¡Hola! Hola! Hola! Y como estás?
¡Muy bién! ¡Muy bién!
¡Y espero que tú también!
These are the words to the song we sing in our Dual Language, English/Spanish class every day to greet one another!
Cherry: A Dual Language Preschool
In true Cherry Preschool fashion, we strive to be current and innovative when it comes to creating program options for families in our community. Six years ago, we piloted our Dual Language program to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking families as well as provide an opportunity to families who are interested in exposing their children to the Spanish language. Evanston School District 65 offers a two-way immersion (TWI) Spanish program in their elementary schools, so what better way to prepare children participating in TWI than to expose or support language development. Additionally, for families whose primary language is Spanish, being able to communicate with the teachers is comforting.
Studies have shown that an individual’s linguistic knowledge influences mind development: those with a bilingual advantage have greater inhibitory control, greater metalinguistic understanding, and a greater sensitivity to sociolinguistic interactions with interlocutors. For those reasons and many more, we decided to become a dual language preschool.
The English/Spanish curriculum is consistent with Cherry Preschool’s play-based approach to teaching children. By following the schedule and routines of the class, we are able to introduce Spanish vocabulary, ask short questions, speak short phrases, read familiar stories, and sing songs that help children transition from activities throughout the day. We can’t guarantee children will leave the English/Spanish program speaking fluent Spanish, but they will certainly gain exposure to a new language in a developmentally appropriate learning environment.
For more information about our Dual Language English/Spanish program, please contact us at office@cherrypreschool.org.
¡Todos son bienvenidos! (All are welcome!)
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