Spanish Immersion Program

At Philmore Academy for Science & Arts we offer  Spanish classes beginning in Kindergarten. Students are given the opportunity to learn a second language by studying in Spanish. This leads to Spanish being taught in content area classes by Grade 3. Students receive an increased amount of formal instruction in Spanish as they progress in grade levels and gain a strong foundation in their second language by learning to read and write in Spanish first. 

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Spanish Language Standards

Following are the standards that help facilitate this vision and philosophy.

1. Communication: Communicate in Spanish

2. Cultures: Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures of the World

3. Connections: Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information

4. Comparisons: Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

5. Communities: Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home and Around the World

With the aid of these standards and the Common Core State Standards, we have begun to establish grade level expectations/benchmarks that will guide our learners. These expectations will focus on measurable goals and objectives for receptive and expressive communication in Spanish for reading, writing and speaking at the beginning and end of each school year for all grade levels.

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Benefits of Language Immersion

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There a many benefits for the language immersion student with the most obvious being that the child will emerge from the program with proficiency in two languages. Having the capacity to speak in two languages gives most individuals an advantage in the workplace. The language immersion classroom prepares the 21st century learner by creating a strong foundation in global citizenship, which is essential in today’s society. Learning a second language at any age is a gift but students who study a second language at an early age have a distinct advantage over students who begin later.   Students develop a deeper understanding of the language and at the same time are often able to produce native like speech.

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We know that learning a second language can improve a child’s understanding of their own language and culture. As the students acquire language structure in their second language, they are continually making comparisons between their native language and the target language. This will strengthen students’ critical thinking skills and helps them learn linguistic strategies, such as paying close attention to cognates, context clues, and patterns. 

 

Philmore Academy scholars in the Immersion program will develop a greater flexibility in thinking and problem-solving skills. Our students exit the program with a tenacity and grit that serves them in their future educational endeavors.

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