I’m very thankful I wasn’t given the option of learning Spanish, it was just all I knew and it became second nature. Now as an adult, I would say English is my first language, and the language my husband and I speak first and foremost to our children.
Now that our boys are 2 and 5, respectively, we plan to make more of an effort to teach them Spanish. Of course, we’ll speak the language to them regularly, but I’ve also been researching tools that will help make learning Spanish fun for them. Here’s a round-up of fantastic (mostly free) resources that’ll have them chatting away in Spanish in no time!
1. Let them watch TV in Spanish
“Pocoyo” has been translated into many languages and is super entertaining…especially in Spanish. My boys love the episodes and the friendly messages, as well as dancing to the music. My mom says I grew up watching “Pocoyo” and crew, too!
Additionally, Salsa Spanish is a free online TV show complete with PDF translated transcripts that’ll get your kids interested in its characters and lessons.
Lastly, The Goodnight Show on Sprout is both online and on TV. This wonderful show relaxes your child before bed while introducing useful Spanish words in clever ways.
2. Come up with a Spanish word of the day
Need some inspiration? OnlineFreeSpanish.com offers a fun word of the day to keep you coming back for more. My boys and I are now opening up the site at breakfast to discuss the day’s word!
3. Get downloadable activities (and more) on Pinterest
I found the coolest thing while clicking around on Pinterest one day: the Spanish Learning Board. It’s full of downloadable activities that will help your child with pronunciation and more. Now, this is what I call pin-worthy!
4. Join a Spanish-language summer reading camp
The L4LL Latino Children’s Summer Reading Program offers summer camps and programs nationwide geared toward Hispanic families and kids.
5. Check out some educational games online
I really like ABC Mouse, which offers lessons in reading, math, and spelling via interactive games, in both English and Spanish. And, it’s not expensive: A subscription is just $7 each month.
Want to teach your child Spanish along with me? What resource will you use?
