Raising a Bilingual Child

Raising a bilingual child is easy because toddlers, preschoolers and Kindergarten students all possess abilities to naturally learn language. 

Children naturally communicate in the language they speak. Their ability to learn is not necessarily a teaching process but a natural learning process. The more we teach them, the more they want to learn!

Young children absorb language like a sponge. During our three year dual language immersion program, students regularly achieve English/Spanish verbal fluency by the end of Kindergarten–and they started before they could even read or write.

La Jolla Montessori School engages two language teachers. The first day, one teacher will present the lesson in English only. The following day, students learn the exact same lesson entirely in Spanish from the second teacher.

We help our students build confidence and trust from within. It’s an amazing process: children who cannot even spell are learning two languages simply by daily immersion into our region’s food, music, dance, and cultural touchpoints…the things they see every day.

Age-Range Peer Learning Helps All

Another wonderful Montessori philosophy mixes older children with younger ones.

Every day, Third Year students mentor First Year students to help the younger ones learn and assimilate. Public schools do not do this. Their classrooms are filled with same-age students. But Montessori uses age-range peer learning which builds cooperation and collaboration.

Third Year students find self-confidence and satisfaction when teaching and translating their skills to the First Year students. Plus, they retain and master the lesson they just learned. Meanwhile, the younger students develop admiration and emulation towards their older classmates.

I see a deeply collaborative and cooperative nurturing process in teaching the Montessori Method. It encompasses far broader academic, social and emotional tools than traditional public school.

How Dual Language Immersion Helps Going Forward

Our English/Spanish immersion program builds foundations for learning, leadership and employment. Knowing two languages increases student empowerment while growing their social and emotional feelings.

Ultimately, their Spanish/English reading, writing and speaking skills become a communications tool. Our students will talk, listen and learn with others who come from different backgrounds, face different challenges and have different thoughts. These differences build understanding.

Summary

We provide a three-pronged academic, social and emotional foundation for toddlers, primary and Kindergarten students. The dual language immersion program is taught during a three-year time frame and builds pathways for kids to learn, understand the world and find their place in it. 

We wish every child was enrolled in a Montessori school. Imagine the happiness children would experience. Raising a bilingual child is easy. At La Jolla Montessori School, we provide a loving environment and a love of learning that benefits today’s students for a lifetime.

Watch a virtual tour now. Then, book either a live Zoom or in-person tour to explore the opportunity of enrolling your child at La Jolla Montessori school.