At this time, ISDenver can accept a limited number of students in grades 1-2 to the Chinese, French, or Spanish tracks, without prior language background. Space is contingent upon available levels of student support and varies across programs.
 
Our Spanish “Welcome Class” accepts students in grades 3-5 without prior language background. Students interested in pursuing a French or Chinese language track in these grades must demonstrate grade-level proficiency as a requirement for admission. 

Learners continue to build upon their language development in Chinese, French, or Spanish in Lower School.

• 1^st and 2^nd Grades:
  • All subjects, including math and science, continue to be studied in the target language of French, Chinese or Spanish. Learners spend 70-80% of class time studying core subjects in their chosen immersion language.
     
  • English instruction increases over time. Learning in English increases to eight periods each week focusing on English language and literacy skills, music, art, and science-based global projects.
     
• 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th Grades:
   

  • Our 3^rd - 5^th grade learners adhere to a block schedule; meaning they only have a single linguistic transition each day. In practical terms, students in these grades participate in English instructional courses in a block of time during one part of the day, and then transition to a block of immersion courses for the remainder of the day. The primary, evidence-based advantages of reduced linguistic transitions include: 1) fostering a more in-depth and focused approach to learning in both English and the target language; and 2) increasing a learner’s understanding of a concept in English to promote a stronger cementation of concepts in the immersion language. 

  • Learners are mixed and grouped across all languages for English. The English classes contain children from all language programs, which fosters community-building and many new friendships among the entire cohort . Our English teachers are adept at creating a learning environment that is targeted to ensure your child’s growth in reading and writing skills.  

  • Instruction in English accounts for 50-60% of the time spent in class. The learning of science and social studies in English complements and augments the instruction of these subjects in the target language.
     

  • Learners receive mathematics instruction in both English and their target language.  We believe in the importance of your child understanding mathematical vocabulary and concepts in both their target language and English.  Children have two math teachers: English and target language; both teachers are specialists in math instruction. The curriculum is aligned, so they learn the same concepts at the same time.  

  • Starting in third grade, learners can choose to study a third language as an after-school elective at no additional cost.

  • Our 5^th graders are positioned as leaders in our Lower School, while preparing to transition into the IB Middle Years Programme in Grade 6. Their target language classes are held in our Middle School building, and fifth graders also participate in our after-school clubs and athletics with our G6-G8 students. 

At ISDISDenver, classrooms extend beyond the walls of the school. In Lower School, our learners’ link studies in the classroom with the experiential. World travels, shorter treks throughout their home state, and visits from local experts, include:

• Overnight field trips tied to classroom learning subject matter
   
  • 3^rd Grade: Three-day outdoor/environmental education trip to Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park, Colorado
     
  • 4^th Grade: Students from all language programs travel together to the Keystone Science School (KSS) for one week of intensive science instruction in English. Led by Keystone faculty, the students learn about water conservation, forest and aquatic ecology and environmental issues.
     
  • 5^th Grade: Students travel with their class to China, France, or Spain for ten-day immersive language and cultural study. 
     

learn more about classrooms without walls

Science, technology, engineering, arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) is an integral part of our Lower School curriculum, where students learn real-world applications of:

• Programming and coding,
• Design, and
• Engineering

In addition to utilizing Chromebooks, Lower School learners also have access to our state-of-art Design and Innovation Lab technologies, including:

• Mac Lab
• 3D Printers
• iPads
• Spheros
• Ozobots
• BeeBots
• Pro-Bots
• Little Bits
• Lego Mechanisms kits
• Collaboration and conferencing with classrooms abroad

The International School of Denver is an inclusive school offering an education to students with a wide range of learning differences and individual needs including,

• Those with specific learning difficulties and differences and
• Those who are highly achieving or gifted and talented and require challenge and enrichment.

Some learners demonstrate the potential to learn more quickly and achieve at higher levels than their peers at any given time.  We ensure these highly achieving students are recognized, engaged, and challenged accordingly. We also recognize that giftedness, intelligence, and talent are fluid concepts and may look different in different contexts and cultures.

Learn more about student support