\”Education is the power to think clearly, the power to act well in the world\’s work, and the power to appreciate life.\” – Brigham Young

A typical, every-day elementary school located in Houston Pennsylvania is taking new steps to “bridge the gap” between Spanish speakers and English speakers. Thy have created a good example of the kinds of school settings that Teachers students and the American population in general, but will witness and participating in, probably in the near future.

Located in Houston Pennsylvania, Webster elementary started their kindergartners in a radical approach in 2004 and is now currently in its third academic year of bringing students together in the same classroom that promotes and encourages students to become bi-lingual and biliterate and bicultural. Currently one half the kindergarten class come from Spanish speaking homes, while the other half come from English speaking homes. They principal and leader of this new movement, Michael Marquez states: “It’s fantastic for students, their parents and surrounding company!”

“When we looked back at the research, two-way immersion came out very clearly as the one that helps Spanish speakers develop the most English and remain academically on level.” Said Dr. Laurie Weaver with the University of Houston Clear Lake.

In the kindergarten class at Webster Elementary School, 90 percent of the class is taught in Spanish and the remaining 10 percent of the material is presented in English. In the classroom there is much student participating as well as singing, obviously in both languages. The goal of the teachers in

Webster Elementary school is to have the students now only learn from the teacher, but learn just as much from their fellow students.  This program in Houston Pennsylvania has been expanding at rapids rates each year, and as of the beginning of the academic school year there wasn’t enough room for all the parents that wished for the children to be enrolled. Currently there is a waiting list for students to participate in this bilingual kindergarten classroom.  Principal Michael Marquez has dreams of each grade level at Webster Elementary school participating in movement.         

   As a future educator, who is both passionate about excited about English and Spanish education, it excites me to read that school is taking such measures to create a common bond between the students who come from Spanish speaking homes, and English speaking homes. Besides being merely exciting for own personal gain, I think it’s extremely smart, and realistic to start educating children early in order for them to be able to communicate in both Spanish and English.           

   More specifically I really found the idea of students learning from each other, just as much as they learn from the teacher to be another unique approach to the educational success of students. With this approach students won’t mearly learn language from each other, but hopefully this approach will also bring together students from different cultural back grounds, and instill a sense in them of unity with those they attend school with, and others in their communities that speak different languages.         

   I think it’s important we think about the future of America, but more specifically the future of education when reading a news article report like this. As of January 2007 11 million Spanish speaking people live in America, by population making The United States of America the second largest Spanish speaking country.   Is bilingual education important right now? Will it be important in the future? Absolutely!

http://www.click2houston.com/education/14151809/detail.html