Spanish Immersion is an optional program. From age 3 to grade 3, half of all lessons are given in Spanish. Beginning in lower elementary, student responses are given in Spanish. One support teacher speaks only Spanish to the students, effectively immersing them in the language. All students acquire the fundamentals of grammar, vocabulary, reading and writing via conversational Spanish and Montessori materials. Test scores consistently rival native speakers’ reading abilities. Every year, a “Mercada” is set up for the parents — shop and dine in a town where the merchants (students) speak only Spanish!
Higher grades can choose from a wide variety of foreign languages, which are mastered via Rosetta Stone, a highly effective, comprehensive program. By learning and communicating in a second language from a young age, students build a foundation for multilingualism and gain an understanding of other cultures.
