I love language. I love the sound of a rolling “r” and nasal vowels gurgling at the back of the throat. While I’m certainly no language aficionado, I’ve studied a few: French, I speak — un peu; sign language, I’m proficient, but Spanish — yo no hablo.

So what’s my hang-up with Español? I have to keep up with my kindergartner.

About this time last year my husband and I began to leaf through kindergarten pamphlets and brochures. Gone are the days where children simply trot off to their neighborhood school. Today our public school system touts an assortment of language immersion programs, half-day and full-day options, as well as transitional kindergarten. This litany of choices is evidence of Vancouver’s progressive attitude about public education, but it left my husband and I feeling bewildered. Faced with so many choices what if we made the wrong one?

After weighing the pros and cons of all our options we decided to enroll our son in the Spanish immersion program at Harney Elementary. The opportunity to expose him to a foreign language and culture at such a young age seemed too good to pass up. To sweeten the deal, Harney had launched a new language learning model in 2008 — full immersion.

Traditional dual language classrooms use a 50/50 split, with half the instruction in English and half in a foreign language. According to Karrie Olson, Principal at Harney, Vancouver Public Schools had seen great success with a 50/50 Spanish program at Sarah J. Anderson. Due in part to the visionary thinking of VSD’s superintendent and growing interest in language classrooms, the district decided to venture into a 90/10 immersion program at Harney. Olson, along with a team of district leaders, spent two years researching and touring other immersion classrooms throughout the Northwest. “We were thrilled from the inception,” recalls Olson. “The research is remarkable. These kinds of programs do great things for kids.”

Two kindergarten classes kicked off at Harney in the fall of 2008 with all instruction in Spanish. In the 90/10 model children are literally immersed in the language from day one, with only safety information taught in English. Tai Bainter, a Kindergarten Immersion Teacher at Harney, remembers a gaggle of nervous kindergartners that first year, the majority of whom didn’t understand a word she said. “At the beginning of the year, I find it difficult to speak in Spanish 100 percent of the time as most of the students don’t understand any Spanish. As the year goes on, however, the students learn to pay close attention to everything in order to gain understanding,” says Bainter.

In addition to teaching core curriculum and cultural awareness, teachers in the immersion program are tasked with trying to explain how to find the bathroom. As a volunteer, I’ve witnessed firsthand the show teachers put on just to get a simple concept across.

“Our teachers have to be intentional about using visuals, drama, and vocal inflection to get their point across whether it’s teaching a new math skill or directing a child toward the cafeteria,” Olen said. “From day one they’re building vocabulary from scratch. What we know from research is those song-and-dance techniques help all learners.”

The reward for their effort is watching children’s language skills blossom. It’s Bainter’s favorite part of teaching: “Every day I am excited to see the children’s growth. For me, the most rewarding moments are when parents tell me about their students speaking to people in our community in Spanish. I love the moment when students finally feel comfortable chatting with their peers in Spanish. Most of our first-grade students speak purely in Spanish at school, even on the playground.”

Olson believes the immersion program strengthens the entire school. It builds collaborative teaching with both the English and Spanish classroom teachers and has elevated the importance of the Hispanic population. 26% of Harney families are native Spanish speakers. At a morning coffee for Hispanic parents recently, the kindergarten class treated them to a song entirely in Spanish. Olson said the joy in the room was palpable.

Harney’s program has grown quickly — leaving a waiting list of disappointed families. Olson understands there will be new obstacles like physical space in the building as the program matures. One major challenge for teachers is building curriculum that meets state standards. This often means working late nights and weekends to create supplemental materials that don’t exist in Spanish. Olson and her staff are up for the challenge. “It’s wonderful to watch students share cultural pieces and the beauty of the language with the entire school. We’re a school with choices where all families are honored and appreciated. I can’t wait until [the Spanish immersion program at Harney] is K-5!”

For us, the transition into Spanish kindergarten has gone without a hitch, excepting the fact that my husband and I truly can’t keep up with our son’s budding language skills. Let’s just say I’m thankful these days for technology and iPhone translation apps.

Informational meetings about immersion classrooms throughout Vancouver Public Schools begin in March. For more information visit www.vansd.org.

Kate Dyer-Seeler is a mom, a writer, a coffee junkie and avid reader. Her column appears every other issue in The Voice.