Six families. Six toddlers. Two parents who understood that the “window of opportunity” for language learning was open!

Back in 2003, CommuniKids language immersion school got its start thanks to these three things. Founders Jeannine Piacenza and Raúl Echevarría, along with a few other like-minded families founded Caterpillar Cooperative Preschool, a small program that met three times a week. Coincidentally, most of the families were speaking another language at home to their children and wanted to support the development of their multilingual children. Within two years, the group grew to an organized immersion program with paid professional teachers and a full Spanish-immersion curriculum.

Astounded at how fast their own children picked up the language, Jeannine and Raúl founded CommuniKids in 2005, offering weekly classes in Spanish – with Raúl taking care of the teaching and Jeannine managing the administration.

In 2007, CommuniKids expanded to Falls Church and added languages in both locations: Mandarin, French, and Arabic. Recognizing that extended time immersed in another language translated to better fluency results, Jeannine and Raúl decided to establish two full-time preschool programs – one in DC and one in Falls Church – in 2009. With 20 students enrolled in DC and 25 in Falls Church, CommuniKids started small and quickly grew due to word of mouth.

From the beginning, the school founders were committed to a play-based, developmentally-appropriate approach to early childhood learning – so accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children was the next natural step for the school. In 2012, both schools received NAEYC accreditation, putting them in the company of only about 8% of preschools in the U.S.

One of the best things about CommuniKids is our family feel. Several of our current preschool teachers have been a part of our company since we started in 2005. Some of our teachers were caregivers for the original Caterpillar Cooperative kids. Some are parents whose own children attended CommuniKids. And some started volunteering with us in high school and are now lead teachers!

We demonstrate our core values in the way we work, how we treat each other, and serve our families. Each year, we put a special emphasis on one of our Core Values, and integrate this value into all we do.

Our Core Values

Tolerance
Celebrating and respecting the diversity in each and every one of us.

Solidarity
Understanding that collaboration leads to better learning and better social connections.

Responsibility
Understanding that actions have consequences that affect ourselves and others

Kindness
Being friendly, generous and considerate to those around us.

Equity
Commitment to promoting fair access to high quality multilingual early education.

Source: C.A. Nelson (2000). Credit: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University

Our ECSL® Approach

Language Acquisition and the "Window of Opportunity"
Very young children are perfectly situated in the "window of opportunity" for language learning. Beginning at birth, all children have the capacity to learn any of the world’s languages and to reproduce them with a near-native accent. This natural ability is activated by exposure to everyday, interactive conversation. Research shows that the younger the child, the easier it is for him or her to master more than a single language.

Full language immersion school instruction in the target language: Children in ECSL programs spend a significant portion of their time (up to 55 hours a week in some cases) improving their preschool skills in a second language. This extended period of exposure, coupled with a language-rich environment and active fluency promotion from our teachers, allows most ECSL students to attain full proficiency in a second language by the time they are ready to begin their K-12 education.

A play-based approach: Children learn best through play, which stimulates development across all areas: cognitive, linguistic, motor/physical, and social-emotional. Recent research also suggests that the frequency and complexity of play in early childhood can predict future academic achievement. Our ECSL curriculum ensures that each day includes time for all kinds of play – child-initiated and teacher-guided – in small and large group settings. Students have plenty of opportunities to practice their new language, try out different roles, and interact with their peers.

A warm, nurturing, and cohesive environment: CommuniKids classrooms and spaces are intentionally designed to be inviting and to promote play. Activities are engaging and developmentally-appropriate. Our highly-trained, experienced educators establish clear routines and expectations, using audiovisual cues, music, and mediators (physical objects that remind students what they should be doing). This approach allows children to know what is happening in the class and understand what they should be doing, even if they do not (yet) fully understand the target language.

A theme-based, integrated curriculum emphasizing global values: Children do not learn about the world by breaking ideas down into subsets like “math” or “science.” Instead, they integrate all learning into a coherent whole. In the ECSL classroom, we teach children in the ways they learn best by incorporating multiple subject areas into each lesson. Classroom activities are interactive, engaging, and child-centered. Our language immersion schools curriculum is organized by thematic units that are relevant to children and that promote what we consider the core values of a global education: responsibility, tolerance, solidarity, and an appreciation for multiculturalism.