From the Lake Oswego Review

Board should vote ‘si’ or ‘shide’ for Spanish, Chinese immersion program

By Sarah Howell

, May 19, 2011

SUBMITTED FILE PHOTO

The Lake Oswego School District’s Mandarin PreK immersion program, shown here during a special program earlier this year at Palisades Elementary School, is providing valuable language experience to students at a young age.

The demand for these programs has never been greater. LOSD now offers Spanish immersion classrooms for PreK and Kindergarten, and Mandarin immersion classrooms for preschool/PreK. Classrooms have wait lists heading into fall 2011.

More here.

Another editorial on the same topic in the same paper:

Keep school language immersion programs

By Cindi Moyle

, May 19, 2011

Our community is at an exciting crossroads for the next generation of learners. We have succesfully experienced Mandarin and Spanish Language Immersion programs in our local schools with extrodinary demand to keep the programs going through fifth grade and beyond!

I am the Mother of a 5-year-old girl in the Chinese program. The benefits have been astounding. Shown as early as the first week of school through her increased creativity of playing and building things, to her wall art, and caring for others. It was clear to us that a new side of her brain was awakening.

As we near the end of the first year, our 5 year old can count into her 30s in Chinese, and into her 60s in English. She can name most basic colors and shapes in Chinese, and, of course, English. She can name several objects, fruits, vegetables and animals in Chinese and sing Chinese songs. The final icing on the cake though was a couple weeks ago when she asked me, “Mom, do you know what 7 plus 4 equals?” Then she gives me the answer! She has recently started reading in English as well.

More here