I love to share resources, products and teaching ideas, but I also want to share our struggles and progress with teaching our children Spanish. This year I have found it so much more challenging to keep up Spanish with our daughters. I don't know if it is because we moved or because my daughter is starting 1st grade. As many know, we homeschool, so with 1st grade we have more time spent reading and writing in English as well as math in English. Our amazing babysitter has gone back to college and my daughters don't have any friends that speak Spanish.
We are really struggling to find time to speak only in Spanish and to find real motivation for my daughters to speak only in Spanish. During our homeschool days (which used to be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) many of the time is spent in English to keep up reading, math and other subjects in English. It is frustrating that I can't find any tutors or classes at my oldest daughter's speaking level. I could hire a private tutor, but it would cost $35-$40 an hour! Have any of you had the same struggles?
We are determined to keep up the Spanish. I can already see how fast they forget the language if we don't keep up. I am so grateful that my husband really supports our family to teach our children Spanish. It's important to both of us! We have decided on some new goals for our family.
-Speaking in Spanish on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Sunday is a great day because my husband is home all day and the kids can hear us speaking to each other!
-Attending a local storytime in Spanish every week (it is only for 6 weeks, but it is at her level and it is free!!)
-More read-alouds in Spanish, especially on Wednesday/Thursday
-Reading the same fairy tale every day of a week, then having my daughter retell the fairy tale to her grandma via webcam once a week.
-Continue to search for a Spanish-speaking babysitter or a mother's helper. A mother's helper would be a 9-11 year old girl that could come over and play with my kids while I stay at home the entire time. I love this idea because I wouldn't have to pay as much as for a babysitter and I could be there the entire time.
What do you do to keep your children/students speaking and learning Spanish?
In the upcoming weeks, I hope to share the lesson plans from the wonderful storytimes we will be attending, share the fairy tale versions we have focused on and share some new products I will be reviewing :)
Writing Classes on Skype
11 years ago
1 comment:
My own two cents....I think you are a great teacher with wonderful, fun ideas for your kids. I check here often for songs, games, and fingerplays to try with some children I'm teaching and for my own kids. It's a great resource.
I think learning a second language is a lifelong process...if you don't use it, you lose it...(my husband went to a French speaking school through high school and now has trouble forming sentences). I just keep trying with my own kids (at least yours aren't resistant to it!) and know the more I speak in Spanish, the more they will.
I'm looking forward to hearing more about your new goals!
Susan
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