August 14, 2009
Baltimore Education Examiner: Trampoline Learning Programs for Young Minds - Reported by Katelyn Thomas

For parents who want their young children to learn languages, develop basic music skills, or develop etiquette skills that will last a lifetime, the idea of sending children to a child care program all day and then having them attend extra classes after a full day of care can seem overwhelming. The founder of the Trampoline Learning Programs for Young Minds created a solution for these parents - preschool curriculum programs that teach these skills.

Angelica Menefee, the president and founder of Trampoline, took the time to answer a few questions about how this program helps children learn.

Q. What prompted you to start a curriculum enrichment program for young learners?
A. “I was a mother of three young children and a local preschool asked me to teach Spanish part-time. As we were trying to determine how to schedule these lessons into the students’ school week, I realized that it would be best for the students if the lessons were designed to weave more naturally into their day and be incorporated into all that they do, rather than have 20 minutes of “Spanish time” per week. It seemed to make sense to create a curriculum that the regular classroom teacher could use. Since any introductory Spanish curriculum would cover the same themes, concepts and vocabulary as the native language, I wanted to create a curriculum that could be used in tandem with lessons that teachers were already teaching. This way, the students would receive more total Spanish instruction time, there would be no switching of gears required, and the concepts that the students were learning in their core academic curriculum would be reinforced."

Q. Are students able to learn new languages easily at this age?
A. "Everything is a new language at this age! And yes, students learn very easily at this age because all learning takes place through play, through multi-sensory exploration. Our programs are designed specifically for toddlers through pre-emerging and beginning readers. They bank these foreign vocabulary words and language concepts just like they bank vocabulary and language skills in English during these years. The added benefit of acquiring a second language at these young ages is that it comes without the hesitation and anxiety that it does for older learners. No one is worried about whether their pronunciations sound funny or if they are correctly conjugating verbs!"

Q. Besides learning to speak a new language, does this early exposure provide any other benefits?
A. "A number of studies have concluded that exposing children to the language and cultures of others often results in:

• enhanced academic achievement in reading, math and social studies -a greater understanding of the English language.
• improvement in creative inquiry, problem solving, conceptualizing, reasoning, and critical thinking skills.
• increased sensitivity to and understanding of other languages and cultures.
  

Q. Your program overview mentions that schools don’t need to hire more staff members or send their current teachers for specialized training. How do teachers who don't know how to speak another language use your curriculum?
A. "At this level, we're introducing the language and exploring the culture, not teaching grammar. The intention is to pique children's interest and awareness about other lands and languages. We provide teachers with all they need to do this. The programs come with complete teacher guides that supply phonetic pronunciations of all theme-related vocabulary. An audio CD is also provided to help teachers become more familiar with pronunciations. Additionally, the CD offers 20 or more theme related songs for use in the classroom. There are also hundreds of easy games and activities provided. Because language acquisition requires frequent repetition, the songs and games provide an easy way to practice vocabulary as part of a daily circle time. The songs and games also utilize elements of rhythm and movement which use students' gross and fine motor skills. This multisensory approach is fun for the teachers and students and can be adapted to many learning styles."

Q. Are schools in the Baltimore area using your curriculum?
A. “I’m very happy that many schools are currently using Trampoline curriculum, including the following Maryland area schools:

• Apple Tree Early Learning Center – Cockeysville
• Ascension Lutheran Nursery School & Kindergarten – Towson
• Calvary Lutheran – Baltimore City
• Emmanuel Lutheran – Catonsville
• Nobel Learning Communities – Touchstone School – Bethesda
• Step By Step Children’s Learning Center – Sparks
• St. Paul’s Plus – Brooklandville
• St. Paul Lutheran – Catonsville
• St. Paul’s Lutheran – Glen Burnie
• St. Paul’s Lutheran – Kingsville
• Trinity Church Day School -  Long Green
• As well as The Goddard School’s Maryland locations in Baltimore, Bel Air,
  Columbia, Eldersburg, Forest Hill, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Hanover, Hickory Ridge,
  Marriotsville, Owings Mills, Pasadena, Sparks, Urbana and Waldorf.”

Q. Is there anything else you wish I would have asked?
A. "Maybe: How is Trampoline's approach to learning different than the traditional model? We believe that each child is a multifaceted learner. We provide a spiraling, inclusive, multisensory curriculum that allows children to see the same subject through many lenses. This increases the probability of piquing each child’s interest and improves the global application of each theme or lesson."

About Trampoline's founder Angelica Jane Menefee:

Angelica Jane Menefee is the founder and president of Trampoline, Inc. and author of four foreign language programs in her Trampoline Explorer series; art, music, and etiquette programs in her Trampoline Scholar series; and physical education programs in her Trampoline Competitor series. Mrs. Menefee earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish Language and Culture from Dickinson College where she spent her junior year abroad studying at the Universidad de Málaga in Málaga Spain. She received her certificate in Early Childhood Education from Dundalk Community College, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and her Teacher's Certification for Foreign Language K-12 from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington where she was on the Dean's List, maintained a 4.0 GPA, and won the Chancellor's Achievement Award.

Mrs. Menefee taught pre-school in Owings Mills, Maryland where she instituted a foreign language program for more than fifty children and middle school Spanish for the Baltimore County Public School system where she headed the Foreign Language Team. Mrs. Menefee has tutored public and private school students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and taught after-school Spanish classes for elementary school children. She has volunteered at The Parents' Choice Foundation, the nation's oldest not-for-profit evaluator of children's books, videos, toys, audios, computer software, television, and magazines.

Mrs. Menefee is an active member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Mid-Atlantic Association for the Education of Young Children, the Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Central Maryland Association for the Education of Young Children.
Mrs. Menefee lives with her husband, Ashton, and their three children in Towson, Maryland.