When Midway Elementary opened in 1993, the student population came from the Lexington Elementary attendance area. Since these students were already learning French, the decision was made to continue French at Midway. When visitors walk into the school, they see beautiful murals surrounding the office and the media center welcoming visitors to the bureau principal and the médiathèque!
The Curriculum
The French curriculum is based on the district, state and national
foreign language standards: communication, cultures, connections,
comparisons, and communities. Language instruction is designed to
be cognitively engaging through the use of many visuals, hands-on
activities,
and songs and games. Core curriculum subjects such as math, science and
geography are integrated as much as possible. Additionally, the
other
related arts teachers make every effort to incorporate French into
their
curricula. Students new to Midway and the French program can
quickly
become active participants by listening and paying close attention!
Why early foreign language study?
Brain research shows that the window of opportunity for learning
a second language opens at birth and begins to close at the onset of
puberty.
Research has also shown the following benefits to students of early
foreign
language programs:
· FLES students achieve higher scores on standardized tests
in reading, language arts, and mathematics.
· FLES students improve their reading comprehension in their
native language and score higher in vocabulary, cognitive learning and
total reading ability.
· FLES students show greater cognitive development in such areas
as mental flexibility, creativity, divergent thinking and higher order
thinking skills.
· FLES students become more accepting of cultural differences.