Ten Indiana schools have received state grant money to continue or start dual-language immersion programs for students. Each will use about $50,000 dollars to help teach students lessons in two languages at once.
In Muncie, teachers say a Spanish-English kindergarten program that began last year teaches students in Spanish 80 percent of the time.
Eric Ambler is the principal of Muncie’s West View Elementary. He says the immersion program impacts more than just those kindergarten students.
“Our music teacher is incorporating Spanish-Latin music into her curriculum just to support and enhance the program for dual language kindergarten. Our art teacher is also doing the same thing.”
At a recent kindergarten registration fair in Muncie, 38 students signed up for next year’s program. District officials have said they want to expand the program year-to-year as the inaugural class goes through elementary school.