The Language Grove - Community Preschool

Frequently Answers Questions

What is the best age for beginning to teach my child a second language?

Ages 6 months to 4 years are the optimal age for beginning to acquire a second language. Children who receive early intensive exposure to two languages can quickly and almost effortlessly acquire both languages simultaneously. At young ages, children can grasp a new language in the same way as they acquire their first language and won’t translate from their first language, as do older children. Young bilingual children have a linguistic and a cognitive advantage over monolingual children (they develop more synapses in the brain and are cognitively more flexible).

Will teaching a second language confuse them? How will I know if it is a positive thing for my child?

Teaching your child a second language won’t confuse them unless they have a language disability. Do not be concerned if your child mixes two languages while in the process of learning a second language, that is to be expected. Not all children exposed to a second language, however, will acquire it well or at the same pace. That is because not all children have a facility for learning a new language easily. Of course, girls usually develop language skills before boys, so if your boy is still not interested in playing language games at 3, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he won’t be able to pick up a second language. No matter how linguistic a child may be no harm can be done by exposing them to other languages during early childhood!

How can I expose my child to another language?

For young children, exposing them to a new language needs to be done in a natural and fun manner with materials that are designed for use with young children. Having a playmate who speaks another language is an excellent way to expose your child to a new language. Do you have a neighbor or know another family who speaks another language and has a child near your child’s age? Arrange play dates or take turns caring for each other’s child in your own home. A bilingual school program can also offer this language exposure in a natural environment where everyone speaks it. Listening to music in the targeted language helps children develop an interest and fun, catchy becomes happy & comfortable about learning the second language.

How can I teach my child a second language if I don’t speak much of it?

Even if you don’t speak the language, you can provide your child with rich language input and you can learn along with your child until he/she gets to a point where they are ready for more complex language at age 5. Just because parents are bilingual doesn’t mean that they will raise bilingual kids—one needs to be intentional about it and kids need to be interested to continue speaking the language after they enter school. You can check out materials from the public library or purchase and download audio CDs, software and/or DVDs to show at home, if you desire to continue the language exposure at home. I personally do not recommend showing videos before age three.

Does bilingual education put a child at a disadvantage if they have never had exposure to the language before?

Placing an English-speaking child in a bilingual program would best be done in Preschool or kindergarten, thus giving him/her an advantage. A child entering a Foreign Language-immersion program in 2rd grade or higher may be very difficult for the child to ‘catch up’ to his peers who began the program in preschool or kindergarten. Many studies have been conducted on this topic and all the studies have concluded that placing an English-speaking child in a bilingual program at a young age in an English-speaking country serves as an enrichment; it never inhibits the child’s learning to read and write in English. Unless the child has a language or learning disability, he/she will easily keep up in English because it’s spoken at home and the child is literally surrounded by English through the media and in the community.

The reality is that more and more English-speaking parents are interested in their children learning a second language now more than ever, especially with the importance of international trade and companies doing business overseas with their own factories or through outsourcing. Parents realize that the job market is tough and they want their children to have an “edge” in the competition.

Is there any “Spanglish” spoken by teachers in the preschool?

No. Research shows that complete language immersion is important to acquisition at a young age. Span-glish is never used.

How will my child understand what is going on in class?

Young children learning a second language will learn similiarly to the way they learned their first language. The teacher will use hand and body cues, stories, inflection, facial signals, songs, games, and fun to make clear what is being conveyed. Children learn to explore and examine their surroundings and environment. In a short time, they catch on to what is being communicated. Young children do not have the same inhibitions that older people tend to have while learning. They are natural mimics and have little fear of making mistakes; they absorb the second language much more naturally and with less hesitation than an older child or adult might.

Is any prior exposure or knowledge of the second language required?

No. We assume children coming to our class are being exposed to second language immersion for the first time. However, we welcome and encourage children who have some prior knowledge of a second language – they tend to be natural tutors and helpers to the other kids!

Do we, as parents, need to know how to speak the second language?

No. The teachers instruct your child with proper pronunciation, grammar, and accent. Of course, having reinforcement at home is always an advantage, but children with little or no reinforcement of the second language at home are usually just as successful in immersion programs as those with native speakers at home. Parents often enjoy learning the second language at the same time as their children. Most parents observe that the younger students quickly surpass adults in their learning curve.

How much of the second language will my child retain/remember?

It is difficult to quantify exactly how much a child will retain since each child is unique in his/her language development. However, studies have shown that exposure to foreign language at a young age aids in learning a second or third language at adolescence and adulthood. The familiarity with the second language will also help them to “pick it up again” at a later age. It is highly recommended that children attend a Spanish Immersion program for elementary to continue the target language learning.

Advanced Language Immersion

We strongly recommend that parents seeking a Spanish Immersion preschool try to look into a school with a language immersion curriculum for elementary and beyond. Glendale Unified District offers several dual language immersion programs in Spanish, Italian, German, and Japanese. The following schools offer a Spanish Immersion program. You need to tour and research their enrollment process early in the year your child will be entering kindergarten.

How many children are you licensed for?

We are licensed for 45 children from 18 months to 6 years.

When do you do tours?

Our tours take place once a month on a Saturday at 10:00am. Tours are for parents only, no children can attend. For tour dates please contact our office or send a tour request through this website. You must make a reservation to attend a tour. We do not take walk ins.

What are your vacation days and holidays?

The Language Grove observes the following holidays:

New Years Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Cesar Chavez Day
Good Friday (Center will close at 1:00pm)
Parent Teacher Conference (1st Friday in February) School Closed
Memorial Day
Graduation Day (Center will close at 2:00pm) Date TBD yearly
July 4th (Independence Day)
Summer Days (2 week at the end of July-August) (yearly)
Labor Day
Indigenous People Day
Veteran’s Day
Thanksgiving (Wednesday-Friday) School Closed
Winter Vacation (2 weeks TBD end of year holidays)
Every last Friday of the month school closes at 4:00pm

What are your tuition fees?

Tuition rates are given at the initial tour.

What are your registration fees?

A non-refundable application fee of $100.00 is due to begin application process. No applications are accepted without an application fee. Yearly re-registration fee is $60.00 for all returning students.

What if I want to take summer off, do I still have to pay?

Because our school is not a drop off daycare but an educational center, in order to fulfill your contract all children must remain enrolled until the end of the year. All tuitions must be paid in full on a monthly basis regardless of attendance.

Do you offer sibling discounts?

Yes, our school offers 5% off the lesser tuition for all siblings attending at the same time.

Does my child have to be potty trained?

Children 2.5 yrs and up are encouraged to be potty trained, but it is not a requirement. We accept children who are not yet potty trained; however, a higher tuition rate will be applied for children over 3 that are not yet potty trained.

Toddlers are not expected to be potty-trained and our caring staff will collaborate with you in helping your child achieve this goal when ready.

How do you help my child adjust to his/her first school experience?

Before your starting date, we usually schedule playdates for your child, to come and be with us and get familiarized with the environment, staff, peers, etc. These times can vary according to your schedule. Their purpose is for your child to get acquainted with us at his/her comfort level and gain the trust needed for open communication.

What is the educational background of your teachers?

All teachers are required to meet the Department of Social Services, licensing department requirements. In addition, many of our staff have Associate & BA degrees in child development and experience being in a classroom setting. They are also required to attend regular trainings on the Reggio philosophy and other trainings to enhance their teaching and knowledge. In addition, all staff are expected to continue their child development education by enrolling in at least 3 units per year.

The Language Grove Community Preschool offers educators many opportunities for professional development based on our current work and our current understanding of the principles of early childhood education approach and how they apply to our setting. We strive to become a strong school community and value our staff.

What is your sick child policy?

The health of children, as well as of our staff is very important to us. Each child must arrive at school free of symptoms of illness. If your child should become ill while at school, you will be notified immediately to come pick him/her up, or make arrangements for another person (listed on your child’s emergency form) to pick up your child. If you feel your child cannot go outdoors for the day, then your child is not well enough to be at school.

Are your teachers CPR trained?

Yes, all staff including administrators are CPR certified and are required to re-certify every year. In addition many of our staff hold a “health and safety” certification.

How do you keep parents informed about what's happening at school?

We highly value the relationship between home and school. Ongoing communication is crucial to a smoothly run program. Besides daily connections with the teachers, relationships are supported via e-mail, our monthly newsletter, our parents’ board and by all the documentation posted in the classrooms. We also host a parent teacher conference in March (school closes on this day).

Do you do any fundraising?

Yes, we have our biggest fundraiser during the holidays when we sell Christmas trees, wreaths, and swag. We ask that all families at the school support our fundraising.

What is your school's policy on disciplining children?

Our staff knows children are capable of coming to positive solutions to problems among themselves. We understand that unacceptable behavior is a form of communication. We try to understand what each child’s behavior means and support each child’s need to identify and express his or her feelings in socially appropriate ways. We take the time to value each individual circumstance and work through the problems that arise with the children, modeling reflective listening, validation, and guidance. Time-out is NOT an option at our school.

You may call the school directly at (818) 892-7100 if you have any other question we were not able to answer for you here.