After-school program in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD brings students, parents together to learn new languages
by Jacob Sanchez with Fort Worth Report
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
Brooklyn Scholebo looked at her mom for assurance before quietly saying, “Me gusta.”
Then she trailed off. Brooklyn, 8, could not think of the Spanish word for raspberries, her favorite fruit. But that’s OK. She’s still learning the language.
Brooklyn, a third-grader at Lake Pointe Elementary, has been learning Spanish through Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD’s World Language Academy, an after-school program in which parents and students can learn Spanish or American Sign Language.
Around 90 students enroll into the World Language Academy each semester, according to district officials. The program is in its sixth year, and is open to second- to fifth-graders and their parents as well as sixth- to eighth-graders.
Bringing students and parents together is key for Heath Dollar, a coordinator for world languages and English as a second language. The idea for the program sprung from Superintendent Jim Chadwell, who wanted students and parents to learn in tandem, Dollar said.
Sometimes, parents and their children are completely new to Spanish or ASL. In other instances, parents already know a language and help teach it to their children.
“They’re able to serve as language models when they get home and help their children learn,” Dollar said. “They know what they were learning in class so they can reinforce and support those lessons.”
Brooklyn’s mother, Jennifer Scholebo, has already picked up some Spanish.
“I can count higher now,” she said, pointing out she can count up to 20.
The World Language Academy also is an opportunity to teach students about other cultures, Dollar said. They may even meet new friends through their new languages. Students in Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD speak more than 60 different languages, according to district officials.
“Kids are able to develop a love of language, and they’re able to make friends with a common interest,” Dollar said.
Continue reading this article at Fort Worth Report.