In our classrooms, our students hear and use their new language all day long. They engage in activities like storytelling, group lessons, and practical life exercises all in the new language. This real-world exposure helps children learn to speak the language without needing formal lessons. The process is exciting and feels natural for them. Instead of memorizing words, our students learn by working together with peers. For example, our students might learn the names of animals by playing with toys or learn about geography by looking at maps.
See how a 3-year-old learns geography with the Painted Globe.
Our programs are open to children ages 18 months to 4 years old. Older children who already know some Mandarin or Spanish, or have a strong Montessori background, may also be able to join. The programs follow the Montessori 3-year cycle, finishing in the child’s kindergarten year. This makes sure that our students learn their second language well, while also building strong English reading and writing skills.
You can find Spanish Immersion at our Huntington Harbor, Irvine Spectrum, and Solana Beach schools. Mandarin Immersion is offered at Irvine Mandarin, giving families multiple options to help their child grow into a confident, bilingual learner.
Personal Benefits: A second language helps your child talk to more people and explore new places with ease. It also helps them connect better with family members who may not speak English. As they grow older, knowing a second language can make high school easier by meeting language requirements early, and it can help with college admissions. Later, it might even create more job opportunities.
Cognitive Benefits: Research shows that knowing two languages leads children to be more creative and improves their problem solving skills. They often have a stronger memory and can focus better. Children with this experience also do well with tasks such as understanding hard sentences or doing math in their heads. Studies suggest that knowing two languages could even delay Alzheimer’s symptoms later in life.
Academic Benefits: Some people worry that learning two languages might hurt school performance, but studies show the opposite! Bilingual children often have a better grasp of grammar and language rules. They also tend to score higher on tests like the SAT compared to children who only speak one language.
Learning at Your Own Pace: Every child learns in their own way and at their own speed. Teachers give lessons that fit each child, so they never feel rushed.
Learning by Doing: Children don’t just memorize words. They hear and use the new language as they complete their workplay outside,and help in the classroom.
Building Confidence: In Montessori, making mistakes is part of learning. This helps our students feel good about themselves and makes learning a new language easier.
Interactive Learning: Our teachers encourage hands-on learning, which helps a lot when learning a new language. Our students repeat what their teachers say while doing tasks such as setting the table or building with blocks.
Our Spanish Immersion program gives young children a natural way to become bilingual. It is a great choice for English-speaking families who want their child to learn Spanish, and for bilingual families who want to help their child develop and grow their Spanish skills. The program is led by our trained, native Spanish-speaking teachers who speak only in Spanish with the children and with each other all day. The classroom is full of Spanish culture with songs, stories, celebrations, and art from Spanish-speaking countries.
See a glimpse into our Spanish classrooms.
Our Mandarin Immersion program gives our students a chance to learn one of the world’s hardest languages. We teach both the language and the culture through our enriching Montessori curriculum. Two native Mandarin-speaking teachers lead each classroom and speak only in Mandarin with the students all day. This helps them learn the language quickly and naturally. They teach children Chinese characters and Zhuyin (a phonetic alphabet from Taiwan) to help them start reading Mandarin.
Our classrooms are full of Chinese culture. Our students hear stories, sing songs, make art, and learn about Mandarin traditions. We also celebrate events like Chinese New Year and the Moon Festival.
Goals
By the end of our program, our students will:
See how our students thrive in our Mandarin classrooms.
Schedule a tour with us, either in person or online, at a time that works best for you. Come visit our classrooms, meet our caring teachers, and see how we use the Montessori method to help our students learn and grow. During the tour, you can ask questions, see the materials we use, and learn about our daily routines. You will also learn about our class schedules and how we support your child’s growth. Visiting our school is a great way to find out if our school is the right fit for your child.
By providing us with your phone number, you consent to being contacted by LePort Montessori and/or its affiliated schools regarding their educational programs, whether such contact is by phone, autodialer, recorded message, or text. Please note: Your consent is not required as a condition of enrollment.
Please fill out the form to receive additional info, as well as invitations for upcoming event. If you share your phone number, our admissions team will call to answer your questions or set up a tour.
By providing us with your phone number, you consent to being contacted by LePort Montessori and/or its affiliated schools regarding their educational programs, whether such contact is by phone, autodialer, recorded message, or text. Please note: Your consent is not required as a condition of enrollment.