Lake Forest School District 67 - World Language

Welcome to the District 67 World Language website. Within this site you will have the opportunity to read about our philosophy, learning standards, and learn about a variety of resources and strategies we implement into our World Language Program.

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Third Grade - World Language Exploratory

In the 2010-11 school year third grade students began receiving World Language instruction not only in Latin, but also in French, Mandarin, and Spanish. 

Results of a parent survey combined with feedback from third grade classroom teachers showed two main benefits to the exploratory program:

• Students are exposed to all four languages and the cultures associated with each, and

• Students and parents have a much better sense of which world language to choose for instruction in grades four through eight.

The third grade exploratory program occurs on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year. Each third grade class has six to seven weeks of instruction by our French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish teachers.  The teachers help their students experience each language with common phrases and an understanding of how the language may benefit them in the future. In late April, third grade students and families are asked to choose a language for fourth through eighth grades. 

World Language instruction in fourth grade now occurs on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.  The reduction in time from the last year will allow the World Language teachers to help third graders explore each language.  Our fourth grade classroom teachers are pleased about the increased instructional time they can now devote to writing instruction.  So, for an hour each week, fourth graders are using their NEO2s in a new, highly engaging writing program.

Below is an overview of our elementary World Language instruction:

• 2nd Grade – twice a week, 30-minute instruction in Latin
  

• 3rd Grade – 30-minute exploratory classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays for seven weeks in each of our world languages: French, Latin, Mandarin, and Spanish.  Students complete an exploration of each language through April and then choose one for instruction in grades four through eight.

• 4th Grade – 30-minute classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the student’s choice of French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish. (On Tuesdays and Thursdays students use their NEO2s in our new writing program.)

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Andy Henrikson, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, at 847-604-7440 or ahenrikson@lfschools.net.