As I continue to navigate the waters of ‘Dual Immersion,’ I learn more about what happens with students in this type of program as they get older. And as many may suspect, it becomes a ‘battle’ between having them keep up with both languages at a somehow equal (close) pace. However, I do not mean battle in a terrible way, just that children will try to constantly shift to the language they feel more comfortable with and here in the United States it will most likely be English. But as my sister would tell me (she is the mom of a now fully fluent/bilingual teenager)…“You have to push them, and push them hard.”

Talking to teachers in both the lower grades (K-3) and middle school, it is somewhere in fourth grade that English takes off, and the other language (in this case Spanish) becomes the ‘second choice.’ For many children reading and writing in English is just ‘easier,’ or so they claim. So, as a teacher I am trying to figure this out: How do I help my students keep alive the love for the target language?

The answer:

Modeling and honestly showing them my love, appreciation, and joy for being bilingual.

Therefore, at school this is what I and many,many other teachers do. From observing my sister, I know it took perseverance and TONS of patience. But what else? Is there another ingredient?

If you have younger children, you are probably pondering on the same question and wondering why I am not offering a ‘perfect’ solution (I just do not know the answer). Yet, if you are the parent of an older child who became bilingual thanks to your persistence and value for the other language my question to you is: What did you do that worked?

We are all in this together. Whether students or our own children, we just want what’s the best for them. So again, what was your secret to ensure children carry with them to adulthood the love for the other language?

I would love to hear from you in the comments below.

Much love,

Kelly

Photo by Neeta Lind

As the school year progresses and students get used to the new classroom routines, there is something children and parents know will come sooner or later….homework. While my personal view on homework has changed and evolved over time (I have written about it in detail on my blog), I know that ‘in general’ homework, at one point or another, is part of every student’s schooling years.

Late last week, as my dual immersion fourth graders where getting ready to go home, I was half-listening to one of my students as he was asking about a math word problem he needed to complete at home. First, I began with the usual “If you had used your time wisely, you would not be taking any work home.” I then went on and said, “You will have to ask someone at home for help on that problem.” To which my student replied: “Ms. Serrano no one at home speaks Spanish. They will not be able to read the problem. They will not be able to help me.”

Not only did I feel like the worst educator on the phase of the earth, but this also brought me to the point of: Where/How do children get help for homework or ANY other task when he/she is the only one speaking the language at home?

Yes, I have many students whose families are Spanish speakers, but I also have plenty of students whose families do not speak ANY Spanish at all. From that point on, I asked, probed, questioned and questioned again several co-workers and friends who teach at other dual-language schools hoping they would tell me how they do it. It seems that in the lower grades (K-2/3) homework help is not very complicated as children are learning many basic skills (for the most part). However, once children reach fourth grade and up, homework/tasks become a bit more difficult. Many teachers send home every piece of communication in both languages – homework, projects, newsletters, etc. But, how can parents effectively help children when they do not speak the language?

I am taking the time to translate everything I send home (even for what at the beginning I thought was ‘obvious’). I am also sharing the English version and links of our math curriculum as well as science. Additionally, I send weekly emails informing parents about our class happenings: what we are working on, what children are reading, and/or what we are writing about. But, what else can a teacher do? (Again, the homework ‘story’ at the beginning of this post should have never happened).

So, I am really eager to hear from parents. I am looking for both: what has worked and what your frustrations really are. Parents – what have you been doing when something gets home and you have no idea what it means? (Besides using Google translate!). I cannot wait to hear from you.

Much love,

Kelly

Photos by Robert Couse-Baker

When it comes to helping my dual language immersion students make sense of a topic in Spanish (besides using teaching resources purchased by the school), the Internet is my first ‘go to’ place. While there are thousands of resources out there, one is often left wondering which ones are worth spending money on (if purchase is required) and which ones one could access for free and use without compromising quality.

I have come to narrow down a few sites/apps/resources, and while some require a paid subscription, many have certain units or topics for free so you can try them, assess quality, and decide whether it is something you really want. Without any particular order, here is a list of a few resources I find very useful:

•  BrainPOP Español: I fell in love with the English version when I started teaching, so when I found out there was a Spanish version I did not think twice and tried it. The great thing about this site is that there are few units you can try for free (without a paid subscription). For example: ‘The Scientific Method,’ ‘Recycling,’ Sources of Energy,’ and ‘Ecosystems’ just to name a few. As a matter of fact, I am using the scientific method this week while introducing science to my class. Remember, here you can find math, social studies, and even art & music resources. Clicking here will take directly the Spanish version of BrainPOP.

• Club Leo by Scholastic: Finding well-written Spanish books can be a hassle, yet Club Leo by Scholastic offers new Spanish and bilingual books as well as other American, Latin American, and Spanish publishers. Sign up for an online account (parent account) so you can start browsing the catalog right away. And it gets even better because Scholastic has its own version of ‘electronic books’ which can be downloaded in seconds – no more waiting for the mail to arrive.

• Cricket Magazines: I saw the review from Betty Galvan some time back about Ladybug en Español. I was ecstatic (seriously!) because I have been a long time consumer of Cricket Magazines and they are outstanding. Their magazines are filled with great educational content and non-fictional material (HUGE nowadays with the majority of states adopting the Common Core Standards and the emphasis placed on informational reading). If this company was putting a magazine in Spanish, I knew it had to be great… Remember, reading can take many shapes and forms from books, to magazines – it all counts.

• Learn Spanish – MindSnacks: A video-game type of app with all the benefits of a full educational experience. I was introduced to this app by one of my parents not long ago. She could not stop telling me how amazing this app was. I explored the free version and was quite surprised. It is not a curriculum, but a great way to reemphasize what many students are learning in the primary grades (basic vocabulary). I understand though that reviewing Spanish applications could be an entire different post. I cannot wait to try the full version of this app once my project requesting iPads for my class under donorschoose.org/lfcsa gets funded. I am so close!

So, while I run around making copies, meeting new parents, and memorizing students’ names, I thought you might want to find out some programs/resources I use from time to time. Try them, experiment with them, and let me know what you think.

Much love,

Kelly

Ps. THANK YOU for all your emails. I have been busy chatting with people from all over the world. I am glad to be of help.

Photos by Tim and Selena Middleton

As always, I would love to hear from you and read your comments/suggestions.

Remember these?

Now…the BIG reveal:

I am working on a more detailed description of my classroom on my blog. If you are interested in learning more about it, check out my page at Learning In Two Languages .

Much love,

Kelly

This post is sponsored by Disney Story. To find out more about this brand-new story-creation app – and how it puts the power of storytelling in your hands - click here.

I had promised to share with all of you our journey as we navigated the first year of dual immersion school and I have to admit that I’ve slacked a bit, but now that Camila successfully completed kindergarten, I’m ready to tell you it’s been everything we expected and more. At times it was a bit scary to understand just how my girl would acquire the skills needed in both languages and keep up with standards, but she has flourished in every sense.

She started the first day of school speaking mostly English, even though she’s supposed to be one of the strongest native Spanish-speakers in her class. Her maestra has been wonderful and completely supportive of all the kids. It’s amazing to see how much the children have grown and how strong their Spanish skills have evolved.

One thing I learned that I can’t stress enough is that the parent involvement is key when your child is enrolled in a dual immersion program. For some parents it’s harder than for others because they don’t speak the target language at home and it’s more challenging to find ways to help their kids with schoolwork. So aside from the school needing parents to be active with fundraising, volunteering, advocating and such, a dual immersion classroom environment also depends on parents working together to support each other in any way needed.

I’m working on a series of posts to share with you the many benefits of a bilingual education in a dual immersion setting that we experienced first hand. But today I want to share with you a collection of pictures and a video put together using the Disney Story app that showcase the many beautiful and fleeting kindergarten moments my girl experienced in her beloved and unique Franklin Language Magnet school.

Download the Disney Story app from iTunes  – for FREE – right here!

Disney Story Twitter

Disney Story Facebook

Some weeks ago I posted an update on my personal Facebook profile sharing how much I love volunteering at my daughter’s kindergarten Spanish immersion classroom. Not even five minutes later I get a text from a very good friend whom I spend a lot of time with teasing me about using the word “love” in the same sentence as “volunteering.” She kept on going that there was no way I could love that and I had to be exaggerating.

I told her she was totally off. She’s actually right in assuming I’m not the school-volunteering type, in the sense that I did try attending PTA meetings and all that jazz, but soon realized that where I really was more valuable and could make some direct impact was in the classroom.

One peculiar thing about dual immersion programs is that parents must not only be incredibly committed, but also very involved. The only drawback, is that for parents to be allowed to volunteer in the actual classroom, they must be fluent in the target language — in our case, Spanish. You can imagine how difficult this makes it for the teachers to have a steady flow of parents assisting in the classroom; and, yes, parents volunteering are an extremely valuable asset to the teacher. Most parents either work or don’t speak the language fluently enough, but I do.

So, I spend 90 minutes of my morning once per week doing flashcards of words and numbers in Spanish with my girl’s kindergarten classroom and I truly do love it. It’s created a very special bond between my daughter, her teacher and even with her classmates that I can’t put a value to.

I actually wrote a story that I’m sharing on Babble called “Flashcards With My Daughter” that describes exactly why I volunteer and the impact it has on my daughter and my involvement in her bilingual education. Please click here to read it. I think you will love it .

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 invited to attend the United Nations Foundation’s 2nd annual Social Good Summit as one of their Social Good Fellows. I sat in a room with other fellows and we applauded in agreement at this fantastic idea put together by the 92Y and the UN Foundation to basically “create a national day of giving at the start of the annual holiday season. It [#GivingTuesday] celebrates and encourages charitable activities that support nonprofit organizations.”

How could we not stand behind that?

We are so excited to announce we’re joining the first ever #GivingTuesday movement and we’d love to make you a part of it. You can celebrate this day of giving back in so many ways in your own community. The point is to reflect on the idea of giving back and get our children involved. We’d love to hear your ideas and how you’ll make this happen.

Since we really want to get you motivated and involved, we’ve come up with our own special way to collectively give back to our favorite cause of raising bilingual kids and bilingual education. It’s very easy and won’t take you long at all, but you’ll be making a great impact on a bilingual child’s education. Please read on.

We all know that dual immersion programs are proven to be an academic, social and cultural success. However, that doesn’t mean the schools that need it the most are getting the proper funding. We’ve chosen to focus this #GivingTuesday on four dual immersion classrooms in areas with a high level of poverty — and thus extremely low funding — requesting funding for books and materials in Spanish through DonorsChoose.org

Here’s how YOU CAN HELP. We’ll donate $1 USD (up to a maximum of $500) to DonorsChoose.org for every comment we receive on this post all day today, Tuesday November 27th, 2012, until midnight PST. Just check out the four classrooms we’ve chosen to support below and tell us in a comment which one you want your donation to go to. We’ll then donate to that classroom the total amount of dollars generated per comment. Our maximum in donations will be of $500 total divided between the comments for all 4 classrooms.

Only one comment per email.

Help us reach our goal of 500 comments by sharing on Facebook, G+, email, Twitter, etc. Sample tweet below (you can click and tweet it too!)

Celebrate #GivingTuesday by commenting on this @SpanglishBaby post today to donate $1 to bilingual education http://bit.ly/UXS1xn

1. Listen to Learn!

Technology project at Glendale Elementary School in Madison, WI

2. We Want to Read Now!

Books project at San Juan Elementary in San Juan Capo, CA

3. Engaging Dual Language Learners

Technology project at Wharton Elementary School in Houston, TX

4. Help Us Read!

Books project at Lincoln Elementary School in Salinas, CA

Thanks for giving of your time to us, to #GivingTuesday and to bilingual education! You can follow and share how you are giving using the hashtag #GivingTuesday on Twitter and on Facebook.com/GivingTuesday

I was one of those very lucky kids who attended a dual language immersion school. Although I moved around a lot as a child — living in 5 countries in 3 continents by the time I was 14 — I spent five solid years at my mother’s alma mater back in Peru and I was instructed mostly in English from 4th to 8th grade.

As far as I remember, I only had a handful of courses, including Historia and Geografía del Perú, in Spanish. The rest of my school days were spent immersed in English in a Spanish-speaking country. By the time I entered 5th grade, my private school required all its students to take up a third language. I chose French, but I could’ve chosen Italian or German just as easily.

So, I thought it very strange when I moved to the States and found out that, although offered, I didn’t really have to take a “foreign language,” until I got to high school. And then, I only needed two years of this foreign language in order to graduate. In reality, since I already spoke a foreign language — as in my native Spanish — I could’ve very well taken a test and I could’ve been exempted from this requirement.

But because I’d been taking French since 5th grade — albeit only a couple of times a week — I signed up for it as one of my electives when I entered my neighborhood’s junior high school in Miami, and I continued taking it until my junior year in high school. I eventually picked it up again as a sophomore at the University of Florida (in fact, you can almost say college French is the reason why Ana and I are friends today). Since then, I’ve taken courses at the Alliance Française on and off for the last 15 years.

All this to prove that I’m obviously a huge lover of languages and to confess that if I had the money, I would spend the rest of my life traveling and learning other languages. And so, it pains me to no end to read articles like the one from Forbes Ana sent me earlier this morning. Titled “America’s Foreign Language Deficit,” and written by two prominent Cornell University professors, the article exposes the sad state of affairs this nation is facing in terms of teaching its students foreign languages.

While I love to think that more and more people are embracing bilingualism in this country, the reality when it comes to foreign language offerings available to our students is pretty bleak. Check out some of these discouraging figures from the Forbes article :

• The percentage of public and private elementary schools offering foreign language instruction decreased from 31 to 25 percent from 1997 to 2008.
• Instruction in public elementary schools dropped from 24 percent to 15 percent, with rural districts hit the hardest.
• The percentage of all middle schools offering foreign language instruction decreased from 75 to 58 percent.
• About 25 percent of elementary schools and 30 percent of middle schools report a shortage of qualified foreign language teachers.
• In 2009-2010, only 50.7 percent of higher education institutions required foreign language study for a baccalaureate, down from 67.5 percent in 1994-1995. And many colleges and universities have reduced or eliminated instructional offerings in “less popular” languages.

Speaking more than one language is an invaluable gift, but in a highly connected world like the one we live in today, it’s become more of an indispensable skill.

As fierce proponents and supporters of bilingualism, Ana and I want to make sure that our voices — and that of all the other parents who believe bilingual is better — are heard loud and clear by anyone and everyone who has a say in changing the discouraging numbers above. We’re in the process of trying to figure out how to do that, and we promise to let you know when we do. In the meantime, I leave you with this call to action by the authors of the Forbes’ article:

We ask parents to urge their children to attain proficiency in a foreign language, whether or not schools require them to do so; PTAs to lobby school boards; faculty members and deans in colleges and universities to re-visit foreign language requirements; readers of Forbes to write to their elected representatives.

{Photo via Fiona Bradley}

Did that headline shock you? It shocked me to write it and admit it because I’ve been claiming for years now that my 5-year old is completely bilingual. I mean, we’re doing everything right, or at least we were for a while.

First let me tell you why and how I realized she’s not as bilingual as I thought and then I’ll explain where I think we messed up.

Fisher-Price invited Roxana and I to be one of their Play Ambassadors and, as such, we have some trips we’ll be taking with them during the year. One of the trips is a visit to the Azul Beach, a Karisma hotel in the Riviera Maya, to learn how children reach developmental milestones around the world and in different cultures. I took advantage of this opportunity to arrive a few days early and bring my daughter with me to Cancun to visit my sister-in-law, her husband and my niece and nephew — Camila’s primos. The trip was long overdue since we hadn’t seen them in two years and had only kept in touch through Skype and such.

Of course, I was super excited because this would mean Camila would not only get to nurture the bond with her primos, but also to polish her Spanish the week before starting kindergarten at the dual immersion program she was accepted into. Even more so since the last month we’ve been talking so much about her new school and how it will be mostly in Spanish. She always seems excited and eager, but then, randomly, she’ll spill out that she doesn’t know how to speak Spanish, that she prefers English. I deny it. I insist that she speaks Spanish very well and that she just needs to practice it. She responds that she doesn’t know it that well and that she mixes too much. I keep insisting it’s okay, and that she just needs to practice and not be afraid.

I honestly thought that as soon as we got to Mexico and she was surrounded by her primos she would switch that imaginary Spanish chip on. It’s been two days and it’s not turning on.

Camila and her primos had an immediate connection, especially with her prima who is only three months older than her; they’ve been inseparable and loving to each other. The way the relationship is developing is that Camila speaks to them in English and they respond in Spanish — just like what’s been happening at home. They kinda understand English and Camila understands Spanish perfectly, so there’s no real need for her to speak it. I’ve nagged a bit with the “Aquí hablamos español” and such, just like I did last year when we went to El Salvador, but it doesn’t seem to be working this time. Plus, I don’t want to force it on her at all.

I do see her trying and she’ll throw words in Spanish here and there, but the truth I’ve had a hard time admitting is that she can’t string conversational sentences together like she can in English — not even close.

And here is where I realized where I had messed up. Back in February, Camila was accepted into a fabulous dual immersion program in Spanish. That day was full of excitement, but also of a sense of relief that I could finally relax with the Spanish exposure. Meaning, my husband and I still talk to her only in Spanish, but we now allow television and music in English; we no longer translate the books we read out loud to Spanish; and we got lazy about asking her to respond to us in Spanish. Aside from that, her pre-school was in English — because we had no choice, — so her exposure to it was vast and her language of play became English.

Now, faced with the realization that she’s not truly as outward and expressive bilingual as I thought, I wonder if I did her a disservice or if it will all really come to her once she starts kindergarten next week?

I’m sure it’s all in her, and maybe I’ll be surprised by the end of the week when she’s had plenty of immersion and her Spanish would have flourished again. Regardless, it’s been a good wake up call that this journey to true bilingualism requires plenty of attention and awareness, and that I need to follow my own advice a whole lot more.

Please share with me in the comments, have you had a bilingual setback with your kids or yourself? How did you deal with it?