Cinco de Mayo and learning Spanish

I didn't post my regular homeschool/educational Tuesday post yesterday because we went on a "field trip".  We had a great time at a local mini children's museum/play place.  It's a great place for kids to learn, play and imagine.  I'll post more about that later.

One thing I was excited that the girls got to do is practice some Spanish.  The people there were doing various activities in honor of Cinco de Mayo.  One of the activities was focused on practicing the names of the colors in Spanish (hence the colored poms in the photo below).

As I've mentioned before, I am passionate about the Spanish language and the Spanish speaking cultures around the globe.  I want to be able to pass on that passion and gift of language to my children, as well.  

As most people know, early childhood is the greatest time to learn a language - any language.  Children are like sponges and can learn vocabulary and accents very quickly.  (Don't worry if you didn't learn a second language as a child or haven't started with your children, it's NEVER too late!)

There are many theories out there regarding learning a second language.  My original plan was to speak fluent Spanish at home with our children, but unfortunately, I have not been as disciplined as I would have liked with that.  I have, however, implemented various everyday words that we use in Spanish i.e. leche (milk), agua (water), por favor (please), gracias (thank you). That has helped them really grasp the meaning of each word as a part of everyday life.  

The great part is there are so many resources available for helping children learn a different language.  I want to share a few of the things that we do to make learning Spanish fun and easier.  I have also used my glorious [insert wink] Swagbucks to purchase various items on Amazon to help make learning Spanish fun.  Here are a few of our favorites:  

Eeboo Spanish Bingo





 Ready for School (Flash Kids Spanish Flash Cards) (Flash Kids Flash Cards)




 
Oso pardo, oso pardo, ¿qué ves ahí? This is a well know Eric Carle book in English, but the Spanish version is a great way to help children learn the colors and animals in Spanish.


I hope this inspires you to help give your children the gift of a second language if you haven't already begun this journey.  Next Tuesday, I will share some more ideas and resources regarding Spanish for children.