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¡Hola! My name is Tammy Dann and I am Crestview's Spanish teacher. I have taught elementary Spanish for ffifteen years in West Des Moines. I did my undergraduate work at Central College in Pella, Iowa. I completed a Master of Science in Education from Drake University. I have lived and studied in Granada, Spain. The first time was in college and the second was through a program offered by the Spanish consulate.

I have traveled to Mexico, Spain, France, Great Britain (England, Scotland, Gibraltar), Switzerland, Italy, Canada, and some islands in the Caribbean. Since the birth of my daughter, my family and I have been visiting the National Parks and doing lots of camping.

I teach all kids first through sixth grade at Crestview for 30 minutes twice a week. You will find me at Crestview every school day except Mondays.

I very strongly believe that children should have the opportunity to learn a second language. It is because of that belief that I speak only in Spanish with your children and my daughter. Like your children, I want her to have all the benefits of learning a second language. We continue to practice a third language, French. My husband learned French in high school and college. He too studied abroad, living for a semester in Paris, France. He has not used his French much since college, so he is a bit rusty but through practice he is getting better and our daughter is starting to understand French. I worked this summer on improving my very limited French skills.

Sra. Dann 633.5707 dannt@wdmcs.org @sra_dann

Learning a second language (Spanish) in elementary school starts the children in the West Des Moines Community School District on the path to being bilingual. Below is a summary from an article about some of the benefits of being bilingual.

// Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power // A researcher from Toronto has helped to pinpoint some of the basic brain benefits that bilinguals enjoy. Studies show that the brain of a bilingual person keeps both languages active even if they are only speaking one. This means that the brain is always working to distinguish which language should be used in a given situation, providing a sort of mental exercise that helps keep cognitive pathways strong and healthy. These brain benefits help bilinguals perform better on certain cognitive tasks that required focusing on important information and avoiding distractions. Finally, researchers believe this kind of mental exercise may help delay the onset of dementia in older bilingual adults.

Click here to read [|//Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power//].