Monarch Montessori Dual Immersion Program 

AKA Dual Language Pathway (optional)

All families with children over age 3 have a choice between Monarch’s English programming (taught entirely in English), or Monarch’s Dual Immersion Programming. Half of Monarch’s classes are Dual Immersion classrooms. After second grade, children must demonstrate Spanish language proficiency to enter the Dual program. 

Dual Immersion classrooms are structured so that approximately half the students are native Spanish speakers, and approximately half the students are native English Speakers. In this way, children serve as language models for one another. 

In Children’s House, 90% of the academic day is in Spanish, with teachers providing very limited instruction in English. In Kindergarten, the amount of English increases as children attend Specials in English and receive some very limited English instruction in literacy to help students see the similarities and differences in English and Spanish. 

As they grow, children in the Dual Language Pathway receive more English. About 30% of their Lower El experience is in English, and about 50% of their Upper El experience is in English. Students in the Dual Language Track graduate fully bilingual and biliterate. 

This approach to language development, called the 90/10 model, is research based and extremely effective for both native Spanish Speakers and native English Speakers. However, it is a long term commitment, and is only recommended to families who intend to commit to it for the long term.