Thinking of introducing your child to the Spanish language, but would prefer to stay in your own home?
Spanish at Home - Aprendemos en familia is a great book to introduce the Spanish language to kids in a fun and creative way. This book is geared towards non-native adults with an intermediate level of Spanish, raising children between zero and six years old in an English speaking household.
The book was written by three Moms with different cultural experiences and roots, but connected by the language and their life in the USA:
Erica Mirochnik is originally from Argentina and is a strong believer in the importance of multilingualism. She’s an educational psychologist and an expatriate consultant on her project Mamás por el Mundo..
Minerva Ortega is from Mexico. She’s the founder of Tots Playtime, a series of educational videos in Spanish for kids and Reto Bilingüe, a blog for parents that promotes bilingualism.
Elizabeth Garcia grew up in Spain. She was a Spanish teacher in Austin for 5 years. She moved back to Spain in 2017 and now writes about childhood and education on her blog Infancia y Educación.
Activities & Games
The book includes fun, interactive activities for 0-6 year olds. The games include the learning objectives (e.g. introducing first words, enrich vocabulary, fine and gross motor skills, etc.) materials needed, instructions, and vocabulary used in the game.
Songs & Music
Traditional songs from Mexico, Spain, and Argentina make learning extra fun and allows the whole family to tune in.
Recipes
We probably all have had Quesadillas or Burritos before. But what about Croquetas de Pollo, Arroz con Leche, or Bionicos de Frutas? Find some authentic recipes from Mexico, Spain, and Argentina and cook up some yummy dishes with your kiddos.
Books, Apps, Blogs & Websites
You’ll find a comprehensive list of Spanish books for children as well as apps, blogs, and websites for additional resources that will support you with including Spanish in your daily routines.
Holidays & Celebrations
Cinco de Mayo is not the only holiday people celebrate in Mexico. A list of holidays and celebrations in will teach your kids a little bit about the history and culture in Mexico, Spain, and Argentina.
Vocabulary
The vocabulary section in the book lists the basic Spanish vocabulary that is used in Mexico, Spain, and Argentina, such as numbers, colors, shapes, feelings, body parts, family members, verbs, and food.
The Verdict
The book is geared towards non-native adults with an intermediate level of Spanish. However, while some knowledge of Spanish is helpful for the activities for kids 4-6 years old as well as the recipes, the activities for kids 0-3 and the songs can easily be learned and taught by parents with no knowledge of the Spanish language (yay!).
The vocabulary teaches the basics and we use it in our daily routines, e.g. we count and name colors and shapes in Spanish, we use the Spanish words in English songs such as Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, etc.
We googled some of the songs to learn the melody and then used the lyrics in the book to sing the songs.
We also looked up some of the holidays and celebrations mentioned in the book and learnt about each country's history and culture.
It's great way to learn the basics of the Spanish language as a family.
Thumbs Up for Spanish at Home - Aprendemos en familia!
Book Facts
Age Range: 0 - 6 years
Grade Level: Birth - K
Paperback: 60 pages
ISBN-10: 1983784613
ISBN-13: 978-1983784613
Giveaway
We're giving away (1) one copy of Spanish at Home - Aprendemos en familia.
How to enter: Like our Facebook page AND tag a friend on our Spanish at Home - Aprendemos en familia Facebook post (both actions required!). The giveaway ends at noon on September 9, 2018.