Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Age or Ability Specific Forums Pre-school Immersion Programs... any experience?

Does anyone have experience with language immersion schools specifically in regards to gifted students involvement in such programs? I know that there has been a lot of talk about social programs and Montessori schools.

We have registered for a social preschool attached to a church and still plan to send her starting this fall but also plan to watch DD for any signs that it isn't the right fit. I am not really worried that she will act out but more that she might get into the pattern of down playing her abilities which IMHO is the start of going underground. My DD already shows signs of downplaying when out in public but over the past few weeks is more willing to open up. My ideal situation is she loves her preschool and has fun socializing with other kids her age but still staying true to herself in the process.

But if it doesn't work out we are looking at other types of preschools and on that list is Montessori and Immersion Programs. Having my DD learn a foreign language is high on my list and especially in the early years so the Immersion program is one I am very interested in but really have not heard of it in reference to gifted and wonder if anyone has experience with these types of programs and was it a good fit for the gifted child? If it wasn't, why wasn't it? We have a tour scheduled on Saturday and I really don't know what questions I should ask.

Oh, also we are going to put her in their summer immersion camp which will give me some idea of how she likes it. Of course the camp is not the school but more intense with lots of activities. The school we are looking at is a Spanish Immersion and this is the language she already knows some basic things in such as colors and numbers.

Hi! My son is in a full day Spanish immersion PreK this year. If you're interested in language immersion I would look into it and ask lots of questions. My son has learned LOTS of Spanish this year. His teachers were blown away by his language acquisition and within 6 weeks of school starting said they felt like he was pretty much understanding everything they said. At parent teacher conferences this spring, both his teachers recommended that we move him next year into a gifted school rather than keep him in the language immersion program. They feel like, although he is learning a lot of language, he is still quite bored. Language immersion programs don't have greater depth or accelerated pace for instruction so while he is moving ahead in leaps and bounds the rest of the class is still moving along at a much slower pace. My son is really enjoying learning another language (and the school has an after school Chinese class once a week so he's been taking that as well and loving it also!). I would be sad for him to lose the language if we move him next year, but I do agree that language immersion is not, in itself, a gifted program.

Thanks mom2boys. This is what I was pondering about the immersion programs in general. I would think at first it would give DD a challenge as she tackles the language barrier but once she gets past that the level they teach at would be the norm. And I fear that she would pick it up quickly.

One day while at a restaurant on a whim, I asked a passer by if she spoke Spanish and asked what the word is for head. From there I touched DD's head and said cabeza. I did that one time told her head and cabeza and she had it. We went on with the dinner not mentioning it again and when I went to put her in the carseat I accidentally bumped her head on the door frame to which I got the very quick response of "Ouch you hit my cabeza." Months later if I brought up where is your cabeza with her not hearing that word since she would quickly grab her head.

She also quickly learned her numbers and colors with no effort and this is in the English world so I would think she would have no problems when immersed in the language.

I do feel for you and your issue, because the big fear would be him losing the language since he hasn't been at it for very long. You could build on what he knows through summer programs and afterschool programs. I know a lot of them programs around here do both. It might be what we end up doing. I know we will be doing the summer program this year and if she really likes it we will look into afterschool programs.

I do know there is a French Immersion Montessori School here and I am going to look into that. But again thanks for your input. You really answered what I feared was the case.

My eldest went to an immersion school (French) for 4 years (pre-K through grade 2). He speaks pretty fluently now and is continuing to learn through an after-school program designed for native speakers. His teacher always tells me that DS is doing well.

From what I've learned, a very important thing about an immersion program is how well the teachers know the language and whether or not the school follows a national educational program. All the French schools around here follow the program developed by the French Ministry of Education. All schoolchildren in France follow this curriculum. It's more demanding than the US curricula. Children begin to read books in first grade, and the stories are wonderful. They learn poems, learn about composers, etc. etc. The teachers are all certified in France (this is a more exacting process than it is in the US). They really know their stuff.

I recommend finding out how they teach at the school you're looking at. Do they use materials imported from France or Quebec? Or do they use French as a second language materials when they teach? How fluent are the graduates of the program? When do they start reading books in French? When do they start writing short essays in French? Are they taught French grammar through French or is English the language used to teach it (the approaches are different)?

Also importantly, are there after-school programs or tutors or whatever that can help you daughter retain her French after she leaves the school?

I met a woman who had worked as a teacher's aide at a Spanish immersion school, and she indicated that one of that school's big shortcomings was that the teachers didn't understand the grammar and structure of the language. She said that the kids didn't really develop a full understanding of the language because of this.

PM me if you want more information...sending DS to French school has been wonderful for him.

Val

KatelynsM_om - I'm so glad you posted this. In our small town there is a school that teaches Spanish and Mandarin in preschool and introduces Latin and Greek in kindergarten (presumably for etymology?). They advertise their gifted programs for children age 18 mos. through 8th grade.

On paper it sounds like a great second choice for DD 28 mos. while we wait for her first choice at the University where DH works. Unfortunately, the gifted language preschool has not returned my 3 phone calls to schedule a tour, and when we stopped by in person DD said, "I don't like this place, Mama." Even so, I'm eager to check it out.

Val,

Thanks so much for your post. You have definitely given me an angle when we talk to them and one I really haven't considered but upon reading your post a light bulb went off. I am adding your questions to my list and see what they say.

And Seablue... keep us posted on the school. It sounds very interesting and the fact that they claim gifted I would love to know what that means.

Katelyn'sM_om - the school "graduates" a high number of gifted children. They imply they offer a curriculum that meetss the needs of gifted students. I'm not impressed, though, that they do not return calls.

We went to tour the Spanish immersion school today and I have mixed feelings. Their teachers are all certified in Mexico and they use textbooks and curriculum from Mexico so big plus on my chart. They are also a very academic environment and are ahead of PS by two years. So 4 year olds are learning addition and words but not necessarily reading. So if our choice of socialization doesn't work out the idea of academic would be a great option but here is our problem. Looking at academics: our DD will just barely be 3 in August when they start and she has already mastered the curriculum of 4 year olds and a lot of their kindergarten. The difference for this is all is taught in Spanish and that will be the challenge for her but for how long before that is not an issue?

I talked to the director about her abilities and are they forced to be in the grade by their age. She said that they could work with her by evaluating her at the being of school and if she needs to be in the grade above they could do that BUT I don't know if she is talking about her abilities in Spanish or English. In English she knows all of the curriculum but in Spanish only a little. So I fear she will be placed with 3 yr olds and a few months down the line when she fully understands the teacher she will be stuck b/c the classes will be full and unless a child drops in the other class she will not be able to be moved.

So I signed her up for the summer program but I am now going to look into the French Immersion Montessori school b/c if they truly follow the ideas of Montessori DD shouldn't be held back by her age.

My city has both Immersion and Montessori public school programs. I put DS in the lottery for both types of schools and then sat and though about them until the drawing.

I liked the idea of Immersion for him because I thought that being able to learn another language would give him something else to focus on. The more I thought about it the more I realized that DS will still have to learn at the same pace as the other kids and while he might be stimulated for a while he will eventually get bored.

He got accepted into both programs and I chose Montessori. I talked to the principal before I signed him up and she assured me that he'll be able to work on his own level in reading and math since a lot of what they do is independent work.

Choosing a school for him has been one of the most stressful things I've done in a long time. Good luck and I hope that you find something that works.