Many teachers and school administrators are already thinking about how to help their young language learners continue to develop their language skills during the summer break. Summer school programs for emergent bilinguals are gaining momentum. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of summer school programs for young language learners.
1. Consistency and Continuity
One of the biggest challenges for language learners is maintaining consistent exposure to the language. When the school year ends, many students lose this exposure, and it can be challenging to regain it when school starts again in the fall. Summer school programs provide an opportunity for students to continue their language learning without interruption, maintaining the continuity of their language development. If your school district does not have a formal summer school program, you can still give your students opportunities to practice at home using the Little Sponges program to prevent learning loss during the break.
2. Targeted Language Instruction
Summer school programs can offer more focused and individualized instruction for students who need extra support or who want to accelerate their language learning. Teachers can tailor their instruction to meet the specific needs of each student and provide more intensive language practice based on the progress data and insights in the Little Sponges gradebook.
3. Enriched Language Environment
Summer school programs can also provide students with an enriched language environment outside of the regular classroom setting. For example, programs can incorporate cultural activities, field trips, and language immersion experiences to give students a more immersive language experience. This can help students to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of the language and culture they are studying.
4. Preparation for the Next School Year
Summer school programs can help students prepare for the upcoming school year. For dual language and ESL students, summer school can help them maintain and build upon the language skills they developed during the previous school year.
5. Improved Academic Performance
Finally, research has shown that summer school programs can have a positive impact on academic performance. In particular, studies have found that summer school programs can help to narrow the achievement gap for language learners and students from disadvantaged backgrounds. By providing students with additional language instruction and support, summer school programs can help them to develop the skills they need to succeed academically.
Why is Little Sponges the Perfect Multilingual Toolbox for Summer School?
The Little Sponges® online language program accelerates learning using proven instructional strategies that minimize teacher preparation and planning time. Little Sponges’ thematic curriculum focuses on key standards for language arts, science, mathematics, and social studies enabling you to teach content and language skills in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, German, Russian, and Arabic. Here are seven reasons why many districts are choosing Little Sponges for summer school:
- Authentic teaching materials are engaging and easy to use!
- Multilingual learning tools accelerate learning by enabling bridging and knowledge transfer from L1 to L2.
- Integration withClever, ClassLink, and Google.
- Cross-curricular content (sciences, math, literacy, social studies, etc).
- Safety: no ads and no data sharing with third parties.
- Real-Time Data for each student (summative and formative assessments).
- Parent engagement:Parents don’t have to be proficient in the target language to support learning at home.
