Gray and New Gloucester kindergarten students are getting a head start on learning the Spanish language this year.

After years of discussion on how to introduce foreign language to young students, the SAD 15 school board, with support from the community, decided to hire Spanish teachers to work with kindergarteners as well as middle school students.

The decision to teach foreign language to children as young as 5 and 6 years old was made based on research that shows children are most receptive to foreign language when they are young.

A survey was distributed last spring to parents asking which language they would prefer their children learn, and Spanish was the overwhelming favorite. Children are already exposed to Spanish on television, especially through the popular television show Dora the Explorer, so many children already have some familiarity with it.

“When it’s exciting and fun, children respond to that,” said Donna Beeley, principal at Memorial School in New Gloucester.

Jennifer Simons, the kindergarten Spanish teacher, said that she is working on teaching her students the fundamentals of the language through songs and games. Dividing her time between Memorial and Russell schools, Simons uses a CD called “Hop, Skip and Sing in Spanish” to keep the children interested. During each class, Simons introduces a new color, plays a game of I Spy using that color, and closes with another game or song. All of this is done within a half an hour.

“Their attention spans are pretty short, so it has to stay interesting,” said Simons.

Simons meets with each class twice a week, giving kindergarteners an hour of Spanish per week.

Simons went to the University of Maine at Orono where she majored in secondary education with a concentration in Spanish. Originally, she wanted to teach Spanish to high school students, but when she learned that Gray-New Gloucester were looking for an elementary school Spanish teacher, she was intrigued by working with children that she says are like “sponges.”

“Their susceptibility to learning a second language is so high right now. You’re getting them at an age where they want to learn,” said Simons.

Simons said she will not rule out teaching older students some day, but is happy where she is right now and looks forward to moving up through the grades with her current students.

“I feel appreciated and that the kids really appreciate the language,” said Simons.

Beeley said that foreign language in Gray and New Gloucester elementary schools has been received well by parents. But some people believe that introducing another language to children who are still learning their primary language could be confusing. However, Dr. Karen Lemke, association professor of education at St. Joseph’s College in Standish, says that by age 4, children are more than ready to learn a second language.

“We’re missing the boat by teaching children a foreign language when they’re going into high school. At age 4, it’s just ideal to introduce a second language because they’ve got the framework (of their primary language) down,” said Lemke.

Lemke added that children younger than 2 could get confused if they are exposed to two languages on a regular basis, but that confusion is worked out by the time they are ready for kindergarten. And learning a foreign language may even help students master their first language.

“It just broadens children so much. I think its really helps in terms of grammar, especially tense. Children are so ready so early to learn a second language. I applaud the school systems that are doing that,” said Lemke.