Anonymous wrote:Also, another parent mentioned Mandarin. Mandarin is a great candidate for immersion as it’s not a “tough” language. What makes it hard for English speakers are the tones which are hard to hear if you’re not used to a tonal language. This could be learned more easily in early immersion. Grammar is very easy, the alphabet is tough but can be taught just like the kids are learning sight words today.

Spoken Mandarin is actually not too difficult. It’s learning the characters.

Anonymous wrote:Also, another parent mentioned Mandarin. Mandarin is a great candidate for immersion as it’s not a “tough” language. What makes it hard for English speakers are the tones which are hard to hear if you’re not used to a tonal language. This could be learned more easily in early immersion. Grammar is very easy, the alphabet is tough but can be taught just like the kids are learning sight words today.

Lulz

Also, another parent mentioned Mandarin. Mandarin is a great candidate for immersion as it’s not a “tough” language. What makes it hard for English speakers are the tones which are hard to hear if you’re not used to a tonal language. This could be learned more easily in early immersion. Grammar is very easy, the alphabet is tough but can be taught just like the kids are learning sight words today.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He can’t read at all and it’s February of Kindergarten? That would concern me. I wouldn’t be rushing to immersion.

+1. Your kid isn’t reading English yet. You want to put him in an immersion program in one of the hardest languages to learn in 1st? Don’t the programs start in K so he would already be behind? Lastly, the teacher doesn’t recommend him for the program.

I think it’s a bad idea.

I don't think Japanese is especially difficult. It has a phonetic alphabet and very regular pronunciation. It's not Mandarin.

You pretty Dumb language is not only difficult because of pronunciation issues

Reading is a blind spot for me. I taught myself to read a few years before school so I was given different work while other kids learned to read. I thought kids learned in first or second grade, definitely not kindergarten, but I never had the same work as my peers in English then so I really don’t know. If I had been aware that kids are expected to read by 1st grade, I would have just taught him before K. They should make this clear to parents. Honestly, I don’t understand the work I see coming home from school as being an effective way to teach reading. DS doesn’t seem to have issues in math.

Thanks for the reading input, I’ll work on it and see where we are at the end of the year and then reassess.

In terms on “skills for immersion”, I agree that Japanese is a difficult language. The three alphabets are unique to that language. If it was not Japanese, I would put him in. Many of the other languages start in K and it’s not like they know who’s a self starter at that time. Nevermind the kids who go to school not speaking English and get “immersed” that way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey All,

My DS is in kindergarten. He seems to be doing pretty well, mostly 3’s in school. I go over his worksheets with him and haven’t noticed any issues (except sight word memorization, trying to work on that at home). He can’t read yet, plan to work on this too. I had hoped to put him in Japanese immersion next year for 1st grade. When I touched base with his kindergarten teacher about it, she said she would not recommend him for the program because a) he’s not a self-starter, b) he tends to talk a lot and needs redirection, and 3) he spends too much time socializing at school. I’d like to try and work on this stuff rather than passing up on the program all together. I’ve reached out to some FCPS teachers on the tutoring list, but I’m not getting much availability. Any ideas on the best way to help him?

I would think a kid who is naturally extroverted and talks a lot would do particularly well in immersion since they'd be motivated to try out the language which builds skills.

I think that you have a teacher who doesn't really get immersion, or thinks it's just for high performing kids. If you want to work on solving the issues at school, I think maybe you should, although I'm not sure tutoring is the solution for those issues, but I don't think it should make you reconsider immersion.

OMG! The teacher isn’t saying he’s extroverted, she’s trying to politely say that he doesn’t listen and she has to spend a lot of time getting him on track. Probably why he’s not reading yet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He can’t read at all and it’s February of Kindergarten? That would concern me. I wouldn’t be rushing to immersion.

+1. Your kid isn’t reading English yet. You want to put him in an immersion program in one of the hardest languages to learn in 1st? Don’t the programs start in K so he would already be behind? Lastly, the teacher doesn’t recommend him for the program.

I think it’s a bad idea.

I don't think Japanese is especially difficult. It has a phonetic alphabet and very regular pronunciation. It's not Mandarin.

But the kid’s literacy time in English will be cut in half, right? Sounds like he needs the full time.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He can’t read at all and it’s February of Kindergarten? That would concern me. I wouldn’t be rushing to immersion.

+1. Your kid isn’t reading English yet. You want to put him in an immersion program in one of the hardest languages to learn in 1st? Don’t the programs start in K so he would already be behind? Lastly, the teacher doesn’t recommend him for the program.

I think it’s a bad idea.

I don't think Japanese is especially difficult. It has a phonetic alphabet and very regular pronunciation. It's not Mandarin.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids don’t need special skills or talents to be in immersion. Where did all the PPs get that idea?? My kids started in immersion in K. The point is that kids pick up language much, much more easily when young, whether those kids are fast, slow, whatever.
And it is developmentally normal for a kid to read later than age 5. Not every kid is ready to read at age 5.

I don’t think kids need special skills for immersion. The point is that OP’s child seems to below average already in his native language. As a parent, I’d want my kid to work on his English literacy skills more than enter a language immersion program.

This. Learning another language is great but not at the expense of the essentials which is reading and math.

Most of those sight words become amenable to phonics rules. Fairfax *just* changed over to a phonics curriculum, and I don't know how good a one it is, nor how effective the professional development was in training the teachers how to use it, nor if the teacher is actually using it.

Get a copy of something like "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and start working on it with him.

If the 100EL isn't sticking, try All About Reading.

If AAR doesn't work, you've got a kid with significant dyslexia, and you need a tutor trained in Orton-Gillingham.

Anonymous wrote:Kids don’t need special skills or talents to be in immersion. Where did all the PPs get that idea?? My kids started in immersion in K. The point is that kids pick up language much, much more easily when young, whether those kids are fast, slow, whatever.
And it is developmentally normal for a kid to read later than age 5. Not every kid is ready to read at age 5.

I don’t think kids need special skills for immersion. The point is that OP’s child seems to below average already in his native language. As a parent, I’d want my kid to work on his English literacy skills more than enter a language immersion program.

Anonymous wrote:Kids don’t need special skills or talents to be in immersion. Where did all the PPs get that idea?? My kids started in immersion in K. The point is that kids pick up language much, much more easily when young, whether those kids are fast, slow, whatever.
And it is developmentally normal for a kid to read later than age 5. Not every kid is ready to read at age 5.

The issue can be that kids who are slow to read or in math can fall farther behind in immersion language programs because there is less time to spend on LA and reading. Math can be an issue because it is being taught at the same time as the new language is being taught. One of the reasons that kids drop out of immersion is because they are behind in reading and math.

Immersion can be a great program for the right kid but it is not for every kid. I think it is fine to start the program and drop out if things are not working out. We have friends who knew that their kids had learning issues or were not in a place were immersion was a good fit for their kid and choose not to enroll. It is up to the parent to decide for the kid.

But there are very few parents who know for certain that it is going to be a good fit for their kid. They are 5 and 6 year old when making that choice. The kids are not really making the choice and it is hard to look at the average K kid and know that immersion will work for them or not.

Kids don’t need special skills or talents to be in immersion. Where did all the PPs get that idea?? My kids started in immersion in K. The point is that kids pick up language much, much more easily when young, whether those kids are fast, slow, whatever.
And it is developmentally normal for a kid to read later than age 5. Not every kid is ready to read at age 5.

If your kid is talkative and social immersion would be a good match.

The other thing is to be able to pick up reading in English quickly. If your child’s teacher is teaching how to read by memorizing sight words that is NOT following the science of how to learn to read. Your child needs to learn how to sound out. Don’t focus on sight words focus on blending words.
You should buy either- Teach Your Child To Read in 100 East Lessons and commit to doing a lesson a day, or buy All About Reading Level 1.

Alternatively put your kid in Kumon reading.

You need to start NOW so your child is reading by Sept. 1.

TV and music in the target language goes a long way. I am currently teaching my preschooler my non-English language.