KEYRIS MANZANARES: At Broad Rock Elementary School in Richmonds Southside, success speaks two languages.

These first graders spend a half the day learning in Spanish and the other half in English.

This is part of Richmond Public School's first ever dual immersion program.

Savannah Gordon's favorite part is... SAVANNAH GORDON: That it helps me learn a lot when I... when I talk to people at Spanish.

KEYRIS MANZANARES: But the district's Multilingual Instruction Coordinator, Victoria Pierson says the program isn't just about acquiring language skills.

VICTORIA PIERSON: This program - students are actually learning content in Spanish and English, so they're not just learning conversational Spanish and English, but they're actually learning math in Spanish.

They're learning science, history, literacy skills.

So they are learning how to read and write in both languages.

And we're seeing that even by first and second grade, students are really able to build those literacy skills.

KEYRIS MANZANARES: Half of Broad Rock's student population is multilingual, primarily Spanish speakers.

Across the division 97% of multilingual learners speak Spanish.

Students who participate in the dual language program are chosen through a lottery system.

HANNAH BATDORF: And you would think, ‘Oh, it's just Spanish speakers going into this program.

Absolutely not.

Any student can be bilingual, and any student can learn to become bilingual.

KEYRIS MANZANARES: Savannah's mom agrees.

BRIANDE GORDON: I think that this is the age where they can absorb all of it, and they can get into music and in, and you learn different... everything about the culture, the food, the dance.

And when you emerge it into your lifestyle, they tend to adapt to it a lot quicker.

KEYRIS MANZANARES: For Caleb Rivera's mom, this teaching model promotes Spanish as an important skill.

(Speaking Spanish) KEYRIS MANZANARES: Pierson says the program aims to encourage students Spanish proficiency while teaching English.

VICTORIA PIERSON: But we have known for a very long time that bilingualism has so many benefits that, people who are bilingual have stronger cognitive abilities they're better at verbal reasoning and executive functioning.

There's even studies that they have higher levels of empathy.

KEYRIS MANZANARES: The class ends with story time bringing everyone together.

Calebs favorite part of the day.

CALEB RIVERA: Because then if I didn't know Spanish, or if I didn't know English I can understand.

KEYRIS MANZANARES: RPS plans to expand its dual immersion program to a second school in the near future.

Keyris Manzanares, VPM News.