A great program for summer reading for kids in immersion! Thanks to the Utah Dual Language Immersion Program and STARTALK for creating it.

Click here to access.

STARTALK 2013

WELCOME!

TO THE UTAH CHINESE DUAL LANGUAGE IMMERSION STARTALK 2013 SUMMER WEBSITE

American students regularly participate in English summer reading programs because the benefits are well documented; summer reading programs help students achieve higher levels of English language proficiency, increase their reading proficiency, and accelerate their study in English Language Arts during the school year. This STARTALK program will offer the same benefit to students enrolled in Chinese dual language immersion programs through a summer reading program incorporating authentic Chinese literature.

The stories we have chosen include a selection of stories the children in China learn in school. As our students investigate and read these stories, they will improve their Chinese reading skills and enhance their Chinese language learning with cultural understanding as they enjoy learning about and reading the Chinese folktales that have enriched generations of Chinese children.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

This website is open for anyone to use. The stories are leveled for students who have from one to four years of experience in a Chinese immersion program. Grade 1 is for students who have just finished first grade, Grade 2 for students who have just finished second grade, and so on. Each week for the next five weeks, a new story will be added to the website at every grade level. For students who want a challenge, have some fun with a story from a different grade level.

WHAT WILL YOU FIND?

STORYTELLING – Watch videos of our Chinese Dual Language immersion teachers tell the stories.

READ ALONG – Students can test their reading ability by looking at the text from the story and try it on their own OR they can use the audio helps and have the story read to them, line by line.  This is a great practice tool that will help students learn to read and practice their tones.

PRINT BOOK – Print out copies of the stories for students to read and color. Create activities with the printouts by “whiting out” characters that can be filled in as a writing practice.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOR PARENTS – Need help understanding the stories? Use these translations to help you discuss the stories with your Chinese immersion student.

ONLINE ACTIVITIES – This is the most interactive and dynamic page of the website. Thanks to Quizlet.com, we have created a series of learning tools designed for each story and the characters students should focus on learning.

PRINTABLE ACTIVITIES – Mostly for writing practice, this page provides printable writing activities for the focus characters. A few of the stories include printable assessment pages.