Starting Language Immersion in Kindergarten?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge mistake unless you’re fine wasting your time with mediocre spanish at the expense of English and math. Sorry!

My 5th grader kid started in K and he is testing 2 grade levels above in math and English. He understands everything and watches movies in Spanish, can speak it to natives, etc…

If you are not a troll then sorry that your kid did not do well. Immersion is not for everyone. If you have an above average kid where things come easily, it’s a great experience.

If your kid struggles in core subjects then no, immersion is not for you because your kid needs more time in it

But is your child literate in Spanish (reading at a 5th grade level). I find that parents think their kids are more advanced than they actually are in the target language. I work at a dual language school (English side) and the Spanish teacher always tells parents how advanced their child is in Spanish. I think she’s just being nice because the same kids are high risk on the Spanish MAP assessment.

Yes he is. They take MAP math, English, and Spanish for their grades 2-3 times a year. He scores high 90th percentile for math, mid to high 80’s for English, and between 65-70% for Spanish. His school also has an online app with leveled reading books in spanish with questions that kids can do at home so I know exactly where he is in regards to that.

BTW we do not speak any spanish. So we do try to support with having him watch movies in spanish and spanish summer camps. It has worked out well.

[Anonymous]

My daughter started an immersion school in third grade, and she fared pretty well. She was assigned Phase 3/4 language glass at DCI for sixth grade, along with her peers who had been doing language immersion since PreK, and she was also assigned a social studies class in the target language. So, she's getting there. I think that beginning in Kindergarten would be even easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t believe families really go for language, they go to socialize and find families like themselves. Language immersion charter are some what like private schools for educated middle class families.

I have to disagree with that! Over half of the families in my child's immersion bilingual school class have at least one parent at home who speaks the target language. There are a lot of families that are serious about the language instruction, including myself. Most of the graduating students matriculate to DCI so that they can continue their language studies.