We are very pleased to offer an English/Spanish preschool experience for young children as we have learned more and more about the benefits of early experience with dual language and its positive effects on the child's cognitive as well as linguistic development. Do we expect the children to become bilingual? Not truly. We expect their preschool days to be full of the fun of experiencing two languages while learning through early childhood curriculum that allows for full development: linguistic, spiritual, cognitive, social and physical.

The Benefits of Early Learning of Second Language

How can we equip our children for the increasingly pluralistic society and multilingual world they are entering?

One answer, according to recent research on learning first and second language, is to expose children to a second language as early in life as possible. Within the last five years, brain research revealed that the window for learning language is widest at the outset, from birth to seven years. The brain's ability to recognize speech is most acute during this period, while the building of vocabulary emerges at 18 months and continues through life. Studies of immigrants have shown that children who are immersed in a foreign language before puberty can achieve a near native pronunciation of the target language". After puberty, the window for learning perfect pronunciation is lost.

Another key ingredient to early language is movement. Dr. James Ashe, a psychologist, has observed that babies naturally learn language by hearing limited vocabulary repeated hundreds of times, by seeing movements that define vocabulary and by making their own physical-rather than oral-responses to the language heard. The child's kinesthetic response to the word heard increases long-term memory of the word.

It is becoming more apparent that our future generations will need to be bilingual, so the earlier we begin to introduce our children to the second language, the better off they are to undertake the multi-cultural world that surrounds them.

This article can be found in its entirety in the magazine The Reporter of The National Center of Montessori Education Beverly. MA Ansara, Karen. "The Benefits of Early Language of Second Language". The National Center for Montessori Education (2002) v 26 issue 3 pp.18-21.

Daily Class

Well, what will that look and sound like? I'll let our dual language teacher explain class...

"Each day in my classroom I hear children communicating; whether talking to each other about a library book, telling someone about their weekend, sharing a learning discovery, or asking for assistance--language abounds.

After learning about dual language programs I became interested in providing this experience in my classroom. I have found many ways to provide language curriculum for children's natural curiosity and discovery learning.

Throughout the daily activities in our preschool class the children will hear common phrases and have exposure to vocabulary pertinent to the planned curriculum emphasis. Here are some examples that will become part of our classroom language experiences.

Good morning. Buenos Dias.
It's time for snack. Es hora de meriendar.
Let's listen to a story. Vamos a escuchar una historia.
Would you like to paint? Quisieras pintar?
The cow is black and white. La vaca es negra y blanca. (Farm curriculum)

We will also sing songs, learn colors, count, read poems and listen to stories in both languages. There will be exposure to the written word in English and Spanish in daily charts and our word bank that comes from the curriculum emphasis. I will invite occasional guests to our class that will provide rich language and cultural experiences for the children too.

I am very excited about this new experience in my classroom this year and look forward to sharing two languages with your children."

According to Michael Rosa Nova Ph.D., a professor of education at Chicago State University and an expert on dual language learning, "Long term, children who have had a dual language immersion experience in early childhood show greater cognitive flexibility, greater facility in concept formation, greater creativity and problem solving skills in verbal and math problems, and, obviously a greater facility of vocabulary."

We at Melody Park know that language is not only a means of communication and an instrument for thinking; it is also an increasingly important tool for understanding and appreciating the thoughts of others in our multicultural world. We are pleased our teacher has found an avenue for her language abilities here in creating this dual language program at our school.