Season 5, Episode 2

Biliteracy and assessment with Dr. Lillian Durán

Susan Lambert joins biliteracy expert Dr. Lillian Durán, who holds a doctorate in educational psychology and researches instructional and assessment practices with preschool dual-language learners. She describes advantages of bilingualism and the skills those students bring to school. She discusses how the Simple View of Reading connects to Spanish, the double standard of celebrating bilingual students versus not celebrating them, and the process of screening and assessment. Lillian urges educators to avoid labeling biliteracy and dual language support as a sub-group of their classroom, advising instead to prioritize the development of students’ home languages with English instruction.