Immersion Frequently Asked Questions

Children at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion learn Spanish at the same time they are learning other subjects, because their instruction in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and health happens in Spanish. Language practice happens throughout the day as students communicate with their teachers and each other.

In the early years of immersion, our teachers know that students will not understand everything they say. To help students understand, they use many other strategies to support student learning, such as visuals, body language, exaggerated facial expressions, and making their voices expressive. Children usually start to communicate with each other and their teacher using a mixture of English and the words and phrases they have practiced in Spanish. As students acquire more Spanish, they are encouraged to use it more, and eventually, they communicate fully in Spanish while at school.

Gaining a high level of proficiency in another language brings many benefits to children. In terms of cognitive abilities, fully-proficient bilingual people outperform monolingual people in the areas of divergent thinking, pattern recognition, and problem solving (Fortune, 2012). They also have higher skills in selectively focusing their attention, interpreting non-verbal communication, and thinking about how language works, which further helps them in acquiring additional languages.

In terms of academic achievement, over 30 years of studies consistently show that immersion students achieve as well or better than non-immersion peers on standardized tests of verbal and mathematics skills conducted in English (Fortune & Tedick, 2003). In our global economy, being proficiently bilingual and developing intercultural competency opens up a multitude of opportunities for bilingual/biliterate students and adults, including employment possibilities. It also gives people opportunities to communicate with a wider range of people and learn about other cultures and perspectives, leading to a new understanding of oneself.

By the end of fifth grade, most students will be functionally proficient in writing, reading and speaking Spanish.

In general, we believe that homework should never be new learning for a student, but instead intended to practice a skill or concept that has been introduced and practiced during the school day. One of the best ways to help your child is to read to them daily in English.

When additional support is required from adults who are supporting learning at home, immersion teachers use a variety of methods to make this possible for non-Spanish speakers, like creating English translations of homework instructions. Additionally, teachers may set up a “buddy network” where students have homework buddies who can be called on for help with details of homework assignments after regular school hours. All communication between you and your child’s teacher will be in English, unless you prefer it to be in Spanish.

Students at Eagle Heights learn to read and write in English in third grade. All children need the same skills to learn to read, no matter the language. Because most of our students have an English background, some will naturally apply their reading skills from Spanish to English without much formal instruction. Others need a bit more formal instruction before they can transfer these skills. Either way, all students are fully able to read, write and speak in both English and Spanish by the end of fifth grade.

Yes. The majority of Eagle Heights teachers are native Spanish speakers, and we also have college-age interns from Spanish-speaking countries in almost every classroom. These interns share their cultural background, traditions, and knowledge of the Spanish language with students, staff and families.

Parents are amazed when, after only two or three years in an immersion program, their child begins to show fluency in Spanish. The history for immersion schools across the state of Minnesota is that few students leave the program once they start. However, sometimes language acquisition doesn’t come easily, a learning problem appears, or the student is just not happy in an immersion setting. Also, since formal English instruction doesn’t begin until third grade, some parents become concerned about their child’s learning progress.

In order to support parent and student concerns, the district will...

• Provide information to parents to help them understand the balance between giving their child enough time to gain the full benefits of the program and the need to address concerns they see related to their child’s motivation and/or performance.
• Provide assessments in both languages to parents so they can see student progress at each grade level.
• Share state test results for a larger progress comparison. Typically, language immersion schools in Minnesota show higher overall results on the MCAs in reading and math than their district’s overall averages. Data continues to show that immersion students are performing at an equal or higher level than their district peers. Most research says that student performance on state and national tests doesn’t equalize until 4th or 5th grade. In Minnesota, the data suggests that this is happening even earlier. (Remember, state and national tests are given in English, and immersion students have not begun formal English instruction until mid-second grade or the beginning of third grade.)
• Work with families who are concerned about learning delays and provide specific learning support if a need is identified.
• Work with families to transition the student to the next grade in their home school if they choose to opt out of the Spanish immersion program.

Do all of the things that prepare young children for any new school experience. Be enthusiastic about a new schedule, new people, a new language and learning! Read to your child daily in English. Talk with your child and encourage conversations that will broaden vocabulary and interest in the world around us. Take advantage of times when it feels natural to count everyday objects, talk about letters and words, and model for your child how you “think through” things.

Make sure to attend KinderCamp, a free, two half-day program for students to come to school in August before the official first day of school. This is a great opportunity for students to meet a teacher, get to know the building and experience what the first week of kindergarten will be like.

During the first weeks of kindergarten, teachers will consistently use Spanish, knowing that there may be exceptions based on student needs. However, from their first step into the classroom, the children are made to feel safe and secure. After a few days, kindergartners will begin to forget that their teacher is speaking to them only in Spanish. Teaching in an immersion setting is an art. Teachers use motions, pictures, actions, props, and other tools to assist student understanding of the language. History has shown us that the vast majority of children make this transition with ease.

Yes! Children learn languages quickly, and giving your child the opportunity to learn Spanish and English in addition to their third language will enrich their learning and prepare them for success interacting across culture and language barriers. Children of all language backgrounds are welcome at Eagle Heights. 

If you have questions about your child's specific situation, please call the Eagle Heights front office at 952-975-7700. You may also want to contact our Somali and Spanish interpreters at 952-975-7069 (Soomaali) and 952-975-7068 (Español). 

If we receive more interest and applications for our program than space available in our kindergarten class, a lottery will be held to determine enrollment.

Application materials must be received by 4:00 p.m. on January 31, 2023, for your student to be included in the kindergarten enrollment lottery for the 2023-24 school year.

Families are always welcome to submit applications for Eagle Heights after the lottery deadline has passed. Students will be added to the waitlist and their family will be notified if a spot becomes available in the child’s grade.

No; these factors do not affect a student’s chance of receiving a place in the Eagle Heights kindergarten class.

There will be no preference given to applications based on the date they are submitted; for example, an application submitted on Oct. 11 will have no greater chance of admission than one submitted on Jan. 30.

The lottery will be run in February 2023, and the Welcome Center will share results with families via email by March 1, 2023.

The lottery results email will include a form to confirm your child’s spot either in the EHSI kindergarten class or on the waitlist.

If you receive a waitlist confirmation form, it will also include the option to enroll your kindergartner in Eagle Heights Online, a fully-virtual immersion school taught by our same great Eagle Heights teachers, or one of the other wonderful Eden Prairie Schools elementary schools.

The lottery results email will include a due date, and your confirmation form must be received at the Welcome Center by the due date.

If your child is on the waitlist for Eagle Heights, you are invited to enroll them in Eagle Heights Online, a fully-virtual immersion school taught by our same great Eagle Heights teachers, or one of the other wonderful Eden Prairie Schools elementary schools.

The number of students who are admitted from the waitlist varies each year based on movement among families included in the lottery. Since we cannot anticipate changes our families might make to their child’s enrollment plans, we cannot estimate a child’s chances of being accepted from the waitlist.

Yes; families are always welcome to submit applications for Eagle Heights after the lottery deadline has passed. Students will be added to the waitlist and their family will be notified if a spot becomes available in the child’s grade.

We’re glad you’re interested in Eagle Heights! Please call the Welcome Center at 952-975-7008 to learn more about enrollment.

Please contact the Welcome Center at 952-975-7008 or enroll@edenpr.org between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. We will be happy to share more information about the lottery process or give your child’s updated waitlist number.