Name

Sean can write his name from memory.

Asking Sean questions about school

I decided to interview Sean about school.

Me: What's your favorite class, English or Chinese?
Sean: Chinese

Me: Why?
Sean: Cause it's fun to learn.

Me:  What's your favorite part of English class?
Sean: I don't really learn anything, my favorite part is playing Lego's

Me: What's your favorite part of the school day?
Sean: Lego's is my funnest thing.

Me: What do you not like at school?
Sean: Most everything is my favorite.

Me: Is there anything at school that makes you sad?
Sean: Nothing makes me sad.


Listening to Sean talk about his day reinforces our decision to put him in the dual immersion program. He would have been completely bored in kindergarten.

A couple of pictures from school

 

Recess

 

Practicing Chinese Song

 Todays Chinese homework:

Ni Hao parents,
We have been learning these songs in chinese. I will be sending you the links on youtube (see attachment). The first 2 songs, they can sing perfectly in chinese, the 3rd song, we are still working on. Please practice singing with them at home. I would say that 90% of my students know and recognize their names in chinese! YAY! There are some a few that still needs extra help ( no worries!)

Here's Sean practicing his song  He came home with a little toy, he said teacher gave it to him for singing. I am quite surprised that he sang for her. He's usually shy.

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB5obEyeHWk&feature=related&safe=active

  (two tigers song)

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zohicMy7I4w&feature=related&safe=active

(1,2,3..where is my friend)

·         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueSBz0aV4Rs&feature=related&safe=active

(looking for friends)

Opening the milk cartons

Bag learning Chinese, I'm just hoping the kids learn how to open their milk cartons. I've been going to school during lunch to help the kids. It's a lot for a kindergartnerner to make their way through the lunch line, choose fruits, vegetables, entree and desert then make their way to the table. Once they get to the table they have trouble opening their milk cartons and utensil wrapper so I am there to help. I have no doubt in a couple of weeks they will all be pros.

Last night while Sean was in the bath tub he was singing a song in Chinese. I asked him what it meant and he said "I don't know, it's Chinese." I recognized the words for teacher, that was about it. I asked Sean what he did at school. He said "we watched a movie." I asked what the movie was about and he said "I don't know, it was in Chinese." I think I read somewhere the first part of learning a foreign language is listening to the language. I really can't fathom two and a half hours of Chinese per day.

An article from the Tribune archives regarding dual immersion programs. The comments are interesting.

Nice note from Sean's teacher

Our trip to China in February

Sean's teacher sent this cute note. Got to love hearing nice things about your kiddo.

HI Carol,
THanks for helping us during lunch time! I just wanted to praise Sean, he is a really good kid, I seeing trying really hard to listen and doing his best to sit still. He does understand quite abit and is always willing to obey the rules.
THank you
Lin Lao Shi
Another good article about immersion programs　

Choosing dual immersion

When I went to the parent information night for the immersion program I was a little bewildered. Admission to the program is based on a lottery. The children who would routinely go to the school are given priority, if there are any left over spots they go to children from different schools.  Don wasn't sold on the program because he didn't like the idea of not being able to help Sean with his homework.

The principal did an excellent job of "selling" the program. She said they knew parents would not be able to help their children with Chinese homework. She went through all the advantages of the program which were many. I sat there thinking "so the kids who don't get in to this program are getting cheated." She ended the presentation with "but all the students get an excellent education including are monolingual children." Hmm, I wasn't feeling it. The dual immersion sounded like a superior education and now that I was "sold" I was going to be seriously annoyed if Sean didn't get in the program. I don't see how it can be considered equal. In Utah Kindergarten is only half day. The kids in the dual immersion program stay for 3/4 day. They are starting off with more educational opportunities. Sean's been going to the Montessori school since he was two so it wasn't really about the hours I could have kept him in private school and had him full time, it was the fact that not all kids are being treated equally.

Since Sean got accepted I've spent a lot of time researching dual immersion programs. I couldn't understand why they didn't just give every kid in the school an hour of Chinese per day and then no one would be excluded. The answer is the premise for dual immersion is to allow the children to become truly bilingual.

Found this great website about dual immersion programs.

I wondered about attrition from dual immersion programs. The principal told parents that if they planned on moving during their children's elementary years not to apply for the program. Still, there has to be attrition. I found an article, a very long article about attrition. It said that by high school the attrition rate can be over 90%. It sited numerous reasons. The programs are designed to go through elementary school, in Jr High students may take AP Chinese courses and then choose if they want to continue in High School. Since the kindergartner's have no idea what their interest are going to be in High School the decision to enter a dual immersion program is based solely on the parents desire. Many students leave the program for the International Baccalaureate. I guess it's why I make Sean take piano lessons. If he decides when he is older he doesn't want to play the piano that will be his choice. The window of opportunity for dual immersion is limited. If he decided in second grade he wants to be in the dual immersion program it's too late, the window is closed.

First day of Kindergarten

Sean was so excited to start at his new school.

They took name tag pictures for his English class and his Chinese. I should have taken the picture at the same time as the volunteer but didn't. I made him get in front of the tree so a I could take his picture after the fact. I knew if I asked him to put the Chinese hat on again so I could take that picture he'd put his foot down.

I am amazed at how quiet they are at school. At the Montessori school a class of 12 sounded like 50. At Stewart a class of 30 is very quiet. If all 750 kids were as loud as the kids at the Montessori school the noise would be deafening.

Watching the kids made me laugh. I've been teaching adults for 20 years. Every class has the same "roles", the know it all, the I have a story for that, the I'm not going to listen to the teacher because I'm busy talking to the person next to me, the fidgety one, the sleeper, the class clown and the shy one. The texters and game players were missing because a five year old don't have cell phones. (or if they do they aren't allowed to bring them to class.) I was watching the kids and I could identify their adult roles. Little miss know it all was seriously getting on my nerves. She really did "know it all" and wanted to make sure everyone knew. She will be a cheerleader and I look forward to her Valedictorian talk in high school. Sean is really shy at school. The teacher asked if anyone had ever seen a monkey outside of the zoo. I asked Sean why he didn't tell them he had and he said "I'm not going to raise my hand and talk."

Moving on to Chinese class. The way the program works is the kids go to English kindergarten for an hour and a half, then lunch followed by two and a half hours of Chinese. The teacher doesn't speak any English. She gestures and jumps around a lot. Here she is telling them the story of the three little pigs in Chinese. At least I think that's what she was doing. There was a lot of huffing and puffing and blowing things down. The kids were staring at her with their mouths open (including Miss know it all.) I was overwhelmed and I'm not the one who has to learn Chinese.

As the kids were dismissed from English class on the first day they had to come up one by one before they were dismissed and the class sang a song "we are so glad you are here....." Sean was the second one to get called up so he had to stand in front of everyone. He did not like that at all. He asked "why did they do that?" Not cool, not cool at all.