Children acquire Chinese naturally in the classroom setting as they participate in hands-on learning experiences that are directly related to learning the MCPS curriculum. The program is currently in grades K-4. We have 131 students in the program. It will continue to move into the fifth grade in the next year. A pioneer immersion program began in Montreal, Canada in 1965.
Today there are immersion programs across Canada and the United States, as well as overseas.
Research in Canada and the United States shows that student immersion programs attain the same levels of academic mastery as their peers. MCPS has a long history in immersion education that began with a total French immersion program in 1974, followed by Spanish Immersion Programs at three schools. Students from these programs have graduated from the MCPS school system and gone on to further educational opportunities and successful careers. Chinese Immersion was initiated at Potomac Elementary School in 1995. Parents select Chinese Immersion at Potomac Elementary School to enrich their children's educational program and enhance their cognitive development.