You searched for: dual language immersion

My son, Isaías, enjoying a Florida winter. Tomorrow, my son turns 5. It seems like a new milestone, like he’s moving into the big kid phase. He’s tying his shoes and learning to ride a bike without training wheels. Kindergarten is right around the corner, and I’m sure time will continue to whizz by as he discovers elementary school life. Isaiah’s 5th birthday isn’t just a turning point for him, though. It’s a day for me to pause and reflectRead More ...

I would’ve loved nothing more than for Vanessa to have the opportunity to attend a dual language immersion program. Unfortunately, the options are few and far between in Denver, and after much debate and consideration, my husband and I decided our neighborhood elementary school was where our daughter belonged. While I get a bit jealous every time I hear the amazing stories coming out dual language immersion schools, I’m convinced we made the right decision. Since Vanessa started Kindergarten lastRead More ...

I thought I knew *a lot* about dual immersion schools because I’ve been researching them for both the blog and our book for almost four years now, but now that my daughter has been in one for almost four months I have a whole new understanding of them. I know the topic of bilingual education as a whole is so confusing for parents because there are so many different programs (ELL, ESL, full immersion, partial immersion, etc) and because, dependingRead More ...

When Sign Language Influences Speech by François Grosjean on Psychology Today — I don’t know sign language, but this is an interesting read for those who do. Call of Duty and World of Warcraft Double as Language Class by Laura Kane on The Toronto Star — A strong case for the benefits of online video gaming when raising bilingual children. Statewide Shortage of Bilingual Teacher Recruits Controversy in Fox Valley by Emily McFarlan Miller on The Courier-News — Hopefully many of the kids being raised bilingualRead More ...

Today we’ll all be making history together as we join a new movement called #GivingTuesday. We’re all way too familiar and entrenched with Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but what about a day honoring the tradition of being grateful that we can even enjoy those “celebrations” and give back to others as much as we were able to get deals for us? That’s exactly the idea behind #GivingTuesday, a concept I learned about back in September when I was invitedRead More ...

My daughter has been attending her dual immersion school in Spanish for almost three months now and I can honestly say she’s made a lot of progress. I think the most noticeable improvement has been in her increased self-esteem and the value she’s now given to speaking Spanish.  She tries much harder to complete sentences in Spanish and doesn’t get frustrated when I nudge her to speak it. My husband keeps insisting that she’s speaking way too much English andRead More ...

“English Only” Laws Divide and Demean by Warren J. Blumenfeld on The Huffington Post — One of my favorite reads this week. Warren, and associate professor at Iowa State University’s School of Education, writes clearly and convincingly about why “English Only” laws should not exist. Can Bilingualism Help With Rescuing Children From Poverty from Science 2.0 — A study has found that children with low socioeconomic backgrounds who are raised bilingual have better cognitive skills than their monolingual peers. AnRead More ...