Bilingual Program

Meeting the needs of students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds

The Simultaneous Literacy Program at Fuerza Elementary addresses the developmental language needs of students from linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds and helps them achieve the high content and performance standards expected of all students in the Kennewick School District.

The program is designed to help English Language Learners (ELLs) become proficient in English and Spanish in order to meet state learning standards.

What is simultaneous instruction?

• Use of two languages, one of which is English, as a means of instruction to build upon and expand language skills to enable a student to achieve competency in English and Spanish.
• Teaches concepts and knowledge in both of a student's developing languages through structural analysis and other metacognitive strategies.
• Sets the foundation for systematic and purposeful language acquisition, resulting in students that are truly bi-literate in English and Spanish.