Parents have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a school for their child. It can get a little overwhelming, too. There are public schools, private schools, magnet schools, religious schools, charter schools, online schools, and the list goes on. How do you know beforehand which school will work best for your child?
Castle Island Bilingual Montessori wants to make the process a little easier. Today we’ll learn about one major aspect of what makes our school unique….. We’re bilingual. Not only are we bilingual on paper, every instructor is fluent in both Spanish and English.
Our world is now more than 66% bilingual. Amazing, right? BBC writes, “People are increasingly expected to speak, read and write at least one of a handful of ‘super’ languages, such as English, Chinese, Hindi, Spanish or Arabic, as well. So to be monolingual, as many native English speakers are, is to be in the minority, and perhaps to be missing out.”
Research shows that the benefits of being bilingual start as soon as 7 months and continue to those who learn a new language later in life. So what are these benefits? (So glad you asked :))
Teaching the brain to resolve conflict. The U.S national library of medicine recently published an article stating, “Researchers have shown bilingualism to positively influence attention and conflict management. Bilingual people often perform better on tasks that require conflict management.” (Now that’s a life skill any parent would want for their child)
Strengthening the developing brain. Researchers use brain imaging techniques to see which parts of the brain are active when a person is using their bilingual skills. They found that blood flow (which is a marker for neuronal activity) is greater in a bilingual brain. (Woot woot!)
Understanding different cultures. The Cambridge University Press put it best by saying, “Bilinguals are not merely able to express an idea in two languages, they also have the opportunity to be immersed in two cultures. Bilingualism is indeed the key to biculturalism.” In our world the need to understand, empathize, and co-exist with other cultures is vital, and there is no better way to start that process than by learning another language.
Come see the power of quality bilingual education in action! We would love your child to become part of our Spanish and English classrooms. Call our school to schedule a tour today.