According to a 2013 Pew Research Center report, Spanish is the most widely spoken language at home in the United States, other than English. It is also the most widely spoken language, besides English, by non-Hispanics. However, Pew Research also reports that this trend may be changing if Spanish follows in the footsteps of other non-English languages in the U.S. This means parents really need to make an effort to help kids maintain their Spanish language skills so they don’t lose the language entirely. The summer months are a great time to be teaching Spanish to kids as you strive to help them truly and forever be bilingual.
The Department of Education reports that one in five, or 21%, of school-aged children speaks a language other than English at home. The number of bilingual speakers is projected to increase in the coming years. We love this and want our own kids to be part of this new bilingual generation. As psycholinguist, Frank Smith writes, “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” In order to help you nurture your own kids’ Spanish during the summer, we’ve come up with 15 brilliant strategies for not only teaching Spanish to kids, but also practicing and retaining it. Trust us, your kids will thank you for this someday!
1. Travel
Use the summer as a time for language immersion and take it seriously by traveling to a home country or a close by Spanish-speaking country. Needless to say, this is one of the most fun ways to teach Spanish to kids.
Read Related: How Children Can Help Parents Learn Spanish
