Montessori School Starts Spanish Immersion Program

A local Montessori school will soon add a unique Spanish immersion program to its already varied teaching and educational practices.

Meadowbrook Montessori School, located on North Road in downtown Snellville, will start two Spanish language immersion classes in the fall. The classes, available to the school's preschool students, will be taught by Elisabeth Bishop and a native Spanish-speaking assistant, Celina Genao. 

“The main teacher will speak 100 percent English,” Bishop said, “and the assistant is a native Spanish speaker. They will be speaking 100 percent Spanish.”  

The teachers will not mix the languages, and students choose which teacher to direct their questions.  Educational lessons will always be taught in English, however, in order to prevent confusion.  

Adults translate in their minds as they speak another language, but children learn differently. According to Bishop, children don’t “learn” a language; they absorb it.  

The immersion classes will not affect any other aspect of the typical lessons, but will add an incredible benefit as they learn. Bishop knows, as she was a foreign exchange student as a high school junior. She lived in Barcelona, Spain, and went on to teach Spanish and serve as a translator. In addition, she was a bilingual administrator for the world languages department in Atlanta Public Schools.

“What we know about language acquisition is that it works best in an immersion situation,” Bishop said. “I am fluent in both, so I can communicate with my assistant, but will only speak English to the children.” 

Students in Montessori schools learn in a multi-age setting. Classes are designed to develop their independence and community living skills.  Meadowbrook's philosophy states that education should be for a lifetime, and that critical thinking is of utmost importance. The school aims to raise entrepreneurs and do-ers.  

According to Meadowbrook’s website, “Montessori education prepares students to take on the future with confidence and zeal, propelled by the gift of self knowledge and a lifetime passion for learning.” 

The school was founded in 2003 by Barbara Muir and her mother, Johnnie Carney. They offer classes for students ages 14 months through six years. These years are the most influential times in a child’s life, according to Maria Montessori, the founder of the international Montessori program.

In addition to the Spanish immersion, Meadowbrook has plans to expand the grade levels. The school has an outdoor classroom and garden for the children to care for.  

Jan Duke, of St. Louis, Mo., enrolled her daughter, Brittany, in one of Bishop’s summer camps in 2003. Her daughter was in first grade at the time.  

“We found it so successful that four years later, the three of us traveled to Mexico and stayed one month with a Mexican host family,” Duke said. Her daughter was still familiar with the language.  

They attended the Cuauhnahuac School in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  The school offers a similar philosophy to language learning as Bishop’s program.  Her daughter and husband, Gary, came away with what she terms “survival Spanish.” Her daughter learned more quickly and still speaks (survival) Spanish to this day. 

"The students never cease to amaze me," Bishop said. "By far, the best results that I have experienced is when each speaker is a native speaker and languages are not mixed.  

"The students absorb and understand what's going on in the target language, and they are able to utilize and apply it as they interact."

On Meadowbrook Montessori:

The school has twenty students currently enrolled for the fall semester, but they have slots available for a few more. Tuition is $6,000 per year for half-day programs, and $7,000 for full days. It can be paid monthly. A discount is available for families with more than one student.  

For more information, contact Barbara Muir, Meadowbrook director, at 770-982-3950 or visit their website.