My Library Is... Bilingual to Meet Student Needs

The My Library Is... Grant has allowed over seventy of our students to read books in their home language. Some of the languages spoken in our school are Ukrainian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Multilanguage learner instructors have utilized the foreign language texts purchased from Follett to work in cooperative groups, individual checkouts, or read-alouds in class with bilingual texts and document cameras. Every literature class has independent reading assignments, and my added challenge is to locate select fiction or nonfiction on different themes and genres, such as courage or novels in verse, to meet instructors' curricular requirements. The Ukrainian texts have served as an additional social-emotional support to the refugees who are pining for home. Foreign language books are often more expensive necessitating additional budget considerations. Ukrainian texts are also much more difficult to locate and access in a timely manner. Therefore, if librarians wish to replicate this project, titles can be purchased from Follett, and it is necessary to make certain you check “in stock” in Titlewave, or you might not be guaranteed the book. As a librarian, I usually order with Follett for the MARC records but at times it would be easier for me to order Ukrainian books on Etsy. While shop owners accept tax-exempt letters, it has been difficult adding Esty owners to my district’s buying list. 

This project came to fruition to reach multilanguage learners with a variety of titles to encourage choice. Students can take ownership of their learning when they can choose content that interests them. In the photo you can see a sampling of our multilanguage learners with our new books. More school libraries should take advantage of applying for this grant because it is such an easy way to add additional funds to make the most difference in the lives of our students. Just to see students’ smiles with a shiny brand-new book is so exciting and fulfilling. Spanish readers have a variety of texts, and there are many quality translations of classic books that students might not have chosen for themselves but can when they find them in their home language. Some texts are bilingual, which immensely aids in instruction. Even some students who are more fluent in one language choose a bilingual book to scaffold their reading. Everyone needs representation. Bilingual picture books and folktales can encourage empathy, inspire artists, or fuel SEL needs.  

This week’s blog post was written by Laura Dooley-Taylor, Librarian, Lake Zurich Middle School North.

This project was made possible by the My Library Is... Grant.