LAKE FOREST – Cherokee Elementary School fourth graders celebrated Chinese New Year and five years of Mandarin immersion at their school recently. Most of the students have been studying in the program, one of the first in the Chicago area, since they were in kindergarten.
“Although kids reach different language levels by their fourth or fifth year of language acquisition, most kids in this group are pretty fluent in common daily commands and have had the experience of learning math completely in Mandarin,” said fourth grade Mandarin immersion teacher Audrey Post. “They have also conducted inquiry-based science projects in a mostly Mandarin setting on the topics of weather, ecosystems, bridges, animal adaptation and energy.”
Cherokee Principal Jeff McHugh said he has been impressed with the students’ knowledge and abilities. “Watching their detailed writing of characters and hearing the nuanced tones they use when speaking the language is evidence of the skills they’ve acquired,” he said.