ROCK HILL, S.C. — Some South Carolina students are learning two languages as soon as kindergarten.
Rock Hill Schools language immersion program aims to get kids to understand subjects in both English and another language.
Right now, the curriculum is available in Spanish and French.
At Cherry Park Elementary there are over 800 students immersed in the program.
“We are able to really have kids learning their second language the exact same way they learn their first language," Patrick Maness, the principal at Cherry Park Elementary, said.
The students learn half their classes in one language, and the other in English. Students begin listening, thinking, and problem solving in their new language.
Maness said it helps them become global citizens of the future.
“The reality is we’re really just catching up with the rest of the world on kids being able to be bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural," Maness said.
Maness said the program also helps students from Spanish-speaking homes learn English quicker, and leads to higher academic achievement.
“For a Spanish speaking kid in an English only environment, it's really creating a learning gap for them," Maness said. “By a child being immersed completely in the target language, they’re going to pick it up so much easier.”
The school district brings in teachers like Claudia Notaro, who is from Ecuador. They offer students a global perspective.
“I teach my parents some Spanish," one Cherry Park Elementary student said.
For Notaro, she experiences a special joy teaching Spanish to kindergarteners.
“If you find something you love, you’re not working," Notaro said. “It amazes me how much they learn in 27 days.”
At the same time, native Spanish speakers can benefit from teacher representation too.
“It should be offered in every school," Notaro said. “The kids love it, they love to learn another language."
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.