Elementary Students Learn New Languages through IB Programming
“Plata,” Spanish teacher Rodrigo Bayardi called out.“That’s silver!” a student shouted, placing a yellow marker on his BINGO paying board.
Meachem 5th graders had already reviewed vocabulary and practiced singing Hola Bienvenidos and were ending their Spanish class with a treat – a game of BINGO.
“I love Spanish class,” Cyncere Isaac shared. “I’ve wanted to learn Spanish ever since I first heard it. My stepdad is Spanish and I want to be just like him.”
Classmate Nikolas Dixon rattled off a host of conversational phrases – like hello, good morning, good afternoon, bye, and more.
“I like to learn, and this hasn’t been as hard as I thought,” he said. “My friend speaks Spanish so now I can speak it with him a little bit… and if I ever get stranded in a Spanish-speaking country one day, I’ll know some of the language!”
As International Baccalaureate (IB) schools, three SCSD elementary schools are now offering language instruction for all students in pre-kindergarten through 5th grade. Meachem and Van Duyn students are acquiring vocabulary, greetings, and basics of Spanish, while Roberts students are picking up American Sign Language (ASL)!
Van Duyn Spanish teacher Leidis Martinez Ferreiro noted that it is rare for children in the United States to receive world language instruction at the elementary level, but around the world, it is common.
“Learning language at a young age creates a competitive advantage as they age and become proficient,” she shared. “We live in a global world, and as the children grow, it’s important they are equipped with every advantage possible.”
Students say that even after just a few months of lessons, they are already feeling more confident in how their new language will open doors.
Van Duyn 5th grader Lamarrah Martin is now in his 2nd year of Spanish at school. Has a friend who is Puerto Rican and said that his experience learning Spanish has also inspired to try learning Korean as well!
“It’s fun to learn another language because it will help me speak to more people and maybe even help them out with things,” Lamarrah said.
“I like that we have Spanish in our school,” Van Duyn 4th grader Komora McCarthy added. “If we run into someone who speaks Spanish, we can speak it with them; and I like learning more about the countries where people speak Spanish as their first language.”
“I like Spanish!” 5th grader Jayden Love agreed. “My family is Puerto Rican but I didn’t really speak Spanish before. Now, my family is very excited because I can speak with them more. I have also learned more about my heritage. The more you speak it, the more you understand it and the more it’s in your mind to use it!”
One of the goal of these elementary language classes is to help students learn about other cultures and appreciate each other’s similarities and differences. Van Duyn students recently embarked on a research project in which they selected a famous Spanish speaking individual and looked up their background, heritage, and their contributions to the community.
“I want my students to know there is more out there than what our communities offer us and that any language can connect us to new experiences,” Ms. Martinez Ferreiro explained. “I want the children to grow a global perspective. It can be uncomfortable and challenging to learn a new language, but they are learning that being uncomfortable and challenging ourselves allows us to grow not only academically but personally.”
At Roberts, ASL teacher Brenda Buckley is in her third year implementing schoolwide sign language instruction. In addition to training school staff on common signs, she has also incorporated signing throughout the building. Different rooms have ASL signs taped to the doors, and most classrooms have posters and other materials displaying how to sign certain words.
Students say throughout the building, staff use ASL along with their words for common directives, like yes, no, water, bathroom, line up, voice level 0, pay attention, and more. The school has also provided families with a QR code to a school padlet, inviting them to view pictures and videos by grade level of their children involved in their ASL lessons – as well as activities they can practice at home.
“I like signing to my mom and teaching my family!” Roberts 1st grader Amya Torrance shared.
“I love signing,” 3rd grader Nayelis Martinez agreed. “It takes a lot of patience. I do it with my big brother [also a Roberts student]… he’s taken classes too, so we practice together and our parents can’t understand!”
Ms. Buckley said her goal is to teach learning through play, explaining how students have created their own color monsters and feelings monsters, drawing their own creations and then using signs to describe them.
“We play games, learn signs, and do finger spelling,” 5th grader Brooklyn Nelson shared. “I like that ASL will let me talk to people in a new way, and the games we play in class help me memorize the signs.”
Teacher Alyssa Cortina will soon be introducing students to “Show Me a Sign,” a book that will help expand students’ knowledge of ASL by giving them new perspectives on the community that uses the language regularly.
“These kids are obsessed with sign language,” Ms. Cortina said. “They sometimes choose to speak ASL in the classroom! They’re all learning a new language together, which helps them relate to and realize how complicated it is to learn a new language. That’s also helped them understand their peers better and relate more to our ENL [English as a New Language] kids who are still learning English.”
We love seeing the ways students are expanding their knowledge through language in these IB schools!
