Instructional Program Models
Gurnee School District #56 recognizes that our students' represent a wide variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. We believe, that we must encourage every student to embrace their heritage, while providing them with the tools they need to communicate and succeed in our school and community.
Developmental Bilingual Education: Limited English Proficient (LEP) students receive instruction in native language and English with emphasis on developing full bilingualism.
The Spanish to English transition is conducted gradually. This transition is for the average English Language Learner and may be increased or decreased depending on the needs of the students and is at the discretion of the teaching staff:
Kindergarten - Spanish all day until January. In January, math is taught in English.
1st grade - Math is taught in English; all other subject areas are taught in Spanish until January. In January English is added to the science and social science blocks.
2nd grade - The Language Arts block is taught in Spanish while all other areas are taught primarily in English. In January English is brought into the Language Arts block also.
3rd grade - The majority of the day is taught in English. Spanish is used for clarification of directions and curriculum.
4th grade through 8th grade - Students attend general education classes taught in English. They are serviced by the ESL or bilingual teacher(s) within the general education classroom or in small groups.
Immersion Education – English Language development through a pullout program. The goal is fluency in English. Students are integrated into the mainstream classes; these are English-only classrooms with no special assistance. Students are pulled out for instruction aimed at developing English grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills, not academic content.
Sheltered English - An instructional approach that engages ELLs above the beginner level in developing grade-level content-area knowledge, academic skills, and increased English proficiency. In sheltered English classes, teachers use clear, direct, simple English and a wide range of scaffolding strategies to communicate meaningful input in the content area to students. Learning activities that connect new content to students' prior knowledge, that require collaboration among students, and that spiral through curriculum material, offer ELLs the grade-level content instruction of their English-speaking peers, while adapting lesson delivery to suit their English proficiency level.
Push-In Program - Bilingual or ESL teacher goes into the mainstream classroom to provide instruction to LEP students
The Spanish to English transition is conducted gradually. This transition is for the average English Language Learner and may be increased or decreased depending on the needs of the students and is at the discretion of the teaching staff:
Kindergarten - Spanish all day until January. In January, math is taught in English.
1st grade - Math is taught in English; all other subject areas are taught in Spanish until January. In January English is added to the science and social science blocks.
2nd grade - The Language Arts block is taught in Spanish while all other areas are taught primarily in English. In January English is brought into the Language Arts block also.
3rd grade - The majority of the day is taught in English. Spanish is used for clarification of directions and curriculum.
4th grade through 8th grade - Students attend general education classes taught in English. They are serviced by the ESL or bilingual teacher(s) within the general education classroom or in small groups.
Immersion Education – English Language development through a pullout program. The goal is fluency in English. Students are integrated into the mainstream classes; these are English-only classrooms with no special assistance. Students are pulled out for instruction aimed at developing English grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills, not academic content.
Sheltered English - An instructional approach that engages ELLs above the beginner level in developing grade-level content-area knowledge, academic skills, and increased English proficiency. In sheltered English classes, teachers use clear, direct, simple English and a wide range of scaffolding strategies to communicate meaningful input in the content area to students. Learning activities that connect new content to students' prior knowledge, that require collaboration among students, and that spiral through curriculum material, offer ELLs the grade-level content instruction of their English-speaking peers, while adapting lesson delivery to suit their English proficiency level.
Push-In Program - Bilingual or ESL teacher goes into the mainstream classroom to provide instruction to LEP students
Bilingual Parent Advisory Council
School districts that have Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) Programs are required to establish a Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of parents of children in the TBE program and other interested community members. 2/3 of the committee members must be parents of children in the bilingual education program. The committee meets four times a year and participates in the planning, operation, and evaluation of the TBE program.
All parents of students in the Bilingual Education Program are invited to become members of the Committee. If you are interested in becoming a member of the council please contact: Miriam Torres at 847-662-3701 or Tami Kroc at 847-336-0800.
The Bilingual Program provides a variety of family events each year. These include English classes for parents which are taught by certified staff from the College of Lake County. The classes are held at Viking School. If you are interested in joining a class please contact us.
The Gurnee staff hosts four educational events each year for parents of limited English speaking children. Please watch for the flyers coming home for these events.
School districts that have Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) Programs are required to establish a Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee. The committee is comprised of parents of children in the TBE program and other interested community members. 2/3 of the committee members must be parents of children in the bilingual education program. The committee meets four times a year and participates in the planning, operation, and evaluation of the TBE program.
All parents of students in the Bilingual Education Program are invited to become members of the Committee. If you are interested in becoming a member of the council please contact: Miriam Torres at 847-662-3701 or Tami Kroc at 847-336-0800.
The Bilingual Program provides a variety of family events each year. These include English classes for parents which are taught by certified staff from the College of Lake County. The classes are held at Viking School. If you are interested in joining a class please contact us.
The Gurnee staff hosts four educational events each year for parents of limited English speaking children. Please watch for the flyers coming home for these events.