If you have been teaching your child to speak Spanish, congratulations—you are preparing your child for a whole new world of learning that will help them in the future.
But sometimes, you may feel clueless about using Spanish daily to get your child to practice (unless you are from a Hispanic background yourself). As a Spanish-teaching bilingual preschool in King County, Washington, we know that immersion is the key.
According to research done by the Georgetown University Medical Center, learning through immersion is a better way to learn a language than rote learning in a classroom. Students in immersion programs, like those in a bilingual school or day care center in King County, Washington, demonstrate higher levels of cognitive function and greater rates of language acquisition.
Ana Lomba, an award-winning author and teacher of preschool Spanish, suggests using games to your advantage. She wrote that children are more likely to learn Spanish when it is taught in a way that engages their senses and integrates the language into daily life.
You can try the walk-and-talk game. Anna Maria, a contributor in the Spanish culture blog FluentU, wrote that your daily walk outside with your kid is the perfect time to put their Spanish skills to the test.
Here’s how the game works:
- When you go out with your child, chat with them about the things they see around them.
- If something (an object, an animal, or a person) catches your attention, ask your child what they call it in Spanish.
- Use simple question-and-answer formulas. For example, if you see a stoplight, point it out to your child and ask, “¿Qué es eso?”
- Prompt them if they don’t know how to respond. Going back to the previous example, you can say “Es un semáforo.” Try this out with different questions like “¿Dónde está? (Where is it?)”
This is just one way of getting your child to practice and develop their Spanish skills. You can learn more teaching strategies and even see them implemented in a center for child education in King County, Washington.
Keep posted for more helpful tips and information from Lagarllito’s Garden Bilingual Spanish School!
