ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Anne Arundel County schools are seeing an increasing number of students who speak Spanish at home and are learning English at school.
The Capital (http://bit.ly/1tjV7lZ ) reports more than 5,600 county children speak Spanish at home, based on 2012 Census figures.
Kelly Reider, the school system’s English language coordinator, says kindergarteners are the largest group learning English as a second language. There were 810 kindergarteners learning English last year. That number is expected to grow.
County schools spent more than $2 million last year helping those students and their families. There are about 90 instructors trained to provide extra help for English learners.
Many students learning English are the children of immigrants. The number of new students registered through the international students office has nearly doubled in the past four years.
Information from: The Capital of Annapolis, Md., http://capitalgazette.com
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