Teach kids spanish the fun way
The decision to teach kids Spanish offers itself to enormous opportunities and benefits. Not only will your child exceed him or herself intellectually but it will open up numerous doors to him in the future.
I believe strongly in the earlier the better, however children at any age, if presented with Spanish lessons in an enjoyable format will excel.
I wasn't fully aware of just how much Lachlan had learned until we holidayed in southern Spain. To my amazement he was conversing with Spanish children in the play park, on the beach and in restaurants. His confidence soared during that 2 weeks, most of which he spent babbling away in Spanish, repeating everything he heard.
My aim is to guide you through the learning process, depending on the age of your child and which Spanish lessons to implement.
Products I Recommend For 6-12 Years
I have broken down the kids section into age groups to help you with your Spanish lessons whatever age your child is.
One thing I have learned over the years is not to be too hung up on the age guidelines with products to teach kids Spanish. I have used products which would suit kids who can read and write when my little one was 3 years old maybe. If the product grabs the little one's attention then use it while supervising and guiding him or her. Kids learn Spanish through many different modes of interaction so, please do be flexible, you will be amazed!
Teach Kids Spanish 6-12 Years
From around the age of 6 a child can recognise and undrestand more of the written word. They are beginning to think in a more logical and social manner.
Although many products for younger children can still be used for the fun element for kids in this age group, products with a more structured and academic layout are ideal.
Whether your child is learning Spanish in school or being taught at home, there are courses to teach kids Spanish specific to age groups to enhance the learning experience and lighten up the Spanish lessons. Note..Remember to keep the fun in those Spanish lessons!
Here is a list of the best products I have found and used to teach kids Spanish and give great, fun Spanish lessons. With these products and using them consistently then it would be difficlt for kids not to learn Spanish.
Products I Recommend For 6-12 Years
Speekee
Well, what can I say about Speekee? This is fantastico. Speekee is a puppet teaching kids to learn Spanish throughout the whole programme. He is colourful, friendly and fun.
There is dialogue as well as great catchy tunes and songs making this one of my little one's favourites. He has watched it so often we could practically read the script from memory. This product suits parents perfectly also as it was designed for parents learning with their children. Be prepared for a lively and dynamic dose of Spanish.
When you buy Speekee you will receive 3 DVD's with 10 episodes, a DVD of Spanish songs and an audio CD which includes Karaoke tunes and a learning guide for adults. The guide covers all points covered in every episode.
There is also a pack designed for use in schools and is receiving fantastic reviews!
Kids love Speekee
Kidspeak
This product is everything I bang on about when it comes to teaching kids Spanish. It is simple, colourful and fun. It comes in CD Rom and downloadable form. interactive games to keep them amused. Although I have only had this for around 4 months I would have used it earlier, maybe around the 3 year old mark. I have to say that as this is a total immersion method then a basic knowledge of Spanish is helpful, although I have noticed my little one finding things on the download that even I couldn't find! As there are interactive games and quizzes I feel it has enough to keep a little one stimulated for 30 minutes or so.
The animation, songs and cartoon like characters make this great fun for little ones. Works well at grabbing their attention.
With this your child will learn how to say hello and goodbye, telling the time, colours, parts of the body, alphabet and word recognition and much more! A product to teach kids Spanish which is great value for money, this one! Two bundles available..Spanish only or a 6 in 1 pack with Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Hebrew.
Muzzy
Muzzy was the first product I bought to teach Lachlan Spanish and we are still impressed with it today. Muzzy is the central character, El es un monstro..He is a monster. He has lande on earh from space and arrives with a bump not sure what is going on. Muzzy has a strange habit...he enjoys eating clocks which amuses kids no end!!
This product comes with 2 DVD's, an audio CD of the DVD's, a script book, vocabulary builder CD and an intractive CD Rom. The characters are delightful, the story is full of humour and the amount of vocabuary and grammar learned by little ones is astounding. Every lesson builds a foundation on which the next lesson continues.
Muzzy uses modes of learning for visual, kinaesthetic, musical and logical learners through a multisensory teaching method. It is, in effect a natural immersion approach to learning.
With this, kids learn Spanish phrases, days of the week, opposites, people and places, family and friends and much more. I have been using this since Lachlan was 1 year old and he still asks for it now, 3 years later. When I first toyed with the question.. How to teach kids Spanish, this was the perfect solution.
There are two levels available, level 1 and level 2. If both levels are bought together then a discount is given
A great investment!
Interactive CD Roms are now available complimenting each level.
Products I Recommend For 6-12 Years
Powerspeak
Powerspeak is a complete learning system to teach kids Spanish from 6 years to high school level. This course can be used for pre-schoolers with supervision. It uses the diglot weave method of teaching within the Spanish lessons (using pictures within the written word). Research has shown this to have great advantage while learning for young ones.
Each lesson is 30-60 minutes in length featuring interactive games, cultural information and engaging stories. Powerspeak offers kids learning Spanish a variety of learning styles making it great for all types of learners. Kids learn Spanish more effectively this way.
You can choose from 3 packages, course only, course with transcript or both the aforementioned with an online teacher. A CD Rom is included. All in, a great package.
Powerspeak is available as Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 for ages 6-12 years. It is recommended that you begin with Spanish 1 to get accustomed to the learning methods used.
Linkword
Linkword is a fairly recent addition to the market and is becoming extremely popular very quickly. It is a great way for beginners to learn the basic spanish language as it works on the basis of word association. I found this added a fun element to learning the language. Children from the age of 6 are expanding their vocabulary constantly and this is ideal to teach kids Spanish. It allows freedom of expression in a fun way due to the concept of word association. I feel the Spanish lessons don't feel like lessons at all with this.
A great investment for both adults and kids.
It teaches how and when to use grammatical terms effectively and very quickly. The course comes in several formats..Software CD Rom, MP3 Audio and Audio CD.
Spanish For Teenagers
Teenagers learning Spanish require courses that stimulate and motivate. Of course there is a place for grammar and vocabulary books for reference but to alleviate dis-interest it is advisable to find a good quality course offering varied styles of learning. Kids learn Spanish best when all senses are stimulated.
I have compiled a list of the top products I have found
Top Products For Teenagers
Powerspeak
Powerspeak is a complete learning system to teach kids Spanish from 6 years to high school level. This course can be used for pre-schoolers with supervision. It uses the diglot method of teaching within the Spanish lessons (using pictures within the written word). Research has shown this to have great advantage while learning for young ones.
Each lesson is 30-60 minutes in length featuring interactive games, cultural information and engaging stories. Powerspeak offers kids learning Spanish a variety of learning styles making it great for all types of learners. Kids learn Spanish more effectively this way.
You can choose from 3 packages, course only, course with transcript or both the aforementioned with an online teacher. A CD Rom is included. All in, a great package.
The teenage course uses technology to build vocabulary without rote memorization, improves reading and listening skills in the native language.