Knowing how to teach your child Spanish so they can become bilingual is not just a perk but a significant advantage—some might even say it’s essential!
As parents striving to give our children the best, we naturally want to pass on this valuable linguistic skill. Spanish is an especially popular choice, with over 500 million speakers worldwide.
These challenges often arise when we want to teach our children Spanish but feel limited by our own language abilities. The internet is flooded with information on how to teach a foreign language at home, whether or not we speak it, and navigating through this vast sea of resources can be overwhelming.
In this article, I’ll simplify the process by breaking it down into manageable steps, explaining the what, why, and how of teaching Spanish to your child at home.
Don’t Just Learn a Language: Acquire It
Let’s start by imagining this: you’re building a house.
Before you can construct the house piece by piece, you first need to lay down a solid foundation. In this analogy, understanding how to learn Spanish is the foundation, and the strategies we’ll discuss below are the pieces that build the house.
To grasp how children learn a foreign language, we’ll turn to linguist Stephen Krashen, who developed a valuable theory on language acquisition:
“The result of language acquisition … is subconscious. We are generally not consciously aware of the rules of the languages we have acquired. Instead, we have a ‘feel’ for correctness. Grammatical sentences ‘sound’ right, or ‘feel’ right, and errors feel wrong, even if we do not consciously know what rule was violated.” (Krashen 10)
While we often think of language learning in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and drills, it’s actually more effective to use the language in meaningful ways. The interaction itself is what captures and deeply engages us. Just as children subconsciously learn the rules of their native language, we can apply this method to maximize the potential for acquiring a second language.
Let’s consider these two contrasting examples:
Example 1: Memorization
A teacher stands in front of the students, pointing to a list of new Spanish vocabulary words on the board. He instructs the students to write the words in their notebooks: agua, arena, lodo, polvo. The students are then told to look up each word’s definition in the dictionary, make flashcards, and memorize their meanings.
Example 2: Experience
Students gather in a circle. The teacher presents a sensory table with four different textures, each labeled with its name. She asks the students to touch each substance while saying its name: agua, arena, lodo, polvo. They instantly associate the tactile sensation of each substance (water, sand, mud, dust) with its Spanish name.
In both examples, the students are learning, but the question is: how are they learning?
The first example demonstrates memorization, while the second combines associative memory with subconscious acquisition. Although both methods lead to learning, the second approach is more effective and yields longer-lasting results because it’s made meaningful through experience.
Children, especially toddlers and younger ones, are much quicker to imitate words, phrases, or song lyrics when they acquire them through experience rather than memorization.
With this in mind, let’s explore some of the most effective strategies you can use at home to enhance language learning!
Teach Spanish: 11 Strategies for Success
1. Learn Along with Your Child
Your kids need a strong incentive to learn a second language. Once they realize that it will increase the time they spend interacting with you, they’ll be more motivated to engage.
Whether you’re brushing up on your skills or starting from scratch, it’s going to be a rewarding experience! Consider enrolling in an online course, such as those offered by Homeschool Spanish Academy (the first class is free!), or explore other options that suit your family’s needs. It’s essential to ensure your pronunciation skills are solid as you embark on this learning journey with your child.
2. Set Up a Daily Schedule for Language Learning
Establishing a daily routine of 10 to 30 minutes at the same time each day is crucial for optimal results. Children thrive in structured learning environments where they know what to expect. Depending on their age, they may need to start with shorter time frames and gradually build up their stamina over several weeks.
To teach Spanish to your child, create a routine that works for both of you by dividing the time into activities that encourage learning. For example:
- 5 minutes – Sing a fun song with a meaningful dance.
- 10 minutes – Color a picture and practice pronunciation through an activity.
- 10 minutes – Play a game to reinforce new vocabulary.
- 5 minutes – Sing the same fun song with meaningful dance again.
3. Choose Your Themes When You Teach Spanish
When teaching Spanish, focusing on specific themes can help both you and your child concentrate on related information, making learning more manageable.
By connecting similar ideas within a theme, you’re more likely to create meaningful memories. Spanish themes could revolve around central topics.
For instance, if the theme is “On the Beach,” you could spend 2 to 4 weeks discussing various sub-topics using vocabulary (e.g., warm weather, beach essentials, things you see at the beach), phrases and verbs (e.g., vamos a la playa, me gusta nadar), and playing beach-related games (e.g., tossing a beach ball while saying new words or phrases, singing songs about hot weather, or filling up a kiddie pool).
Organize your themes in a notebook and jot down new ideas as you progress through the year of learning.
4. Use Props and TPR
Props, defined broadly as “tools that assist,” can help bring your Spanish lessons to life. Use toys and gadgets to capture your child’s attention and spark their desire to play.
For example, a squishy toy frog offers a more engaging experience than a simple picture. If you want to encourage subconscious learning, stimulating your child’s senses is key.
Similarly, Total Physical Response (TPR) is a method that uses physical movement to help students understand new words. As parents, we naturally use this approach when teaching our children to speak their native language, so it should come naturally!
TPR involves using your body to demonstrate the meaning of words while teaching them, and then having your child mimic the movement along with the word or phrase. For instance, when teaching the phrase “Tengo sueño” (I am tired), you can rub your hands over your eyes in a sleepy motion. Have your child repeat the phrase while using the same motion.
Consistency is important when choosing movements for the words or phrases you’re teaching.
5. Combine Learning and Play
Learning is most effective when it’s fun! When teaching Spanish to your child, ensure that it doesn’t feel like a chore or homework.
You can easily combine learning and play by incorporating songs, dances, toys, and plenty of physical activity. A great idea is to use a puppet that only speaks Spanish!
Find a funny puppet at a thrift store and give it a Spanish name. Explain to your child that the puppet only speaks Spanish, so whenever they interact (you’ll be the puppet, of course), your child will need to recall the vocabulary they’ve learned.
6. Add Spanish to Established Routines
Your morning and bedtime routines are perfect opportunities for language learning! Make use of the daily repetition in these activities by gradually introducing new Spanish words and phrases.
For example, while brushing your teeth, you can say, “¡Me cepillo los dientes!” and have your child repeat it. Point to your teeth and say “dientes” again for your child to mimic.
When changing into pajamas, say, “Me pongo el pijama!” and hold up the clothes, then say “pijama” together.
Repetition and associating names with objects or phrases with actions are key to teaching new vocabulary.
7. Try Family ‘Spanish Time’ Once a Week
Get the whole family involved by setting aside a weekly time when everyone practices Spanish together. This could be during dinner or a Spanish-themed game night. For 10 minutes (or as long as everyone can manage), try to communicate using only the Spanish you’ve learned!
8. Collect New Vocabulary Words in a Libro de Palabras
While teaching your child new words, it’s helpful to have an organized place to store them all (since not everything will be retained immediately!).
Repurpose an old binder or grab a notebook and use it as a home for vocabulary. By calling it a “libro de palabras,” you’ll teach your child two new words—libro (book) and palabras (words).
Encourage your child to color pictures of objects, label them, and glue them into the book. Then, set aside time each week to review the words together.
9. Seek Out Community Support
We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes a village to raise a child,” and the same applies when teaching a new language!
Joining a like-minded group is an excellent way to gather ideas, access resources, ask questions, express concerns, and even vent to those who understand (we’ve all been there!).
You can search for meetups in your area for parents teaching bilingual children, join online groups by looking on Google or Facebook, or inquire at your child’s school to see if any other parents are teaching their children Spanish.
10. Try Out Spanish Learning Videos
While videos aren’t a substitute for a live teacher, they definitely have their place! Let’s revisit the “On the Beach” theme as an example.
If you’ve already covered some songs, vocabulary, and explored a few sub-topics within this theme, using a video could be beneficial.
Choose a video that incorporates some of the words and phrases you’ve already introduced as a form of review. You can also pick out one or two new words to focus on as a learning goal during the video, or simply use it as reinforcement of what’s already been learned.
11. Enroll Your Child in Online Spanish Classes
For the ultimate support in your mission to teach your child Spanish, consider enlisting the help of a trained, native Spanish teacher.
By using an online classroom for the primary instruction and experience, you can focus on reinforcing the learning at home with the ideas mentioned above.
If your child is too young for online classes, consider taking the class yourself to improve your Spanish and share your knowledge with your child. It’s a win-win situation!
You Can Do It!
Teaching a foreign language to your child can be challenging, but with the right tools and a positive mindset, you can succeed! Utilize this list of ideas as you gather resources and create your teaching plan, or schedule a free class with Homeschool Spanish Academy today. We’re eager to help you achieve your language goals. No matter which method you choose to teach your child Spanish, remember that you’re doing a fantastic job helping your child master a foreign language. ¡Buen trabajo!
