Through our FLES Spanish program, students not only develop language skills but also build persistence, problem-solving abilities, and self-assurance. These benefits extend far beyond the classroom. At Dover-Sherborn, students naturally embrace learning another language with curiosity, confidence, and joy.

Learning a language at a young age is especially powerful. Elementary students are in a prime window for language acquisition, making it easier to develop pronunciation, vocabulary, and foundational grammar. Decades of research in linguistics, cognitive science, and child development also show that early language learning strengthens the brain—boosting memory, attention, problem-solving, and cognitive flexibility. In short, learning Spanish now supports both linguistic and cognitive growth.

Importantly, research shows that students who study a second language early also tend to perform better on standardized tests, including Massachusetts MCAS exams, particularly in reading, writing, and verbal reasoning (Thomas & Collier, 2002; Genesee et al., 2006). Early Spanish exposure supports literacy, academic vocabulary, and critical thinking skills, all of which contribute to higher achievement across subjects. 

Our FLES Spanish program is guided by the updated Massachusetts World Language Frameworks (2021) and other state and national standards, ensuring that our curriculum is research-based, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with statewide goals for language learning. In addition to these frameworks, our program is informed by ACTFL proficiency guidelines, comprehensible input research, and current best practices in early language acquisition. We continually review national and international studies on immersion exposure, literacy transfer, and effective communication skills to ensure that what we teach—and how we teach it—reflects the most current understanding of how children learn languages.

Our curriculum is also intentionally literacy-based and strongly supports the Massachusetts ELA standards, as well as other core curriculum areas such as math, social studies, and science. Students practice usable, real-world communication while simultaneously reinforcing skills like reading strategies, sequencing, comparing and contrasting, numeracy, academic vocabulary, and cross-curricular thinking. They often experience Spanish as fun and engaging without realizing the level of cognitive rigor they are actually undertaking.

Just as importantly, we ensure that our program is developmentally appropriate. Our lessons are shaped by research in child development to make sure that content, pacing, and expectations are aligned with what elementary learners need to stay engaged, successful, and confident.

At the same time, our program reflects the Dover-Sherborn Schools Core Values: Commitment to Community, Equity and Excellence, Respect and Dignity, and Climate of Care. In our classrooms, students collaborate, support one another, and learn to communicate respectfully across cultures while striving for excellence in their language growth. The result is an environment where curiosity, confidence, and a lifelong love of language thrive.

What is Acquisition Driven Instruction?

At our school, our FLES Spanish program fosters language acquisition through methods like TPRS® (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling), Comprehensible Input (CI), Acquisition Driven Instruction (ADI), and more. These approaches allow students to engage with Spanish in meaningful, fun, and memorable ways, rather than focusing on memorizing rules or vocabulary lists.

Acquisition Driven Instruction (ADI) is a term that perfectly describes our approach. Our focus is on helping students acquire Spanish naturally, just as they acquired their first language, instead of merely learning about the language. Every activity, story, song, or game in our program is designed to provide rich, comprehensible input that builds an implicit understanding of Spanish.

Acquisition vs. Learning
Traditional language instruction often emphasizes learning, where students study grammar rules, memorize vocabulary lists, and practice isolated skills. This is the kind of instruction that leads people to say things like, "I took six years of Spanish in school and don’t remember a thing." Students may know that the verb ir is irregular and how to conjugate it, but they can’t actually use it in conversation. Learning a language in this way builds explicit knowledge, but it does not always lead to fluency or real-world communication.

Acquisition Driven Instruction, on the other hand, mirrors how humans naturally acquire language: through repeated, meaningful exposure, interaction, and comprehension. In real life, children acquire their first language unconsciously. Children in bilingual homes or multilingual communities acquire additional languages in the same way. Our FLES program replicates that natural process in the classroom, ensuring that students absorb Spanish in context and can use it to communicate from day one.

Martina Bex, the creator of The Comprehensible Classroom, had a great blog post about this idea: Think of learning a language like learning to walk. Crawling isn’t bad walking; it’s a developmental stage. When a baby rolls over, sits up, pulls themselves up, and crawls, we don’t correct them for not walking “properly.” We celebrate each stage as evidence of growth. Language acquisition works the same way. When a learner forms an “irregular” verb pattern incorrectly, or overextends a verb (like ser vs. estar), this is not a mistake—it’s evidence of the developmental stage they are in. It’s exciting! We get a glimpse of their cognitive growth. And just as a baby needs time to move from crawling to walking, language learners need time listening to and reading processable input—Spanish they can understand—to move to the next developmental stage.

Who succeeds with Acquisition Driven Instruction?
Every student can succeed with this approach. Learners may come to Spanish class with different levels of motivation, home support, or prior experience, but every child has the ability to acquire language. In fact, they already have the tools for acquisition—our program simply provides the input, support, and opportunities for practice that unlock it.

Why does this approach work?
Methods like TPRS®, CI, and ADI work because they prioritize communication, context, and meaningful use of language. Students are not pressured to memorize rules or perform perfectly; instead, they experience Spanish in authentic ways, which builds confidence, engagement, and long-term proficiency.

Don't you need grammar though?
Once students have acquired a foundation in the language and can communicate naturally, we introduce grammar rules in context. For example, after students have internalized verb usage through stories and conversations, we might highlight patterns in past tense verbs or adjective agreement. This sequencing allows grammar to reinforce language they already know and use, rather than overwhelming them at the start.

By focusing first on acquisition, our FLES program ensures that Spanish is accessible, engaging, and effective for every student—laying the groundwork for confident communication, lifelong learning, and a love of language.