Mount Kisco Fifth Graders Write Bilingual Books and Share Them with Kindergartners

Working through some nervousness, fifth-grade Mount Kisco Elementary School students walked into kindergarten classrooms equipped with bilingual books they wrote about ecosystems. The older students had learned about the interconnectedness of living and non-living components of ecosystems during a recent ARC (American Reading Company) reading and writing unit. The kindergartners will be learning about the same subject in a unit of their own.

To prepare for writing their bilingual books and sharing them verbally, fifth graders did a lot of research. They analyzed informational texts, gathered evidence, used critical thinking and put it all together to create clear, detailed books. They deepened their understanding of ecosystems and sustainability and then took their learnings and shared them with their peers — in two languages!

“My favorite part was editing my ecosystem book, because I used my creativity and enjoyed it,” one student said.

Other students enjoyed the reactions of the kindergartners.

“They kept on laughing, but their curiosity was fun.”

“When I saw their smiles, it made me smile too.”

“My favorite part was that the kindergartners were such good listeners.”

Jennifer Rego-Vallejos, a kindergarten teacher, noted that her students were eager to welcome fifth graders into their space.

“The students were excited that they were going to be meeting some older friends,” Rego-Vallejos said. “They really did not know what to expect, and the suspense intrigued them.”

The fifth graders picked up on that excitement.

“I was surprised by how many questions they had!” a fifth grader said. Many also noted that while they were really nervous before meeting the kindergartner they were paired with, they really enjoyed the experience.

“It was a great experience for all,” Rego-Vallejos said. “The hope was that they could connect with peers, engage in conversation, listen to one another and ask questions.”

She also said that once kindergartners started their unit of ecology the following week, they were able to name the ecosystems they learned from their fifth-grade buddies.

“The experience really helped to build their background knowledge,” she said. “When we finish ecology in the spring, we hope to visit fifth grade and share our learning with them as well.”