Article Published in “Our City Weston”

By Joelie Kendrick & Ana Maria Fernandez

For many years there has been controversy over a variety of issues regarding bilingual education. The fact remains that besides becoming proficient in two languages there are many benefits to attending a bilingual preschool. Parents should be aware of some basic concepts to help them understand how a bilingual preschool can benefit their child.

Research has shown that positive cognitive gains are associated with learning a second language in childhood (Bialystok 1991). Children who acquire a second language in the early years incur many benefits in the developmental areas including cognitive, social, language and cultural development. This cognitive development helps increase mathematical thinking, musical understanding and problem-solving skills. For children it is simple, they discover there is more than one way to express yourself, more than one way to solve a problem and more than one way people can understand each other.

Thousands of children all over the world are bilingual, there is no evidence of a language delay or disorder proven to be caused by bilingual exposure, on the contrary learning a second language at an early age makes special and more complex neural networks and connections between both brain hemispheres. By starting early in a bilingual programs they learn the proper phonetic pronunciation for words. The children actually train the muscles in their mouths to make the proper phonetic sounds unique to the language. This is a skill that is very difficult, if not impossible to master as an adult. Learning two languages influences the development of several precursors to literacy, such as vocabulary, concepts in written language and phonological awareness.

Partnered with a developmentally appropriate curriculum that guides and nurtures all areas of the whole child, a high quality bilingual program can promote creativity, curiosity in science, history, geography, technology and so much more. VIP Kids Bilingual Preschool in Weston, offers this to the community.

VIP Kids is a progressive preschool, that offers youngsters a warm and challenging environment and a high quality curriculum with an emphasis on bilingual education where students have the opportunity to use different tools and strategies to express themselves. They are encouraged to explore, predict and play while building the foundation for a lifetime of learning. During a typical day the children experience hands-on activities coupled with sensory exploration that reflects language, math, science, art, social, music, health, and self-care.

VIP Kids new program now offers various conditions parents need to look for in a bilingual preschool:

- Preschools need to have a friendly atmosphere where each child will feel secure, loved and happy. Where families come in daily at least to drop in and out their child and get to see and talk with the teachers about daily activities and achievements. Parents are always welcome to stay and are encourage to becoming active participants in their child’s education.

- Preschools must have a hand crafted comprehensive curriculum that contemplates the developmental needs of each child and that will allow teachers to challenge each of them to their maximum potential while promoting their creativity.

- Preschools’ curriculum needs to reflect the understanding that there is not just one way of learning therefore there is not just one way of teaching. A variety of pedagogical strategies need to be used on a daily basis in each classroom.

- Teachers need to be degreed in Early Childhood Education or related fields; this will guarantee the quality of the approach to specific needs a child may have during the year. Teachers need to be trained on strategies to work with multicultural and multilingual children and families and they need to keep a culture of constant professional development.

- Preschools need to have a well equipped environment. At VIP Kids they improved the playground. Open a new art room, a media center with all new computers and a library and improved all learning centers so children will find a variety of challenges in science, language, geography, history music etc.

- Parents need to see evidence of a variety of life experiences offered in the preschool. Children learn by doing, exploring, observing, copying, questioning, answering, making hypothesis and verifying them and by being exposed to an unnumbered of experiences that will challenge their development but also that when done in a bilingual environment will challenge their mind beyond allowing them to acquire new vocabulary and encouraging them to start thinking in their new language while having lots of fun.

Of course, The benefit of bilingual education extends far beyond the classroom. The advantages of being bilingual include opening doors to communicate within the diversities of today’s community, creates a deeper sense of multiculturalism, builds positive self-esteem and confidence, increases educational achievement and future employment benefits. Finally, children in bilingual schools are given opportunities to explore language better, and become more creative.

It is an important decision investing in your child’s future. Choosing a school with integrity, warmth and the best interest of your child is your first and last choice.

New owners Ana Maria Fernandez and Gilberto Pinzon, educators and parents, have worked hard to give you a choice in this community. If you think your child will benefit from a developmentally-based bilingual preschool, VIP Kids invites you to call them at 954 5989801. They offer an English-Spanish bilingual program. VIP Kids accepts students age one through five. It also offers an after school bilingual program for kindergarten through fifth grade students. VIP Kids is open from 7am until 6pm Monday through Friday. It is located at 1845 North Corporate Lakes Boulevard, across from the Weston Post office and next to Pediatrics Associates. Ana Maria Fernandez and Gilbeto Pinzon Also Own and operate First Steps Int’l Academy in Weston and Pines West Academy in Pembroke Pines.