Hollister
– Learning to read can be difficult for any kindergartner. But
learning to read in two languages?
Hollister – Learning to read can be difficult for any kindergartner. But learning to read in two languages?
That’s the goal of the new International Dual Language Academy magnet school program that will be launched at Gabilan Hills School in the fall. The dual language school will provide full Spanish language immersion for students. The curriculum will be divided evenly, with half of the day spent speaking and learning in English, and half spent in Spanish.
“It’s actual instruction of the full curriculum in two languages,” said Sharon Kurtz, the interim coordinator of special programs for Hollister School District. “It’s not just learning how to conjugate verbs. They’ll learn to talk about math in Spanish; they’ll know all the vocabulary. These children will be taught to read in both languages.”
The dual language school is one of two new magnet programs that is being launched in the Hollister School District. These magnet schools are designed to give parents a choice about what type of school they want their children to attend.
The other magnet program is the Accelerated Achievement Academy at Calaveras School, which will also be launched this fall. Applications to both schools are due by 5pm Friday at the Hollister School District office.
Christine Wohl plans on enrolling her daughter, Georgia, in the first-grade dual language academy class at Gabilan Hills. She was excited to hear that Hollister would be starting a dual language program.
“My preference would be that (dual immersion) would be the standard of education for all American schools,” Wohl said.
In the first year of its launch, the program will consist of two kindergarten classes and two first-grade classes. There are plans to expand that through the eighth-grade level.
Currently 31 kindergartners and 17 first-graders have applied for the program, with a fairly even distribution of students coming from Spanish language-dominant homes and English language-dominant homes, Kurtz said.
Kurtz explained that the goal of the program is to have one-third of the students coming from an English-only background, one-third from a Spanish-only background and one-third bilingual.
Kurtz said the program will help students compete in a globalized, multi-lingual world and economy, but emphasized that learning Spanish is especially important in Hollister.
“It’s certainly the dominant bilingual opportunity here. It fits in with the needs of our community,” Kurtz said.
Wohl, who speaks very little Spanish, said providing dual language immersion in English and Spanish would be ideal for Hollister.
“Spanish is a great bridging language,” she said. “I think what’s really important is bringing the two communities together – the Spanish-only and the English-only community.”
Dennis Kurtz, the principal at Gabilan Hills, said early research has shown that children who are taught in bilingual education programs perform as well or better than single-language peers on state exams.
“In terms of all the brain research, any instructional strategies that you can use to engage students and make them use more neurotransmitters in their brains will help them,” Kurtz said.
The program is designed so that students are fluent in both Spanish and English at a third-grade level by the time they reach the third grade, meaning if teachers present a new concept to the students, they could teach it in either language.
The classes will be taught by a bilingual staff. Kurtz said the plan is to hire internally for the positions. She is hoping to generate more interest from staff between now and the final hiring period.
“It takes a special kind of person who wants to be involved in something new,” Kurtz said.
Alice Joy covers education for the Free Lance. You can reach her at 637-5566 ext. 336 or at aj**@fr***********.com.
