Got Language?

My children have language. Aye Chihuahua, do they have language. They can meet and greet with a hospitality that would put a southern belle to shame, discuss good books, movies and music with reasons why it was a remarkable piece of work (without using the word because), disarm you emotionally and ask you what the best and worst parts of your day were.

And now they do it in Spanish.

Mia is the leader of the pack, but Max is nipping at her heals. Sean has enough to keep everyone in check, and Grammy, well she could decimate us all in one sweeping syllable warfare, but chooses to keep it REAL  in English. Thank goodness, because I am at the tail end of the spectrum of not speaking Spanish.  I understand what children feel like when people are speaking and all you hear is blah, blah, blah with some r’s twirled perfectly.

However, I keep on listening because we all know with immersion of anything, it eventually becomes internalized and part of your daily habits.

Our children attend public school, but for all intents and purposes they are home schooled as well.  They learn all of their kindergarten and second grade content in Spanish with 40 minutes of English instruction during the school day.

This is a well established model of a Dual Immersion Program.

When Max and Mia come home, it is my job to make sure they transition the concepts into English and have all of the language needs met in our native tongue, with Sean by my side ensuring that the Spanish homework is in excellent shape.

We are a team.

We double dutch in two languages. It is not easy. It is absorbing and time consuming, yet I would not trade this experience for anything.

I love it.

Strong interactive home environments such as preschool and early learning programs are the first communal language experiences for most children. This time in a young child’s life is forever changing and evolving.

School experiences provide an outlet for children to expand their language beyond the home and family so that new relationships and learning experiences can be established.  This step should celebrate the curiosity and eagerness to learn that young children naturally possess.  As parents, teachers and community members we have a responsibility to encourage and foster a love for learning.

But what about the steps before children enter a formal school setting, or are on their way in the home schooling process?

From birth to school age, what learning experiences do you as parents and caregivers provide for young children so that they enter a formal school setting or continue with home schooling with confidence and tools to expand learning?

Sharing is caring. What language are you sharing with your child?

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