K-5 World Languages Mission
To expose K-5 students in Cheney Public schools to a variety of language and cultural experiences that will give them the ability to speak other languages and function within different cultural settings to meet the increasingly global challenges of the 21st Century.
Research-based Benefits for K-5 World Languages Learning
· Students in well-designed elementary school World Language experiences out-perform their monolingual counterparts on math portions of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. (Saunders, 1998)
· Early language learning enhances listening ability and memory.
(Ratte, 1968; Taylor, 2008)
· Elementary school world language students perform better than their monolingual peers on tests of vocabulary and reading ability.
(Taylor, Feyton, Meros, Nutta, 2008)
Languages
Year 1: Spanish Year 4: Spanish
Year 2: French Year 5: French
Year 3: German Year 6: German
A student who attends Cheney Public Schools for their entire K-5 career, will receive two years of exposure to each language.
FAQs
Please view the Article Library for access to frequently asked questions about the K-5 World Languages Program in Cheney Public Schools.
| Meet Our K-5 World Languages Specialists |
| Darla Fitzpatrick | Maile McFarland |
|  Hello, my name is Darla Kay Fitzpatrick and I am the new World Languages Specialist for Betz and Sunset Elementary Schools. After teaching for 22 years in Cheney, I am delighted to be part of this new addition to the elementary curriculum. The World Language Program exposes students to new languages, new cultures and supports learning in other subject areas. The students have welcomed this new learning experience with excitement and enthusiasm. For me personally, it is an opportunity to share my travel experiences with young learners and to teach them a little about the global community in which they live.
|  Hello, my name is Maile McFarland. It is with great excitement that I join Cheney School District this year as World Languages Specialist for Windsor and Salnave Elementary Schools. As an elementary and Nationally Board Certified Teacher, I recognize the value of the World Languages K-5 program and the enriching opportunities it provides for children. Through my ten years of teaching and foreign language studies abroad, I learned first-hand how foreign language stimulates brain function and helps in the learning of English and other disciplines. With this in mind, I am grateful to be part of this innovative and research-based program. I look forward to fostering a fun and meaningful language experience that enriches children’s knowledge, skills, and curiosity of the world!
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