The Bijou Community School's Two-Way Bilingual Immersion (TWBI) program is a full TK-5 academic program designed to integrate both English speaking students and Spanish speaking students with the goal of achieving bilingualism and biliteracy.
Program Overview and Goals
The TWBI program supports students to learn to read, write, speak, and listen in both English and Spanish.
The program's three primary goals are:
Bilingualism and Biliteracy: Full proficiency in two languages (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).
High Academic Achievement: High levels of achievement in all core academic domains, taught through both languages.
Sociocultural Competency: Positive cross-cultural attitudes, behaviors, and an appreciation of diverse cultures, fostering an integrated environment.
Program Model (90:10 Model)
The program uses a 90:10 instructional model at the primary grades, where the percentage of Spanish instruction gradually decreases as the students advance grade levels.
Key Components of the Program:
Classroom Composition: Classes are intentionally balanced with approximately 50% Spanish speakers and 50% English speakers to maintain linguistic equity and facilitate cross-learning.
Language Separation: Teachers keep Spanish and English instruction separate, maximizing concentration in both languages. Teachers do not use translation, but instead use specialized second-language acquisition techniques.
Program Duration: Families are encouraged to commit for a minimum of six years, as research shows this duration is needed to develop full conversational and academic proficiency in the second language. The program extends into middle and high school offering advanced courses with the goal of supporting students to achieve the California State Seal of Biliteracy on their High School Diplomas.