We are a TK-4 Two-Way Spanish Immersion School based on the 90/10 model located in beautiful Kings Beach on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. The program at Kings Beach Elementary School provides an immersion model for English-speaking students, as well as an additive bilingual model for Spanish-speaking students. This means that all students learn a second language without compromising their first language.
Emphasis on Spanish instruction in the early grades allows English-speakers ample exposure to the target language: Spanish. Spanish speakers have the opportunity to expand their vocabulary and build a strong base in their first language, enabling them to be more successful as they begin to acquire English orally, and later as they transfer reading and writing skills into English. By the end of fifth grade, the goal is that all students will be able to read, write, and speak fluently in both Spanish and English.
Classes are composed of an equal mix of native Spanish-speakers and native English-speakers who assist and learn from one another, allowing second language acquisition to occur naturally. The social interaction between students is a delight to behold. They truly learn from one another, developing high levels of confidence and self-esteem through their studies of two languages. Learning comes alive as the beauty of both languages is explored through literature and song.
