Our Language Immersion Curriculum for Children Is Literacy Based
Crossing Borders’ goal is to have our Pre-K students emerge into reading another language as they transition into Kindergarten. In order to do this, Crossing Borders starts at the toddler level and begins introducing students to phonetic awareness. If you were to walk into our Language Immersion classroom, you would see students who are engaged and actively practicing and speaking their new language.
Common Techniques Used:
- Phonetic Awareness
- Letters of the Week
- Children's books
- Songs
- Arts & Crafts
- "High frequency words"
- Manipulatives
- Total Body Response
Crossing Borders wants its toddlers to be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet and know how to say each letter. Thus, Crossing Borders implements a “letter of the week.” Throughout class the Crossing Borders staff challenges the students to say the sounds of the letters. For example, we might practice saying, “z is for zebra.” Animals are commonly used to learn each letter. Each flash card has a word and a picture for each particular letter.
Children’s books, songs, and arts and crafts, are all used to re-enforce knowledge at Crossing Borders. Our Language teachers use first class teacher's resources (for kids) that have made specially for them by CBG's Education Director. For our Pre-K students, we start introducing high-frequency words, five times each week. Likewise, students have homework to reinforce the “letter of the week”. Gross motor skills are also targeted via traditional group games. Students learn math with manipulatives, games, and songs. Students also learn the colors, shapes, and numbers. We seek for every child to be independent and have fun while learning a second language.
At Crossing Borders, we understand that acquiring a second language has stages and takes time to learn. We incorporate everything possible for a child to acquire the second language by using Total Body Response (TPR) which means using gestures with our whole body and visual aids as much as possible so children see and understand what we are expecting from them.
Studies have proven that the sooner a child learns a second language, it is that much easier to learn a third, fourth, and even a fifth at such a young age. We believe this and our Language Immersion Program empowers children at just doing that!
Curriculum Directors
Crossing Borders lessons are planned and prepared by two of our most talented teachers, Ms. Emma Selig and Ms. Maria "Macky" Rodriguez. Ms. Emma and Ms. Rodriguez both have numerous years of experience in education, curriculum and training and love working with children. Ms. Selig and Ms. Rodriguez are experts in finding fun, energetic, native speakers to teach our Language Immersion Program!
