Spanish Schools for Kids in Fresno, California
In California, there are a lot of different ethnic groups. And this is why this state is filled with diversity and lots of different cultures. When it comes to the Hispanic and Latino population; they constitute the second biggest ethnic group in CA with 39% of the population. Because of this, California is an amazing state to raise bilingual kids. If you’re looking for a place in which your children can learn Spanish in California, Fresno is a great place to be since Spanish is also the second most spoken language here.
Remember that bilingualism is a great way to ensure a great future for our children but besides that, it is also a great way to keep their brains healthy and to help them in their cognitive development as bilingualism has lots of benefits for children in their early ages.
We know that each family has different needs, schedules, and budgets when it comes to education. Also, sometimes there are so many options that it gets complicated to choose a great place for our kids to learn Spanish. But it’s okay, we got you! We’ve created this guide, especially for you. If you’re looking for a great Spanish school option for your kids and if you’re located in Fresno, California, or thinking of going there, just keep on reading.
About This Resource
In this guide, you will find mostly Spanish Immersion or Dual language programs. This is because we believe immersion to be the best way to acknowledge a language. All of these programs are located within the Fresno Unified School District (FUSD) (see map) boundaries.
Fresno Unified is the third largest public school district in the state of California, that serves about 74,000 students in more than 90 Schools. Also, they have an overall B- Niche Grade and are #11 in the Districts with the Best Teachers in Fresno Area ranking.
If you live in Fresno and you’re interested in enrolling your children in any school that is within the Fresno Unified boundaries, remember that you first need to find the school your child will attend. You can use their school locator tool. Then, use their online registration tool if your children are entering the preschool year. If you have more questions regarding this process, you can contact the school of choice via email or phone to get assistance in the registration.
*Note: Admittance in grades preschool, transitional kindergarten, and kindergarten is based upon a randomized lottery. Also, admittance in grades 1st through 6th requires space availability and successfully passing a Language Assessment exam.
In TFK Spanish, we are aware that each family is a different world with different needs, budgets, and goals for learning. This is why in this guide we will also be presenting you to some private Spanish schools, preschools, and after-school.
Remember that things are changing from time to time so if at the moment when you’re reading this guide you see any outdated information, we want to hear from you! Also, if you know of any other school that’s a great match for this guide, please let us know. This will help us keep our information great and useful for everybody.
Fresno USD Dual Language Program
Fresno’s Unified Spanish/English Dual-Language Immersion programs enhance the ability to speak, read and write in both languages. This program fosters biliteracy and bilingualism as well as an enhanced awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity. Also, by being involved in this program, children can develop strong cognitive, social, and emotional identities. This program claims to be a challenging academic program that offers students the opportunity of being bilingual and bi-literate and becoming academically successful in Spanish and English.
If you’re looking for the goal of bilingual literacy, a long-term parental commitment is necessary as students need to remain in the program from Preschool through sixth grade.
FUSD also has Middle and High School Dual Language Immersion programs.
Great Dual Immersion/Bilingual programs in FUSD
Here are some of the best public Elementary schools that count with a Dual Language Immersion program for Spanish learning.
FUSD Schools have the mission to nurture and cultivate interests, intellect, and leadership in their students by providing excellent and equitable education in a culturally proficient environment. In Ewing Elementary, learning, positive behavior, accountability, and their community are highly valued with high proficiency teachers, high-quality teaching, and learning that involves relevant experiences to produce critical, collaborative and solution-oriented thinkers. Learning is made enjoyable, engaging, and interactive for all students, and individual growth in intellectual, emotional, moral, social, and cultural areas is highly promoted.
Also, FUSD schools create a welcoming place where diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the forefront when it comes to decision-making in the district. These schools strive to ensure that all students and parents feel loved, valued, heard, and informed.
Ewing Elementary School
Ewing Elementary is a public school that has 817 students in grades K-6. This school has an overall C+ grade in Niche. And is the #2507 in California Elementary Schools with an overall score of 54.71/100 in the USNews education section.
Ewing Elementary also has an After-school Education and Safety (ASES) program that looks to provide student-centered care programs during out-of-school hours. This program includes healthy snacks, homework, academic intervention in English language, arts, math, PE, and enrichment activities for students.
Ann B. Leavenworth
Ann B. Leavenworth is a public school that has 823 students in grades K-6. It has an overall B- Niche grade. According to some reviews on GreatSchools.org, this school offers an amazing experience for children: “We had an amazing experience at this school. Both our kids were in the Dual Immersion program where the kids learn Spanish in school. Our first child went from this school into the most competitive middle school in the city, as did a number of other students from the school, which says a lot about the quality of education. Our youngest has grown and flourished as a person at this school. I highly recommend it to any parents considering a “dual immersion” Spanish/English program”
Sunset Elementary School
Sunset Elementary School is a public magnet school that serves 387 Students in grades K-6. Remember that a magnet school is a public school with specialized courses or curricula. This school has an overall C+ Niche grade.
Most parents claim that the Spanish Dual Immersion Program in this school is one of the best ones in Fresno as the students start to develop bilingual skills two months into the program. Also, students say that there’s a lot of help amongst classmates and that teachers are very caring and committed to their Spanish acknowledgment.
Sunset Elementary also has some great Afterschool programs such as yoga, art & crafts, social and emotional learning, and canvas painting among others. Besides these programs, they also count with lots of activities related to music and arts for children.
Other Fresno Schools
Manchester Gate School
Manchester Gate is a highly rated, public magnet school that has 714 Students in grades 2-6. It holds the #1 place in Niche Standout Elementary Schools in California and an overall A- Niche grade.
They also have an After-School Program where they look to provide student-centered quality care programs during the off-class hours. Their program components are planned to reflect school site activities that are aligned with the district goals. Students in the FUSD Extended Day Enriched Program participate in different activities such as science, math, art, and reading.
Manchester Gate has an overall 10 out of 10 rate in the GreatSchools.org summary rating. and anything else but good reviews like this one: “I went here from 2nd grade to 6th grade. I have friends that I’m still in contact with, we’re all in college now! This school is a beautiful blend of all types of people”
Malloch Elementary School
This school is another above-average public school that has 447 students in grades K-6. Malloch Elementary is the #34 in Niche Standout Elementary Schools in the Fresno area and has an overall B grade on Niche.
“Malloch Elementary is a school that has teachers who truly want to see your children succeed. The teachers there love helping their students and will always offer their assistance when needed. Malloch also offers plenty of clubs and after-school activities that all kids would enjoy. There is something for everybody!”
Private Schools. Preschools and After-Schools for Spanish Learning
Clovis Global Academy
Clovis Global Academy gives children the gift of bilingualism in the two most spoken languages on the planet, English and Spanish.
With their 50/50 Spanish-English Dual language immersion for grades TK-8, your child will develop themselves in a completely immersive and multicultural environment. They have a positive school culture that helps your children to learn how to benefit themselves with multiple languages and cultural heritages. Teachers in CGA report higher levels of job satisfaction and Parents from both language groups participate very actively in schools
Also, they offer a third option of languages whether it is Punjabi or Mandarin.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Program
After looking for some time, we found out that there are not many private options for Spanish learning programs for kids near the Fresno, CA area. However, we couldn’t finish this guide without introducing you to our own Immersive Spanish learning programs for kids.
With TruFluency Kids, your children will learn how to write, read and communicate in Spanish. Our courses are 100% immersive as we know that this is the best way for children to learn a language, especially in its early years. At TruFluency Kids we have a class for any kind of kid, no matter her/his age or level of Spanish, we will always have a match for you.
Our teachers are specially trained to make our classes super fun, engaging, and entertaining using our own Bellieu Method. They are experts at helping your children to develop their brains 100% in Spanish in a way that they can’t even notice! We know that sometimes learning a new language can be tough and frustrating for some, this is the reason why we care about the way our courses are developed, and we can assure you that this is going to be your child’s new favorite class.
We have very accessible prices, and we are super flexible so if your kid couldn’t attend his/her normal class, we got you! He or she can just jump right into another class that’s on his or her level with no problem. Also, we provide our parents with lots of extra material so your child can keep on learning and practicing during their no-class time with you, no matter if you don’t know Spanish. We also have you covered on that. You can see this article that talks a little bit more about our programs and the way we teach. Also, our testimonials look like this one:
“Miss Angela thanks for your support we are happy that you are Laila’s teacher for Spanish. She really likes the way you teach and to her, you are a friend who teaches her Spanish. We plan to keep the Spanish classes with you long-term! If there is ever a schedule conflict please let us know we will try to keep you as her main teacher. She goes to a Spanish immersion school and when they did a virtual class during school closure I noticed she wasn’t speaking much in class so I enrolled her in this program. Thank you for helping her with Spanish and boosting her confidence!”
We hope to see you join us soon!