Learning Spanish for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Kids have great skill for learning new languages.

Watching children develop language skills is exciting and memorable. You can double your fun by teaching your child a second language. Spanish is prominent in the United States and according to Early Childhood News, the best time to learn another language is during the first three to four years of life. Even if you are not fluent in Spanish, introducing it to your child offers a learning opportunity for you, too.

Things You'll Need

• Bilingual books
• Spanish CDs and DVDs

Instructions

1. Speak to your children in Spanish. Start by introducing simple words and greetings. If you are fluent in Spanish, speak to the child in Spanish some of the time, or one parent can speak in English and the other in Spanish all the time.

2. Play in Spanish. Create a silly game with lots of Spanish commands, such as dance (baila), sing (canta) or clap your hands (aplaude). Introduce toy objects in Spanish and invent games around the objects; have a tea party with cups and plates or make up a story about a stuffed animal. Play memory games with Spanish flashcards or Spanish Bingo.

3. Teach your child Spanish songs. Find Spanish CDs at a bookstore or library. According to Bilingual Fun, singing helps cement pronunciation, fluency and understanding. Choose songs the child already knows in English, or teach it to him in English first and then Spanish.

4. Read together. Find books with text in both Spanish and English about familiar characters such as Curious George or Clifford the Big Red Dog. If you do not feel comfortable speaking the language, find Spanish audio books and Spanish/English transcripts to enjoy the stories together.

5. Immerse your child in Spanish when possible. Attend Hispanic cultural festivals regularly or hire a Spanish-speaking babysitter. Look in your community for language schools offering Spanish classes for toddlers and check daycare and preschool directories for foreign language components and immersion programs.

References

• Bilingual Fun: Five Tips for Teaching Your Child Spanish at Home
• ESL Teachers Board: Teach Kids a Second Language
• District Administration: Learning a Second Language When and Why
• Early Childhood News: Can Preschool Children Be Taught A Second Language?

Resources

• Discovering Spanish with Children
• StoryPlace: La Biblioteca Pre-Escolar
• Hello World: Games, puzzles, and other activities make learning Spanish fun!
• Spanish Playground
• Child and Me Teaching Spanish Resources