Overview
MELVA-S (Measuring the Language and Vocabulary Acquisition in Science of Latinx Students) is developing and testing an online formative assessment that measures the depth of word knowledge in science of second- and third-grade Latina/o students. To explain and discuss science phenomena, students need a deep understanding of vocabulary that is not always targeted in textbooks. MELVA-S will provide teachers with a quick measure of students’ understanding of science words in Spanish or in English, so they can adjust their teaching accordingly.
In this 5-year grant, the project has (a) developed the content of the assessment, (b) built the speech recognition system and automated scoring system, and (c) developed a psychometric model that accurately estimates vocabulary item parameters and vocabulary abilities. The project is currently conducting three validation studies.
More information is available on the Institute of Education Sciences website.
Participants
This project will work with more than 2,000 second- and third-grade Latinx students over the 5 years of the study.
How MELVA Works
Interested in seeing what MELVA looks like? Check out our short instructional video for students to learn how it works.
Check Out MITOS, Our Partner Project!
Interested in supporting equity in science education? Want more suggestions for how to elevate science instruction for bilingual Latinx students? Our sister project, MITOS, is currently recruiting schools and families to test out a gamified science app that supports language learning in science for all students inside and outside of school. Learn more on the MITOS project page.