Empower Language Academy is leading the way in preparing well-rounded, bilingual global leaders of tomorrow. As San Diego’s only tuition-free Spanish immersion school, we are proud to be educating the whole child in both Spanish and English. If you’ve been curious about what a dual immersion program looks like for your child, read on to find out our Top Five things to know about the immersive language experience at our small community school.
1. All of Our Teachers Are Bilingual
It takes proficiency, experience, and a depth of knowledge to teach in two languages. We hire talented bilingual teachers, credentialed in both Spanish and English, to support your child’s language development. We are up to date on the science of how children learn language and teachers use best practices to ensure that everyone is at their optimal learning level.
2. Immersion is Gradual
We’ve designed our immersion model to be a gradual introduction to English. At the kindergarten and first grade levels, we use an 80/20 model of Spanish to English, meaning that 80% of the day is taught in Spanish and 20% of the day is taught in English. Each year after first grade, we add 10% more English instruction so that by the time our students are in the 4th-6th grades, they receive 50/50 instruction in each language.
3. Learning a Language is a Challenge Our Students Are Up For!
Our students feel their brains expanding in new and exciting ways, which is not without discomfort at times! We recognize that the first weeks of immersion are demanding, so we have prepared our small school to be a safe place to take risks and try new things. We pair students with a language partner to support their entrance to school and the new language. It’s a great way to get to know our school, make a new friend, and have a buddy who can answer all the questions your child may have, like, “when is lunch?”
4. We Are Holistic
In addition to dual immersion, our curriculum embraces development of the whole child. We focus on fitness, inquiry, and powerful communication through both written and oral expression. Students at Empower Language Academy write daily, across content areas, for a variety of purposes and authentic audiences. Our students can read and write in their native languages and in their second language. Our native Spanish speakers are prepared to navigate complex texts and testing in English, too.
5. Our Model Works
Bilingual students have an advantage and we have the data to prove it: Empower is the highest performing elementary school in Linda Vista, including for all subgroups such as English Learners and Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Students. We don’t solely rely on test scores to equate success at our school, but our impressive scores on state tests show that our students are comprehending Language Arts and Mathematics at a much higher level, comparatively.
Empower Language Academy is San Diego’s only public, tuition-free Spanish immersion school for K-6 offering a commitment to fitness and the whole child. Join our growing family! Enrolling now for the 2021-2022 school year.
About Empower Language Academy
Empower Language Academy innovates in immersive dual language learning, fitness and technology to create global citizens. Our holistic approach to Spanish immersion empowers a generation of creative thinkers and effective communicators to lead healthy and fit lifestyles. Our tuition-free public charter school serving grades K-6 is a caring community; providing students from all backgrounds with an educational experience that honors multilingualism, critical thinking, and fitness. Join us in convenient Linda Vista. Enrolling now!