SETTLE “EARLY DECISION” EARLIER
Benefits of Being Bilingual and the Correlation with College Acceptance Outcomes.
The drive home from the hospital may seem a bit early to start thinking about your newborns’ college education and career. But 20 years ago, the idea of multi-year long waiting lists to get into a preschool also would’ve seemed outrageous. Today we see the importance of a quality education at all levels. So how can you prepare your infant to get into that Ivy League school? Our answer: Bilingualism. There are simply so many benefits of being bilingual, many of which can improve your child’s future.
How’s that again?
Most Directly: Standardized Testing.
College Board reported that there is a positive correlation between SAT scores and being bilingual. In addition, an analysis of the ACT shows that students who studied a foreign language consistently scored higher on ACT English and mathematics components than students who did not.
With varying levels of difficulty and educational quality amongst high school educations across the nation, many high caliber universities disregard GPA’s, or see as a secondary factor, when making admission decisions. Instead, they focus primarily on standardized test scores.
How does being bilingual increase standardized test scores?
One way– It strengthens the brain’s cognitive function.
The Center for Applied Linguistics have completed studies that support this. These reports explain that because bilinguals’ brains always have both languages readily available, their brains learn to “task switch”. This means they learn to manage NOT to speak one of those languages at a given moment. They have to pay attention. In turn, this strengthens the brain’s cognitive functions.
So what does that mean? Bilingual individuals are able to monitor their environment and pay focused attention, without being distracted, at a higher caliber. Another is an improved ability to switch from one task to another.
And just to further back it up:
Research by Patricia Gándara showed that being bilingual does result in increased earnings and better educational (college) outcomes. This research study is just one of many used to disprove a theory from decades prior disagreeing (due to using US census data rather than literacy data).
Bilingualism not only has a positive impact on college and education outcomes, but studies for “The Bilingual Advantage” also showed that bilinguals were more likely to be hired than those who spoke only one language.
Continuing research is being done to further explain ALL the benefits of bilingualism, but we already know a lot. We know that a bilingual education can greatly benefit your child’s future. We also know that the earlier your child is introduced to a second language, the better.
That’s why Spanish immersion daycares are becoming so desired as parent’s learn this information. Click the links to learn more about Rayito’s Infant Program, Toddler Program, Preschool Program, Kindergarten Prep Program, or Summer Camp Program.
