A dual language immersion program is a two-way language program in which a cohort of half English-speakers and half Spanish-speakers progress together through their education, and it’ll begin at Lamar Elementary School with two classes of kindergartners this fall.
A dual language immersion program, one that’s been popular in Conroe ISD, is to make its debut at a Woodlands-area school soon.
It’s a two-way language program in which a cohort of half English-speakers and half Spanish-speakers progress together through their education, and it’ll begin at Lamar Elementary School this fall in addition to the school’s regular classes.
Dayren Carlisle, the district’s administrative coordinator of English as a second language and bilingual K-12 education, said she has gotten a lot of interest from parents so far.
“It’s a really great opportunity to give these kids the gift of being bilingual. Not just the ones who come to us to learn English, but to expand that gift to other members of our community,” Carlisle said.
Teachers switch the language of instruction day by day or week by week while still focusing on all of the typical subject areas for the specific grade. Most, if not all of the program’s teachers, are to be bilingual certified so they can communicate in both languages.
The students are paired up with each other to practice language-learning, so that one student will the mentor and one student will be the learner, depending on which language they’re speaking that day. The goal is to help students develop full oral, reading and writing proficiency in both English and Spanish.
Initially, it’ll be open to incoming kindergarten students only in the 2019-20 school year. Administrators plan to begin with two classes of 21 kindergarten students each, but they will add students year by year with the incoming classes.
Carlisle said that while the program’s benefits may not be seen in the initial stages when the student is in kindergarten, eventually the student will perform significantly higher academically and develop their cognitive language skills in both languages.
The program’s curriculum is organized around lessons of both Latino and American culture, and Carlisle can testify to the results because the program already exists at one other Conroe ISD school: Anderson Elementary in the Conroe feeder zone.
The students who began the program at Anderson in kindergarten are now in third grade. At Lamar, the students will be able to progress through the program with the same cohort through fourth grade.
“This is a dream for me to open and expand the program, and it’s exciting to be able to serve that need,” Carlisle said.
Lamar is hosting two informational sessions next week for parents who are interested in enrolling their kids: Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. and Feb. 6 at 9 a.m. at the campus along Many Pines Road in The Woodlands.
The school’s Principal, Mary Jane Kirbo, said she’s excited about implementing this program.
“It gives our families, all families the opportunity to participate. That’s one thing we pride ourselves in here, advocating for children so they do have those same opportunities regardless of what their socioeconomic status is,” Kirbo said.
One of the reasons this program is being started at Lamar at this time is because of changes to Conroe ISD’s attendance boundaries. In the recent process, trustees approved a plan to create boundaries for Suchma Elementary, a new school to open in August.
Part of that process created room for students who are zoned to Lamar but attend Glen Loch Elementary because of its bilingual program to return to their home campus.
While Lamar doesn’t currently have any Spanish-speaking students enrolled, they’ll be able to begin both a bilingual program for those students returning to Lamar, as well as this dual language program.
“I do think there will be a little shift in culture, with the bilingual children zoned for Lamar coming back. We’re excited about it, because it’s like our kids are coming home,” Kirbo said.