Learning a second language comes more easily to children than it does to adults or even teenagers. In fact, kids who pick up a second language have a much better chance at truly becoming fluent. Spanish is quickly becoming a first and second language for many citizens in the United States, so teaching children the basics of this language is an excellent idea.
Use free online English/Spanish courses in order to introduce your child to the language. Many courses focus on vocabulary and pronunciation--key components in the beginning stages of language learning.
Because free courses tend to be less informative than paid courses, they are perfect as supplemental tools for learning Spanish. Keep kids fresh over the summer break, or use the courses as a tutoring tool at home.
Spanish Online Learning
The Spanish Online Learning site provides 45 lessons that are appropriate for kids grades 5 and up with good reading skills and a grasp of English grammar rules. Scroll to the lower half of the page to find all of the lessons in order. Vocabulary covered includes religious words, people identifiers, days, months, seasons, colors, greetings, geography, and more. Conjugation, verb tense, subjunctive, and other parts of grammar are also covered.
Almost every lesson includes both a worksheet and a quiz. Audio clips are included with most lessons, and kids will like seeing the brightly colored graphics and funny characters on the lesson pages. Several downloads are available at a low-cost if you wish to further your learning beyond the free courses.
123TeachMe Spanish for Kids
The Spanish course for kids at 123TeachMe covers almost every subject. Topics include:
- Numbers
- Colors
- Fruit
- Geography
- Rooms in the house
- Fast food
- Holidays, including birthdays
- Clothing
- Animals
Videos and online games, like word searches and drag-and-match games, supplement the vocabulary taught in the lessons. Graphics are vibrant and large, making it easy for young kids to navigate the site. Few directions or explanations are needed to do most of the activities, making this a great starter course for children just learning to read.
Anacleta's World Languages and Cultural Resources
Created by a retired language teacher, Anacleta's World Languages and Cultural Resources Spanish lessons are perfect for kids grades 2-5. The "learn or review" course features eight different sections, with lessons on numbers, parts of the body, weather, and more. Each section features a minimum of two lessons and activities.
Detailed directions, along with examples are given before each lesson in the course begins. Interactive graphics and fun activities, like spelling crayon colors and an alien invasion body parts game, will keep kids engaged in the lessons.
Additional English/Spanish Resources for Kids
Free online English/Spanish courses for children can be excellent tools for teaching children vocabulary and grammar rules for a second language. However, if you do not have the time to go through entire lessons and courses, you may want to use short lessons and games to give your child a step up. The games can also provide a needed break from some of the more intense course materials. Places to find additional Spanish resources for English-speaking children include:
- Kookerkids.com: Counting, colors, clothing, and animals are covered in these short vocabulary lessons.
- Literacy Center Education Network: Kids work on exercises related to colors, letters, shapes and more in Spanish.
- Learn4Good Kids' Corner: Five free short vocabulary lessons on survival, restaurants, colors, numbers, and verbs are presented along with one free interactive lesson.
As kids learn more Spanish from their free courses online, it may be helpful to check out the Spanish dictionaries listed at yourDictionary to give them the opportunity to look up vocabulary words they may not understand.
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