Spanish Immersion

Beyond achieving proficiency in biliteracy and bilingual skills, research shows that immersion students outperform native English-speaking classmates on standardized tests and have enhanced cognitive skills. Students also gain interpersonal skills, including increased cultural sensitivity, and are prepared for a global society and marketplace.

MCS will adopt the same curriculum and Montessori materials and pedagogical techniques as are used in our English-only classrooms. Imagine the same MCS classroom and academics….but primarily delivered in Spanish!

Critical period theories of language development suggest that before puberty, the brain readily absorbs a second language. Teachers strategically convey instructional content using songs, visual aids, gestures, and many hands-on activities to help students learn. They also provide many opportunities to practice oral language skills through structured conversation with peers and opportunities for presentational speaking.

Language acquisition takes approximately seven years in an intensive learning environment. Continuous participation in a highly effective immersion program through at least 6th grade is recommended for students to demonstrate the cognitive, academic, and linguistic benefits of bilingualism. In order to reap the full linguistic and cognitive advantages of advanced language proficiency, students should plan to continue immersion into high school. Starting in early elementary (if continuously enrolled) can lead to intermediate, pre-advanced, or advanced levels of proficiency by the end of high school.

Because student interaction facilitates higher levels of language proficiency, best practice is to maintain a balanced representation of native English speakers and native speakers of the target language, with 33%-66% of the students dominant in the target language and 33%-66% of the students dominant in English. It will likely take MCS a few years to reach this balance.

The first number in the ratio for both models indicates the percentage of time in the classroom that is spent teaching in the target language (Spanish). The second number refers to the percentage of time spent teaching in English. For 50:50 models, the ratio of the target language to English remains consistent throughout the entire program.

In 90:10 models, the instructional time for the target language (Spanish) decreases each year until there is a 75:25 ratio by the end of the K-6 program. 90:10 models are also sometimes called full immersion programs, while 50:50 programs can be known as dual language immersion programs.

Both models have been found to develop biliteracy and bilingual skills in students. Typically, the 90:10 model is recommended for populations of primarily English-speaking students because those students have significant exposure to English outside of school.

The 50:50 model is typically recommended for student populations with higher numbers of students who speak the target language at home. This allows all students in the classroom to spend half of their time further developing their first language while spending the other half acquiring a second language.

MCS is aiming to build a 90:10 model for primary and lower elementary students that shifts toward 50:50 during the upper elementary years in preparation for the students’ transitions into English-only middle school and junior high school programs.