Learning List has reviewed GrapeSEED, which is a supplemental product that supports English for language learners as well as English language arts/reading (ELAR) instruction in grades K and 1. Content is in print form and available online including digital (i.e., DVD) resources. GrapeSEED is an oral language program that develops students’ speaking and listening skills while providing a foundation for literacy. Instruction strives to accelerate the development of language skills, reduce achievement gaps, and increase the confidence of emergent readers. [Read more…]
GrapeSEED’s content is organized in ten sequential units that progressively increase in the complexity of vocabulary and skills taught. Unit 1 addresses concepts in counting and recognizing the alphabet, and the final unit covers shapes, telling time, and the months of the year. Across units, instruction includes a variety of materials for interactive language acquisition such as songs and chants, “Action Activities” (i.e., kinesthetic learning tasks), big books, and poems. Each material has associated resources that may include videos, audio recordings, and visuals suitable for display using interactive whiteboards.
Writing instruction begins in Unit 3. Early writing activities focus on tracing letters and numbers and copying simple words, such as rabbit and rock. By Unit 10, students are writing words independently and copying short sentences. GrapeSEED provides “Repeated Exposure and Practice,” or “REP,” materials that students take home in print, CD, and DVD formats. REP materials enable students to practice language skills with their families.
About GrapeSEED*
The GrapeSEED program for children was born out of more than four decades of language teaching success by American educators at the MeySen Academy in Sendai, Japan. Continuing their track record of educational excellence internationally, GrapeSEED classrooms can currently be found in several states throughout the US. GrapeSEED continues to sponsor longitudinal studies focusing on English Language Learners (ELL) students, English as a Second Language (ESL) students, and other Limited English Proficiency (LEP) students. These studies provide an unmistakable evidence that schools are seeing significant improvements in their grade level assessments as a result of successful implementation of the program.
*Information in this section is provided by or adapted from GrapeSEED.
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