THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407130115
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03B EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARLENE FORD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
At the time of summer when most little kids are getting swim suits thoroughly soaked for the first time, the nine ``muchachos'' at Bayshore Learning Center are already totally immersed.
But not in water. This is Spanish language immersion for 3- to 6-year-olds.
One by one they trot into the Montessori pre-school and kindergarten on Pleasure House Road. One by one they hear, ``Buenos dias, buenos dias.'' When sung to the tune of ``Are Your Sleeping,'' this greeting is passed around their morning circle - to ``Carolina, Zacharia, Lenora'' and all the rest.
The responses included plenty tuneful answers of ``muy bien, gracias'' (very good, thank you); several ``asi, asi'' (so-so, so-so); one abstention and one ``fantastico!'' (no translation necessary). Maracas, claves - just the instruments expected for a south-of-the-border flavor accompany.
Before class, because she speaks only a fluent and fluid sounding Spanish during the immersion time, school director, Kinney Glascock, said, ``It's so successful, because it's already in a Montessori environment. My goals are to let them hear another language and develop linguistic flexibility. That is, sounds not in the English language - the trilled ``r'' in the name Ricardo the ``j'' sound in Jose is way back in the throat.''
``I don't expect them to learn Spanish in three weeks. They learn it in a passive way. They mimic you, they don't ask the grammar and it's not stressful. And it's really all right that they don't learn the songs quite right at this age, kids fake songs in English at first, too,'' she said with a laugh.
The classroom activity is done to the background of the new language and Mexican, Flamenco and Indian taped music. After the official greetings, Zachary Rosequist, 3, paints an abstract in the color ``purpureo.'' ``Jose'' Murphy (really Joey), 4, sorts out containers that make sounds when they're shaken versus containers that don't make sounds - ``si sonida'' and ``no sonida.''
Others play word games - in Spanish. Some work on paper mosaics and tissue paper crafts in the South American style. And Melanie Hughes, 3, and Daniel Ramsey, also 3, snack at a quiet table.
Lisa De Haas, who speaks Spanish as a first language and is helping teach this class, circulates the room. Pointing to the banana part of Daniel and Melanie's snack, she says ``los bananas.'' They both nod and pipe back, ``los bananas.'' Pointing to the side serving of chips she smiles and waits expectantly.
With raised brows Daniel smiles back. De Haas indicates she would like to know what to call them. This time Daniel says chips - and chomps one down.
``Si,'' she laughs and adds, ``los papitas.'' Between chips and chomps they agreeably say, ``los papitas.''
Throughout the morning, maps of South and Central America are pulled off shelves as children quietly finger the outlines of countries becoming almost as familiar to them as their own neighborhoods. A book on armadillos captures the attention of some children as others gingerly finger sunny Mexican artifacts and costumed dolls.
Glascock said, ``Language is the best way to begin to learn a culture. When you speak another people's language they feel you sincerely care. I've had so many calls about the Spanish immersion program, even from families who speak Spanish as a first language, that I already know next summer we will do more of the same.'' MEMO: For more information about this program, call Glascock at Bayshore
Learning Center, 460-5893.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARLENE FORD
Melanie Hughes, 3, left, and teacher Kinney Glascock read the
spanish version of ``Where is Spot?'' while Kathryn Murphy sews a
tapestry.
Eleanor Kirk, 6, wears a dress her mother bought in Mexico while
playing ``el trianglo'' in a musical version of ``Buenoa Dias.''
by CNB