Education
BY ANGELA BONILLA
The Woodlands Christian Academy immersion program looks to expand
What to know about the program
Program expanded to grades K-3 this year Students are taught completely in Spanish across core subjects Each class is led by a certi ed, native Spanish-speaking educator Immersion programs support bilingual uency Immersion students demonstrate increased critical thinking, problem- solving skills
The Woodlands Christian Academy is looking to grow its Spanish immersion program from its current 53 students to include upper grades, ocials said. In the classroom The Spanish immersion program, which launched in 2022 and expanded from grades K-2 to K-3 for the current school year, oers core subjects taught in Spanish by native speakers. School ocials said they are now looking to continue the program into middle and high school. TWCA serves grades pre-K through 12. “We know that they still need the time and intensity in the language ... at the same time that they’re maturing as individuals,” Director of Spanish Immersion Rebecca Gómez said. Gómez said many of the students come from
households where they speak Spanish at home, but their parents want them to become fully bilin- gual with Spanish and English. However, others have no familial connection to the language, she said. “Spanish being a gateway language to so many languages and ... the second most spoken language in the world, that was kind of a good choice,” Gómez said. What they’re saying Christi Chavez, a parent, said her children in the program are speaking advanced Spanish for their age level. “What I’ve seen is ... cognitively, there’s a lot of benets to the program and them being in it—it’s brought a lot of cultural awareness for them as well,” Chavez said.
SOURCE: THE WOODLANDS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY COMMUNITY IMPACT
ACADEMY WAY
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