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Curriculum>Adding Spanish to my curriculum
Frubberina 02:50 AM 09-29-2015
I'm wanting to set aside time 1-3 times a week and focusing on spanish as well as speaking some throughout the day. Each month I would introduce a new set of words and enforce them through activities, songs, etc. I also have a bunch of popular books in the Spanish versions.

I am also considering hiring someone that's willing to come in 1-2 times a week during play time and speak Spanish while playing with them.

My age group is 18 months - 4 years. Is this a good idea or would I just be wasting my time?
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Thriftylady 05:20 AM 09-29-2015
Well I see it two ways. First of all, they say younger is better for learning languages. But, the issue is if you don't use it you loose it. I used to know quite a bit of Spanish but after years of not using it, I have lost almost all of it.
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permanentvacation 06:35 AM 09-29-2015
Whether or not you are wasting your time depends on the reasons as to why you want to incorporate Spanish in your lessons.

If your reasons are; for the child's benefit, as something fun, interesting, different, and challenging to do, to enrich your program, to stand out from other daycare providers by offering a little more in your program which will hopefully gain more clients for you, etc. then, no, you are not wasting your time.

If your reason is to start the children on a life-long journey of truly speaking Spanish, then, yes, you are wasting your time because most likely they will not speak Spanish again until they are in high school and are forced to take a foreign language. But I don't think that's why you want to have Spanish lessons in your daycare.

Here's my story... ( I always have a story!) A few years ago, my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. I then became concerned about myself developing Alzheimer's and researched the disease. Everyone knows that the brain is a 'use it or lose it' organ. But what I learned from my research is that if you learn foreign languages, whether they are spoken or non-spoken (such as sign language and short-hand for those who are old enough to know what short-hand is ), and even if you only use that language for a very short time, whether for one month when you are 2 years old or one month when you are 80 years old, it will change the way your brain neurons and dendrites grow. If you learn a foreign language and only use it for a short time when you are young, it will help you to have a less change of developing Alzheimer's when you get older!

So, even if a child leaves your daycare after just a few weeks of learning Spanish or whatever other foreign language, spoken or unspoken, and they never use that language again in their life, you have helped that child's brain protect itself from developing Alzheimer's!

So, in my opinion, no matter what your reason for considering teaching Spanish in your daycare, the answer to your question as to whether or not you will be wasting your time, is NO. You will not be wasting your time because you will be helping each child have a better chance at a happier, healthier, and more coherent life in their old age! You will truly be helping each child for the rest of his/her life!
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littletots 10:16 AM 09-29-2015
Instead of hiring staff how about checking out CD from library, using internet/YouTube, children's music, etc?
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Annalee 10:24 AM 09-29-2015
Originally Posted by littletots:
Instead of hiring staff how about checking out CD from library, using internet/YouTube, children's music, etc?
Most teacher stores offer materials in spanish.
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midaycare 10:50 AM 10-02-2015
Oh oh oh!!! I teach Spanish and the kids and parents love it! And I'm not wasting my time because it is followed up with in Kindergarten here.

I hire someone who speaks Spanish as her native language to come and give the kids an immersion experience. It's very cool. That happens two times a week for two hours each time.

I also do basic word commands in both English and Spanish all the time. I don't say "thank you", I say "thank you/gracias" and sometimes just "gracias". All of my kids say hello, goodbye, more, thank you, and you're welcome in Spanish, all the time. They don't greet me or say goodbye to me in English, they do it in Spanish. This takes serious commitment!

There are a lot of YouTube videos we use for fun songs, and the dck's can now sing them by heart. I would be happy to share more if you message me that you are interested.

Adios!
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Josiegirl 02:00 PM 10-03-2015
I think it's a terrific idea and don't think you'd be wasting your time at all! There must be some reason Dora uses it.
My dad spoke fluent French, I sooo wish he'd used it and taught us when we were younger. `
My youngest dd took Spanish 1 & 2 in high school and she was so good. But of course she hasn't used it since and it's been 4 years. It's a gorgeous language and I felt like a lil kid always asking her to please speak Spanish to me.
The local Catholic school teaches Latin, starting in K I think, and while I imagine that might have it's place in Catholicism, I think a child would be so much more apt to use Spanish.
I say go for it!
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