¡Feliz Año Nuevo!
A lot has happened since I last posted, especially at my daughters’ school and with my son. I’ll fill you in on all the details over the next few posts.
For those who are new to my blog, let me describe a little bit about my daughter’s school:
They attend a dual-language school. My oldest daughter is in the 2nd grade and my twins are in kindergarten. In kindergarten, they learn mostly in English and have 45 minutes of Spanish, where they may listen to stories and learn songs. They also play games in Spanish on the computer. I would have preferred more Spanish time during the school day, but they’re latching on to the Spanish they do get.
Starting in 1st grade the dual-language model is one day instruction in English and the next day the instruction is continued in Spanish. The class consists of 50% English-dominant speakers and 50% Spanish-dominant speakers. The students have a Spanish teacher and an English teacher and they’re taught all subjects (including science, music, and art) in both languages.
The school also provides a Spanish enrichment program. The girls go twice a week for a little over an hour. The program is additional Spanish immersion for the children where only English is spoken in the home. So, the girls get a lot of support in Spanish. The English portion was a concern for me, I wondered if they would be challenged and supported as they go beyond grade level. Well, they are. My oldest daughter is reading above grade level and her class library has books readily available to support and encourage that. And, of course, as parents we give them additional work.
This school is like a dream come true for me because I spent years preparing my oldest to speak Spanish and the private schools and programs were unattainable financially.
Does your child attend a dual-language school? Are you considering it? I’d like to hear from you. Please comment below.
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