Juggling Two Languages in One Mind

Juggling Two Languages in One Mind

A bilingual brain navigates between two languages without noticing the transition, the learning occurs all over this process and knowledge is built from these interactions in a powerful way. Distinctive Schools is extremely proud of CICS West Belden's Kindergarten Bilingual/EL classroom teachers, and the way they are navigating this on a daily basis!

Ms. Schafman and Ms. Amario navigate so beautifully between two languages, watching them teach is like viewing a beautifully choreographed dance. Their dedication to this class and all  the changes in teaching practices this year has been so inspiring.

They seamlessly transition from English to Spanish, while the students are highly engaged, using both languages, and mastering concepts and academic vocabulary. Watch the video below as they lead Spanish calendar, which highlights how engaged the students are, and how strong this team is. 

West Belden's Bilingual/ EL Kindergarten teachers encourage students to use both languages to make meaning. Teachers work to build student speaking and literacy skills by modeling, and the cognitive process is observable at all levels. Students are learning in both languages. 

Thank you to CICS West Belden school leadership, Distinctive Schools Academic Team, and the EL team for driving this model. We know this is just the beginning, but are so pleased to see such progress!