Texas Administrative Code › Title 19 - EDUCATION › Part 2 - TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY › Chapter 128 - TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND READING AND ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE › Subchapter B - MIDDLE SCHOOL › Section 128.21 - Spanish Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6, Adopted 2017

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(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 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (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 level 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.