Education helps children select and progress toward appropriate goals. One of the impediments to education for American students is their lack of skill in English. Clear insight into the essentials of language comes from observing how the variables function in a model language such as Esperanto. Once children understand the basic anatomy of language, they will not be defeated by the rules of the English language, where fully 80% of the words are not spelled phonetically. Esperanto serves as a generic introduction for all languages and should be taught in first or second grade. Since it is unlike foreign languages it can easily be learned by classroom teachers. Esperanto can serve as an ideal transition into formal English for English-speaking children, and can serve children of different native languages by helping them with the transition into English. Esperanto in the elementary school can convert the abject failure of foreign language programs into success. (CR)