Program Overview

Lake Forest School District 67 is very proud of its first year implementation of the Mandarin Immersion Program for kindergarten and first grade students. A significant early achievement is the Asia Society's selection of Lake Forest schools as an exemplary program. The program is housed at Cherokee Elementary School, immersing 40 kindergarten and 32 first grade students in Mandarin Chinese. Students engage in a comprehensive partial immersion program with 50% of their day in the Mandarin-speaking classroom and 50% of their day in the English-speaking classroom. The Mandarin teacher instructs in mathematics, Chinese culture, and portions of social studies and science. The English teacher delivers instruction in language arts (reading, writing, and spelling) as well as portions of social studies, science, and math.

Kindergarten and first grade students rarely hear their Mandarin teachers speak English. Everything in the classroom is done in Mandarin regardless of the activity or curricular area of study. The Mandarin-speaking teachers use multiple strategies such as pictures, songs, video, models, body language, games, etc. to communicate and engage students. Although students do begin by speaking English to their classmates and Mandarin teacher, social exchanges and short responses in Mandarin soon become commonplace. Students are very proud and excited to speak the language, write Chinese characters, and show understanding of what their teacher is saying. As acquisition of the language grows, students show more confidence in their skills and quickly become comfortable in speaking Chinese.

By the fall of 2014, two Mandarin immersion classes will be added to each subsequent grade level through fourth grade. Upon entering Deer Path Middle School, our Mandarin-speaking students will follow a regular class schedule with the offering of advanced language training in a daily Mandarin class. Initially choosing the immersion program will not exclude children from switching later to another world language in fourth or ninth grade, at the same times when all district students make their language choices.

The immersion program provides a wonderful opportunity for District 67 children to learn, speak, read, and write Chinese, providing them the skills, knowledge, and disposition to be better prepared in participating in today and tomorrow’s competitive global marketplace. This opportunity is open to all District 67 K-2 students. As we plan for the upcoming 2012-13 school year, there is an incoming kindergarten parent meeting for the Mandarin immersion program and registration process scheduled for January 12, 2012.