Fifteen classrooms of students are immersed in the Spanish language at Probstfield Elementary School — three sections each of kindergarten through grade four. (Photos/Moorhead Public Schools.)

Nancy Edmonds Hanson 

Boys and girls are learning reading, writing and ‘rithmetic every day at Probstfield Elementary School … in Spanish.

What was once a dream of former Superintendent Bruce Anderson has grown into one of the most successful programs teaching a second language in all of Minnesota. More than 1,800 children have been part of Moorhead’s Spanish immersion program since its beginning 25 years ago. Today, nearly 300 students of every age, from the little ones through senior high, are becoming expert speakers of a second language while still mastering all the subjects studied by their peers.

“Learning a second language appeals to many families because it opens children’s eyes to the world around them. It helps them understand others,” Probstfield principal Jessica Rieniets observes.

Probstfield’s classrooms, halls, playground and lunchroom ring with the voices of eager children speaking a language that, for most, is different from conversations at home. Led be 13 teachers, most of them native to other nations in the Americas, the dominant language heard in the south-side elementary school harkens back to the first days of the local program, when just one class of 25 kindergartners embarked on the bilingual adventure there.

Long the dream of former Superintendent Bruce Anderson, Moorhead’s Spanish immersion program was among the earliest in the state. It was strongly endorsed by the school board and a committee of teachers and parents in the late 1990s, leading to a pilot program of just one kindergarten class in 1999-2000. It quickly proved itself, with enrolled students showing achievement levels equal to – and often higher than – those in learning in standard English classrooms. They show strong mastery of the subjects taught entirely in Spanish. English reading is introduced in third grade; thanks to the orthography (spelling) they’ve learned in Spanish, most decode the written word in English relatively rapidly. “We monitor their progress, and have special help available when it’s needed,” Rieniets notes.

More evidence: Spanish immersion students usually achieve higher-than-average scores on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment test, proving that learning in two languages enhances cognitive development as well as mastery of core subjects. The same is true in the other 110 immersion programs now offered in schools across the state, whose focus also includes similar studied in French, German, Korean, Mandarin, Hmong, Ojibwe and Dakota.

According to the Minnesota Department of Education, which monitors the programs, they have been shown to promote bilingualism and biliteracy, increase cultural competence, and lead to high academic achievement. Dual language programs are one of the few educational models that have been repeatedly shown to potentially eliminate “achievement gaps,” according to research.

And those benefits last for a lifetime.“The research is really strong that people who are multilingual learners as kids have higher executive function and problem-solving skills,” Rieniets explains. “They’re even less likely to develop Alzheimer’s later in life.”

Culture is part of the Spanish immersion curriculum, too. As part of Bilingual Takeover Week, it’s third- and fourth-graders turn to take the stage at Probstfield Thursday with music and art rooted in Spanish-speaking New World cultures. At Horizons, where four classrooms of fifth and sixth graders are grouped in their own pod, they’re scheduled to celebrate those cultures on Friday.

The principal explains that, despite the focus on language, Probstfield children do hear their native tongue during the school day. “Shy ed, music and art are taught in English, as well as library services. We call them ‘specials,’” Rieniets says. Some, but not all, staff members communicate in Spanish. Level one and two Pies – individual education programs – are taught in Spanish, but not those for children with higher needs.

The program shows a high retention rate. “Some do move away, like families in general, but most of our students continue through sixth grade,” she says. “We stress to parents that choosing Spanish immersion is a seven-year commitment. You can’t judge how well your child is doing in a few weeks. It takes a good amount of time to feel comfortable with a new style of learning.” This year, Probstfield has two fourth grade classrooms, each with 28 students, plus two fifth- and two sixth-grade classrooms at Horizon.

Teachers have been recruited from all over the world. Today, they include women who grew up in Chile, Mexico, Spain, Ecuador and Peru, as well as Texas. They face their own challenges navigating a new educational system and culture. Interns, too, have participated in cultural exchanges funded for the past eight years by the school’s Parent-Teacher Advisory Council. One has returned after graduation as a full-time teacher.

One challenge is licensure. “Our teachers have already been licensed in their own countries, but Minnesota has very high standards for full teaching licensure,” Rieniets points out. New hires begin with a temporary license and the understanding they must go back to school to complete the state’s additional requirements within three years.

“Many of them are pretty experienced when they come to us,” she adds. “Immersion is where their hearts are. They tend to stay around for quite awhile.”

Spanish Immersion has also begun to build its own “legacy” program: Several parents who completed seven grades of Spanish immersion in its earliest years now send their own children to Probstfield, and, says Rieniets, that trend is growing as past students age into their family years. She herself understands their enthusiasm for dual language learning: Her own children are veterans. Son Parker, a eighth grader, is now taking advanced Spanish classes. Daughter Grace, a sophomore, is in the college Spanish course offered concurrently with M State.

“There’s a pretty tight-knit community within our school,” she observes. “The teachers, staff and families get to know each other very well. We know all the kids’ names and can connect them with older siblings who’ve been with us. Lifelong friendships form here.

“Family engagement events in Spanish are big. They typically have cultural components. The second graders sing songs in Spanish. The fourth graders do a project on ancient cultures. “While their peers in other schools might do it on ancient Greece or Rome, here they’ll do the Aztecs and Incas.

“Our program, after all, isn’t just about language. It’s about other cultures, too, and the geography of other areas. Our students don’t complete the program only knowing how to speak the language. They are citizens of the world.”