Spanish Immersion Program

  • We are excited to share that Christina School District will offer two-way Spanish Immersion as a part of our Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program in Fall 2022 at Oberle Elementary School in Bear, DE.

    We will begin the Spanish Immersion Program at the kindergarten level with two cohorts, and then additional cohorts at the next grade level each year as students progress. That means the program will be full-scale K-5 for the 2027-2028 school year.

    Christina School District serves a diverse student population of more than 14,000 students in the City of Newark and its surrounding suburban areas, including Bear, Brookside, Christiana, and Glasgow, as well as the City of Wilmington. 



  • Why Immersion?

    1. Higher academic achievement of students in dual language programs

    2. Greater cognitive flexibility and problem-solving ability

    3. Students develop superior attention, mental flexibility, and memory

    4. Students do better on standardized tests in math, reading, and vocabulary.

    5.Improved cultural awareness and appreciation of our diverse community.

  • What to Expect from an Immersion Program

    Dual Language Immersion offers a rich bilingual experience for young learners when their minds are developmentally best able to acquire a second language; when their brains are hard-wired for language acquisition. Children at this age are adept at picking up language in meaningful contexts.

    In class, the Immersion-language teacher speaks only in that language and communicates using a wide range of engaging strategies including pictures, songs, games, body language, expressions, pantomime, drama, etc. After about halfway through kindergarten immersion study, students too will be encouraged to speak only in the immersion language during that portion of the day.

    From first grade forward, both teachers and students will conduct all learning and conversations in the immersion language during that portion of the day. You will be delighted how quickly your child becomes a comfortable and competent speaker of Chinese or Spanish.

  • Spanish Immersion Program

    Oberle Elementary
    302-834-5910

    Website

    Contact Information
    Norman Kennedy
    Email
  • How to Apply

    Enrollment in the Spanish Immersion Program is available for students entering Kindergarten. School Choice applications are accepted until the first day of school for the upcoming year.

    Click Here to Apply

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  • Spanish DLI K-12 Pathway Flyer