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Photo taken at 16 months old
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Thoughts on language immersion schools
Ok, I'm a little ahead of myself with this and have a few years before dd will be in kindergarten but was wondering what your thoughts were on these types of schools. Positive, negative, any personal experiences? TIA!
Photo taken at 16 months old
Re: Thoughts on language immersion schools
Honestly, I used to think they were great, but now I am not so sure. I know a (now) 3rd grader who was in a Spanish immersion school down in the cities and then moved out to where I live now. She started in 2nd grade here. She knew English and some Spanish. But could not read or write any English. She didn't know the alphabet in Spanish or English. She couldn't write her name. I was the Spanish teacher at the school she is now attending. Her teacher told me they could have sent her back to Kindergarten she knew so little. She went back to 1st grade for reading/writing.
Also, I don't think this was solely a problem because of the school she had gone to, but her mother should have been working with her letters before she even went in to Kindergarten. However, how did her K and 1st grade teachers not notice her problem? Thankfully she was able to learn her reading/writing quickly and should be close to caught up with her grade.
I think if you are going to send a child through an immersion program you have to follow through with it at home. You have to be active in your child's learning.
*M&M* Super Pitbulls
I plan on sending K to a Spanish immersion school. I know they are typically behind their peers (from a "normal" school) in English until about 4th grade, from what I've heard. But at that point, they catch up and very quickly even end up ahead of where their peers are in BOTH languages.
ercsa, I'd be interested in knowing which school you're talking about. I have quite a few friends with kids at immersion schools (3 of which are Spanish, and all different schools) and none of them have encountered anything like that problem.
I PM'd you, twice, with the information.
*M&M* Super Pitbulls
*M&M* Super Pitbulls
I'm all for them. The earlier your kid can learn a second language the better. If they get a little behind in other subjects, a)they'll catch up and possibly do better than peers who weren't taught in an immersion school and b)won't miss the opportunity of the early childhood sensitive period for language learning (which also creates neuronal networks which will help your child in many aspects of life).
The longer you wait to expose to another language, the more difficult it is to learn. If you start after age 7 or so, you will always have an American accent when you speak the other language.
I can only comment on two kids that we have had move into our year round school from immersion schools - I cant say that I am a fan from where these kids are at academically. They are behind on basic things which is really too bad. I cant say we have seen much of what good came from them being there.
And again I am only referring to the two kids that I have seen transferred out. But their reports/testing papers that we have gone through havent supported much as to why it was good for them to be there.
re: the Spanish immersion kid that was WAY behind at a new school, I think that is a problem more associated with a parent who wasn't doing their job vs. an immersion school
I am hoping that when the time comes, I can get Liv into the Twin Cities German Immersion School - an all around awesome school!
A Little Bird and a Monkey Butt
I don't have any personal experiences with this, but I love the idea of immersion school for my future kids. Either Spanish, because it's so dang useful, or Chinese--for family heritage reasons (and because it's probably going to be a more and more useful language in the coming years). But the actual language is less important to me than the opportunity to learn languages at a young age. My husband grew up bilingual and he soaks up new languages like a sponge--I'm so jealous of that ability!
Thanks for posting the question! It's interesting to hear people's experiences, even though this decision is waaaaay in the future for me
I want to send our kids here too!! I worked at the German Immersion pre-school for 3 years and I thought the program was great (for a pre-school).
I love the idea of Immersion schools. I don't think that they are for all students though. Some kids pick up languages quickly and it doesn't hinder their academic learning at all and some students struggle. I think it's up to the parents to check in and see if their children are being successful or not.
One of the doctors I work with sends his 3 children there and he and his wife are very involved with the school. They love it and there children do great.
my read shelf:
I've spoken to the head of the Forest Lake Spanish immersion school. I had mixed feelings about immersion school before, but I was very impressed with their program. Most of the teachers they hire are native speakers.
I think it depends on the kid. For a kid who is very motivated and academically ahead I would definately try it. For kids who have learning disabilities or who are a little slower to pick things up, probably not.
I dont know anything about language immersion schools...but how do they learn English skills?
barring some learning delays or other developmental concerns, many children are perfectly capable of reading prior to Kindergarten
As my dd's parent, it is my job to make sure she is properly educated. If she is capable, I expect that she will be reading (english) when she enters kindergarten, if not soon there after. She hears english at home, and speaks it quite well for her age, so I have no concerns that her english is going to suffer in her early years. (fwiw, she also understands some German, and will speak it occasionally)
Most immersion programs instruct in the immersion language for the first few years, and slowly begin introducing the 'native' language around 2nd grade. After a few years, most immersion students are caught up to their traditionally educated peers in their native language (in my example, english) but also have the bonus of an additional language.
For a child with fluent English speaking parents, what English skills would you be worried about them not obtaining? (not a snarky question, just curious)
A Little Bird and a Monkey Butt
i would love to send my kid to an immersion school. i've already made lars promise that he will teach any kids we have Danish, Swedish and Norwegian and if they could get Spanish at an immersion school... well that would be incredible! being mulit-lingual has been immensely beneficial for lars both socially and in his business. it opens so many doors.
I want to send our (future) children to this school as well! I have heard good things, and I am really in support of language immersion overall. Plus, I lived in Germany for awhile, and I want to incorporate German language and heritage into our family. I am glad to hear that others have heard good things about this school!
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