Jefferson School District expands its Language Immersion Program

The Jefferson School District set the tone for a new way of learning in its schools. The Language Immersion Program started with two different languages at two schools. Half of the school day is taught in English, and the other is taught in either Spanish or Chinese.

After great success with the initial Immersion Program, the district is expanding to more schools and grade levels.

Michele Southwick, director of elementary education, explained how sought after the program is. “We have so much interest that we can’t accommodate even all of the students in our own district that want to participate, so we had to do a lottery this last year and had students on the waiting list,” she said.

The demand for children to be involved in this program rises year after year, and the advantages of learning the standard curriculum with a different language are endless. It can be a valuable tool in improving cognitive abilities, learning retention, and reading and speaking skills.

“The research actually shows that learning a second language enhances the connections in the brain causes more connections in their brain and so it makes it actually easier for them to learn additional material,” said Jefferson Elementary School Principal Eric Jensen.

Students in this program are averaging at or above where traditional students perform, and they’re learning a whole new language at the same time.

Now other nearby districts are trying to bring the Language Immersion Program to their schools.

There is little to no cost to the district in the growth of this project, however donations are always welcome. The enrollment fee for the Language Immersion Program only cost a-hundred-dollarsis $100 per family.