August 10, 2016.
It is a day unlike most other.
That Wednesday that signals the end of the summer.
Classrooms are ready; teachers are prepared; parents are, well, they are often all over the board.
While some parents look forward to the school year starting as soon as classes end the previous year, other parents wish for a longer summer with more time to sleep in, vacation as a family, and enjoy long days at the pool or beside the lake. In all cases, however, parents hope for the same goal: a productive school year with the best opportunities for their children. Whether you are a parent anxious to have a quiet house again or you are a parent dreading the long days home alone, the purpose of schools should be to create lifelong learners.
The lifelong learning platform looks different in different districts across the nation. In some communities, schools are only able to offer the bare essentials as administrators and teachers work within tight budget limitations. In other districts, lifelong learning is an enriching combination of core academics, elective offerings, and after school opportunities. For many parents, one of the best opportunities a school can offer is a Spanish curriculum for children. Spanish as a foreign language offering for students provides many benefits, including study of language itself, a window into another culture, and knowledge of a language that plays an important role in this country and the world.
Foreign Language Study Offers In Depth Study of Parts of Speech and Subject/Verb Agreement
Scientists and educators understand that the study of any foreign language increases a child’s ability to learn future language. Bilingual children, in fact, benefit from a life of language learning skills that simply are not present in children who only learn one language. Additionally, students who study a second language, whether through a childrens homeschool Spanish curriculum or a classroom immersion setting, learn to dissect and diagram parts of speech. While the introduction to parts of speech and the complicated world of subject and verb agreement can seem confusing at first, second language learners understand the process more thoroughly.
Parents and educators who tale advantage of the sensitive learning times in children understand the benefits of teaching a second language when children are young. Acquiring language skills comes naturally and easily to children prior to age six when they have the capacity to pronounce unfamiliar, foreign sounds as well as the ability to absorb new grammar rules.
Spanish Curriculum for Children Helps Teach Children a Different Culture
In a political time when the nation is often shaking its collective head about the intolerance of some Americans, a Spanish curriculum for children can teach tolerance through exposure. Education experts have long been proponents of the fact that it is easier to hate what you know nothing about. As a result, preschool Spanish lessons are an opportunity to see into a window of another culture. All foreign language training begins with a look at the people who speak that language and the culture. Incorporating the study of culturally specific holidays and foods is a fun way for even the youngest second language learners to begin to understand a culture.
Today, perhaps more than ever, understanding the culture of other groups of people is an important step in learning tolerance and creating empathy. The opportunity to learn a second language at an early age is the opportunity to begin a study in the much needed skills of tolerating differences and realizing the importance of empathy.
The Need for Spanish Speaking Skills Continue to Increase in America
Spanish is the official language of more than 20 countries worldwide. These countries provide sites many exquisite and fun travel destinations and an early introduction to the Spanish language increases the chance that these future travelers will be able to converse in Spanish when they visit. Additionally, census reports indicate that Spanish is the world’s second most-spoken language. The 387 million native Spanish speakers outnumber the people who speak English. The opportunities for Spanish speakers across the globe include travel, careers, and diplomacy, just to name a few.
Selecting a school with a Spanish curriculum for children is a decision to take advantage of the early abilities the youngest of learners have for language acquisition.