Advantages Of Hudsonway Immersion School’s Preschool Program

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HudsonWay Immersion School’s early childhood program which immerses children ages 2-5 in a second language of Mandarin or Spanish along with English, stands out as one of the best ways to prepare children for the 21st century. In this article, we discuss some of the research supporting bilingual education for children, describe the curriculum and program implementation at HudsonWay Immersion School, and compare it to other popular early childhood philosophies.

Benefits of a Bilingual Preschool Experience

Immersion programs aimed at developing students with high language proficiency levels should begin teaching students as early as possible and continue through as many grades as possible. The preschool years are the best time to begin second language acquisition and development since the brain is naturally predisposed to acquire new languages. Here are some reasons why a bilingual environment is beneficial to children:

1. Early language learning boosts academic skills later in life. A preschool child’s brain is making synaptic brain connections at twice the rate of an adult. By exposing a child to a second language early on, the neural pathways become denser and are shown to improve the cognitive benefits of children. Bilingual children are better at problem solving, creativity, and abstract thinking as described in the Chicago Tribune article, “Teaching Babies a Second Language Makes them Smarter.”

2. Starting language learning earlier results in higher language proficiency. As early as six months of age children’s brains begin to lose the ability to hear sounds that are outside their native language. Conversely, providing an environment in which a second language is introduced at an early age enables the child to acquire native sounds and tones resulting in a child’s ability to speak as a native speaker. It also takes advantage of the fact that the brain is naturally wired to acquire language during the preschool years. Neurolinguists believe that the critical window for language learning is from birth through ages 12 or 13. Although language learning can begin at any age, an earlier start leads to higher proficiency. Second language skills are valuable in the increasingly competitive global talent market.
3. Exposure to other languages fosters empathy and shapes social perceptions. Studies have shown that learning a second language can change the way one interacts with others, even from the age of 4-6. In this article in The Atlantic entitled, “How Foreign Languages Fosters Greater Empathy in Children” the author explains how a study showed that bilingual children could empathize with an adult’s inability to see an object and took action moving it into view to a greater extent than monolingual children. A study conducted by Linda Tropp at the University of Massachusetts showed that learning Spanish helped non-Latino children develop positive perceptions of Latino children. This has tremendous implications for our children and society.

Creating the Best Early Childhood Learning Experience

1. Theme-based studies provide for in depth and integrated learning. At HudsonWay Immersion School, 6–8-week themes enable students and teachers to explore a topic in greater depth week by week which supports language learning, critical thinking and connections between subjects – all important skills for the 21st century. For example, in this Wheels study, students learned about the steps of a car wash, explored basics of physics by moving toy cars along ramps of various angles, developed math skills by sorting vehicles based on the number of wheels, and created many art projects with tire imprints, gears, and using the centrifugal force of a salad spinner. Importantly, learning is hands on, open-ended, and involves the teacher modeling the language use in various contexts.

2. The day is structured to maximize learning. HWIS students benefit from daily routines which provide a child with a sense of control and comfort in knowing what comes next. This context also helps a child interpret the behavior of others and learn how to interact with others. The day consists of a large group meeting where students develop listening skills, empathy, and other social-emotional skills, a smaller group activity where students develop teamwork and learn to resolve conflict, and centers where students can pursue individual work developing confidence, mastery and persistence. Centers such as blocks, dramatic play, manipulatives, and art develop a child’s creativity and fine motor skills.

3. HWIS uses Creative Curriculum, a research-based system designed to support school success. The curriculum is built upon a framework of 38 objectives which are predictors of school success spanning areas of social emotional, physical, cognitive, literacy, math, science and technology, social studies, gross and fine motor, arts, and language development. Teachers are continually observing and documenting progress communicating progress to parents three times a year.

How the HWIS environment supports second language learning

4. The full immersion model of 100% target language in the 2’s preschool classroom, and 90% target language in the 3’s and 4’s maximizes cognitive and language development. Most students do not come from families in which the target language is spoken. Teachers are bilingual and are trained in how to communicate meaning using strategies such as body movements, repeated phrases, differentiated language and visual aids. Having most of the time in the second language is shown through research to result in the highest proficiency and cognitive development.

5. Low student to teacher ratios provides a safe and rich learning environment. At HWIS the student to teacher ratio is 4:1 for 2’s, 6:1 for 3’s and 8:1 for 4’s. Meaningful interaction with teachers supports optimal language development.

6. Teachers are native speakers of the language. Native speakers are better role models for developing language and cultural understanding.

How the HWIS Early Childhood Environment Compares to a Montessori Program

HWIS’ preschool program differs from a typical Montessori in several ways:

• the focus is on units of inquiry vs. materials
• teachers are a model for language and behavior vs. teacher as facilitator
• more structured day vs. less structured day
• whole group and small group vs. primarily independent work
• language-rich environment vs. independent and quiet work

How the HWIS Early Child Environment Compares to Reggio and Waldorf programs

• HWIS plans units of inquiry for the year vs. student directed curriculum in Reggio and Waldorf
• Math is taught explicitly using various materials vs. Incorporating math concepts in play or projects

HudsonWay Immersion School (HWIS) is a full immersion Mandarin and Spanish school serving children ages 2 through grade 8. The school is located on two campuses – Stirling, NJ and Midtown West, NYC. Children learn all their subjects in two languages, becoming fully bilingual and biliterate. To learn more, visit www.hwis.org. To join an upcoming virtual information session, register here.

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