Teach Spanish to your Preschooler

Most early childhood experts will tell you that young children pick up on learning a second language more quickly than older children or adults.  It’s not hard to believe when you hear how quick they are to repeat what they’ve heard. Maybe it’s part of an adult conversation, or maybe it’s repeating to someone something they’ve heard you say about them, but they always seem to remember what they hear, even if they’ve just heard it once!  Since the brain of a young child is sponge-like, they absorb everything they hear and see. 

As we age, our brain becomes less “spongy”, processes less quickly so that it’s more difficult for us to learn new things. So your child really can learn a second language easier and more fluently than you can! And with Spanish being the second most commonly spoken language in the United States, being bilingual will get your child off to a great start! That’s why enrolling your child in a preschool that teaches Spanish can be a practical decision that will provide life-long benefits!

Learning Spanish as a preschooler can have a lasting impact on who they are, how they learn, and what their future will hold. When babies babble, they use sounds found in all languages around the world. They listen to their environment and then draw out the sounds that they hear in speech around them, disregarding those that they don’t hear being used. So it is during the first three years of life that the foundations for language and hearing are created. 

By talking and singing to them in another language, you are actually helping them hold onto those sounds so that they can utilize them in speech more easily later on.  Additionally, these first three years are an important time when it comes to developing attitudes and opinions about the world. Many of these they learn from their parents and caregivers. If they are in a preschool that teaches Spanish during this time, they have no pre-conceived notions about it, so they are more open to learning! 

They grow appreciating differences, become more socially flexible, and become curious to expand their horizons even further. This curiosity and enthusiasm for knowledge will even carry on into other areas of their lives! Many people worry that if children are learning a second language while they are learning English, they may become confused and it may slow their speech and language development. Fortunately, children’s brains are not only absorbant, but they are incredibly flexible.

Research actually shows that children who learn a second language early on have a better comprehension of the English language. They also tend to have stronger reading and vocabulary scores, and their math skills are improved. When your child learns a second language, their brain is stimulated and challenged.  This makes them more able to multi-task and problem-solve, two skills that can only help in all areas of life!

And while college and jobs seem a long way off, having a strong foundation in a second language makes both of these a little easier. Most high schools and colleges require classes in foreign languages, and this gives them a great start! Whether they choose to fine tune their Spanish, or go onto learn a completely different language, they have an edge up on those who have no second language experience, as they are more flexible in their thinking, are more sensitive to language variances, and have a better ear for listening.

And further on down the road, fluency in another language is a great asset in the job market, where opportunities are more readily available to the bilingual. Enrolling your child in a preschool that teaches Spanish gives them the benefit of being open to advantages and opportunities in all areas of development.  From increasing their academic skills to helping them be more confident socially, a solid foundation of another language can only benefit them.

That’s why Bright Start Academy in O’Fallon is a preschool that teaches Spanish to all of our classes! Whether it’s singing songs with the little ones, or counting with the preschool and kindergarten age, all children at our preschool have the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the world, while giving them a solid foundation to grow on!

(636)-379-2600

Bright Start Academy

bsaofallon@yahoo.com

Contact us at:

Or Visit us at: 864 Homefield Blvd.

O’Fallon MO. 63366