7 Affordable Ways To Teach Spanish for Stay-at-Home Moms
Fun-based, learn-through-play ideas for moms who teach Spanish at home.
How do you teach your child Spanish as a stay-at-home mom?
I’ve googled this question so many times, hoping to find an answer that was easy for my lifestyle as a busy stay-at-home mom raising two biracial children.
Culturally, teaching my daughters Spanish is very important to me, so they can feel connected to their Colombian heritage. Socially, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States of America, so equipping my daughters with the gift of this beautiful language logically makes sense.
But how exactly can I teach my child Spanish at home?
Where do I even start?
I’ve spent the past couple of years looking for different resources on Pinterest, from printable flashcards to worksheets, to help teach my daughters Spanish. None of these resources kept my daughters’ attention for too long. Plus, the added steps of researching, printing, and cutting “easy to use” resources didn’t feel quite easy.
It wasn’t until earlier this year that they introduced me to several resources that were in total alignment with how my children learn, were budget-friendly, and kept their attention span long enough to help them keep information.
These resources I am about to share with you are based on fun. I’m a big advocate of using play in teaching Spanish, especially for toddlers.
7 Simple Ways To Teach Your Child Spanish As A Stay-At-Home-Mom
The best way to learn a new language is by engaging with it, and children are no exception. Children will absorb the unfamiliar words and phrases they hear around them as they play, read, and explore.
Learning is a fun experience in my home and I’ve noticed the best way my kids keep new Spanish words is by playing games that involve both readings, playing, and exploring.
1. Explore Your Homeschool Spanish Learning Options
Homeschool Spanish Academy (HSA) is a great virtual learning resource for children who need to practice the language with a native Spanish speaker. One challenge I faced when teaching my girls Spanish is my lack of fluency in the language and confidence in speaking it. I understand Spanish, know many vocabulary words, and can form sentences, but lack the conversational skills my girls need to build their own confidence in speaking Spanish.
We’ve been taking two classes a week with HSA, and after a few weeks, I have seen an improvement in my girls’ language skills. Not only are they excited to see their favorite teacher Irene, but they are now speaking Spanglish in our home, proudly (and randomly) incorporating the unfamiliar words they have learned into their everyday speech.
It is making me so happy and making their father so proud!
The Hola Amigo Box is a toddler’s favorite for learning Spanish. It is a fun interactive subscription box for ages 2-10 years old that helps your child learn Spanish through crafts, reading, play, and STEM activities. It encourages quality time with your child with ready-to-use bilingual learning materials. My daughters love how fun the activities are and I love that everything I need gets delivered to me monthly without having to browse Pinterest and print out materials myself.
Enrolling in the Spanish Homeschool Academy and subscribing to the Hola Amigo Box are two of my favorite resources and are great to incorporate into your homeschooling routine or at-home learning.
2. Get to Know Your Online Resources for Free Stuff (there are plenty!)
There’s no shortage of online resources to help teach your child Spanish. The best ones will get your kids excited about the language and keep them interested in using singing and games.
With the recommendations of several websites, I’ve found a few free online resources that don’t require printing or cutting that my children love. These are YouTube channels, podcasts, and some apps.
No matter your feelings on screen time, I think we all can admit it has its benefits.
When you are a stay-at-home mom trying to educate and entertain your children all day, a good YouTube channel with playful music is helpful, especially when it’s educational. We use podcasts as an alternative to screen time because my girls have to listen to the podcast and use their imagination to visualize what they are listening to. And our favorite apps offer lessons and games in Spanish, which makes learning fun.
My go-to list of free screen time channels is:
YouTube Channels:
Podcasts:
Phone or Tablet Apps:
3. Use Local Resources to Teach Your Child Spanish
Spanish is a popular language to learn. And many parents want their children to be bilingual, so they can communicate with more people. If you are looking for a way to teach your child Spanish, then your local library might be the best place to start.
Libraries have a lot of resources that can help you teach your child Spanish. As stay-at-home moms, we spend a lot of time at libraries for story time and music and movement classes.
Why not add learning Spanish as a bonus?
For example, they have books that teach children Spanish in a fun and interactive way. They also have bilingual picture books and DVDs that can help you teach your child Spanish. Another thing is that libraries often host events where they speak in both English and Spanish, so it’s easier for children to learn both languages at the same time!
4. Use Your Child’s Village To Teach Spanish
A lot of parents are looking for ways to teach their children a second language. Have you heard it takes a village to raise a child? Well, this same sentiment goes for teaching your toddler Spanish.
You probably have people in your life and in your child’s life that already speak Spanish. These people close to your family can be a big help in helping you teach your little one Spanish. Family members, family friends, preschool teachers, Sunday school teachers, and babysitters, can be your child’s Spanish teachers as well.
My oldest daughter is in preschool, and I’ve asked her two Spanish-speaking teachers to talk to my daughter in Spanish when in class. My friends who are fluent in Spanish, talk to my daughters in Spanish and sometimes Spanglish. The same goes for any adult they see on a daily or weekly basis that knows the language.
If you want to teach your child Spanish, you can use their friends and family to help them learn.
You could use Skype or Facetime to talk with the grandparents in Colombia. The reason for this is that they are most likely to be exposed to the Spanish language in their everyday lives.
Start Early for Better Results—Teach Your Child Spanish Today!
So, if you teach them Spanish at an early age, they will be more fluent in the language when they grow up. As the number advocate for my children’s education, I’ve learned to use all the resources I have on hand to help teach my children Spanish. This is a gift to give to your child, but it can also feel overwhelming if you do not know where to start. It doesn’t have to be if you use the tips I’ve shared above, teaching your child Spanish will feel like a normal piece of everyday play at home with their favorite games and shows and in no time, you will start hearing your child using the Spanish words she or he remembers.
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