And here are some more fun craft ideas... including one of my boy's favorites, making an Ojo de Dios (a God's eye)
Spanish class open to children ages 6-11
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Children have such amazing brains! They absorb everything around them at lightning speeds. It is important not to underestimate a young child’s ability. As parents, we certainly want the best for our children, allowing them to reach their potential. Teaching your child a second language, even while he is still developing his first language, has some real benefits. It is good for brain and communicative development and will have lasting benefits that will be seen later in life.
Teaching your child a foreign language at a young age is good for his overall development. Some think that if you start too young, it will confuse a child, keeping him from learning English correctly. That is simply not true. Learning another language actually enhances children’s linguistic abilities. They tend to learn faster, with more comprehension than a child learning just one language. Children that are learning or have learned a foreign language when they are real young tend to do better in school and on standardized tests. They also tend to be more creative and better at problem solving. It is never too early to start teaching your child another language. In fact, the earlier you start, the more likely it is that your child will become proficient in that language, being able to speak and understand it like a native speaker.
Another benefit of teaching your child a foreign language is the exposure to different cultures and ways of thinking it provides. Along with learning a language, your child will certainly benefit from learning about where that language is spoken and what kind of people speak it. As your child gets older, he will have more of an understanding of cultures other than his own. This will provide a much broader perspective of the world around him. And certainly learning another language will give him additional ways to express himself.
Teaching your child to speak more than one language will no doubt have long-lasting benefits. As people immigrate and cultures are spread around the world, your child will have many opportunities to use his language skills. It is not uncommon to come across native speakers of many different languages wherever you are. Traveling will be far more interesting when your child is going to a place where he can communicate with the locals. And job opportunities for bilingual individuals are more plentiful than ever before.
So start while your child is young and give him the advantage of being exposed to another language. It is much easier to teach children at a young age than to wait till they are older.
Many thanks to Louise Baker for guest blogging today! Louise is a freelance blogger who usually writes about accredited online colleges for Zen College Life. Her most recent article ranked x-ray technician degrees.
Introducing our new Spanish Teacher: Maggie Schwartz
Maggie Schwartz is a native Spanish speaker, born in Quito, Ecuador.
She has lived off and on in the United States for many years, and is completely bilingual.
She lives in a bilingual household: teaching her husband Spanish and raising her son to speak both Spanish and English fluently. She continues to teach more formerly in a program for adults, (Spanish for travelers).
Throughout her career, both in business and in other employment she has used Spanish to interpret on a regular basis. Finally she has volunteered for many years in ESL (English as a Second Language) programs in schools.
Maggie will be teaching Spanish at O'Quinn Schools, Harbor View Elementary, Stiles Point elementary and Audacy Creative Arts Preschool and the Darby Building in Mt. Pleasant.
We are excited to have her with us!
Start planning now for the trip of a lifetime with your child! World Languages 4 Kids will be traveling to Costa Rica for 8 days in July of 2012! What a great opportunity for your little ones to practice Spanish and learn about a new culture first-hand!
