Washington’s Dual Language Night Filled with Mystery & Wonder

Washington’s Primary School’s recent Dual Language Family Engagement Night was filled with mystery and wonder. Families took part in a bilingual scavenger hunt that combined elements of a traditional scavenger hunt, match game, and bingo.

“Clues were posted throughout the building and families had to solve riddles in order to unlock access to the next level,” Washington Principal Dr. Michelle Richards said. “Four stations were located throughout the school. Each station featured five unique clues related to the items on the worksheets provided to families. At the end of the hunt, families sampled traditional Latin foods.

“Dual language education is an instructional approach that aims to develop proficiency in two languages,” according to a post by Andrea Barbosa, the dual language program manager at Participate Learning. “It typically involves teaching academic content and core subjects in both the students’ native language and the target language. One of the main goals of dual language education is for students to achieve bilingualism and biliteracy with high levels of proficiency in both languages. Dual language instruction fosters greater academic achievement and promotes understanding of different cultures linked to the language studies. It also encourages interaction and collaboration between students from different language backgrounds.”

Huntington’s dual language program is comprised of English dominant and Spanish dominant children in the same classroom who are learning the New York State mandated curriculum in both English and Spanish, alternating languages each day.