Overview

Two-way English Spanish Immersion Program - This program gives native English and Spanish - speaking children the opportunity to become bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural by the end of the 5th grade by learning in English and Spanish. Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Education Programs are designed to serve speakers of other languages and English speakers within the same classroom. The students are purposely mixed in the same educational environment to provide communicative and academic language development through an interactive and cross-cultural setting. Program participation begins in Kindergarten and continues through fifth grade.

Participants

Enrollment for these programs is open to both native English and native Spanish speakers who desire to learn a second language.

Benefits

• All of the students develop proficiency in both languages.
• The English Language Learner (ELL) students learns through his or her native language as well as through English.
• Native English speakers acquire a second language as they are taught academic content in an immersion environment.
• All students add another language and culture.
• Enhancement of the students' self-esteem and allows for cross-cultural understanding.

Program Goals

• To develop high levels of communicative and academic second language proficiency
• To maintain and develop primary language skills
• To develop superior  progress in all curricular areas
• To develop understanding, positive attitudes and acceptance of one-self as well as the diversity of the languages and cultures represented in the community

Program Design

• Kindergarten through 5th grade instructional program with certified bilingual teachers
• Challenging curriculum in both languages
• Balanced language literacy skills
• Second language literacy skills
• Academic content instruction
• Peer interaction

Instructional Design

The instructional approaches for Dual Language Immersion Programs follow sound principles underlying bilingual and foreign language teaching methods. Learning is provided in an environment that allows students to engage in an meaningful environment and interact with one another. The needs of each language group includes: primary language development, second language acquisition development of cognitive language and literacy skills, and the development of a positive self-image and cross-cultural understanding.

The curriculum in the program utilizes communication-based instruction, balanced literacy strategies and interactive participation.

Initially all students learn to read and write in Spanish. English literacy skills are added as students progress through the grade levels.

Grade Language of Instruction

TK/Kindergarten       90% Spanish, 10% English

First Grade                 80% Spanish, 20% English

Second Grade            70% Spanish, 30% English

Third Grade                60 % Spanish, 40% English

Fourth Grade              50% Spanish, 50% English

Fifth Grade                  50% Spanish, 50% English