Dual Language programming has instruction in two languages. Students spend part of their day learning content in English and the other part in Spanish. This immersive experience helps students become proficient in both languages. In this program, students develop bilingualism, biliteracy, and cross-cultural understanding.

The Clover School District has a history of providing a variety of educational program choices for students. We are developing a Spanish Dual Language Program as another choice for students and families. The goals for our program are for students to:

• Be bilingual: to speak fluently in English and Spanish
• Be biliterate: read and write fluently in English and Spanish
• Demonstrate high academic achievement
• Develop multicultural skills

Research shows that learning another language has many benefits, including improving thinking skills, doing better in school, and opening more job opportunities in the future. Research shows that these are just some of the benefits of Dual Language Programs:

• After 5-7 years in a Dual Language program, students often perform as well or even better than their peers who aren't in the program.
• Students gain skills in both languages and cultures.
• Students develop a strong sense of self, school pride, and multicultural understanding.
• Students learn to appreciate and respect their own language and culture.
• Students value both Spanish and English.
• Being bilingual and biliterate opens more career opportunities for students.
• Native English speakers learn Spanish most effectively through immersion.

Students typically become proficient in conversational language within 3-5 years in a Dual Language program. After 4-7 years, they are able to speak, read, and write at the same or higher academic level as their grade-level peers who are not in the program. The advantage for students in the Dual Language program is that they achieve proficiency in two languages.

The Dual Language program at Four Heroes Elementary will seek to enroll equal numbers of students from Spanish-speaking homes and English-speaking homes. In Kindergarten, the language division is 90% Spanish and 10% English. As the program progresses, the amount of the day spent in English increases by 10%, while the amount of the day spent in Spanish decreases. For example, when students enter grade 1, then will spend 80% of their day in Spanish and 20% of their day in English; by grade 4, students will be learning core content in each language an equal 50% of the day.

In kindergarten, children in a Dual Language Program learn mostly in Spanish. For students from Spanish-speaking homes, this builds a strong foundation in their native language.  The focus is on developing early literacy and academic skills in Spanish first, which is then transferred to learning English. Additionally, all children receive designated English Language Development instruction in foundational reading skills. By the time they reach higher grades, they receive balanced instruction in both languages, ensuring they become proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English while continuing to grow their Spanish skills. This method supports cognitive development and helps Spanish-speaking children become truly bilingual and biliterate.

For a native English-speaking child, starting with mostly Spanish in kindergarten can seem challenging. However, this approach helps them build a strong foundation in Spanish, which is crucial for becoming truly bilingual, especially as native English-speaking children spend most of their time outside of school immersed in English. Additionally, all children receive designated English Language Development instruction in early literacy skills such as letter recognition and phonological awareness (the sounds of spoken language).

As students move through the program, the amount of English instruction gradually increases, ensuring they continue to develop their English skills. By the time they are in fourth grade, they will receive equal instructional time in both languages. This method not only helps them become proficient in both languages but also enhances their cognitive abilities and cultural understanding.

Students participating in a Dual Language Program learn the same subjects as students in other classes, including reading, writing, math, science, social studies, physical education, art and music. Teachers will teach different concepts and subjects in one language or the other and then ‘bridge’ the content between both languages. Bridging is when teachers introduce a concept taught in one language into the other language, so children develop the vocabulary in both languages. For example, the concept of metamorphosis may be taught entirely in Spanish. Once students have mastered the concept of metamorphosis, the teacher ‘bridges or transfers vocabulary and phrases through an age-appropriate process of metalinguistic analysis (exploring similarities and differences between the two languages) into English. The same process is followed for bridging content learned in English into Spanish.

Most young children worldwide successfully learn more than one language from their earliest years, with research highlighting the brain's capacity to learn multiple languages during early childhood. Infants can sort sounds into separate categories and interpret contextual cues to know when to use each language. Bilingual infants develop two separate but connected linguistic systems, and with sufficient exposure, they can become proficient in both languages. Early bilingualism impacts cognitive functions, enhancing executive abilities like working memory, inhibitory control, attention, and cognitive flexibility, which are foundational for school readiness. Knowing more than one language does not delay English acquisition or academic achievement when both languages are supported. Research indicates that children can add a second language around age three, conferring long-term cognitive, cultural, and economic benefits. The early childhood period from 3-8 years is ideal for developing language mastery.

When young children learn more than one language, their experiences in each language alter the neural patterning and language processing systems in their developing brains. During the first year, infants can perceive all language sounds, but this ability narrows between 8-10 months. By age seven, the capacity to process unfamiliar phonemes decreases significantly, making early childhood an ideal time for second language learning. Bilingual children develop more evenly distributed neural pathways across both brain hemispheres, leading to unique cognitive skills.

Non-native English speakers learn in a predictable pattern and often make mistakes in English as they learn its rules, while typically not making errors in their home language. They may have a smaller vocabulary in each language individually, but when combined, their total vocabulary is often comparable to that of monolingual children. For example, they may know the names of objects in the kitchen and home in Spanish but not in English. The child may also know words such as recess, chalk, line, scissors in English because these are the words they are exposed at school but never learn the same words in Spanish because there was no need or opportunity to do so in the home.

Since students are learning in two languages, their academic progress may look different compared to monolingual students. However, after 4-7 years, students in these programs generally achieve or surpass the academic levels of their monolingual peers. They also become proficient in reading, writing, and speaking both languages. It's crucial for families to understand that the full benefits of a Dual Language Program are realized over several years. To maximize these benefits, students should stay in the program for at least 6 years.

Yes! The program will be supported by a bilingual Special Education teacher.

What are the program expectations for parents?

Parents enrolling their children in the Dual Language Program are asked to commit to keeping their child in the program through the end of elementary school or for as long as they are attending the school.

Four Heroes Elementary - Lindsay Akoni Guzzo, Principal - 253.583.5340

District Office - Kimberly Rayl, MLL Program Supervisor - 253.583.5017