Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son is in kindergarten at an immersion program and is having a rocky adjustment. He hates going to school and cries at times during the class. He also asks every morning to not have to go to school because he really dislikes the immersion. We have talked to the teacher who is trying different strategies to help him but I am wondering how long to expect this might go on. Did anyone pull their child out of their immersion program who could share their experience? I know it can take some time but its hard to watch him so unhappy every day.

Sorry to hear that, OP.

I've seen many kids entering bilingual K succeed and thrive after just a few weeks; for some it takes a bit more. I've never seen anyone pull their kid out just because of the language aspect itself. Perhaps something else is going on? Does your son have some friends there already -- perhaps you can organize some playdates? Perhaps he's not used to the structure, and just needs some time to adapt?

+1 I'm the PP up thread who suggested that you look beyond immersion for a cause. It be linked to something seemingly innocuous like anxiety about how the school handles the bathroom break or lunchtime. Does your son feel safe and taken care of at school? These are the things I would be trying to suss out. I would also ask him how he feels when Spanish is being spoken in class (try not to lead him too much...but find out if he feels frustrated, angry, scared, confused, anxious, bored, etc.). Also, does he feel like he has friends in his class? Who is he playing with during recess? If it were me I would absolutely go there at recess time and observe (hopefully without him seeing). It's worth a couple of personal hours. Good luck.

+1 OP, our immersion school has an experienced counselor who's really helpful with talking to kids, parents, and teachers. I would consider starting there. Good luck.

Could you imagine going to a place where you could not communicate with anyone? That is what the child feels. It is hard to feel comfortable when you have no idea what someone is saying to you. For my child it took about two months, and some days well into 4 months it was a struggle. Help embrace the learning at home so they can understand better and feel more comfortable.

I feel like I could have written your message! I have a kindergarten new to immersion at a HRCS.

Initially DC reacted to the shock of the spanish immersion by acting out ... behavior not seen earlier in PS3 or PK4. Eventually DC was able to verbalize why- and the teacher has helped. Now a little more time has passed and adaptation is getting better.

Another important consideration is how is the whole class adapting? In our class, there was a mix of students new to the school, and kids who had been there. Some native speakers. In the classrooms where there are experienced teachers, and in particular with children acquiring new languages, a pairing up of friends, setting norms for behaviors has worked to integrate kids to this new environment. Unfortunately, if the kids sense there is not complete control, then behaviors are ignored, they escalate, kids copycat, and chaos ensues. (Our classroom.)

The Spanish itself while challenging, has led to all kinds of inappropriate acts- jumping on tables, throwing materials, chairs, pouring water- that is just not right in this setting. According to our pediatrician, this could be kids who are anxious over some of the new demands (to do more academic work, less play, more writing etc.) in a foreign language ... and since they aren't able to verbalize in the new language, this occurs. Other kids might cry as their coping mechanism.

We're considering two options- in addition to staying. One would be to move to a more established immersion program. The other would be to go to the neighborhood school (no immersion.) Hoping to make this school work, though, and waiting to see if it will.

Definitely challenging- and disheartening- after such high expectations.

Wishing you success- and a happier kindergartener, soon!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son is in kindergarten at an immersion program and is having a rocky adjustment. He hates going to school and cries at times during the class. He also asks every morning to not have to go to school because he really dislikes the immersion. We have talked to the teacher who is trying different strategies to help him but I am wondering how long to expect this might go on. Did anyone pull their child out of their immersion program who could share their experience? I know it can take some time but its hard to watch him so unhappy every day.

Sorry to hear that, OP.

I've seen many kids entering bilingual K succeed and thrive after just a few weeks; for some it takes a bit more. I've never seen anyone pull their kid out just because of the language aspect itself. Perhaps something else is going on? Does your son have some friends there already -- perhaps you can organize some playdates? Perhaps he's not used to the structure, and just needs some time to adapt?

+1 I'm the PP up thread who suggested that you look beyond immersion for a cause. It be linked to something seemingly innocuous like anxiety about how the school handles the bathroom break or lunchtime. Does your son feel safe and taken care of at school? These are the things I would be trying to suss out. I would also ask him how he feels when Spanish is being spoken in class (try not to lead him too much...but find out if he feels frustrated, angry, scared, confused, anxious, bored, etc.). Also, does he feel like he has friends in his class? Who is he playing with during recess? If it were me I would absolutely go there at recess time and observe (hopefully without him seeing). It's worth a couple of personal hours. Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:Our son is in kindergarten at an immersion program and is having a rocky adjustment. He hates going to school and cries at times during the class. He also asks every morning to not have to go to school because he really dislikes the immersion. We have talked to the teacher who is trying different strategies to help him but I am wondering how long to expect this might go on. Did anyone pull their child out of their immersion program who could share their experience? I know it can take some time but its hard to watch him so unhappy every day.

Sorry to hear that, OP.

I've seen many kids entering bilingual K succeed and thrive after just a few weeks; for some it takes a bit more. I've never seen anyone pull their kid out just because of the language aspect itself. Perhaps something else is going on? Does your son have some friends there already -- perhaps you can organize some playdates? Perhaps he's not used to the structure, and just needs some time to adapt?

Anonymous wrote:It took my son months to acclimate to immersion in PK-4, and this was after attending a preschool with heavy doses of Spanish. The immersion was every other day, and each morning he would ask anxiously "is today a English or Spanish." If we said Spanish, he woukd cry. Fast forward to Grade 3, and he loves school-he goes happily every day even though Spanish has not come easy for him. It is hard work but we are sticking with it largely because he is so happy at school. I would not have predicted this at all based on PK-4, so hang in there. It will get better-it seems to for everyone at his school.

I think the advice to hang in there is good if immersion is priority for this family and if they have no alternative. Otherwise, maybe don't hang in there. Personal family choice. Good luck, OP.

I have heard from friends that it can take until Christmas for kids in kinder to adjust. Hang in there!

Do you supplement at home in the second language? If yes, how much? If not, why not?

Hint: unless you are at Yu Ying, your kid is surely in class with children whose families consistently speak the target language at home to the children, and expect them to answer in it, and/or have been hiring nannies who speak the target language for years.

No surprise if he's having major immersion adjustment issues if you haven't been supplementing. Second hint: supplementing can be fun for the kid!

It took my son months to acclimate to immersion in PK-4, and this was after attending a preschool with heavy doses of Spanish. The immersion was every other day, and each morning he would ask anxiously "is today a English or Spanish." If we said Spanish, he woukd cry. Fast forward to Grade 3, and he loves school-he goes happily every day even though Spanish has not come easy for him. It is hard work but we are sticking with it largely because he is so happy at school. I would not have predicted this at all based on PK-4, so hang in there. It will get better-it seems to for everyone at his school.

Give it time and ask the teachers for support.

Ps. In case it's not obvious, I have two children--the older one started in an immersion program at age 4.

I would give it until Christmas break. We started at age 4, but it was a good 3-4 months before it started getting better. And fwiw, my almost 4 year old is having a similar reaction to her new school (loved the old one-hates this one and doesn't want to go). For her, it's not the immersion (she's bilingual already). I think pp has a point about it not necessarily being the immersion.a

I can't offer terribly useful help from experience, but I guess I'd ask you how important immersion is for you. For some families it's really important. For my family it is not. We are very happy at our non-immersion DCPS and while becoming fluent is valuable (I read the literature) my husband and I just decided that it's not a priority for us as parents. I don't know how long you keep an unhappy child in his school (particularly if you have another option) but my instinct is that you shouldn't let it go on too long because at that age I would fear that this experience would set the tone for how he feels about school long-term. But maybe that's way off base...that's just my instinct. Also, you seem to be saying that he's unhappy because of the immersion part...are you sure of that? Could it be something else? separation anxiety, the overall tone of the classroom, the teacher, are the other students nice, etc? Is your son usually easy going or does he get easily frustrated if he doesn't understand something? If the latter, maybe sitting through a class where he doesn't understand what's being said is really frustrating and anxiety causing for him?

Have you talked to the principal? He/she has probably seen this before over the years and would have ideas and/or reassurance.

Our son is in kindergarten at an immersion program and is having a rocky adjustment. He hates going to school and cries at times during the class. He also asks every morning to not have to go to school because he really dislikes the immersion. We have talked to the teacher who is trying different strategies to help him but I am wondering how long to expect this might go on. Did anyone pull their child out of their immersion program who could share their experience? I know it can take some time but its hard to watch him so unhappy every day.