Diary of a Bilingual School: How a Constructivist Curriculum, a Multicultural Perspective, and a Commitment to Dual Immersion Education Combined to ... in Spanish and English-Speaking Children

by Sharon Adelman Reyes, James Crawford

Dual immersion, a popular new way to foster bilingualism, is capturing the attention of parents and educators alike. By bringing together children from diverse backgrounds to learn each other’s languages in a natural setting, it has proved far more effective at cultivating fluency than traditional approaches. But how do these programs actually work? What goes on in dual immersion classrooms? And what is it that makes them so effective? The book focuses on Chicago’s Inter-American Magnet School, one of the nation’s most acclaimed dual immersion programs, where children thrive in an environment that unlocks their intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning. Simultaneously, without conscious effort, they become proficient in two languages and at home in a culture that differs from their own.

136 pages, Paperback

First published December 6, 2011

Reviews

[Jessie Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much while reading this book and hope to use some of it in my own way in classrooms in the future.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had thought about buying this book so when an opportunity to get it for free if I reviewed it, I jumped at the chance. I gained some great insights through the actual experiences of teachers and students in a dual immersion school about some of the things that contribute to an effective and excellent dual immersion program.

[Wesley Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book does a good job of showing how fun the learning environment can be in an immersion classroom. But I felt like the class was too idealized, and there were not enough specifics about how teachers can get their class to that point.

[Mills College Library]

370.1175 R4578 2012