5 Fun and Engaging Ways to Introduce Spanish to Your Preschooler
Are you looking for engaging ways to introduce Spanish to preschoolers? Then you’ve come to the right place!
There are different benefits to learning a new language. As you practice, many parts of your brain work together, strengthening neural connections and improving cognitive functions like memory, resilience, and the sense of achievement.
It’s one of the best workouts for your brain. After all, when you learn a new language, you practice skills such as listening, speaking, writing, reading, grammar, vocabulary, etc.
As a plus benefit, it slows down the brain’s aging!
Also, students become more open, tend to learn from mistakes easier, and are even more tolerant and accepting of other cultures and perspectives.
In the future, they will be able to travel to new places and talk with the locals; Spanish is the official language of 21 countries, and there are nearly 500 million Spanish speakers in the world.
But are children better at it? Even though you can learn a new language at any stage of your life and have all the benefits from this experience, you will realize that the neuroplasticity preschoolers have better than ours.
This means they can learn languages and mimic new phonetics faster and better.
These five ways of introducing Spanish to preschoolers are not only fun but memorable as well.
In this article, you will find activities, tips, songs, and other resources to help your little ones on this journey.
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1. Spanish for Preschoolers: Songs and Rhymes
Teaching Spanish to preschoolers can be easy and effective using the right resources.
Singing songs in Spanish can help kids with their language comprehension skills, broaden their vocabulary, and strengthen their memory.
You can teach them numbers, colors, and the names of animals before moving into more elaborate things.
Here are some resources and ideas:
- Los números del 1 al 10. With this song, kids will have a chance to learn not just numbers but lots of new words. However, if you’re looking for something more advanced, you can use the following song: Los números.
- The Colors in Spanish. This video is in English and Spanish so that children can sing it in both languages, which will help them know the meaning of the words.
- The Farm Animals in Spanish. Do your kids like animals? Then, this song’s perfect for them; with it, they can take their first steps into the Spanish world!
See next: Spanish Rhymes for Kids Who Love to Learn
If you want to introduce your kids to a new culture, you can show them songs from different countries. Here are some from Mexico, Spain, and Colombia:
- Mexico: Tatiana – El patio de mi casa. It’s a good idea to divide this song into chunks. Toddlers can learn the chorus first, and as they grow older, they can learn and practice the rest of the song, as it’s a bit more complicated.
- Spain: Melody – El baile del gorila. This one is a timeless hit in Spain and incorporates a small choreography to make it more fun!
- Colombia: Cangrejo – Centro de formación Colombia canta. Cangrejo is a catchy and cute song. It has lots of repetition, meaning students will easily memorize it. Also, this one is great for younger kids.
Read also: 15 Super Popular Spanish Songs for Kindergarten
2. Spanish for Preschoolers: Games and Activities
Spanish for preschoolers can be a complete experience. Learning games can trick the minds of young students into having fun while mastering vocabulary and grammar.
Here are some ideas you can use:
- Memory game: You can put together some cards with images and words to play a memory game; in Spanish, people call it memorama. Open up two matching cards at a time to win. Printable PDFs like this one can help with the task, but if you’re looking for something you can buy or more original, here are 7 Amusing Spanish Memory Games for Kids.
- Scavenger hunt: There are two ways of playing this one. First, hide toys all over the house or in your classroom. Kids can only win if they find them and can name them all. Name themselves and see if they can relate the word to the toy.
- Flashcards: Help your students with some visual aids. Play with traditional flashcards but with a twist. For example, ask your children to draw on side B what the flashcard says on side A.
- Puppet show: Put on a show of Spanish for preschoolers! You can buy, make, or improvise puppets with a pair of socks and buttons and use them to teach your lessons. Ask your children to repeat or interact with these characters in Spanish.
- Workbooks: Use this Complete Spanish Textbook for Kids to keep them sharp and entertained. It is perfect for 5-year-olds.
Keep exploring: 8 Traditional Hispanic Games to Play at Home or in Class
3. Spanish for Preschoolers: Books and Stories
Teaching preschool Spanish requires using all the resources you can to keep kids’ interest and attention. But books and stories can develop one of the greatest habits: reading.
Kids who see their parents and teachers holding a book will likely imitate them.
So, let’s start with the basics!
Before committing to bedtime stories that involve a lot of grammar and conjugations, let’s go with these:
The Feelings Book
The Feelings Book is truly a work of art! Because it helps children learn Spanish and emotional intelligence at the same time.
It sounds like a difficult task, but this piece of literature can help you with it.
Let the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Todd Parr teach your kids about emotions, feelings, moods, and basic Spanish sentences.
Ages 3-6.
My First English – Español Learning Library
These are 10 Spanish books for preschoolers you need on your shelf. They include everyday subjects and are categorized for everyday lessons.
Here you can find shapes, pets, numbers, colors, wild and farm animals, birds, fruits, alphabet, vegetables, etc. This box set is perfect for kids ages 0-3.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes – Cabeza, Hombros, Piernas, Pies
This book is a combination of singing, rhymes, and reading. It is perfect for kids ages 0-3 and has won several awards!
You probably recognize the title, and as you can see, it also has a Spanish version.
If your kids are little, you can also use it to stimulate their creativity, as they must name parts of the body.
See also: Awesome Spanish Books for Preschool Kids Who Love Read Alouds
4. Spanish for Preschoolers: Videos and Online Resources
This is the best moment to learn a new language, considering all the videos and online resources we can access.
The number of assets you can find on the Internet will help your kids learn more about the Spanish language and culture. For example, your students can learn to count in Spanish, play novice-level Spanish games, or even watch a Salsa series to get used to Spanish phonetics.
For more ideas, check out these 10 websites that offer Spanish lesson plans for toddlers, or if you’re thinking about buying a tablet, follow this link first: 6 Bilingual Spanish English Learning Tablets for Kids.
5. Spanish for Preschoolers: Cooking and Shopping
Practice speaking Spanish with your child in everyday activities, such as cooking, shopping, cleaning the house, getting dressed, and more.
You can pretend to do some activities like going to the doctor, the vet, or the market and create conversations from it.
Remember to have fun while doing it!
What’s the best way to teach Spanish? By taking little moments throughout the day and turning them into valuable lessons.
Speaking Spanish at home is one of the most effective tools for learning.
Here are some cooking vocabulary words if you’re thinking about making a pie while you practice Spanish with your kids. Or you can use the following “Exploring My Neighborhood” class to go out and discover what’s around the corner!
Spanish for Preschoolers: Taking the Next Steps
We’re sure you want to take the next step toward teaching Spanish to preschoolers after all the resources we’ve shared with you today.
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