What is dual language immersion?
Curricular subjects
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At All Souls, we recognize that the ability to speak more than one language considerably heightens one’s ability to learn, lead, and love. Every day, our nurturing educators teach grade-level curriculum in Spanish, Chinese, and English, to children who are as diverse as they are curious about the physical world they live in, and the spiritual gifts it offers. The communication skills, adaptability, empathy, and faith these students develop during their years with us are the tools they will need to navigate the challenges of the 21st century.
Dual language immersion involves the instruction of academic subject areas through a target language, such as Mandarin or Spanish, for at least 50% of the school day, and English for the other part of the day. Immersion teachers speak only the target language and use a variety of techniques to ensure that the students understand the concepts and directions. Dual language programs have historically shown great results, with the vast majority of students outperforming their peers by the 4th grade. Students end up bilingual and bi- literate so they can fully function and excel in both English and Mandarin or English and Spanish. Students who have benefited from dual language immersion programs have shown greater academic success in high school and beyond. |
Differentiated Instruction
All Souls understands that each child enters the classroom with a myriad of strengths, skills, interests, and abilities. Through small group instruction, teachers focus on the diverse learning needs of each individual student to ensure that all students are sufficiently engaged and intellectually stimulated. Students below grade level receive academic intervention and support by both the teacher as well as trained volunteers. Those above level are given challenging projects, extension activities as well as upper grade level curricular materials.
At All Souls, we don’t wait till the end of the year to figure out what a child has learned! Differentiation involves ongoing assessment to understand what children know and are able to do at any given point in time. Each student at All Souls is assessed when he/she enters the school and participates in formative and summative assessments (both teacher created and standardized) throughout the year. Our dedicated and highly skilled teachers study their student data and thus, constantly look for ways to extend student learning, meet students where they are at, and take them to new and exciting academic levels.
At All Souls, we don’t wait till the end of the year to figure out what a child has learned! Differentiation involves ongoing assessment to understand what children know and are able to do at any given point in time. Each student at All Souls is assessed when he/she enters the school and participates in formative and summative assessments (both teacher created and standardized) throughout the year. Our dedicated and highly skilled teachers study their student data and thus, constantly look for ways to extend student learning, meet students where they are at, and take them to new and exciting academic levels.
Continuous Growth Mindset
Success is the result of many smaller achievements: taking on challenges, persevering, learning from mistakes, accepting sound criticism – and getting better. For many decades of the past century, All Souls students were famous for manifesting a can-do mindset in the classroom and on the sports field. Today, students continue to live that same tradition of growth by, among other things, attending half of their classes in Spanish or Mandarin Chinese. Immersing oneself in a second language may be frightening, but with time and perseverance, every one of our students succeeds.
The Seal of Biliteracy is "an award given by a school, school district, county office of education or state in recognition of students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation." Following the statewide standards, All Souls is proud to be developing criteria so that students can apply for and receive the Elementary Bilingual Service and Participation Award and/or the School. Biliteracy Attainment Award. Earning these distinguished pathway awards means students are well on their way to achieving the high school seal and graduation medals. For more information, see www.sealofbiliteracy.org.
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