Spanish Immersion Program in Bedford, Texas

I have read alot about the program and considered it for my child also. But, it wasn't clear what the the long-term benefit of this program is for my child? I don't think that was ever explanied well enough to sell me on this program. You also have to wonder what is the long-term benefit of having your child speak a 2nd language by the 6th or 7th grade. I would be much more impressed if the results were that these kids are in AP classes or received college scholarships. Plus this is always something you can pick up in college classes. Just some things to consider. This is a lot of pressure to put on a kid and once they get further along in their education they will have enough of that. I have been in education in the elementary level for many years and I am not sold on this program at all.

Hi A., see if you can open the link below. This is from another posting that a mother asked on Mamasource. We enrolled our first grade daughter in Bedford's program because we have heard great things from parent's with kids in the program. And yes you will have to work harder with your child at home on their English work, but think of the benefits. Your child has to enter into the program in first grade. (We're meeting my daughter's teacher tonight!) Best of luck.

http://www.mamasource.com/request/15732208194405007361/11...

Hello A.,
My daughter will be starting Kindergarten next week, and is going to take part in SIP through the FWISD. This will be her first year in a school, as she is coming from a daycare/preschool program. The daycare program she was in actually did an excellent job in preparing her for school, & she has always been a bright child. I personally felt as though she would just be bored in an ordinary K class, as all the material would be repeat for her. Although I am a little nervous for her- the curriculum will be 90% in Spanish, I think that the program will at least offer a challenge for her. At the same time, she will be learning a skill that is very valuable in today's world. I myself am of Hispanic origin, however I never took advantage of my resources & never learned to speak the language. I have explained to her a little bit about what to expect & she, as well as I, are both excited.
Hopefully she'll soon be able to teach me! Good luck in whatever you decide!

You can apply for the program while your child is in Kindergarten and they will actually be in the program starting in 1st grade. If a child struggles in the program, you can always take them out. However, this is frowned upon because children cannot enter the program after the 1st grade and your child will have taken a spot from someone else to get into the program and now the spot is empty. We had considered the program for our daughter who was in Kindergarten this year. After speaking with several parents who have children in the program and with teachers, we decided not to put our daughter in the program. Basically, almost everything is in Spanish and if they don't pick it up, they lose out on a lot of information before they actually know the Spanish language. We were told that 80% or more of English work, including reading and writing would be done at home and taught by us as parents. We did not want our daughter to miss out on some of the basic things you learn while you are young because she was not already fluent in Spanish. I have also heard that the program is not highly recommended by general education teachers. Of course there are pros, such as your child is supposed to be fluent in Spanish by the 6th grade, which would be wonderful. As far as any other pros, I did not hear of any. For us, we just decided it was not a good idea. Hope this helps.

Hi, A.!

I cannot MORE HIGHLY recommend this program!!!!! I need to give you a bit of my background first, so you can determine if we're coming from a similar place. Both of my daughters and a niece are in Spanish Immersion. My daughters have also both been in the Gifted and Talented program since Kindergarten. They, as well as my niece, have maintained excellent grades. My older daughter is entering 7th grade and has gotten 3-5 B's since she started school. My niece is entering 3rd grade and my younger daughter's entering 2nd and they've both maintained straight A's. Additionally, my niece has ADD/ADHD, so learning can be a bit of a challenge for her at times, yet she's STILL made excellent grades while also learning another language. Plus, many of the TAKS test scores that my older daughter's class have had have been above-average when compared to their peers. Recently, her SI class had the highest test scores in the entire district on their Science TAKS test!!!!!

Most of the concerns and "cons" that I've heard are from people who do not have first-hand experience with the program, I.E., parents who are considering it, but talk with teachers and other parents and then decide against it. Unless you have a child with learning difficulties, I don't know why you would NOT choose this program! The children selected are good students, but, mostly, it's your average child who comprises the large majority of students in the program. Here's what so many people don't get: It's NOT about learning Spanish! It's about learning HOW TO SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Truth be told, 1st grade is a bit late to start, but it's the best we have for now and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity my children have been given through the HEB ISD. It's been proven that when a person learns another language, he/she is utilizing parts of the brain not normally accessed. For those of us who know only one language, the communication pathways that are being used by our children have, for the most part, closed in our adult brains. Basically, you either use it or you lose it. In this country, most of us don't use it. So, though learning Spanish is extremely applicable living in this part of the country, the bigger consideration is that our children are being given the opportunity to learn 2, 3, 4 languages or more later in life, should they choose to do so. You're giving your children choices that most of their peers won't have. It seems to me that a child who offers what many others offer PLUS speaks at least one other language would be more appealing to colleges. This is about so much more than just speaking Spanish! Our district also offers French and German, which can be taken in conjunction with Spanish starting in the 7th grade. Currently, students can also learn Mandarin Chinese and Hindi starting in 7th grade at Central Jr. High and continuing at Trinity. The hope is that that both high schools will support the program in coming years, as Central is a split school. Additionally, the intention is for Arabic to be available, too. At this time, these programs are not available in conjunction with Spanish Immersion, but the district's always expanding and adding to what they already offer. Bottom line: unless you don't feel your child would do well, there's no reason to not put him/her in the program. You're providing you child with an incredible chance to do so much later in life. Perhaps the day your child graduates is the day he/she will stop speaking that additional language or, perhaps, he/she will be able to consider careers where speaking an additional language is a huge advantage or even a requirement.

Clearly, I'm EXTREMELY passionate about the program, as well as the HEB ISD school district. Please feel free to call me and/or send me a response with your contact information if you'd like to speak in person. I hope this helps you make the right decision for your child.

Sincerely,

S.
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