Language Policy

Purpose of our Language Policy

  • Achieve a common understanding of our aims and objectives for language teaching
  • Identify the needs of the students at Range View and the language concerns that have to be addressed
  • Establish agreements on how to meet the needs and propose action to address these needs that reflect the school’s values and vision
  • Provide the foundation of a whole-school language curriculum
  • Aligns with the Weld RE-4 Classroom Attributes and Indicators - Applied Skills for Success
  • Meet the standards of the IB Primary Years Program

Philosophy

Learning revolves around language; therefore, every staff member is a language teacher. Language is the means to access information, enhance intellectual growth, foster communication, develop social skills and values, maintain culture, and examine who we are. The staff and community at Range View have a responsibility to recognize and support language development. Inquiry is the way that children learn best and language is the vehicle for delivering the inquiry process throughout all content areas and social interaction.

Language is a key tool in the development of international mindedness. Honoring each student’s mother tongue is a necessary component of respecting and learning about each student’s culture.  Providing support for the language of instruction is necessary to ensure equal access to academic and social opportunities. Requiring students to study a language other than the language of instruction enables those students to develop a deeper understanding of language, culture, and many of the attributes in the learner profile such as thinker, communicator, and risk taker that contribute to international mindedness.

Language is vital for communication within and beyond our school. It links us with our students’ families, our local community and the world community. We believe language has the power to inspire and to transform lives, and we have the responsibility to ensure it does so in positive ways for the entire Range View learning community.

Practices

The language of instruction

The language of instruction is English. Classroom instruction supports the development and acquisition of oral and written English through best practices such as:

  • Differentiation of instruction
  • Small group and individual instruction
  • Print-rich environments
  • Multi-sensory stimuli
  • Reading, writing and speaking for authentic purposes
  • Language is taught throughout the curriculum
  • Identification of language objectives (standards) for each unit of inquiry
  • Scaffolding of instruction
  • Activation of student background knowledge
  • Making connections
  • Pre-teaching of key concepts and vocabulary
  • Modeling
  • Cooperative learning

Opportunities for Students

  • Every teacher is a language teacher. Language learning occurs in an authentic and transdisciplinary manner across the curriculum and encompasses the oral (speaking and listening), written (reading and writing) and visual (viewing and presenting) strands of communication. Talk in the classroom is fundamental to learning.  Discussions, rehearsed talk and social talk all play a role in language acquisition. Children are given opportunities to express opinions and feelings and are explicitly taught to use language responsibly and respectfully.
  • Teachers implement best teaching practices regarding language instruction. Collaboration among staff members is essential to implement research-based practices effective for language acquisition. Parents are informed of student progress and are encouraged to support the school’s language and content learning goals.
  • Parents are encouraged to support their student’s language development in a variety of ways, including reading and writing together at home in their mother tongue. Suggestions are provided in classroom and school newsletters, and workshops may be held to provide additional support. Range View has an open-door policy for parents, and they are encouraged to visit and to volunteer in their child’s classroom.
  • American English is the language of instruction. Support for students whose mother tongue is not English is provided through differentiation and assistance by classroom teachers and by instruction from the English Language Development (ELD) teacher and instructional aide. The classroom teachers and ELD teacher will collaborate on a regular basis to support students’ success, including providing language support for the program of inquiry. The reading specialists at Range View may also provide support.
  • Spanish is the additional language taught to all students grades K - 5 at Range View Elementary.

Assessment

  • A certified ELD teacher provides additional instruction and support to students whose primary language is not English. The amount and intensity of services are determined by student needs and may take the form of small group instruction, in-class support, teacher collaboration, and/or monitoring of academic progress.
  • Students shall take the language assessments mandated by the state of Colorado and Weld RE-4 School District in the areas of reading, writing, and English Language Acquisition (CELA).
  • Formative assessments shall occur based on the Range View PYP assessment policy.
  • Data from both formative and summative assessments shall be used to inform instruction.
  • Assessment results shall be shared with parents and students in a variety of ways including report cards, parent-teacher conferences, portfolios, and district and state reports.

Roles and Responsibilities

  • The Principal, PYP Coordinator, parents, and teachers are involved in the development of the language policy.
  • Our language policy will be reviewed and revised yearly.
  • The Media Specialist will work on providing a wide range of books for students and teachers to select in the library. The teaching staff will research resources and update the Media Specialist on potential selections.
  • All staff is responsible to ensure the language policy is a working document, that it is referred to and cross referenced with any other working documents in the school.
  • The Principal is responsible for communicating the language policy to all the school’s constituents. The Language Policy will be posted on the Range View site.
  • The Principal and PYP Coordinator are responsible for ensuring the language policy is implemented.
  • The Principal and the PYP Coordinator are responsible for professional development regarding language teaching and learning.

References

  • International Baccalaureate Organization. (2008) Guidelines for developing a school language policy.
  • Aligns with Weld RE-4 Classroom Attributes and Indicators - All Categories.

First Draft 3/12/2012

Revised 5/7/12 and  8/21/12

Adopted 8/28/12

Reviewed and updated 9/22/15

Reviewed and updated 9/13/21