Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Program two curriculums in one

By Jeffery Whitfield

OnlineAthens.com: FOREST PARK - Nearly three months ago, Cy Dunson and her husband sparred over whether to enroll their daughter Loyalti in Georgia's first dual-language school, but their worries faded after they saw her grades - and Spanish-speaking skills - improve.

"If she hadn't done well, I would've taken her out," said Dunson, now co-president of the school's PTA.

Like many parents, Dunson enrolled her daughter in the Unidos Dual Language Charter School so the girl would learn another language.

While several states, including California and North Carolina, already have dual-language schools, the Unidos school in Forest Park is Georgia's first.

Proponents of schools where students learn reading, writing and arithmetic in a mix of English and Spanish say children can learn languages easier when they are younger - and still make better grades than they would in a single-language school.

The school has drawn the eye of Clarke County School District officials, who will visit Unidos on Monday as they consider whether they want to establish a similar type of program in Athens.
Be sure to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

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