The YHALE curriculum will be the Integrated Curriculum Model known as ICM which was originally developed for gifted student classrooms. ICM was chosen for YHALE because ICM works very well with differentiated instruction which is a type of instruction most often used in dual language immersion classrooms.
Also, studies have shown over the past few decades that students and parents who are attracted to dual language immersion programs also place a high priority on academics. The desire to become bilingual and biliterate, in and of itself, is a indication that a student has a high level of motivation and a respect for learning. This combination of academic priority, motivation and respect often propels students to learn quicker and crave academic challenge.
Knowing these are the common characteristics of DLI students, YHALE made the decision to use ICM so that all of its students would be exposed to a model of teaching that was developed for gifted students but that can be modified to each student’s unique needs.