HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING AT HOME

Studies have shown that when parents and families are involved with their children’s learning at home, the child is likely to have a more positive outlook on going to school, and also likely to achieve more academic success. Learning a new language, such as Spanish, offers numerous benefits for both parents and their children. As parents, we aspire to add value to our children’s lives by signing them up for activities, such as learning a new language, which can aid in their professional and personal development.

Giving your child the much needed support to learn a foreign language can be difficult, especially if you yourself don’t speak the language. But, the good news is that there are techniques that you can use at home to aid in the learning process. Let’s take a look at some of the best ways to support your child’s learning at home.

Learn through songs

This is one of the number one ways to learn a new language. In fact, it is thought that songs are the best way for children and parents who are not fluent in a language to learn together. After listening to a song a few times, children will typically start to hum to the tune, then sing along to the chorus, and eventually, they will start to put more and more words together. If you yourself aren’t able to sing, you can use Youtube to help you. Just make sure that you and your child listen to specific songs as often as you can. Play it in the house, listen in the car, or even as part of a bedtime routine. You could even set a goal, such as learning one song a month. Rhymes and music are a great way to help children to use, pitch, rhythm, and full sentences. Also, it’s great for building confidence. You child will effectively be learning, without even realizing it.

Get crafty

Children learn best when using real objects and love the opportunity to get creative. Set up a craft station at home where your child can engage in painting, cutting, sticking, and even baking all sorts of things. Encourage them to speak Spanish when completing the activity. For example, they could ask; What picture should I paint,” “Can you help me tidy up please,” or say things like “Thank you.” Each time they engage in one of these activities they should be encouraged to speak as much Spanish as possible. In other words, they should start to associate the activity with the Spanish language.

If you don’t speak Spanish, you could simply use audio recordings or written instructions, such as reading a recipe when baking cupcakes together. Or, you could get your child to recite a recipe of one of your favorite dishes to you while you cook together. At the end of the day, what matters is that your child is speaking Spanish.

Play games in Spanish

Learning Spanish with your little one should be a successful and pleasant experience, not a stressful one. What better way to learn with your child than playing games? Picture cards are a great way to go since they don’t involve any particular language. Think “Go Fish,” the memory game or bingo. For the memory game, you could encourage your child to name each of the objects in Spanish. Bingo is great for learning numbers. If you want to take things a step further, you could call out the word and have your child draw the pictures themselves.

Another good idea is to encourage your child to play in Spanish. Naturally, children learn everything around them, without any kind of adult intervention. Whether it’s hide-and-seek or dress-up games, encourage them to play in Spanish. The aim is to get them to learn Spanish in the same way that they learned their first language.

Read bedtime stories

Children who have stories read to them tend to have a broader vocabulary since they are constantly being exposed to new words. It can also improve their spelling skills since they can see how words are spelled as you are reading to them. This is why it’s helpful to have your child follow along on the page with you as you read. You can get storybooks in any language now, just take a look online. We recommend www.rockalingua.com because it is a fun source of stories, songs and games.

Children are typically more interested in the ritual of storytime rather than the language that you are reading in. This is why it’s a great way to sneak in some extra Spanish time in a way that is memorable. Also, keep in mind that illustrated books are great for learning a new language since the story is supported by visual cues. If you aren’t confident in your ability to read in Spanish, a good alternative would be an audiobook. We also use https://www.duolingo.com for short and interactive practices.

No matter which strategy or strategies you decide to use, we cannot overstate the value of supporting your child’s learning at home. Not only is it a great way to improve their language skills and confidence, but it’s also likely to increase their interest in the subject. By associating Spanish with fun activities such as reading, cooking, and playing, they are a lot more likely to have a positive outlook on learning. It will take some work to get a Spanish routine going in your household, but it will be worth it.