Students at Birdwell Dual Language Immersion School benefit greatly from the skills they learn by being surrounded by the Spanish language daily. Early immersion in Spanish, as early as preschool, offers numerous benefits for young learners, leveraging their natural aptitude for language acquisition and providing a foundation for future academic and cognitive development. Preschool-aged children have a remarkable capacity for language learning. Early immersion in Spanish exposes them to the language in a natural and immersive environment, facilitating the development of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills from an early age. Through language immersion, students gain an appreciation for diversity, develop cultural sensitivity, and learn to value different perspectives and traditions.
Through our relationship with Early Steps Bilingual Academy, a Spanish language immersion preschool in Tyler, we were able to welcome Ms. Mireya Hicks, the director, as a guest reader for World Read Aloud Day this past week. She read to Mrs. Vergara's kindergarten students in Spanish and Birdwell also invited Early Steps families to our book fair this week where we had a selection of Spanish books available. Many Birdwell students were excited to see Mrs. Hicks since they were alumni themselves at Early Steps Bilingual Academy before being accepted to Birdwell's dual language program.
Young children have a remarkable ability to learn languages quickly and naturally. Exposure to a different language at a young age can facilitate the development of strong language skills, including pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. Research has shown that students who are bilingual or multilingual often perform better academically compared to their monolingual peers. They may have better problem-solving skills, enhanced memory, and improved focus, which can benefit them across all subjects.