Recognizing the importance of early language learning, Dalton starts teaching Spanish in Kindergarten at the First Program. With the goal of proficiency, children learn Spanish using immersion methodology and the communicative approach to connect language, culture, and content. Our program follows a FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) model in which students come to language class for a specific amount of time each day. The FLES Program is beneficial because it reinforces concepts from other disciplines and increases awareness of other cultures, peoples, and languages. In addition to being easy and fun for young learners, the program strengthens knowledge of a child’s first language, especially in terms of vocabulary and grammar.
The curriculum is STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) focused. Along with learning vocabulary, communicative structures, and Spanish-speaking cultures, students do hands-on experiments, discuss science concepts, and create art, all in Spanish! This kind of content-based learning is considered best practice by researchers and supported by the national professional organization ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).
The aim of the program is to build communicative proficiency, cultural understanding and to instill a love of languages from an early age!
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