David Lipscomb Elementary School has expanded its foreign language program this fall to include the study of Spanish language and culture for students from pre-kindergarten through grade four.
The addition of Spanish instruction is a response to cultural changes in the region and research on students' ability to learn languages at young ages. The new Spanish program replaces the school's program in French, which has been taught to second, third and fourth graders for the last decade, said Gail Srygley, principal.
"We have been hoping and planning for years to expand so that all David Lipscomb Elementary students, including our very youngest would be taught a foreign language," said Gail Srygley, principal.
"Spanish just seemed like a better choice than French because our community and, in my judgment, our country and hemisphere of the world is finding Spanish to be a predominant language," said Srygley.
"The number of families from our school that are involved in church groups that do mission work in Spanish-speaking countries also made Spanish a natural choice for us."
The decision to expand the foreign language program to all students was made after a a school improvement committee found research indicating that younger children could pick up on foreign language easier than older students.
"Research indicates that after the age of ten, the retention level becomes much lower and the brain begins to discard information it does not use," said Robin Rosch, the school's new Spanish teacher. "As critical as knowing a foreign language is becoming, this is why the study of foreign language at a young age is essential."
When the decision to teach Spanish was made, the school determined that the French program should be phased out completely. Last year, the school's second graders and pre-kindergarten students were taught Spanish while the rest of the students continued learning French.
Rosch has plenty of experience with both Spanish and mission work. Holding a bachelor's degree in Spanish from Abilene Christian University and a master's in educational leadership from Lipscomb University, Rosch is licensed to teach Spanish and ESL pre-kindergarten through grade 12. She has taught for five years in Sumner and Davidson counties. In the early 1980s, she and her husband spent several years working as missionaries in Peru.
At the elementary level, Rosch's approach to teaching Spanish emphasizes listening and speaking more than reading and writing. She uses what she calls "total physical response" - a method of learning that incorporates multiple senses in learning. Rosch says that using songs and body movement helps reinforce the language to students.
"After all of the years I've spent teaching Spanish, I am still amazed at how young children soak up the language," said Rosch. "I couldn't help but laugh when I heard about a few of my pre-K students outside playing on the swings singing one of our Spanish songs at the top of their lungs."
Parents, too, are impressed by the results of the program.
"All the parents I've talked with agree that the decision to teach Spanish was both timely and appropriate considering the changes in our community," said Michelle Seal, PTO vice president and mother of a pre-kindergartener and a second-grader at David Lipscomb Elementary. "I have been so impressed at how quickly my children have been picking up on the language. My four-year-old can now count perfectly in Spanish. The way Mrs. Rosch interacts with the students makes it fun for them to learn Spanish."
"After seeing how excited the children are about learning Spanish, I am even more convinced that being familiar with Spanish language and culture will give our students an edge in today's fast-paced, ever-changing society," said Srygley. "More importantly, it will enable our students to relate and appreciate the experience of people from different backgrounds."