January at KIBS - Bilingual Beginnings
Week 1: Getting Started
At KIBS, we don’t teach languages — we live them.
Children grow into two languages in a wonderfully natural way, much like they learn to walk, laugh, and form friendships: through closeness, repetition, and joy.
At KIBS, bilingualism isn’t something children “do” only in a lesson — it’s part of who we are and how we live our days together. Our teachers each speak one language consistently — English or German — and children quickly learn which language belongs to which person, just as they do at home when different caregivers speak different languages. Before long, they move between both languages with ease and confidence — and without pressure.
In the early years, it is completely normal for one language to feel stronger for a while. That balance shifts gently over time as children listen, try, repeat, and grow — each in their own rhythm.
With steady exposure and warm relationships, children become increasingly secure in both school languages. By Grade 6, most of our students communicate confidently in German and English. And when a third language is part of home life, that is not a complication — it is an added gift. It simply means every child’s language journey looks a little different, and we are here to support each one on their own multilingual path.
Language blossoms where children feel safe and connected — in play, stories, songs, routines, and all those small, real moments of everyday life. This month, we invite you into exactly those moments — from our Baby Room all the way to Grade 6.
Welcome to our Bilingual Beginnings.
💡 Good to know 💡
Research in bilingual child development — including findings from Cambridge University — shows that it is very common for young children to lean more on one language at first. Over time, with regular contact and secure relationships, both languages grow stronger and more balanced.
At home, one of the most helpful gifts you can give is to speak with your child in the language that feels closest to your heart and comes most naturally to you. When families stay as consistent as possible, children are supported in building both languages step by step, with confidence and ease.