Spanish for Preschoolers

Try checking into your local community centers also. I took my daughter to Grapevine Co Center to a spanish class there, when she just turned 2. The teacher there produces her own videos and sells them there. My daughter now 2 1/2 can count to 20 in spanish and knows all her colors and about 15 different spanish words, we only went to about 4 classes the rest she picked up from the video. I would tell you the name but I can't find the video, just call the Grapevine Community Center, she probably sells them on the web and they are inexpensive.

I posted this same request a few weeks ago. The best curriculum is called Muzzy spanish. It's expensive to buy, but the local libraries have copies. They are all checked out, so we haven't tried it. However, there are some other ways I've introduced basic Spanish to my 3 yr old. We checked out a "story tote" from the Denton library (south branch) about "colores y formas" and looked at books that taught colors and shapes in sSpanish. There are also several classic books that have Spanish translations available. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Freight Train by Donald Crews, etc. I simply added the Spanish selections to our regular reading/story time and she quickly learned to identify several colors and can count to about 15 in Spanish. I also started making sure we watch Dora the explorer about once a week or so. A first grade teacher friend said it's a good introduction to Spanish for preschoolers. While my 3 yr old is possibly starting to outgrow Dora a little, the Spanish part keeps her interested, and my 22 mo old enjoys it, so it's nice that they can watch it together. I am always hearing them both yell "BACKPACK!" and "MAP!" and all sorts of Spanish words in response to the show. There are plenty of Dora DVDs and videos available at the library. There are also Spanish lessons via DVD (one called Spanish for Kids), but my daughter didn't really like them.
When I looked for actual classes, all I found were classes for 5 year olds. That's sad, because they are ripe for learning other languages NOW, when they're 3. The window starts to close as they get older.
Hope this helps!

We own the Muzzy tapes. Our kids like them so far (almost 3 y.o. and a 1 y.o.) and our son sings some of the songs in Spanish, but otherwise, I think they really need to use Spanish daily to get it, and we don't. We'll see how it influences their ability to learn languages in the long term. The program is pretty pricey, but I noticed that they have it at the Keller library. Check the library near you or order it from the FW library system online before you go spending the money.
Good luck!

Ahwile back amother mom posted about a place called Spanish Schoolhouse that has Spanish immersion for preschoolers. I think the website is www.spanishschoolhouse.com they have locations in and around Dallas. I personally have not taken my child there yet. But I am planning on checking them out when my little one gets a little closer to 2 years.

Hi,

Muzzy is a great curriculum, but it is a bit pricey. It uses fun dvd/vhs programs that are in whatever language you choose. They have vocabulary and conversational language instruction. It has won awards. If you are interested check out muzzyonline.com

Holly M.

Immersion is the best way to learn a language and young children have the ability to learn new languages effortlessly. I highly recommend Spanish Schoolhouse. It is a normal preschool (and kindergarten), but everything is done in Spanish. The teachers are all native speakers. This is our 3rd year there and my oldest will be going to kindergarten there next year. For K, they do M/W/F in Spanish and T/Th in English. Kids who learn a 2nd language excel in many other areas too. It's a great program. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.

Someone posted the website above, but here it is again:

www.spanishschoolhouse.com

I think open public enrollment for fall begins on Feb 19th (but you better call to make sure, they fill up fast). Also they have camps throughout the summer that are lots of fun too.