043: Embracing Bilingual Education in Montessori Schools: Challenges, Successes, and the Future

There are unique challenges in implementing a bilingual education program at the elementary age in Montessori schools for a variety of reasons, but it can be done successfully.In today’s episode, I’m chatting with Marikay McCabe, founding partner of the Bilingual Montessori Project. We talk about the challenges, the common misconceptions, and the research behind bilingual education programs.  We also discuss why bilingual education is worth pursuing, despite the many challenges and considerations, and how the Bilingual Montessori Project and its resources will help with further implementation. What’s in this episode:What the Bilingual Montessori Project is and how it got startedThe unique challenges of implementing a bilingual program for elementary age childrenMarikay’s thoughts on immersion language vs bilingual language programsThe fundamental values and priorities that you need to consider when developing a bilingual Montessori programHow to evaluate what’s working and what’s not in your bilingual program and the importance of making changes to see the outcomes you wantMarikay shares the research she’s conducted on bilingual education and what she’s learned so farThe misconceptions of bilingual education and how to address themWhy bilingual education is worth pursuing, despite the challengesFor full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit:https://www.trilliummontessori.org/new-school-owners/Resources Mentioned in This Episode:The Bilingual Montessori ProjectConnect With UsVisit our websiteFollow us on InstagramConnect with us on FacebookThe Montessori Classroom Bootcamps will be open for enrollment July 21-29. Classes begin August 1.Elementary Classroom Planning Bootcamp for 6-12 with Letty RisingClassroom Setup Bootcamp for 3-6 with Seemi Abdullah