in English in grade levels, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. All students will receive initial literacy in Spanish and English. Key vocabulary terms and concepts will be taught through cross-linguistic connections to facilitate language transfer. Concepts and terms will not be simply retaught and/or translated the same way they were first taught. The strategic use of language by the students and teacher increases the development of full proficiency in both languages. 
     

  • Intro Pict

    What Are the Goals of the Program
    Promoting Biliteracy  
    *Development of fluency and literacy in English and Spanish for all students
    *The intergration of native Engllish speakers and English Language Learners for academic instruction.  Whenever possible, each campusprogram should have 50 percent of each. 
    * The promotion of bilingualism, biliteracy, academic achievement