In this post: Read on for the FOUR daily activities that will equip you to teach your kids Spanish with success!
Do you want to teach your kids Spanish, but don’t know where to start?
Maybe you are learning alongside them, or perhaps you just need the tools to make it fun and engaging?
The following FOUR simple steps will set you on the path to teaching your kids Spanish successfully!
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Table of Contents
Set Realistic Expectations
But first, we need to set realistic expectations!
Do you identify with the tortoise or the hare? I have to admit I favor the hare. I’m usually rushing around and I can definitely be a productivity junkie.
But one thing I have learnt over the past few years teaching my littles Spanish is this: slow and steady wins the race. Yep, that’s right. We’ve got to identify with the tortoise.
There is no one tool or gimmick for learning a language fast. Say that out loud! It’s important to grasp that from the outset.
So now we can move on to the four key strategies for teaching our kids Spanish:
Read Aloud
The first step is reading aloud. Spend time reading Spanish books every single day. Immersing your kids in the world of children’s literacy and authentic stories, is perhaps one of the greatest joys of learning a new language.
The bonding it encourages from the physical act of snuggling up with our kids, to the treasured stories that become a core part of our childhood memories.
Our bilingual bookshelf has grown rapidly over the past few years. Many of our favorite Spanish books come from my bilingual bookshop with Usborne Books & More. These books are high quality, interactive and stunningly beautiful! Some of our favorite series include Toca Toca (for toddlers) and Un Libro para Iluminar (for 3+).
Whether you are a complete beginner, or intermediate Spanish learner, the following posts can help you kickstart your very own bilingual bookshelf.
Related Posts:
- Best Children’s Spanish Beginner Books
- Best Spanish Fairy Tales & Fables
- Children’s Spanish Books with Black & Latinx Protagonists
Spanish Music
The second step is using music! Music is sticky. It helps enormously with vocabulary acquisition and engages your child’s shorter attention span.
Learning through songs is highly effective for language learning. There are so many ways that music can become a part of your daily routine:
- Sing along to this precious book & CD collection of Traditional Spanish Nursery Rhymes and enjoy learning about the cultures of so many Spanish speaking countries.
- Do your kids enjoy Youtube? Check out this post about our Top 8 YouTube Channels for Spanish Nursery Rhymes.
- On the go: Whilst running errands or heading to Preschool, church etc, play my FREE Spotify list for Best Spanish Songs for Kids or select one of these Spanish Podcasts for Kids. Our top pick is Eat Your Spanish ~ a Montessori music based podcast for younger kids.
Screen Time
Leveraging screen time for Spanish learning is the third step. Now, there are several great age appropriate kids’ shows and movies on Netflix.
However, I do believe Apps are far more effective for learning a language. There are a lot of options but after hours of trialling different ones, are favorites are Gus on the Go and Spanish School Bus.
Related Posts:
Choose a Curriculum
The final step is choosing a curriculum or online class to support your child’s learning and it often takes away the prep work for you!
There are so many amazing options now- the past few years have seen a boom in high quality Spanish homeschooling courses.
I have rounded up the very best Spanish Curriculums here. Whether you want a screen based course, nature- based, high or low parental involvement- there will be one suitable for your family!
If you want to be totally hands-off and allow your child to be tutored by a native speaker online, I highly recommend TruFluency Kids. I wrote up a full review of the TruFluency Kids program here, after my 5 year old son completed 2 semesters of Spanish with them.
Learn Spanish en Casa eBook
OK, so those are FOUR really essential components to learning a language! But I want to know- are you serious about learning Spanish with your kids? Are you ready to commit?
In this Digital Guide I will show you step by step how to teach your kids Spanish!
No more hours wasted trawling Pinterest for resources. No more money wasted on books or courses that just don’t cut it. No more false starts friend!
Get started TODAY– Visit the SHOP.
Related Posts:
How to Raise a Bilingual Child
Top 5 Spanish Subscription Boxes for Kids
Founder of the Llamitas Spanish® Curriculum and former Spanish teacher. Corrie holds a Masters in Spanish and Education and is raising bilingual children in San Diego, CA.