Educational research shows that English language learning (ELL) students have lagged significantly behind their English-speaking peers in reading. This is especially true for children from Hispanic backgrounds, a particularly troubling fact given that the number of Hispanic immigrants has grown markedly over the past two decades. To help address this issue, Sirius Thinking, Ltd., the conceiver and co-producer of the award-winning children's literacy education television series Between the Lions (BTL) will direct a two-phased project to create and test a new children's television series, based on BTL, whose aim is to increase the early literacy skills of Spanish-speaking ELL children. The current BTL series, developed with literacy experts from across the country, combines innovative puppetry, animation, live action, and music in the service of a scientifically-based literacy curriculum that emphasizes both the pleasures and the value of reading, as well as the skills needed to learn how to read. As part of its Phase I research plan, Sirius and its newly-established ELL advisory committee will modify one existing episode of Between the Lions using techniques that second language acquisition research has proven to be useful for English language and literacy growth and in fostering greater comprehension of theme, characters, and story lines. Comprehension of story line and characters, and appeal of show, will be tested with kindergarten and first grade Spanish-speaking English language learners. Phase I research will also include a series of focus group interviews with educators and parents of ELLs to gauge impressions of feasibility. In Phase II of its study, Sirius will test the efficacy of a series of eight complete episodes of BTL, modified in ways informed by our Phase I research. Through an experimental research design using three distinct viewing conditions, Phase II research will assess the level of growth in literacy skills of those subjects who view the modified ELL version of BTL compared to those who view the original English-based version, and those who view an unrelated video. Spanish-speaking kindergarten and first grade children will view the series over an eight-week period. Literacy skills to be measured include phonemic and phonological awareness, text comprehension, and vocabulary development. Data from the study will be used to inform the design of a new educational television series based on and using much of the material in the current BTL series but appropriately modified for Spanish-speaking ELL students.
