What We Do
Book Bounce is a research-based program designed to close the literacy gap for young Dual Language Learners (DLLs). We bring our theme-based book units to preschools, child care centers and community centers, where we train teachers, child care providers, and parents about best practices to engage in shared book reading with young children who do not speak English at home. Shared book reading is interactive - it’s talking with children about books.
Families are provided with themed books in their home language to share with their children. The very same books are shared with the children in English by their teachers or child care providers. Research shows this combination - sharing identical books in the child’s home language and in English - is a powerful method of accelerating young children’s English language acquisition.
Book units are centered around themes - such as “Only One Me” - to enable children to make connections among books and accelerate their learning. Theme-based vocabulary is explicitly taught to the children at school and reinforced at home. Suggested supplemental materials - games, songs, projects, and more - are available as well, providing children with an opportunity to practice new concepts and vocabulary.
Book Bounce's approach of having parents read to their preschoolers in their home language has several benefits as well. The practice not only demonstrates respect for the family's home language, it highlights the importance of children continuing to grow in their knowledge of their native language. Additionally, it aids in the acquisition of new vocabulary, encourages oral language production, and improves listening comprehension. Unfortunately, DLLs are often not formally taught their home language beyond the social language they use at home with their families. Consequently, children can stagnate in their home language as they enter school and the emphasis becomes English language acquisition. Having parents share books with their children in their native language underscores just how crucial and beneficial the home language is. Children who are truly literate in two or more languages have a competitive advantage in the workforce and enjoy cognitive advantages too!
Research also shows that strengthening L1 (the child's home language) aids in the acquisition of L2 (the target language - in this case, English). Thus, parents reading to their children in their home language helps preschoolers acquire English more readily. Many teachers and families don't know this - and it is something we explicitly teach during our training.
Finally, reading books together is an enjoyable family activity. Book Bounce teaches families to engage in shared book reading, which is not simply reading a story aloud, but rather having conversations about the book while reading it aloud. Those conversations can lead to insights, the sharing of family stories, and a lot of laughter.
For families with low levels of literacy in their home language, Book Bounce incorporates themed, wordless books so that families can still enjoy sharing books with their preschoolers. Research shows that wordless books promise a whole host of benefits for young children, which is why they are incorporated into many themed units both at home and school - not just for families with low literacy.
Book Bounce works with you to provide the training, book units, resources, and support you need to propel your students’ English learning. Reach out to learn more about us and how we can help. We look forward to working with you!
