One of my immersion students presenting his book about the Sun, the Moon and the Stars. Writing the book was the final assessment of our science unit Sun and Moon. He wrote his book all in Spanish and was invited to share it with the fourth graders (all English speakers) at out school. As he read his book he translated it into English. Outstanding job!
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What About Immersion?
Thank you for considering our Immersion Program for your child. Our program provides exciting and challenging educational opportunities that will prepare your child for the 21st Century.
We realize that sending your child to kindergarten can be exciting but stressful as well, for both you and your child. The anxiety can be lessened if parents and children know what to expect.
- Benefits of Learning Two Languages -
• Enhances academic and linguistic performance in both languages
• Cognitive advantages – physically enhances brain development
• Increases career and social opportunities
• Expands worldview
•Increases attendance at colleges and universities
• Improves English language skills
• Enhances learning capacity for life
- Background -
Is language immersion a new concept?
The language immersion concept has been used in schools for decades. Many schools in Canada have successfully implemented immersion programs with French as the second language. In reality, immersion has been used for thousands of years. For example, when a child is raised in an English-speaking environment, he or she will become acquainted with the language and begin using it. Students learn the second language in a very similar way they learned their first language.
- Goals and Curriculum -
What are the goals of the Immersion Programs?
There are three major goals for immersion students; to effectively communicate in Spanish, to acquire the same English language arts and content area skills as students in English-only programs, and to acquire greater knowledge, understanding and appreciation of other cultures.
How do Immersion Programs compare to other Programs?
Curriculum used in immersion and other elementary programs is basically the same. The difference is that students learn through the Spanish language rather than through English. Language immersion students also learn to understand, speak, read and write in Spanish.
- Program Design -
What about the first days in the Immersion programs? Won’t students be confused?
Teachers will use English and Spanish respectively during the first weeks of school. The firsts weeks both teachers will focus on school routines, safety and previous knowledge. Once students have demonstrated an understanding of daily routines they will start implementing the regular curriculum. To lower the level of anxiety the new language may cause, The Spanish teachers are constantly encourage them to be aware of not only the spoken word, but also the actions and demonstrations she performs as those will assist in the child’s understanding of the language.
What opportunities do students have to participate in the Fine Arts and Physical Education?
Qualified Art, Physical Education and Music teachers give all students, from K through 5th grade, instruction. This instruction is delivered in the English language.
Will English language arts skills be delayed?
At the start of 3rd grade, some Spanish immersion students may be slightly behind non-immersion students in English reading and language arts. However, by the end of 3rd grade, most immersion students do as well or better in English language arts skills as non- immersion students. Many students exceed non-immersion students in their language arts skills by the end of 5th grade. It is important to understand that the initial lag is temporary and to be expected.
What other kinds of special activities are offered at for immersion students?
Immersion programs include several special features that add to the child’s educational experience. One is the use of young adults, often teacher candidates, from Spanish or Chinese-speaking countries as part of the program. These young adults assist with classroom activities. By working with these teaching assistants, students are exposed to Spanish and Chinese in native dialects.
Is there any emphasis on international cultures in the program?
Instruction at each grade level also focuses on learning about individual countries. The teachers integrate specific information into daily lessons to teach international cultures.
- Language Skills -
How do immersion students compare to non-immersion students in verbal skills? A great deal of research has been done on the development of English language skills by immersion students. Studies have consistently shown that immersion students do as well or better than comparable non- immersion students on measures of verbal and mathematics skills.
How and when do students learn English skills?
Students will spend fifty percent of their school day immerse in each language. They will be taught Language Arts and Social Studies in English and Math and Science in Spanish only.
What level of skill in Spanish will students have by the end of 6th grade?
By the end of 6th grade, students will have received more than 3,000 hours of Spanish instruction, and most will be functionally proficient at writing, reading and speaking Spanish. Students will need to continue with their Spanish or Chinese studies in order to maintain and improve their skills.
- Students and Parents -
Is immersion education right for all students?
Most students are well-suited for immersion instruction, regardless of their academic ability level. Students who have difficulty learning to read Spanish also would probably have difficulty learning to read English in a non-immersion setting. For children who have difficulty with auditory discrimination or auditory memory, or who have severe language delays, an immersion school may not be the best academic setting.
Do children need a background in Spanish to enroll in the program?
No. The program is designed for children of families who do not speak Spanish.
Are students screened before being admitted into the program?
All future Kindergarten students must go through developmental preschool screening. There is no separate screening process for admission to immersion programs.
What if our child becomes discouraged or frustrated in the immersion program?
If a child seems to be frustrated or discouraged, it is important to discuss those feelings with the child. Many children feel they are the only one who does not understand. It is important to reassure them they are not alone. If the problem persists, it is very helpful to let the teacher know so that he or she can focus on the situation.
Because language immersion is seen as a unique concept, Spanish may be labeled as the source of the frustrations. For the most part, the child probably would have the same frustrations if he or she were in an English-only classroom. Language immersion teachers create positive situations by focusing lessons around the students’ language level.
What role do parents play in the school?
Like all parents, parents of children in immersion programs should maintain an active role in their children’s education by providing experiences that help develop their English language skills and enhance their cognitive and affective development. They should read to them daily in English and expose them to the second language and engage them in activities where they need to apply what they are learning in class.
Families are also asked to make a long-term commitment to the immersion program for children to experience the great benefits an immersion education yields. Parents can support their child in these ways:
• Make a long-term commitment to immersion.
• Develop an understanding of immersion education.
• Provide experiences outside of school to develop English language skills.
• Encourage the use of the second language outside of school.
• Most importantly, be sure your child attends school everyday.
• Volunteer at school and in your child’s classroom. Various volunteer opportunities exist in the school. Parent involvement in school activities shows the child that education is very important to the family.
- Benefits -
How do children benefit from language immersion?
The main benefit of immersion is the development of a second language. Students also develop greater listening and higher level thinking skills by being immersed in a second language. Another benefit is increased awareness and appreciation of other cultures.
Why learn a second language at an early age?
Learning a second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual growth and enriches and enhances a child’s mental development:
• It leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ear for listening.
• It improves a child’s understanding of his/her native language.
• It gives a child the ability to communicate with people s/he would otherwise not have the chance to know.
• It opens the door to other cultures and helps a child understand and appreciate people from other countries.
• It gives a student a head start in language requirements for college.
• It increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset.
Why begin a second language in kindergarten?
The young child’s brain is developmentally ready to learn language. A child’s brain has twice as many synapses (connections) in the brain as an adult. The young brain must use these connections or lose them. There is a window of opportunity in which a child learns a first language normally. After this period, the brain becomes slowly less receptive. Young children can learn as many spoken languages as you can allow them to hear systematically and regularly at the same time. Children just have this capacity. When children wait until high school to start studying a foreign language, the job is much harder.
Thanks to Language Immersion Information Guide: St. Cloud Area School District 742 for the previous information.
Thank you for considering our Immersion Program for your child. Our program provides exciting and challenging educational opportunities that will prepare your child for the 21st Century.
We realize that sending your child to kindergarten can be exciting but stressful as well, for both you and your child. The anxiety can be lessened if parents and children know what to expect.
- Benefits of Learning Two Languages -
• Enhances academic and linguistic performance in both languages
• Cognitive advantages – physically enhances brain development
• Increases career and social opportunities
• Expands worldview
•Increases attendance at colleges and universities
• Improves English language skills
• Enhances learning capacity for life
- Background -
Is language immersion a new concept?
The language immersion concept has been used in schools for decades. Many schools in Canada have successfully implemented immersion programs with French as the second language. In reality, immersion has been used for thousands of years. For example, when a child is raised in an English-speaking environment, he or she will become acquainted with the language and begin using it. Students learn the second language in a very similar way they learned their first language.
- Goals and Curriculum -
What are the goals of the Immersion Programs?
There are three major goals for immersion students; to effectively communicate in Spanish, to acquire the same English language arts and content area skills as students in English-only programs, and to acquire greater knowledge, understanding and appreciation of other cultures.
How do Immersion Programs compare to other Programs?
Curriculum used in immersion and other elementary programs is basically the same. The difference is that students learn through the Spanish language rather than through English. Language immersion students also learn to understand, speak, read and write in Spanish.
- Program Design -
What about the first days in the Immersion programs? Won’t students be confused?
Teachers will use English and Spanish respectively during the first weeks of school. The firsts weeks both teachers will focus on school routines, safety and previous knowledge. Once students have demonstrated an understanding of daily routines they will start implementing the regular curriculum. To lower the level of anxiety the new language may cause, The Spanish teachers are constantly encourage them to be aware of not only the spoken word, but also the actions and demonstrations she performs as those will assist in the child’s understanding of the language.
What opportunities do students have to participate in the Fine Arts and Physical Education?
Qualified Art, Physical Education and Music teachers give all students, from K through 5th grade, instruction. This instruction is delivered in the English language.
Will English language arts skills be delayed?
At the start of 3rd grade, some Spanish immersion students may be slightly behind non-immersion students in English reading and language arts. However, by the end of 3rd grade, most immersion students do as well or better in English language arts skills as non- immersion students. Many students exceed non-immersion students in their language arts skills by the end of 5th grade. It is important to understand that the initial lag is temporary and to be expected.
What other kinds of special activities are offered at for immersion students?
Immersion programs include several special features that add to the child’s educational experience. One is the use of young adults, often teacher candidates, from Spanish or Chinese-speaking countries as part of the program. These young adults assist with classroom activities. By working with these teaching assistants, students are exposed to Spanish and Chinese in native dialects.
Is there any emphasis on international cultures in the program?
Instruction at each grade level also focuses on learning about individual countries. The teachers integrate specific information into daily lessons to teach international cultures.
- Language Skills -
How do immersion students compare to non-immersion students in verbal skills? A great deal of research has been done on the development of English language skills by immersion students. Studies have consistently shown that immersion students do as well or better than comparable non- immersion students on measures of verbal and mathematics skills.
How and when do students learn English skills?
Students will spend fifty percent of their school day immerse in each language. They will be taught Language Arts and Social Studies in English and Math and Science in Spanish only.
What level of skill in Spanish will students have by the end of 6th grade?
By the end of 6th grade, students will have received more than 3,000 hours of Spanish instruction, and most will be functionally proficient at writing, reading and speaking Spanish. Students will need to continue with their Spanish or Chinese studies in order to maintain and improve their skills.
- Students and Parents -
Is immersion education right for all students?
Most students are well-suited for immersion instruction, regardless of their academic ability level. Students who have difficulty learning to read Spanish also would probably have difficulty learning to read English in a non-immersion setting. For children who have difficulty with auditory discrimination or auditory memory, or who have severe language delays, an immersion school may not be the best academic setting.
Do children need a background in Spanish to enroll in the program?
No. The program is designed for children of families who do not speak Spanish.
Are students screened before being admitted into the program?
All future Kindergarten students must go through developmental preschool screening. There is no separate screening process for admission to immersion programs.
What if our child becomes discouraged or frustrated in the immersion program?
If a child seems to be frustrated or discouraged, it is important to discuss those feelings with the child. Many children feel they are the only one who does not understand. It is important to reassure them they are not alone. If the problem persists, it is very helpful to let the teacher know so that he or she can focus on the situation.
Because language immersion is seen as a unique concept, Spanish may be labeled as the source of the frustrations. For the most part, the child probably would have the same frustrations if he or she were in an English-only classroom. Language immersion teachers create positive situations by focusing lessons around the students’ language level.
What role do parents play in the school?
Like all parents, parents of children in immersion programs should maintain an active role in their children’s education by providing experiences that help develop their English language skills and enhance their cognitive and affective development. They should read to them daily in English and expose them to the second language and engage them in activities where they need to apply what they are learning in class.
Families are also asked to make a long-term commitment to the immersion program for children to experience the great benefits an immersion education yields. Parents can support their child in these ways:
• Make a long-term commitment to immersion.
• Develop an understanding of immersion education.
• Provide experiences outside of school to develop English language skills.
• Encourage the use of the second language outside of school.
• Most importantly, be sure your child attends school everyday.
• Volunteer at school and in your child’s classroom. Various volunteer opportunities exist in the school. Parent involvement in school activities shows the child that education is very important to the family.
- Benefits -
How do children benefit from language immersion?
The main benefit of immersion is the development of a second language. Students also develop greater listening and higher level thinking skills by being immersed in a second language. Another benefit is increased awareness and appreciation of other cultures.
Why learn a second language at an early age?
Learning a second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual growth and enriches and enhances a child’s mental development:
• It leaves students with more flexibility in thinking, greater sensitivity to language, and a better ear for listening.
• It improves a child’s understanding of his/her native language.
• It gives a child the ability to communicate with people s/he would otherwise not have the chance to know.
• It opens the door to other cultures and helps a child understand and appreciate people from other countries.
• It gives a student a head start in language requirements for college.
• It increases job opportunities in many careers where knowing another language is a real asset.
Why begin a second language in kindergarten?
The young child’s brain is developmentally ready to learn language. A child’s brain has twice as many synapses (connections) in the brain as an adult. The young brain must use these connections or lose them. There is a window of opportunity in which a child learns a first language normally. After this period, the brain becomes slowly less receptive. Young children can learn as many spoken languages as you can allow them to hear systematically and regularly at the same time. Children just have this capacity. When children wait until high school to start studying a foreign language, the job is much harder.
Thanks to Language Immersion Information Guide: St. Cloud Area School District 742 for the previous information.