Webster School on Peoria’s South Side offers Head Start for bilingual and Spanish-Speaking kids. Just a decade ago, there were only a handful of Hispanic students. Now there are two classrooms with teachers who are dedicated to helping them transition to English.

Webster School on Peoria’s South Side offers Head Start for bilingual and Spanish-Speaking kids. Just a decade ago, there were only a handful of Hispanic students. Now there are two classrooms with teachers who are dedicated to helping them transition to English. 

ESL Head Start teacher Maria Teresa Brown is talking to a group of parents in Spanish. The atmosphere is relaxed, but some parents new to the program look a bit anxious. Brown says that’s normal, especially since many of these families don't speak English or have never had access to Pre-K. Brown says this classroom will set the stage for the rest of their children’s lives.

“No hablan inglés, la mayoría de ellos, entonces este es un program excelente porque les ayuda a la transición del español, que es lo que hablan en casa.”

“The majority of them don’t speak English,” Brown said. “This is an excellent program because it helps them transition out of Spanish, which is what they speak at home.”

Brown says the first half of the year is primarily Spanish, but by the second half, kids are more, if not completely, immersed in English.

Carolina Mejia is a mother of four. Mejia is enrolling her youngest, who’s three, in head start this year.

“Como que no tiene mucho edad. Es algo muy bonito, ver que ellos van aprendiendo desde tanto temprano edad. Para saber que hay algo más para ellos.”

“It’s such a beautiful thing, to see your kids learning at such a young age. To know that there is something bigger for them,” Mejia said.

Meija says she can’t begin to describe the happiness she feels knowing they have opportunities that she did not.

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