90:10 Language Allocation
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The Dual Language Bilingual Program is an Immersion Program. Immersion in the program’s community minority language (Spanish) with a gradual increase in the amount of instruction in English is key to developing bilingualism, biliteracy and academic achievement for all of our learners. Research is conclusive that English Learning students who learn in their first language, have the greatest likelihood of being proficient bilinguals in English and Spanish. English proficient students have the greatest opportunity for bilingualism in a 90:10 program as we can capitalize early brain development in acquiring a second language.
The 90:10 Model of Language Allocation is detailed below:
How It Works
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We emphasize building a community of learners. Students work in partners called Bilingual Pairs, are prompted to practice speaking, interacting, and collaborating before engaging individually, and are always seeking connections between how their languages interact in their brains.
Starting in 4-year-old kindergarten, students engage with their teachers and classmates in an environment where Spanish is the modeled instructional language and the mode of communication between the teacher and students and between the students. Students attend Monday to Thursday full days with their bilingual teacher and a full-time bilingual teaching assistant. All foundational lessons are conducted in Spanish to build early learning skills in Spanish literacy and numeracy, social-emotional wellbeing, and community culture.
Families will notice a significant commitment to learning Science in Spanish from 4K-10th grade. Our program intends to prepare bilingual students in the STEM areas so that they can enter into local, national, and international Health Care, Science, Technology, and Engineering Careers with the academic and cultural uses of the language they will need in Spanish to compete with local and international candidates for similar positions.
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Grades: K5 - 1
90% of Instruction is in Spanish and 10% of instruction is in English. Content in Literacy, Math and Science are taught in Spanish with cross linguistic connections to English. While students develop their Spanish language, literacy and content mastery, they are also transferring their skills to their application in English during English Language Development through Social Studies, Music, Art and Physical Education. Students in first grade are noticeably more fluent in their speaking, more confident in their reading and are applying their cross linguistic skills to reading in English.
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Grades: 2-3
70% of Instruction is in Spanish and 30% of instruction is in English. Starting in 2nd grade, literacy is taught in six units throughout the year, even units are in English, odd units are in Spanish. Math continues to be taught in Spanish, along with Science, whereas Social Studies, Music, Art and Physical Education are taught in English. Students at these levels deepen the complexity of their Spanish language and develop significant skills in their ability to make connections between their languages, specifically in refining their fluency and specific vocabulary in reading and writing in both Spanish and English.
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Grades: 4-5
50% of the instruction is in Spanish and 50% is in English. Literacy and Math units continue the pattern of six units through the year, even units in English, odd units in Spanish. Science continues to be taught in Spanish, while Social Studies, Art, Music and Physical Education is taught in English. Students at these levels are working hard to amplify their vocabulary, read and write in the content areas, and develop the foundation for cultural competency that supports their abilities within communities where only English, only Spanish, and combinations of bilingualism are used.
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Grades: 6-8
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Grades: 9 -12
Grade Level Standards
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The School District of Waukesha has a specially designed curriculum that ensures access to grade level standards in Spanish and English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies for bilingual students. Our curriculum includes Language Arts standards in both English and Spanish with a continuum of skills that focus on transfer of skills between languages, as well as direct instruction in the specific skills of both languages. The curriculum specifically builds upon the cross language connections our bilingual students make to and between their language.
Teachers
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Dual Language Teachers are certified regular education teachers in early childhood, middle childhood or/and secondary content areas such as Math, Science, Reading and Social Studies. All Dual Language Teachers are Advanced bilinguals in both English and Spanish, and hold additional State of Wisconsin licensure as Bilingual teachers.
