| Oral language is an important aspect of literacy development for students who are learning in both the primary and secondary languages in a bilingual setting. Findings from a substantive review of the literature suggested that because young emerging bilingual children have specific learning needs (Goldstein, 2004), it may be beneficial for teachers to use formative assessment of oral language when planning instruction, especially for those falling behind their peers (Romeo, Gentile, & Bernhardt, 2008). The purpose of this action research project was to use a formative assessment of Spanish oral language to guide instruction in an intensive Spanish literacy intervention for the lowest proficiency readers in a bilingual first grade. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected over a 12-week period for four participants enrolled in individualized literacy instruction. Findings indicated that the formative oral language assessment was useful for guiding individualized instruction and may have supported accelerated growth in Spanish reading. |
