So, you want to help your kids learn Spanish? Good choice! Here we show you fun ways to teach Spanish to kids.
Spanish is one of the most popular second languages for English speakers. That’s one of the many reasons Spanish is a great way to introduce children to another language.
What else makes Spanish a good choice for children? Phonetic spelling is great with Spanish. That is because Spanish sounds how it reads. If you know the Spanish alphabet sounds, you can read Spanish words aloud easily. This means that once you know how to sound out the letters, you can pronounce just about any word. So, reading becomes easy once your child knows how to sound out words. Making it easy for children when using this teaching method.
In this article, I’ve collected some of the best resources and methods to help your kids learn Spanish.
Let’s get to it!
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There are also simple things you can do as a parent to help kids getting familiar with Spanish:
1) Watch children’s TV shows in Spanish. For example, you can watch Netflix by changing the audio to Spanish, just as easy as that, and they will hear Spanish. You may even be able to find their favorite channels in Spanish as well, this way it keeps their interest.
2) Reading children’s Spanish books. We can introduce them into the habit of reading in another language using adapted books according to their age. Some libraries also offer children’s audiobooks in Spanish where they can listen at home at any moment of the day, or before going to bed.
Here are some free online books in Spanish for kids of various age groups (Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st & 2nd grade): https://www.wilbooks.com/free-spanish-online-books
The International Children’s Digital Library (ICDL) is a free database of hundreds of public-domain children’s books. You can sort by age and language. As of 1/12/2023, there were 119 Spanish books for kids.
3) Download apps to teach kids Spanish, always of course making sure these apps are suitable for them, such as some of the most downloaded apps for kids:
- Spanish School Bus for Kids (Apple store): https://apps.apple.com/lu/app/spanish-school-bus-for-kids/id642466531
- Spanish School Bus for Kids (Android store): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chungaboo.spanishschoolbus&hl=en_US
- Duolingo for Kids: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/duolingo-kids/id1261096643
4) Hiring a private Spanish tutor for kids: A good idea to give kids structure is to sign them up for private or group classes with Lingua Linkup. Classes can be set to 20 or 30 minutes for younger children, with group classes also taking place, to help kids learn together.
5) Spanish Games: Online Free Spanish – I particularly enjoy Online Free Spanish for its emphasis on listening skills. Nearly every game includes an audio clip, to give kids practice listening to the words they’re learning in the game. It also includes fun songs about various topics in Spanish, from the names of toys to adjectives and their opposites. The Mini Books section has an assortment of short stories, each one with bilingual text.
6) OPOL Method, One Parent, One Language – If one of the parents is fluent in Spanish, among the methods for teaching languages to children is the OPOL “one person, one language” method. In order to put this method into practice, it is necessary for each parent to speak a different language and to frequently speak to the baby or child in their first language. This allows the child to practice their listening skills more frequently.
7) Preview Review Method – Another method for teaching languages to children, which has shown good results in childhood, is the “Preview Review”, which consists of the translation of each word and each concept. It is very widespread and is the most used among children from 3 to 6 years old, who have not had contact with the second language in the first few years of life.
8) Phonics is a method designed to correctly pronounce and adopt children’s phonics devices. This method of avoiding speaking with an accent is currently being widely used to complete bilingual education, as it focuses on the pronunciation of Spanish phonemes from a very early age.
In summary:
Bilingual kids will have a range of career opportunities not available to monolingual speakers. This is all great news for bilingual children.
So… which resources do you use to help your children learn Spanish? Tell me about them in the comments.
Additional Tips
These lessons will easily teach kids new words (vocabulary), spelling, reading, listening, pronunciation, and speaking.
- Give step-by-step, clear instructions
- Include games, activities & teaching tips
- Offer accompanying worksheets, flashcards, craft sheets, songs and classroom readers
- Make it fun and educational
- Use theme-based categories
- Use words & images on flashcards to offer a visual way to learn.
Further Reading – Spanish Words for Pre-schoolers & Beginners:
- Fruits In Spanish
- Spanish Alphabet Sounds
- Basic Spanish Words For Beginners
- Spanish Vocabulary For The Bathroom
- Emotions In Spanish
- Names Of Animals In Spanish
About the Author:
Specializations: Spanish Tutors on Zoom
Bio: Hello! My name is Daniela Cardona from Bogotá, Colombia. I've been having fun for more than 8 years, teaching students from ages 2 to 80. I have a certification in TESOL, and I've traveled around the world finding different ways to approach languages from its roots. All my classes are focused on my students' needs and that's how I developed, over the years, my approach to methodology. First, you're going to acquire excellent conversational skills. Second, we will establish precise grammar rules through clear and real examples during our sessions, and third, but not least, we're going to have a lot of fun while nourishing your vocabulary, everyday expressions, and approaching real-life situations to strengthen your communication. I hope we can be in touch soon!
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Other articles: Colombian Slang Words and Phrases, Online Spanish for Kids, Chores for Kids in Spanish, Tongue Twisters for Kids in Spanish, Spanish Vocabulary for the Bathroom