How Early Literacy Comes to Life in an Immersion Classroom at Tessa International School
This is the second post of our Literacy Progression Series. Read the previous post here.
If early literacy begins with sound, play, and connection, what does that actually look like in an immersion classroom?
At Tessa, we intentionally design learning experiences that help children build the foundation for reading and writing in two (or more) languages. We don’t teach literacy skills in isolation. Instead, we nurture them through meaningful, inquiry-based units delivered entirely in Spanish, French, or Mandarin, at a time when the brain is naturally wired for language acquisition.
Literacy Through Play and Inquiry
In our Nursery, Preschool, and Kindergarten classrooms, literacy is woven into every part of the day, from storytelling and singing to block building and dramatic play.
Because our program is rooted in inquiry, children build early literacy as they explore big ideas and concepts like:
- Self-expression through play and art: Children study paintings, respond with movement or words, and create their own representations using drawings, symbols, and language to express ideas.
- Making meaning through science and communication: Children make predictions, test their ideas, and document their thinking using drawings, invented spelling, and early writing.
For example, when they study paintings, students at Tessa are encouraged to use language to interpret and communicate their understanding.
Learning in Context, Not in Isolation
Children develop stronger literacy skills when those skills are embedded in real experiences. That’s why early literacy at Tessa happens through songs, conversations, drawing, inquiry, and meaningful writing opportunities.
For example:
- A child exploring a painting might say how it makes them feel, then write the first sound they hear in that feeling word.
- While experimenting with floating and sinking, they might use drawings to record their ideas or label objects using their own writing system.
- During shared storytelling, they begin to predict, retell, and build vocabulary, all of which are critical pre-reading behaviors.
These moments strengthen phonological awareness, vocabulary, symbolic understanding, and oral language. These are the essential building blocks for reading and writing in any language.
Language Drives Literacy
In an immersion classroom, the target language is the lens through which children explore these ideas. They’re not just learning a language. They’re learning through language.
Our children:
- Build vocabulary naturally through play, conversations, and storytelling
- Develop sound awareness by hearing songs, rhymes, and expressive speech
- Begin to represent their thinking through marks, drawings, and letters, first in the target language and then across languages
In all of these experiences, literacy isn’t a subject. It’s a way of thinking and expressing. Children begin to notice print in their environment, use the target language to explain their drawings or ideas, and experiment with writing through scribbling, mark-making, and early letter forms. These are the first steps in becoming confident communicators who express themselves across languages and in many different ways.
In our next post, we will explore how children begin writing in two languages and how phonological awareness, vocabulary, and symbolic thinking come together to support that exciting process.
Sources & Further Reading
- Roskos, K., Christie, J. F., & Richgels, D. J. (2009). Play and Literacy in Early Childhood: Research from Multiple Perspectives (2nd ed.). Routledge.
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2019). Developmentally Appropriate Practice Position Statement.
- Espinosa, L. M. (2015). Getting it Right for Young Children from Diverse Backgrounds: Applying Research to Improve Practice with a Focus on Dual Language Learners. Pearson.
- Tabors, P. O. (2008). One Child, Two Languages: A Guide for Early Childhood Educators of Children Learning English as a Second Language (2nd ed.).
- Genesee, F. & Nicoladis, E. (2007). Bilingual First Language Acquisition. In E. Hoff & M. Shatz (Eds.), Handbook of Language Development.
