KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe News Weather, Video - Bilingual Education Now in Washoe County
Member Center:
If you want your kids to be bilingual, now there's a chance to do just that in Washoe County.
This year, Jessie Beck Elementary School in Reno launched the district's first bilingual program.
Half the kids in the kindergarten class are native English speakers; the other half speaks mostly Spanish. But now, they're learning both languages together.
The goal is for them to be bilingual by the time they enter 5th grade. "According to researchers, at three years of age, it's the best time to teach kids a second language. Once they can communicate in their first language, they are ready to learn a second language," says teacher Gisela Daniel.
Daniel, who's originally from Puerto Rico, said her own experience learning English as a second language gives her a heads up on what her students are going through. She teaches both in English and in Spanish, and fills her classroom with posters, books, and other learning tools in both languages.
Principal Krissy Brown said the two-way immersion program won't stop at kindergarten. The plan is to add a new bilingual class each school year; once fully implemented, students in K-6th grade will have access to bilingual education.
Another school currently offering bilingual program in Washoe County is Mount Rose Elementary.
