CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The first week of school is in the books for Tuloso Midway Primary School, and they have launched its Dual Language program.
It is day seven for little Reymundo Canales, and he is already sounding very fluent for a first-grader.
He said he doesn’t speak Spanish, but he is excited about learning the new language.
“Some people might not know how to talk in English so they might only talk Spanish. I help them if they like can’t do it and they don’t know what it is, so I help them,” Canales said.
His mother said that he loves to sing and is already coming home and singing in the shower.
Mrs. Maldonado is a Kindergarten teacher and has been teaching for 23 years. She said that it is important to teach students their native language so that they can have a successful learning path.
She said that this is a way to close the learning gap that occurs when a Spanish-speaking student enters a classroom that is only English-based.
“Some of them came crying the first day, but when I started talking in Spanish, then they started listening. So, that’s their native language, and they were able to listen and feel comfortable because that’s what they are used to at home,” Maldonado said.
Kenna Moody, the director of the dual language program, said there are currently 90 students enrolled in the program, and there is a waiting list.
Tuloso Midway Primary School is the only school in Region 2 that is offering this opportunity for its students.
"The primary goal of our dual language program is to build complete biliteracy by 5th grade, so students start with this in Pre- K, Kinder, and first, and the program runs all the way through 5th grade, and once we get a grade level up at fifth grade we will hopefully continue to middle school and high school," Moody said.
Currently, there are five bilingual teachers, and they teach on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in Spanish.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are taught in English, and Moody said that although it has been an expensive investment, it is worth it.
She said this is an opportunity for the students to keep a part of their culture alive.
The Texas Education Agency provided the school with funding to serve bilingual students as well as English-proficient students who are learning Spanish in the program.
Moody said she hears from parents that their students are already loving the program. The students know their numbers and can sing in Spanish.
The end goal for Tuloso Midway Primary program is to make sure their students are bilingual and prepared for their future careers.
