Dixon Campus 

Here’s a question that I’ve heard over and over from ISL parents: How can I
help my child learn to read in a target language that I don’t speak? The
research on immersion education offers a clear answer. When you teach
children to read in their native language, you’re building basic skills
that they can transfer to other languages. Learning an alphabet,
recognizing spelling patterns, blending sounds to make words — these are
muscles you flex whether you’re reading in English, French, or Spanish.

Of course, the skills you work on will depend on your child’s age. Teach
kindergarteners letter names and sounds, and play games that develop
their phonemic awareness /sightwords.com/phonemic-awareness/basics/>. (Phonemic awareness is your ability to recognize and manipulate sounds. It includes skills like finding rhymes or identifying the first sound in a word.) First
graders should be sounding out simple words, memorizing common sight words /sightwords.com/sight-words/>, and starting to read short texts. In
second grade, many students get comfortable enough with reading that they
start doing it for enjoyment. Get them some fun books! The Magic Tree House and Dog Man are English-language series that are popular with Dixon students.

In short, teach what you know. If you work with your kids in the language
you speak at home, you’ll give them the tools they need to be successful in immersion.

Mr. Forrest

Academic Readiness Instructor