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Italian

Created in partnership with Casa Italiana and the Italian Embassy in DC, our Italian program is immersive and grounded in the Montessori approach. At each level the curriculum uses innovative Montessori materials and a rich array of Italian books, songs, and videos.

Beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes practice Italian through role-playing activities and conversation exercises. For additional practice, free after school enrichment classes are offered in the fall and spring. As lesson groups are kept small, each student receives individual attention and is able to fully participate in every lesson.

Classes are designed to joyfully engage students and motivate them to build their Italian language skills. Alongside vocabulary lessons and grammar exercises, students learn about Italian culture, geography, culinary traditions, and more!

Following her passion for Italian, Fiorenza joined the OFS World Language program in 2019. A native Italian speaker, she leads beginner, intermediate, and advanced language classes at Oneness-Family School.

Two students coloring with photos of Italian artists
A Visit to Casa Italiana

Our advanced middle school Italian students had an unforgettable day at Casa Italiana, the Italian sociocultural center in DC!

They embarked on a tour of the Italian art and historical artifacts at the center, led by a knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide. A delicious slice of Neapolitan pizza capped off the day. The field trip to Casa Italiana was a reminder that learning a language goes beyond words—it encompasses an entire world waiting to be explored!

Grazie mille to our Italian teacher Fiorenza for organizing this wonderful experience, and to Casa Italiana for supporting our Italian language program in so many ways!

Two students coloring with photos of Italian artists
Learning with Luca!

Today students immersed themselves in a fun and engaging activity centered around the beloved Pixar movie, Luca! They combined their vocabulary and comprehension skills by watching the film and completing various exercises inspired by the animated world of the movie. Through this interactive experience, Italian students not only expanded their linguistic abilities but also fostered a deeper appreciation for Italian culture and storytelling.


 

Two students coloring with photos of Italian artists
Buone Feste!

Happy holidays to all! Today's Italian lesson centered around Christmas traditions in Italy. Students also learned the names of all the pieces of the outfit of "Babbo Natale," otherwise known as Santa Claus.

boy playing with dried pasta
Spaghetti, Penne e Molto Altro!

Today students learned to name all of the different types of Italian pasta! They also practiced counting in Italian with pasta pieces and played a game with spaghetti called "Don't Be Eaten By the Monster."

Two students coloring with photos of Italian artists
Il giorno del Ringraziamento e il tacchino

Our Lower Elementary students learned about American Thanksgiving today – in Italian, "Il giorno del Ringraziamento e il tacchino." 

Kindergarten student seated and reading book on volcanoes
I Vulcani D'Italia

Italian students in our preschool—K class study the volcanoes of Italy, learning about the two most famous: Etna in Sicily and Vesuvio in Campania.

Student holding poem in Italian about Mother's Day
Cara Mamma

The 1st-3rd grade Italian class celebrated Mother's Day today, reading poems about mothers and discussing all the way mothers show love. Buona festa della mamma!
 

Two students coloring with photos of Italian artists
Buona Pasqua

In their language studies this week, students practiced their descriptive vocabulary with the Italian version of the game “Guess Who,” learned about the spring holidays celebrated in Italy, and put together sentences related to spring (“primavera”) and Easter (“Pasqua”).

Two students coloring with photos of Italian artists
Primavera!

To celebrate the advent of spring in Italian class, our kindergarten students assembled paper cherry blossoms (alberi di ciliegi in fiore) while our 3rd-5th grade students learned about Italian artists who celebrated springtime in their work, including Sandro Botticelli, Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and Antonio Vivaldi.

Student working on art project related to St. Patrick's Day
San Patrizio — St. Patrick's Day

Although St. Patrick's Day is not traditionally celebrated in Italy, our Italian students still learned some festive vocabulary to celebrate!

Carnevale!
Carnevale!

Carnevale in Italy, known in the U.S. as Carnival or Mardi Gras, takes place in the weeks leading up to Easter. Italians celebrate Carnevale with a huge winter festival marked by parades, masquerade balls, music, and parties. Our Italian students celebrated Carnevale by exploring the different costume and mask traditions throughout Italy—and then were inspired to create their own masks!

Neve — Winter
Neve — Winter

Students enjoyed using some new winter-themed vocabulary this week, including "neve" (snow), "inverno" (winter), and "pupazzo di neve" (snowman)!

Giornata Internazionale Della Pace
Giornata Internazionale Della Pace

Our 1st—3rd grade Italian students celebrated Giornata Internazionale Della Pace (International Peace Day) this week, learning how to say peace (pace), dove (colomba), recite the colors of the Peace Flag (bandiera della pace), and how to wish all children around the world a peaceful future.

Italian Language Benchmarks

The Curriculum Benchmarks summarize the skills and outcomes students accomplish in our Italian program.