K-5 Kids Becoming Bilingual At Railroad Canyon Elementary

Parents who want their kids to become bilingual are getting the chance through a one-of-a-kind pilot program at in Lake Elsinore.

The Dual Immersion Program, which teaches students to read and write in both English and Spanish beginning with Kindergarten, launched this year at the school with 60 enrollees.

The program is meant to provide the same amount of instruction in both English and Spanish through fifth grade, said Mark Dennis, coordinator of community and media relations for the .

It doesn't matter what the child's native language is -- all are welcome, Dennis said.

Railroad Canyon Elementary Principal Jeri Peterson said the pilot has been well received by parents.

“We have a waiting list of students,” she said, “and we are very excited. We are looking to open up another class.”

Railroad Canyon Elementary was selected as the pilot because it has faculty equipped to teach in English and Spanish, Dennis said.

Because the program is brand new, the curriculum’s success will need to be measured in the months and years to come, Dennis said.

Peterson is hoping the pilot will be extended into the district’s middle schools.

“I want to expand,” she said. “Research shows that they (bilingual) outperform monolingual kids.”

According to Peterson, the Dual Emersion Program at Railroad Canyon Elementary is unique.

“We are the only school in this valley  -- Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore – offering this program,” she said.