Our Methodology
The 90/10 Immersion Model
We do not teach Spanish. We live in it. The 90/10 model means 90% of every day is conducted entirely in Spanish, and the remaining 10% supports English literacy and family communication.
Every day at AFA, your child spends approximately 7 hours immersed in Spanish and approximately 45 minutes in English-language support. This ratio is intentional. It mirrors the way children naturally learn their first language.
Why It Works
The brain is built for this.
The Critical Window
Birth through age 7 is the brain's most receptive period for language acquisition. During these years, children build neural pathways for language as naturally as they learn to walk. AFA captures this window.
Context Over Translation
Children at AFA do not translate Spanish to English in their heads. They build direct meaning through context, gesture, repetition, and play. This produces real fluency, not memorized vocabulary.
Cognitive Advantage
Decades of research show bilingual children develop stronger executive function, problem-solving skills, and cognitive flexibility. The benefits last a lifetime.
Why traditional Spanish classes fall short.
Most preschool 'Spanish programs' are language classes, not language environments. Children learn vocabulary lists, songs, and a few phrases. They do not become fluent. They become good at memorizing.
True immersion is different. At AFA, children do not learn ABOUT Spanish. They learn IN Spanish. They count blocks in Spanish. They negotiate sharing in Spanish. They sing, paint, eat, and rest in Spanish. The language is not a subject. It is the air they breathe.
What Your Child Experiences
What 90/10 looks like from morning to afternoon.
Student Drop Off
¡Buenos días! A warm welcome to start the day.
Breakfast
Fueling up for a day of learning.
Morning Circle
Songs, calendar, and setting intentions, entirely in Spanish
Hands-On Learning Blocks
Math, literacy, and sensory exploration, children work in Spanish
Outdoor Play
Gross motor development and fresh air with Spanish vocabulary woven in
Lunch
Por favor y gracias with friends
Rest & Quiet Activities
Recharging for the afternoon.
STEM & Storytime
Fostering curiosity and a love for reading.
Activities & Movement
Movement and cultural activities.
Pickup & Goodbye
¡Hasta mañana!
After School Enrichment Activities
After school enrichment activities include STEM, movement, reading, art and music, outdoor activities and more.
*Please note: This is a generalized schedule to illustrate a typical day at AFA. Individual classes follow their own unique schedules that may vary from the schedule listed above.
Our Faculty
Spanish is their first language. That is not optional.
Our teachers are native Spanish speakers from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Puerto Rico, and beyond. This is intentional. A non-native speaker, no matter how skilled, cannot give children the rhythms, idioms, intonation, and cultural depth that real fluency requires.
When children hear Spanish from someone for whom it is not just a language but a home, a culture, a memory, they receive something a textbook can never give. They learn to speak Spanish the way it is actually spoken.
The Question Every Parent Asks
Will my child fall behind in English?
No. Decades of research, and a decade of AFA graduates, prove the opposite.
Children in dual-language immersion programs consistently meet or exceed English literacy benchmarks for their age. They become bilingual readers, writers, and thinkers. By kindergarten, AFA children are reading in two languages, not one.
The 10% English support at AFA, combined with English exposure at home, provides what children need to develop strong English alongside their Spanish. There is no tradeoff. There is only addition.
"Bilingualism is a gift that lasts a lifetime."
— Alma Flor Ada
Outcomes
By the time they leave AFA.
Conversational Spanish fluency
Speaks, listens, and understands
Bilingual literacy
Reads and writes in two languages
Cultural fluency
Carries the rhythms and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world
Stronger executive function
Better focus, problem-solving, mental flexibility
Kindergarten readiness
Meets or exceeds Minnesota benchmarks
A wider lens on the world
Curious, connected, confident across cultures
Common Concerns
What parents ask before enrolling.
What if my family does not speak Spanish at home?
What if my child has a learning difference?
Won't my child be confused mixing two languages?
What happens when my child transitions to elementary school?
Do you ever speak English to a child who is struggling?
How long does it take to become fluent?
Why Choose AFA
Many schools claim immersion. Few deliver it.
AFA is not a typical preschool with Spanish enrichment. We are a true 90/10 immersion academy with native Spanish-speaking teachers, a research-backed curriculum, and a 5-level progression system designed to grow with your child from age 2 through Kindergarten.
When you tour AFA, you will hear what immersion actually sounds like. Children playing, learning, laughing, entirely in Spanish.
10+
Years Educating
200+
Families
100%
Native Faculty
See it in person.
The best way to understand 90/10 is to experience a classroom for yourself.
"¡Tu familia es nuestra familia!"