_An Edhat Reader
By Carpinteria Children’s Project
Starting Sept. 15 at Carpinteria Children’s Project, the dual language preschool has been immersed in themed lessons for Hispanic Heritage Month. The history of the Mexican flag, key ingredients in cuisine, music, and the arts are colorful examples of preschool-oriented multicultural lessons, and every lesson at CCP is taught by bilingual instructors using English and Spanish interchangeably with the intention of introducing dual language instruction in Early Childhood Education.
“There are all these opportunities in Early Childhood Education to open children’s eyes and minds,” said Teresa Alvarez, CCP Executive Director. “Age-appropriate lessons are basic, but it’s the perfect age to introduce new topics, including forming the basis for bilingual literacy. Hispanic Heritage Month provides context for lessons in Spanish.”
Carpinteria Children’s Project’s preschool has five classrooms serving up to 90 students ranging in age from 18 months to 4-year-olds. From ABCs and colors to gardening and “please” and “thank you,” all lessons at CCP are fully bilingual. Early dual language instruction helps prepare students for the popular Dual Language Immersion program in Carpinteria Unified School District.
“We see this as a natural way to extend and accelerate the proven benefits of multilingualism and multiculturalism in classrooms,” said Alvarez. “All of our teachers are bilingual and bicultural, and our preschoolers won’t miss a beat once they transition to the DLI classrooms that more and more local families gravitate toward.”
All 15 teachers at CCP incorporate Spanish instruction and conversation in their classrooms. This summer, Sonia Aguila, National DLI Educator of the Year in 2022 and DLI Chair at Carpinteria Unified School District, provided professional development for CCP’s preschool teachers.
“Doors open for bilingual students. We see bilingual preschool as setting up kids for success, not just for transitioning to DLI in kindergarten, but for continuing to develop biliteracy and receiving a California Seal of Biliteracy during their senior year of high school,” Alvarez said.
CCP Board Chair Michelle Perry, whose son attended the CCP preschool, cites the benefits of early exposure to new languages and cultures. “My child transitioned seamlessly into a kindergarten classroom where his teacher spoke Spanish exclusively,” she said. “Having an educational foundation in Spanish paved the way for new friendships and a smooth experience at a new school.”
In practice, CCP dual language instruction is more relaxed than a kindergarten DLI classroom, which begins with a 90:10 Spanish: English instruction ratio. At the preschool, students sing songs in Spanish, learn colors and numbers in English and Spanish, and Spanish is spoken in much of their shared time in group activities.
CCP’s bilingual preschool emphasizes social/emotional development and prepares students for kindergarten. With a 10-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, classrooms often have multiple bilingual teachers. As with other multilingual classrooms, CCP’s bilingual preschool benefits from instructing a balance of English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and bilingual students together.
Learn more about the Carpinteria Children’s Project at https://carpchildren.org.
