Hi anamama,
We have a situation that might be similar to yours. For background, our DS4 has just finished the first year of a French immersion school. English is our first language and, although we have spent (with DS) about 4 months in French-speaking countries since he was born, we don't really speak much French at home. The first 3 months of the program were difficult - we had some behavior problems at the new school - but there were extenuating circumstances at home (DW was ill) so we don't know how much it had to do with the new language. After a full year (including camp this summer that just ended) DS's French skills are pretty good. He is even starting to speak more regularly in French, especially to people who have it as a first language. But there is one thing that stands out: his reading hasn't progressed nearly as much as we might have thought. He knew all the letters, both upper-case and lower case, by about 18 months, and recognized words like "mom", "dad", and his name by about two years. But even now, at 4.1, he is just starting on set 2 of the Bob books. (His math, by comparison, is very strong.) It doesn't bother us at all - when he's ready I'm sure that things will move as fast as he likes. But it is a bit surprising. My assumption is that the language part of his brain has been completely occupied with the second language, so reading has taken a back seat. I wonder if something similar could be happening in your DD's case? Does anyone know of any literature regarding bilingualism and reading acquisition?
One other question: at what age did your DD begin the language immersion program. At our French school, unless there is French spoken at home the child isn't allowed to begin after age 3. They are convinced that the immersion experience would be too disruptive for kids who are older than that.
BB
