Jeanfromfillmore
04-16-2011, 12:38 PM
Here it is, our tax dollars being used to start students off completely in Spanish. This will be one huge failure for those kids that only speak Spanish, they won't even start to learn English for the first semester, and it continues to the fifth grade where at that point they'll get "half" of their instruction in English. This has to be stopped.
LAKE ELSINORE: School to offer dual language immersion
Dozens of families are interested in enrolling their children in a new dual language immersion program in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District, a school official said.
In the program, students will learn both English and Spanish from the time they start kindergarten.
Those who complete the program will be able to speak, read and write in both languages, said Jeri Peterson, principal at Railroad Canyon Elementary School, where the program will be offered.
"It's a good thing for kids," she said. "It opens a lot of opportunities for them."
The program was approved by the school board Thursday.
It will begin in August when the 2011-12 school year starts.
Parent Stephanie Hadley suggested the district consider a dual immersion program last fall because she'd seen how beneficial such a program was for her friends' children.
"I knew it was something I wanted my kids to have access to," said Hadley, who once worked as a recruiter and saw how valuable foreign language skills were in the workplace.
"I know this is something that kids need," she said.
School officials took her idea and ran with it, researching other dual immersion programs and developing a proposal.
Nearly 50 parents have signed interest letters for the program, Peterson said. She said she probably has enough students to run two kindergarten classes now and would like to have enough for three.
"The interest is definitely there," Peterson said. "We're so excited."
Information about the program has come mostly through word-of-mouth and at one meeting for parents at her school, Peterson said.
Students who live elsewhere in the district would also be able to attend, provided the parents are willing to get their children to the school each day, Peterson said. Students will be assessed before admittance to ensure they are ready for the program, Peterson said.
Ideally, about half the students in each class would be native English speakers and half the students in the class would be native Spanish speakers, she said.
In kindergarten, the students will be taught mostly in Spanish. Each subsequent year, additional instruction in English will be added, until fifth-grade, when the instruction is about half English and half Spanish.
Children who enroll in the program should be able to count out loud to 20, know basic colors such as black, white and red, be able to recite the alphabet in English or Spanish, and other similar skills, Peterson said.
"They have to have these skills or they won't be successful," she said.
Parents interested in learning more about the program should call Railroad Canyon at 951-674-8671, Peterson said.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_sdual16.23327f5.html
LAKE ELSINORE: School to offer dual language immersion
Dozens of families are interested in enrolling their children in a new dual language immersion program in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District, a school official said.
In the program, students will learn both English and Spanish from the time they start kindergarten.
Those who complete the program will be able to speak, read and write in both languages, said Jeri Peterson, principal at Railroad Canyon Elementary School, where the program will be offered.
"It's a good thing for kids," she said. "It opens a lot of opportunities for them."
The program was approved by the school board Thursday.
It will begin in August when the 2011-12 school year starts.
Parent Stephanie Hadley suggested the district consider a dual immersion program last fall because she'd seen how beneficial such a program was for her friends' children.
"I knew it was something I wanted my kids to have access to," said Hadley, who once worked as a recruiter and saw how valuable foreign language skills were in the workplace.
"I know this is something that kids need," she said.
School officials took her idea and ran with it, researching other dual immersion programs and developing a proposal.
Nearly 50 parents have signed interest letters for the program, Peterson said. She said she probably has enough students to run two kindergarten classes now and would like to have enough for three.
"The interest is definitely there," Peterson said. "We're so excited."
Information about the program has come mostly through word-of-mouth and at one meeting for parents at her school, Peterson said.
Students who live elsewhere in the district would also be able to attend, provided the parents are willing to get their children to the school each day, Peterson said. Students will be assessed before admittance to ensure they are ready for the program, Peterson said.
Ideally, about half the students in each class would be native English speakers and half the students in the class would be native Spanish speakers, she said.
In kindergarten, the students will be taught mostly in Spanish. Each subsequent year, additional instruction in English will be added, until fifth-grade, when the instruction is about half English and half Spanish.
Children who enroll in the program should be able to count out loud to 20, know basic colors such as black, white and red, be able to recite the alphabet in English or Spanish, and other similar skills, Peterson said.
"They have to have these skills or they won't be successful," she said.
Parents interested in learning more about the program should call Railroad Canyon at 951-674-8671, Peterson said.
http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_sdual16.23327f5.html