I read your book, it was great! I had a very similar experience when teaching my son to read! I really loved how your book was written and have lent it to a friend who is about to have their first baby. I'm hoping that I can gift them an early learning gift without them thinking I'm crazy Hopefully the book will get them excited about the possibilities.

I just did a quick google search to try to get you info on the history behind Utah's immersion programs and where you can find schools near you.

You can read this from BYU: http://education.byu.edu/new/node/46187 - The Utah Model: Why Immersion?

Here's the list of schools: http://www.schools.utah.gov/curr/dualimmersion/ - I'm not sure if this is the most up to date, so you may want to call the district to find out if they are offering programs at other schools in your area.

You can google to find additional or better info. There have also been a bunch of articles in the news over the past few years regarding the programs.

When I was researching schools for my son, I looked at what language was being offered, as well as how the public school was performing. I looked at Greatschools.org to get the school ratings. This helped me make a decision on which schools I wanted to apply to. I was hoping to find the best rated school coupled with a language program.

Once you find a few schools you're interested in, call them right away to get more info and ask questions. They should be doing the language immersion parent information meetings in January/February to discuss the program and how to register for it. The immersion programs start in 1st grade, but you can go to get more info. The school websites usually have a page for more information on the immersion programs too.

If you have a good idea of which schools you want to attend, but they aren't in your school boundaries, make sure you call the district office and apply for open enrollment now. You can apply for more than one school. There is often a waiting list to get into schools with immersion programs. You are accepted into a school based on lottery. Don't expect to be able to apply the week before Kindergarten and get in.  I'm not joking when I say look and apply now since she's heading into K. If you miss the language school for K, still try next year to get into the school for 1st grade. The immersion programs don't start until 1st grade, but you have a better chance of getting into the immersion program if you attended kindergarten there. We got lucky and they opened up another Chinese classroom at the school we wanted to get in to because they had SO many students who applied.  We were able to get in for first grade so we switched after attending Kindergarten at another school (that did Spanish immersion, just in case we couldn't get into Chinese).

Since you're in SLC... if you're interested in Spanish, you should check out McKee Language School. It's an expensive preschool, but I am a big fan.

Please send me a private message if you want more information on the immersion programs, our experience with them, or going to kindergarten already being able to read

Cool, I will check out your book! We live in Provo, Utah. Our son attends a Chinese Immersion public school, and although he is very ahead in English, the Chinese program offers a good challenge for him, and we are greatly enjoying it. Are you looking into language immersion schools/programs for your daughter?

I'd like to join

Thanks for the suggestions! I love the idea of a raised garden! Isn't this forum the best??? I get so many wonderful ideas and advice here. You just can't put a price on how valuable you all are!

Thank you all for your advice, it is very much appreciated. We did a tour of the school, playground and library and now he's on board!!  I am really concerned about keeping his Spanish going though so if anyone has recommendations on a good homeschool/afterschool Spanish curriculum, please let me know!

Linzy - we've been using Sterling Math for my son, he was doing great on easy ones like +1 and +2 but now is struggling with +3. Did you work on memorizing the facts before having them use it, or do you just let them keep getting the wrong answer until they memorize the right one? do you let them count on fingers, use a number line, abacus, teach them the math dots, etc? just curious what your process is there. Thanks for any advice you can give!

Hi All,

So we actually have a good problem to solve, but I would love some advice. My son has been learning Spanish since he was 1 and is very comfortable with the language and culture. He has a choice of going to a Spanish immersion elementary school or a Chinese immersion elementary school. HE would prefer to go to the Spanish school. I think mostly because he knows the language and he'd feel comfortable, it would also be very easy for him during the first year while all the other kids catch up to where he's at (he's reading at least a 1st grade level in Spanish). I think he'd be bored and am afraid he'd act up because he's already well ahead in reading and math. The Chinese is completely different and I think this makes him nervous. I think it would be a good challenge for him. He loves languages and talks about wanting to know a lot of different languages. What I'm afraid of is if we choose Spanish instead of Chinese, that he may regret it when he's older. (then I wonder if it is ME who would regret him not learning the 3rd language and not him. Am I doing this for him or because I really want him to??) I am also afraid that if we make him go to Chinese, he'll resent me/us for it.  I'm really trying to let him be part of the decision, but how much decision making do you let a 5 yr old have?? Please help with any advice. The Chinese school is closer and would be easier for me to get him to/from than the Spanish. We would also plan on supplementing the Spanish for as long as we can.  I know which way I'm leaning, I know which way he's leaning. How do we choose??

Hello,

I've been reading a lot on the forums about self propelled learning, and I'd like to see if I can find a great book on vegetable gardens that my son (5) can read to help come up with a plan for our garden this year. I'd like to make him a big part of it. He will be pulling weeds and watering it, so it would be great if he could also help design it and really understand it.  I'm looking for something maybe 2nd grade level with larger font, not too many words on a page, lots of pictures and diagrams so that he can learn and the put the knowledge to use. Des anyone have any ideas or recommendations for books? 

Thanks!!

My son is the same age and I believe similar reading level. Luckily he loves school.  We too are getting the sight word cards to practice. We went over them once and haven't touched them since. The thing that is annoying to me is they send home his assessment and each time it says he needs to work on his vowel letter sounds. What they want for him to say A says ahh like in cat. Well he reads A in many other words where it sounds different than ahh and he's also reading in Spanish. It's like really?? He's reading as well as he does and you are stuck on the fact that he mixes up which A sound you're looking for? I think he's just messing with them. I'm pretty sure I would be too. He passed the end of kindergarten reading assessment during the first weeks of school. It's irritating to me, but I don't really confront the teacher too much because my son loves school so much and I just keep doing our thing at home.

My 5 yr old got the Snap Circuits Jr kit for Christmas and we are loving it!! I'm just not sure ifi want to spend $10 more to get the student book to really learn more about the science behind each project. http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-100-Snap-Circuits-Jr/dp/B00008BFZH/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1356929792&sr=8-2&keywords=Snap+circuits

Would highly recommend it to older EL kids to use with their parents, great bonding time too.

You may want to check Your Baby Can Reads Facebook page, they listed several studies/reviews of their program and if I remember correctly, 0% of people found that it negatively impacted their child.

Does anyone know of online Spanish classes for kids?

I just noticed this too and am so grateful I didn't purchas it last night for $45. I was soooo close to buying it and then decided to wait. Next morning I got an email from amazon telling me the $26 price and I grabbed it up. Yay!!

Just found this season one seseme street for free on amazon live Aprende Con Sesame Season 1

http://www.amazon.com/A-Es-para-Asma/dp/B003D9XKS4/ref=sr_1_sc_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1355035618&sr=1-1-spell&keywords=Plaza+seseme

Cool, I will check it out! It took me a while to find Spanish phonic type books when I wanted to start teaching my son to read, so I finally asked the local elementary schools Spanish immersion class what they use to teach reading - you can find them on scholastics book club section- they're called Cuentos de foneticos if anyone is interested.