I was reading over my 8 yr. old's homework paper and decided to share it with other Americans. I do not see any message in this for Juan to learn English.

Dear Diary,

Today my kitten, Gatito, jumped out of my arms and chased a mouse into the street. My cousin, Juan, was riding his bicycle down the street. He was heading straight for Gatito. "John ! Stop!", I yelled. Juan did not stop, because he did not understand English. Then I yelled, "Juan ! Pare !"
Just in time, Juan turned his bike to the right. "Rosa, at first I didn't know you were talking to me," Juan said to me in Spanish. I am lucky that I speak Spanish and English.

Here is the main question which follows the paragragh and here is the tip which they give to the student:

(TIP: Think about what happens in the story. How are the Spanish words used to solve Rosa's problem ?)

1. Why does Juan keep riding, even after Rosa shouts out to him?

A. She speaks English, but Gatito understands only Spanish.

B. Rosa speaks to Juan in English, and Juan understands only Spanish.

C. She speaks Spanish, but Juan speaks English.

D. Gatito speaks Spanish, and Juan speaks Spanish.

To me they are just using this "English" lesson to manipulate the American child's way of thinking. They can fool the American children, but they can't fool the American parents. We get the message, loud and clear.