Building Blocks: Kid-Friendly Spanish Grammar
If your children are about to embark on the journey of learning, it’s crucial to teach them the basics of the language so they can develop their bilingual skills.
They must learn the basics to develop confidence and fluency in communicating with native Spanish speakers.
That is why we’ve compiled some important information on how to teach Spanish grammar to kids in this article.
Keep reading!
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How to Introduce Children to Spanish Grammar
Grammar is a boring subject for most children, whether in their native language or a new one.
The complexity of grammar makes it tedious to learn, but at the same time, we know that it’s a crucial component of learning a second language.
Grammar will help children communicate effectively with Spanish speakers, so they have the confidence to interact without errors and will eventually handle it with perfect fluency.
When teaching such a complicated subject to children, it’s vital to approach it a little differently, as just reading and repeating the rules can be tedious.
So, the best way to teach grammar to children is to use simple language and a pleasant tone. And, of course, use interactive and fun methods!
What child is not fascinated by games and fun activities?
Make your planning of this topic as engaging as possible. And remember, it’s a good idea to have both parents involved at this stage.
You can include as many activities as possible, as well as outdoor activities, to promote moments of socialization so they put to practice what they have learned.
Besides, conversations are the best way to learn!
See also: Tips for Introducing Your Toddler to the Spanish Language
Basic Building Blocks of Spanish Grammar
Identifying the building blocks of communication and understanding their function in a sentence or phrase is the first step in developing confidence and fluency in learning Spanish.
Here they are divided into categories:
Noun
Describes a person, a thing, a place, or a state of mind. Within the sentence, it has the function of subject, direct object, indirect object, appositive, adjective, or adverb.
Verb
It is the most important part of a sentence as it shows an action or a state of mind.
They are classified into “action verbs,” which express a mental or physical action and “linking verbs,” which make a statement that connects the subject with a descriptive word.
Adjective
Describes a noun or pronoun and generally answers the following questions:
· Which?
· What kind?
· How many?
Adjectives can be used to make comparative or superlative statements.
Adverb
These words describe verbs. They generally answer the questions:
· How?
· When?
· Where?
· To what degree?
· How much?
Pronoun
They are used in place of a noun. There are many types of pronouns, such as “nominative,” “objective,” “reflexive,” “possessive,” and “relative.”
Preposition
Introduces a noun, pronoun, phrase, or clause functioning in the sentence. The preposition never goes alone, so it must always have a noun or pronoun as its object.
Conjunction
Conjunctions link words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence and are classified into “subordinating,” “coordinating,” and “relative” conjunctions.
Interjection
They are exclamatory phrases used to convey emotions and regularly start the sentence.
Read also: 25+ Resources to Promote Spanish Listening Practice for Kids
5 Interactive Activities to Reinforce Grammar Concepts
As we mentioned earlier, grammar lessons must be fun and creative.
Here we suggest 5 activities or games that will help you teach complex concepts to your children during their classes.
1. Sentence SmackDown
This is everyone’s favorite interactive grammar game!
When the time comes to teach them about simple sentences, this activity will help them learn to identify a simple sentence or sentence fragment.
You need two plastic flyswatters and a blackboard or whiteboard where you will write examples of complete sentences and sentence fragments.
Divide your class into two lines, and for each, you must call out a “simple sentence” or “fragment sentence,” and the first to smack the correct example wins a point for their team.
Keep playing until everyone has had a chance to guess.
2. Noun Scavenger Hunt
This activity is ideal for younger learners as they’ll become familiar with nouns.
Once you have taught them what is a noun and how to use them to describe a person, place, or thing, it’s time to put it into practice with class objects.
Choose a letter of the alphabet and set a timer, so they must come up with as many nouns as possible before the time runs out.
Tell them to write the list in their notebook or on paper, and then you can tell them which ones are correct.
3. Grammar Simon Says
Did you know that you can adapt Simon Says to teach grammar?
Children respond much better to a multi-sensory teaching method, so you can combine actions with specific words.
For example, when you say a verb like “eat” or “sleep,” all children should touch their noses.
If you say “chair” or “door,” the kids should clap, and if you tell adjectives like “boring” or “hot,” everyone should jump.
4. Crazy Grammar
Let’s play Charades but with Spanish grammar.
You can have different levels of difficulty using nouns or verbs for beginners and adverbs for more advanced learners.
For this game, you must prepare a set of cards where you will write a noun, verb, or adverb on one side of the card.
The first player must select a card from the deck and act out the word written down to their best abilities so the rest of the children can guess it.
You can divide the class into two groups so that they can compete against each other and earn points for each word they guess.
5. Imaginative Adjectives
The objective of this game is to measure the ability with which they can say attributive adjectives that appear before nouns.
Prepare several sets of flashcards and write a noun on only one side of each card. Put them all face down so the words are not visible.
Divide your students into pairs and have them decide who will be the guesser.
When they’re ready, one must select a card without showing it to their partner. Then they must say an adjective describing the noun on the card so the other child can guess the noun.
For example, if the card has the noun “pencil” on it, another person must say adjectives like “yellow” or “woody” and go on until their partner guesses the noun.
We recommend: Top 5 Spanish Grammar Games to Improve Your Language Skills
Spanish Interactive Resources to Learn Grammar
One of the significant advantages of using interactive resources for learning Spanish with our children is that the knowledge will be substantial and last a lifetime.
You can choose between apps, videos, podcasts, and grammar books. Any resource is welcome!
One of these resources is Duolingo, a favorite for language learners!
Your children will be fascinated with the games and characters that this app has created to make learning vocabulary and basic phrases easier.
Another great app is Wlingua-learn, which asks users a series of questions to determine what vocabulary and grammar rules your child should learn.
You can also choose between Castilian or Mexican Spanish!
For more app options, visit 16 Educational Spanish Apps for Kids in 2023
You can also use the wonderful Simple Family Spanish book that includes a series of topics that are easy to tackle at home or in class and don’t require any prior knowledge.
This book will teach your children basic phrases and vocabulary they can apply naturally in conversation.
Check out more book options in 7 Best Books To Learn Spanish for Kids
Another resource your young children will love is the Sesame Street En Comunidades Podcast. That’s right! Sesame Street has a podcast in Spanish! Just keep in mind it’s aimed at children ages 2 to 5.
This podcast focuses on talking about essential topics like one’s emotions and health in a fun way.
Another fascinating podcast is ¡Hola! Spanish for Kids, a production made by three 5th-grade children who teach Spanish to elementary school children.
Discover this and other podcasts in 50 Best Spanish Podcasts for Bilingual Kids of Every Age.
There are countless resources that will make learning Spanish grammar a fun and interactive experience.
Master Spanish Grammar and Become an Expert!
The road to fluency in the Spanish language may seem complicated, but we are sure that with the right resources, it will be gratifying for you and your children.
Hand in hand with the resources you use, it is important that your children also receive classes with native, authentic Spanish teachers.
The innovative, human-centered learning strategies that Homeschool Spanish Academy uses will help your kids dominate the Spanish building blocks and communicate better.
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