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Spanish Immersion Program

¡HOLA AMIGOS!
 

¡Bienvenidos a la página web del programa de inmersión en español de la escuela Laurel!

Welcome to the Laurel Spanish Immersion Web Page!

The MPCSD Spanish Immersion Program was authorized by the Board of Education in December 2007 and two kindergarten Spanish Immersion classes started at Encinal School in the fall of 2008.  In the fall of 2009, the Spanish Immersion Program was launched at Laurel School. We currently have two Spanish Immersion classes at each grade level, equaling approximately 40% of our enrollment.  

 

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OVERVIEW OF THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM

  • Program Goals: High levels of oral language proficiency and literacy in both English and Spanish, high academic achievement, and development of cross-cultural understanding and pro-social skills.
  • Immersion Education: An approach to second language instruction in which English-speaking students acquire a second language in a natural way, by using the second language as a medium of instruction rather than the object of instruction.
  • Program duration: 5-7 years
  • Language times per grade level: (90/10 model)
    • Kindergarten: 90% Spanish/10% English
    • First Grade: 90% Spanish/10% English
    • Second Grade: 80% Spanish/20% English
    • Third Grade: 70% Spanish/30% English
    • Fourth Grade: 60% Spanish/40% English
    • Fifth Grade: 50% Spanish/50% English

Findings for Immersion Programs from Dr. Lindholm-Leary

  • In 90/10 programs both language minority and majority students are orally proficient in both languages by 5th grade.
  • Both language groups outscore their English-speaking peers in an English-only program in English Mathematics by 5th grade.
  • English speakers are on grade level in English-reading and Spanish-reading by 5th grade.
  • Spanish-speaking students achieve grade level in English-reading by 7th grade and 8th grade.
  • Students rate themselves very high in their competence as readers and math students.