World Language/ Immersion Programs
Curriculum and Instruction
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More than forty years of research consistently documents the power of immersion to help students attain high levels of second language proficiency. In an immersion program, the teacher only speaks in the target language so that students quickly acquire second language skills. No other type of instruction, short of living in a second-language environment, is as successful in helping a child learn another world language.
Kindergarten
McIlvaine Early Childhood Center is home to Caesar Rodney's "Littlest Riders." One hundred of the 550 students attending McIlvaine participate in the school's Chinese immersion classrooms while an additional 100 students participate in a Spanish Immersion Program. The CRSD Immersion programs follow the 50 - 50 Model. In this structure, the students' school day is divided in half with some of the content taught in English and other content is taught in the target language (Chinese or Spanish).
- In one half of the day, Immersion students learn English/ Language Arts and Social Studies as well as "bridge lessons" to support Math and Science in English.
- In the other half of the day, Immersion students learn content (Math, Science, and language specific literacy) in either Chinese or Spanish.
Elementary
After their Kindergarten immersion experience at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center, students graduate to first grade at either Allen Frear Elementary School or W.B. Simpson Elementary School to continue their Chinese Language experience or at either Nellie Stokes Elementary School (grades 1 and 2) and David E. Robinson Elementary School (grade 3 - 5) or at W. Reily Brown Elementary School to continue their Spanish Language experience. The Immersion day in grades 1 - 5 is structured in the 50 - 50 Model... similar to Kindergarten.
Middle School
The Chinese Immersion Continuation Program started at Fifer and Postlethwait Middle School in August 2018; students whose home schools are Air Force Base or Magnolia will attend Chinese Immersion at Postlethwait. The Spanish Immersion Continuation Program started at Fifer MSl in August 2020 and will begin at Postlethwait MS in August 2025.
The Chinese Immersion Continuation Program started at Fifer and Postlethwait Middle School in August 2018; students whose home schools are Air Force Base or Magnolia will attend Chinese Immersion at Postlethwait. The Spanish Immersion Continuation Program started at Fifer MSl in August 2020 and will begin at Postlethwait MS in August 2025.
*** Starting in the 2023 - 2024 school year, students in the middle school immersion continuation program will learn the language through literacy only, not through an additional content class. More information can be found HERE.
High School
The World Language program enables a student to begin to develop language fluency in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. The program also provides an understanding of the roots of a civilization that gave rise to our own. All language courses comply with the current state and national frameworks. All language courses are of equal difficulty. Most colleges require 2 or 3 credits in the same world language.
The World Language program enables a student to begin to develop language fluency in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. The program also provides an understanding of the roots of a civilization that gave rise to our own. All language courses comply with the current state and national frameworks. All language courses are of equal difficulty. Most colleges require 2 or 3 credits in the same world language.
The Chinese Immersion Bridge Program started at Caesar Rodney High School in August 2021. Students in the Chinese Immersion Bridge Program will take AP Chinese Language and then have the opportunity to either complete Dual Enrollment courses taught in Chinese (and the possibility to earn both high school and college/ university credit) or to begin to learn another language.
The Spanish Immersion Bridge Program started at Caesar Rodney High School in August 2023. Students in the Spanish Immersion Bridge Program will take AP Spanish Language and then have the opportunity to either complete Dual Enrollment courses taught in Spanish (and the possibility to earn both high school and college/ university credit), take AP Spanish Literature, or to begin to learn another language.
If you have any questions regarding the Caesar Rodney School District's World Language/ Immersion program, please contact:
Keith Wisher, Supervisor of Instruction: keith.wisher@cr.k12.de.us
Click HERE for more information on our Virtual Summer Immersion Video Series
Click HERE for more information about our MS iChinese Reader Virtual Summer Learning Camp.
Language Proficiency Information for Parents
Language Proficiency Presentation for Parents
AAPPL Proficiency Guidelines 2012
Kindergarten Language Resources
Chinese Books
Chinese Phrases
Spanish Books
1st Grade Language Resources
Chinese Books
2nd Grade Language Resources
Chinese Books