Solia Matute and her husband, Jeff Eshleman, notice more than a two-year age difference between sons Freddy and Sammy Eshleman. Freddy, 8, speaks, reads and writes his motherâs native Spanish. Sammy, 6, sometimes stumbles through the language, even though his parents speak it at home.
The difference can be attributed to School District of Lancasterâs Dual Language Immersion program, the Lancaster couple says. As part of the program, Freddy has learned lessons at Wharton Elementary in Spanish and English since kindergarten. He starts third grade in the fall. Sammy, who starts first grade in the fall, was not accepted into the program.