Diné Language Program 

At STAR School, every student from kindergarten through eighth grade learns Diné bizaad, the Navajo language. Our program is supported by a Native American Language (NAL) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Several Diné language teachers lead our language classes. All of them are fluent Diné speakers.

Each grade has its own Diné language class every day. In these immersion classes, students hear and speak Diné with very little English. Lessons start with the building blocks: greetings, introducing yourself with your clans, family members, colors, animals, foods, counting, and action words. Teachers use Total Physical Response (TPR), a method where students act out words and phrases with their whole body. It is fun, it keeps students moving, and it helps the language stick.

Diné language does not stay in one classroom. Our language teachers also join regular classes and teach parts of English language arts, math, and science lessons in Diné. A student might learn to count and measure in Diné during math, or name plants and soil in Diné during science. This way, students use the language in real situations throughout the day.

We track each student’s growth with the STAR Diné Language Assessment. Our teachers created it together with language experts from Northern Arizona University. Students are tested at the start and end of each school year, so we can see how their listening and speaking skills grow over time.

Families are part of the program too. Through our Family Diné Language Program, parents and caregivers learn simple ways to use Diné at home. Every year, students share what they have learned at our Harvest Festival and at our Winter Program, where they perform traditional songs, dances, and skits in Diné.