Dual Immersion

  • Why We Do It!

    Students who complete immersion programs can be expected to perform as well or better than non-immersion students in traditional programs on academic tests in both languages.

    Students gain more mental flexibility, bettter vocabularies, and have a greater capacity for abstract thought as noted in studies done at Harvard, UCLA, and in Canada.

    Students learn to appreciate other cultures and to view differerences in language and customs as a positive learning experience.

    Most immersion students reach higher levels of second-language proficiency than students in other types of school language programs.

    Language minority students receive that opportunity to develop a high level of proficiency in their home language as well as English.

    How We Do It!

    Kindergarten and first-grade students are taught primarily in Spanish by a credentialed teacher fluent in both Spanish and English. The teachers will listen and respond to children speaking in either language but will only speak Spanish in the classroom during Spanish time.

    Starting in kindergarten the students receive a daily average of 20-30 minutes of oral instruction in English at a designated time. Every year more English is added to the program. By the fourth grade instruction is evenly divided between the two languages.

    Children at Edison learn the same curriculum and are held to the same high standards as in all Santa Monica schools. At Edison, however, children learn in both languages.

    Grade Level Instruction Information

    Kindergarten
    90% Spanish - 198 instructional minutes a day in Spanish
    10% English - 22 instructional minutes per day in English

    First Grade
    90% Spanish - 241 instructional minutes a day in Spanish
    10% English - 27 instructional minutes per day in English

    Second Grade
    80% Spanish - 214 instructional minutes a day in Spanish
    20% English - 54 instructional minutes per day in English

    Third Grade
    70% Spanish - 188 instructional minutes a day in Spanish
    30% English - 80 instructional minutes per day in English

    Fourth Grade
    50% Spanish - 165 instructional minutes a day in Spanish
    50% English - 110 instructional minutes per day in English

    Fifth Grade
    50% Spanish - 138 instructional minutes a day in Spanish
    50% English - 138 instructional minutes per day in English