Our Language Immersion School

Primary Languages is a language immersion school with a multiage environment, teaching preschool and elementary school children foreign languages. The school serves children whose families recognize the benefit of foreign language education for tomorrow's career security and value a young child's natural ability to become bilingual. Through immersion, we focus on the entire child development of the learning process to aid in the many social, academic and economic benefits of bilingualism.

In addition to the immersion program, Primary Languages offers an afternoon program to expand language proficiency for school-age children. In a peaceful and motivating environment, children will engage in other enjoyable subjects such as drama, chorus, spelling, geography and science, using foreign language as the mode of instruction. Applying foreign language learning to multiple academic subjects will help children see the "big picture" of how to utilize their new skills in everyday life.

Primary Languages is proud to partner with Lingua Academy to bring foreign languages to more children in the Miami Valley. Established in 2007, Lingua Academy is located at 7811 Mad River Road in Dayton, Ohio. The two schools share a curriculum and a philosophy and work together closely.

What is Language Immersion?

In this teaching approach, the entire class is conducted in the foreign language. The children are surrounded by lively conversation, instructions, stories, songs, games, meal and play times in a joyful atmosphere. Studies have shown this highly effective method is closest to the natural process of language development and increases understanding and use of the language by the student rapidly.

The Details about Language Immersion

• Teachers are native or near-native speakers: Children will hear and learn from authentic accents.
• Sensory Experiences: Hands-on activities are essential components of all our programs.
• Very low child-teacher ratio: Individual consideration for each child is one of our highest priorities (1:6 ratio is typical).
• Inviting, stimulating interior: Our well-designed classrooms include a variety of rich learning centers.

Meet Our Teachers:

Laura Skidmore

Q What languages do you speak?
A Spanish, English, and some French, German and Italian.

Q Where did you learn to speak the language you teach?
A I learned Spanish in Madrid, Spain, as a Rotary exchange student. I spent nearly a year living with the most wonderful Spanish host parents who welcomed me into their family.

Q Why did you decide to teach kids Spanish?
A Learning a new language really does open doors for the rest of your life, and the sooner you learn, the better. I’ve taught high school and adults, but after my daughter was born, I realized there weren’t many opportunities for kids in this area to learn a new language. I really wanted other families to have that chance, and I’m excited to partner with Lingua Academy in Centerville. Our immersion program is such a fun, easy way to learn and it really works!

Q How long have you been teaching?

A My first teaching experience was as an English teacher in Madrid, Spain, in 1999. Since then I’ve taught individualized Spanish classes to adults, high school Spanish and university-level Spanish. I started teaching kids at Primary Languages in January 2010.

Q Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A I’m married with a preschool-age daughter, and we live in Yellow Springs. I was a Rotary exchange student in Madrid, and after my exchange year, I returned to Madrid to teach English. That was my introduction to teaching, and I absolutely loved it!

After I came back to Ohio, I earned a B.A. in Modern Languages (Spanish, French, German, and Italian). I’m currently finishing my M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics at The Ohio State University with a specialization in psycholinguistics (language acquisition).

I still immerse myself in Spanish by watching Spanish tv programs, listening to Spanish radio stations and music, and reading Spanish-language newspapers and novels.