Students at Longfellow Elementary School in Bixby Knolls will soon have the chance to learn Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese as part of a new after-school program geared toward foreign languages.
Lango Kids is a national program that offers foreign language classes for preschoolers and elementary school children in more than 60 communities across the country.
The program will make its Long Beach debut at Longfellow in May thanks to the efforts of two local mothers – Jennifer Lallite-Myers and Kim Brown – who wanted their young children to learn a second language.
“In light of all the school budget cuts going on, programs like this are more important than ever,” said Brown, whose third-grade daughter is looking forward to learning Mandarin.
The Long Beach Unified School District doesn’t begin offering foreign language classes until middle school. Brown and Lallite-Myers said they wanted their children to start learning a second language in elementary school, which some studies say is the optimal time to begin.
“We approached the principal and he was very supportive,” said Lallite-Myers.
The program, which will be held in Longfellow classrooms after school, is independent from the LBUSD and funded by parents. It offers 45-minute clas………….
….. Read the full article