French immersion at Stokes

[Anonymous]

Do students achieve a good level of French at Stokes?

[Anonymous]

Yes. My friend's kid in the 5th grade can read at least at grade level in French, probably better, he is a smart kid. My PK child can follow directions and understand French, but is still hesitant to do much talking, but it is clear that he knows a lot of French. And, when he does speak, his accent is excellent.

The school just switched to full immersion classroom model for upper grades (2.5 days a week in a classroom where only French is spoken, 2.5 in English). This should serve to further improve learning in the target language.

However, because the school does not exclude students from entering the school at higher grades, there are a number of students in the upper level classrooms that are way behind in the target language (and often in English). But, those kids who have been in the school since K are doing very well in the target language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My friend's kid in the 5th grade can read at least at grade level in French, probably better, he is a smart kid. My PK child can follow directions and understand French, but is still hesitant to do much talking, but it is clear that he knows a lot of French. And, when he does speak, his accent is excellent.

The school just switched to full immersion classroom model for upper grades (2.5 days a week in a classroom where only French is spoken, 2.5 in English). This should serve to further improve learning in the target language.

However, because the school does not exclude students from entering the school at higher grades, there are a number of students in the upper level classrooms that are way behind in the target language (and often in English). But, those kids who have been in the school since K are doing very well in the target language.

It sounds like you're describing partial immersion. Wouldn't full immersion be 100% target language?

I'm interested in the school, but I can't make sense of your post.

[Anonymous]

I think it's full immersion at preK and K and partial immersion (50/50) in 1-5 -- the non-affluent person's version of WIS.

I wonder how is Stokes' academic achievement, though. Does the immersion model have a trade-off with academic excellence?

[Anonymous]

K is partial immersion as well (50/50)

[Anonymous]

At younger grades, there is an English teacher and a French teacher in the classroom at the same time, so both languages are being used simultaneously.

[Anonymous]

Pres/PreK at stokes is full immersion this year. For K there are 2 teachers-one target language and 1 English. The teachers do not use the language simultaneously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pres/PreK at stokes is full immersion this year. For K there are 2 teachers-one target language and 1 English. The teachers do not use the language simultaneously.

Is that new? If so, how is it going? I know YY is also full immersion PreK for the first time this year.

My PreS DC is very advanced in English language skills (sorry if that sounds obnoxious, I think it's true, but I also admit to bias). I'm not concerned about him missing a year of PreK English instruction in exchange for a robust jump-start on a second language. However, that is as long as I know that the other components of PreK instruction (socialization, pre-Math skills, "learning to learn" behaviors, art exploration) are still being taught in a high-quality manner, and the school can honestly say the students are acquiring them.

[Anonymous]

I think it's full immersion at preK and K and partial immersion (50/50) in 1-5 -- the non-affluent person's version of WIS.

I wonder how is Stokes' academic achievement, though. Does the immersion model have a trade-off with academic excellence?

As another PP mentioned, it is NOT full immerision in K. Obviously, you can look up the schools academic achievement and make a judgement, but I see that you already have opinions about the school, so why do you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think it's full immersion at preK and K and partial immersion (50/50) in 1-5 -- the non-affluent person's version of WIS.

I wonder how is Stokes' academic achievement, though. Does the immersion model have a trade-off with academic excellence?

As another PP mentioned, it is NOT full immerision in K. Obviously, you can look up the schools academic achievement and make a judgement, but I see that you already have opinions about the school, so why do you care?

Actually, I don't have opinions about the school; I just know it's beloved by many, which is good. I'd be delighted to have yours -- I am truly, genuinely curious about it. And I am not sure where I can look up the school's academic achievement, so if you can provide guidance, I am all ears. (The reviews in Great Schools seem great, but I am not sure what value to attached to them). Thanks in advance for your help.

[Anonymous]

DCCAS

[Anonymous]

Children in immersion/dual language programs often have some academic delays early on, especially in reading, but by 6th grade, the difference between the academic levels of the immersion/non-immersion groups is nearly non-existent--provided, of course, that the academics are equally rigorous for both groups. And the immersion group has a bonus: all the benefits of having learned a second language, benefits which reach beyond the obvious one of dual language ability.

[Anonymous]

Actually, I don't have opinions about the school; I just know it's beloved by many, which is good. I'd be delighted to have yours -- I am truly, genuinely curious about it. And I am not sure where I can look up the school's academic achievement, so if you can provide guidance, I am all ears. (The reviews in Great Schools seem great, but I am not sure what value to attached to them). Thanks in advance for your help.

Sorry, PP. I was a bit snarky. I'm glad you are geniunely interested in Stokes. It is a wonderful community. I do get my back up sometimes on this board about it, becasue so many people want to focus on the fact that it has a high % of FARMS, "it is the school for the less affulent folks", etc. There is so much more to our school than that. I think you can find some interesting stuff about the academic achievement here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/specials/charter/index.html

But also, please visit the school. You cannot get an impression of it by only reading posts here, so come out and visit the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. My friend's kid in the 5th grade can read at least at grade level in French, probably better, he is a smart kid. My PK child can follow directions and understand French, but is still hesitant to do much talking, but it is clear that he knows a lot of French. And, when he does speak, his accent is excellent.

The school just switched to full immersion classroom model for upper grades (2.5 days a week in a classroom where only French is spoken, 2.5 in English). This should serve to further improve learning in the target language.

However, because the school does not exclude students from entering the school at higher grades, there are a number of students in the upper level classrooms that are way behind in the target language (and often in English). But, those kids who have been in the school since K are doing very well in the target language.

It sounds like you're describing partial immersion. Wouldn't full immersion be 100% target language?

I'm interested in the school, but I can't make sense of your post.

Sorry for the lack of clarity in that post. By "full immersion classroom", I meant that both teachers in the room speak the target language only on the 2.5 days a week that the kids are in the target language classroom. On the other 2.5 days the kids in a classroom with two English speaking teachers. By ensuring that the classroom is full immersion on the 2.5 days a week it forces the kids to speak the target language. This should improve language learning.

[Anonymous]

A full immersion classroom for half of the week is what the rest of the world calls bilingual, two-way, or dual immersion. A full immersion program is 100% in one language, usually PS3/PK4.

Few schools use mixed language classes these days.