Quality Spanish Immersion Early Childhood Education

Did you know that Preschool is not required in California? 
In fact, formal education is not required in California until 1st Grade.  However, many parents recognize the wonderful developmental benefits that a quality early childhood education program can give to their child.  
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​In fact, in San Francisco, 83% of preschool aged children are actually enrolled in preschool, which is the highest preschool enrollment rate in the nation.  Available, quality child care remains a serious need in San Francisco, especially for infants and toddlers.

Many parents also understand the many benefits of an early childhood language immersion program for their children.  Early childhood is a wonderful time to introduce a new language. While in elementary and secondary immersion classrooms children face the need to master academic material while learning a new language at the same time, in early childhood language acquisition is a natural and easy process.  ​

NPR: 6 Potential Brain Benefits
Of Bilingual Education
Read article here

Learning a second (or third!) language is also excellent for children’s ongoing brain development, a large part of which happens by age 5.  For example, using two languages involves a subset of executive functioning skills in the brain when children switch from one language to another.  According to a recent NPR piece, “children who speak 2 languages outperform monolingual speakers on executive [brain] function.”

​Children who participate in a language immersion program generally demonstrate superior focused attention skills, without being distracted, which is necessary for them to function well in immersion settings.  The article further mentions that young kids who participate in language immersion programs or who are raised bilingual must closely follow social cues, and in so doing they get a head start on maintaining perspective, seeing other’s perspectives, and developing social and emotional skills. ​

We have several other articles re: language acquisition and bilingualism on our “Why Bilingualism” page of our website.

It is always a happy day for us when we see our children spontaneously break into song in Spanish, or when one of our parents comments that their child is now speaking more Spanish than they know as an adult!  We prize our close relationships with the children in our care, and for 5 years now, we have seen children learn Spanish naturally and comfortably in this nurturing early childhood setting. And as a play-based program, Primeros Pasos believes that developing these communications skills as well as socio-emotional skills are the most important components of kindergarten readiness.  Children who can communicate, who can form relationships and have empathy for others, who are ready to interact socially with their peers, and especially those who understand a wider or even global perspective, will do well in school. Academics will follow smoothly in the tender mind of a child who has been nurtured to love learning!