Immersion
Our Language Immersion Program At MSUD
Benefits of Being Bilingual
· Development of skills in two or more languages enhances brain functioning with long-term cognitive advantages.
· Fluency in two or more languages increases academic performance in other subjects.
· Students who study other languages display more interest and tolerance for other cultures. The study of other languages builds cross-cultural understanding.
· With 65% of the world today speaking two or more languages, being bilingual provides students the opportunities to participate actively in the global community.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to support my child if I don’t speak Spanish?
Like all parents, you play an important role in the education of your child. You don’t need to speak both languages in order to provide support for your child’s immersion education. Reading to your child every night is important no matter what language your child is learning. Parents should communicate with teachers regularly about their child’s progress.
Will my child be proficient in Spanish? How long will that take?
After only 2 or 3 years in immersion, your child will demonstrate fluency and confidence when using Spanish and their listening and reading skills will be close to those of a native speaker of the same age.
Why should I consider immersion for my child?
Becoming bilingual opens many doors for your child. Many parents want to provide their children with the skills to interact competently in the increasingly global community. Decades of research shows that immersion students achieve as well or better than their non-immersion peers on standardized measures of verbal and mathematical skills.
Immersion in our Schools
Dow's Prairie 90/10 Model | Kindergarten and 1st grades at Dow’s Prairie use the 90/10 model, which means that children receive instruction in Spanish 90% of their day. Spanish is not taught as a subject. It becomes the language of instruction so students acquire Spanish while learning the District curriculum. Students acquire their second language by hearing it spoken naturally in the classroom beginning in kindergarten.
Morris Elementary 50/50 Model | In grades 2nd-5th grades, we move to the 50/50 model, with half of the content in Spanish and half in English. Mathematics and Science are taught in Spanish. Math and Science are subjects with many universal symbols.
McKinleyville Middle School
· Development of skills in two or more languages enhances brain functioning with long-term cognitive advantages.
· Fluency in two or more languages increases academic performance in other subjects.
· Students who study other languages display more interest and tolerance for other cultures. The study of other languages builds cross-cultural understanding.
· With 65% of the world today speaking two or more languages, being bilingual provides students the opportunities to participate actively in the global community.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do to support my child if I don’t speak Spanish?
Like all parents, you play an important role in the education of your child. You don’t need to speak both languages in order to provide support for your child’s immersion education. Reading to your child every night is important no matter what language your child is learning. Parents should communicate with teachers regularly about their child’s progress.
Will my child be proficient in Spanish? How long will that take?
After only 2 or 3 years in immersion, your child will demonstrate fluency and confidence when using Spanish and their listening and reading skills will be close to those of a native speaker of the same age.
Why should I consider immersion for my child?
Becoming bilingual opens many doors for your child. Many parents want to provide their children with the skills to interact competently in the increasingly global community. Decades of research shows that immersion students achieve as well or better than their non-immersion peers on standardized measures of verbal and mathematical skills.
Immersion in our Schools
Dow's Prairie 90/10 Model | Kindergarten and 1st grades at Dow’s Prairie use the 90/10 model, which means that children receive instruction in Spanish 90% of their day. Spanish is not taught as a subject. It becomes the language of instruction so students acquire Spanish while learning the District curriculum. Students acquire their second language by hearing it spoken naturally in the classroom beginning in kindergarten.
Morris Elementary 50/50 Model | In grades 2nd-5th grades, we move to the 50/50 model, with half of the content in Spanish and half in English. Mathematics and Science are taught in Spanish. Math and Science are subjects with many universal symbols.
McKinleyville Middle School
Resources
The Superior Social Skills Of Bilinguals
Practice makes perfect: switching between languages pays off
Dual Language Immersion and Bilingual Education
No Child Left Monolingual: TEDx
Baby, do you want to be bilingual? TEDx