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Choctaw
Bilingual Education Program
Language:
Choctaw
Program
Base: School with elementary, middle, and high school levels
in Kiowa, OK
Goals:
- To
improve students' academic skills in grades K-12 through curriculum
improvement and computer-assisted instruction.
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To meet a goal of 200 new vocabulary words each year.
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To teach everyday conversational skills.
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To revive the language.
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To raise language awareness in the community.
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To encourage parental participation in their child's education.
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To provide additional education and training for parents.
Brief
Description:
Kiowa School teaches Choctaw in a dual language program that
is part of a Comprehensive School Project designed to address both
the academic and linguistic needs of Limited-English-Proficient
(LEP) and low-income students in grades pre-K-12. With computer-assisted
instruction and an integrated curriculum, the program has five major
components, including dual language as well as mathematics and science
and a school-to-work initiative. The program is named "Ladder"
because students progress at their own pace from one level to the
next in each of the five components.
Choctaw
is taught to students in grades 6-12. They are taught vocabulary
skills, audio skills, visual skills, and vocal skills as well as
cultural ways. The teacher develops most instructional materials
and lessons as very few commercial text and materials exist for
the Choctaw Language. The students make use of computer-assisted
instruction to read and write the language with the assistance of
the Student Writing Center. Students can utilize what they have
learned from their Choctaw language classes in the writing center
by speaking and writing stories in the Native language. The students
progress at their own pace under close supervision, and about 70
percent of the participating students are able to reach the minimum
competency of speaking and writing 200 new words each year.
Materials:
Teacher-developed materials; computer writing software.
Support:
Title VII Bilingual Education funds and a parent advisory committee
support the program. A tribal language and culture committee and
fluent native speakers have assisted with the program in the past.
Contact
Information:
Bill Hayes, Director of Bilingual Education
Kiowa Public School
P. O. Box 6
Kiowa, OK 74553
bhayes@kiowa.k12.ok.us
(918) 432-5809/ Fax: (918) 432-5683
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