Hilltop Elementary is celebrating the completion of the first year of Highline’s Dual Language Immersion program. The program currently has 48 students ready to move into first grade. Twenty-four of these students are Spanish speakers and twenty-four are English speakers. This group of students has been learning to read and write in their native language since the first day of school and will continue to do so in the next few years. Halfway through second grade, students will begin learning to read and write in their non-native language so that by the end of elementary school, they will be fluent in both languages.

As part of the program, the teachers have been hosting parent meetings where all parents have actively collaborated to learn about their children and each other despite the language difference. They worked in small bilingual groups on family projects where the children or other adults were all translating for each other. Language has not been a barrier to collaborating actively and enriching the school community.

Parents are excited about the program. “What I like about the dual language program is that my child gets to learn in his native language, and he is able to distinguish between Spanish and English,” says Marisol Ramirez. Another parent, Janna Smith, states, “The dual language program teaches my son cultural awareness and sensitivity with a hands-on approach.”

The students are also excited about the program and are aware of some of its benefits. Amber Le-Williams, an English speaker, states, “You can talk to more people because you will know two languages.” “You can help someone who doesn’t speak English learn it because you can understand what they are saying in Spanish,” says Ashley Zeilinski, also an English speaker. Vera Pili in talking about her son, Luka, states, “If he is learning something with Senorita Gil (the Spanish-speaking teacher), then he shares the words in Spanish. If he is learning something with Mrs. Scott (the English-speaking teacher), he shares in English.” Nancy Garcia, a Spanish-speaking parent is enthusiastic about her son, Josue, learning to read and write in his native language, “…y el poder ayudarle a sus tareas. Y los mas bonito que mi hijo sabe leer y escribir en espanol,” (… to be able to help him with his homework, and the most wonderful thing is that my son knows how to read and write in Spanish.”

As teachers in the program both Yazmin Gil and Kristina Scott are very excited and honored to be the first Dual Language teachers in Highline Public Schools. Kristina Scott, English dual language teacher, observes “To see how native language literacy instruction with high expectations provides an equitable learning experience for all students is amazing. In 13 years of teaching kindergarten, this is the first time I have seen all ELL students at the same high literacy level in both reading and writing as English speakers. There is no literacy gap between any of the dual language students.”

“Since the beginning of the school year, English-speaking students wanted to know what I was saying,” comments Yazmin Gil, Spanish dual language teacher. “It was not long before they knew what was going on in the classroom as the Spanish and English speakers helped each other understand by translating words and phrases. I am constantly amazed on how quickly they are learning Spanish in my classroom. All of the students are now teaching their siblings and parents Spanish and English. I wish I had had an opportunity like this growing up. “