Spanish Immersion K-6

  • The Spanish Immerison program begins in preschool and continues through the sixth grade at Desert Willow Elementary School. It then continues with a secondary pathway at Sonoran Trails Middle School and Cactus Shadows High School.

    In this enriched educational model, 50% of daily instruction is conducted in Spanish and the other 50% through English. Thematic Units spiral throughout the academic content areas so that Math, Science, Social Studies and Language Arts (reading, writing, spreaking, listening) are taught in both languages. 

    2 pie charts depicting how instructional minutes are divided up across content areas in the language immersion programs

    DWES Spanish Immersion Portfolio

    This portfolio was submitted to the Embassy of Spain School of the Year Competition and contains highlights and accomplishments of the DWES Spanish Immersion program.

    See the DWES Spanish Immersion Portfolio ►

    Our visit from the Arizona Dual Language and Immersion Network

    Goals of an Immersion Program

    • Academic Achievement in English at grade level or higher
    • High levels of proficiency in English and another language
    • Increased levels of multicultural awareness
    • Healthy self-esteem, determination, and grit regarding learning languages

    Why Immersion?

    Young brains are wired to acquire languages through an immersion setting. The Spanish Immersion program takes advantage of this window of opportunity by starting in preschool and continuing through 8th grade (with high school pathway in place). Students in the DWES Spanish immersion program have two teachers and two classrooms. They develop two languages and learn to perceive the world around them through two cultural lenses.

    Research shows that immersion students demonstrate more cognitive flexibility, exhibit expanded attention spans and problem-solving skills which translate into higher academic achievement over the course of a program. This type of educational option allows students to reach the highest level of proficiency in another language than any other model offered in schools. Students that can enter the world with high levels of proficiency in English and another language will have double the opportunities to succeed!

    What is the official CCUSD language immersion model?

    All CCUSD immersion programs are a one-way, partial immersion model. Click into this You Tube video for an introduction to these programs.