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Proud Mother on IBA's Bilingual Preschool and her Children

Proud Mother on IBA's Bilingual Preschool and her Children

Jennifer Velasquez has been involved with IBA’s bilingual preschool for the past five years. First with her daughter Neveah who graduated and went on to the school system and now with her younger daughter Jayna. We sat down with her, as she came to pick up one of her daughters, to talk a little bit about their experience. Jayna couldn’t put down her book about trains, making her mother laugh as she tried to recount their stories. Neveah was silently mouthing the words as she read her book. After all these years Jennifer knows she’s made the right choice with a bilingual approach, “They’ve picked up some Spanish. I’m happy because I don’t talk a lot of it at home,” she said. “Sometimes I’ll catch them singing some of the songs that they’ve learnt in Spanish from school. I was kind of sad when Neveah left because they don’t do that in the Boston Public Schools.” She says that because of the program’s bilingualism it is a good idea to start your child young. Jayna got an early start, but Neveah started when she was four. “I wish I would have started her earlier,” she said. Another thing that Velasquez has noticed is her daughter’s growing sense of individuality. “She’s learned to draw, and even though she can’t exactly read yet, she can tell her own stories.” Three year old Jayna piped in, “Mama I can read the trains!” “But I can read the letters too,” she clarified. Her mother laughed. [embed]https://youtu.be/PVvQT5vydCA[/embed] IBA’s preschool is about school readiness. The teachers work hard to ensure that children will meet expectations when it comes time to enter the school system. In Jennifer’s case Neveah was more than just ready. “They [IBA] gave her a good foundation, now that she’s in the public schools she had to get moved to a more challenging class for reading because her level is so high compared to other kids,” she said as she glanced over at Neveah who was busy engrossed in a big colorful book. “I have to give a lot of credit to the teachers that started her first because they obviously got her on the right track.” This mom would not hesitate in recommending IBA’s program to other parents, but her main reason is not just about the high academic level. For Jennifer, cultural exposure and interaction is just as important. “It’s been great so far, she [Jayna] loves playing with kids from all different cultures and she gets along with everybody,” she said. “They teach them all different types of holidays, and the children always learn from each other.” Thank you, Jennifer, for sharing your thoughts with us, we couldn’t be prouder of Neveah and Jayna’s progress. Every day we strive to give individuals like Jayna and Neveah the opportunities they deserve, help us make a difference. Every little bit counts. ibaboston.org/donate...