¡Hola!
Are you ready to teach your kids Spanish? Then you’re in the right place – even if you don’t know Spanish (yet)!
I am a certified Spanish teacher in the state of Washington who loves to teach Spanish! I have been teaching Spanish at the middle and high school levels for the past 15 years. I graduated from the University of Washington (Go Huskies!) where I studied Spanish for 3 years. I then attended Seattle University and graduated from the Master in Teaching (MIT) program there.
Knowing all of the amazing benefits of learning another language and being more globally-minded, I wanted my two young sons to learn Spanish well enough that they would be able to communicate with Spanish speakers beyond basic greetings, introductions, and weather. I needed materials that were more age appropriate than what I use to teach teenagers, so I started searching for curriculum and materials that I could use to teach elementary-aged kids.
I spent a lot of time looking for materials but never found anything that met my two goals: beyond the basics and affordable for the average family. What I discovered instead were classes/materials that are either very expensive (like thousands of dollars by the time my kids became fluent enough) or affordable but just covered the very basics so they would never be able to have a conversation beyond, “Hi, it’s hot today.”
At the same time, I knew some homeschooling families who wanted to teach their kids Spanish also, and they asked me if I could put together some lessons for them. They had taken Spanish in high school for a couple of years and even though they told me they had forgotten everything they learned <sigh>, I knew it would be like riding a bike and everything would come back as soon as they started using Spanish again.
I created a lesson for them using Comprehensible Input strategies and a few of the most frequently used verbs in Spanish, and they loved it! And I loved creating the materials! I realized then that if I wanted something affordable and in-depth, I should create the lessons and materials myself. I have the education and experience, so why not?
I started this blog to share the lessons and activities that I’m making to teach my kids Spanish, and I’m hoping they will help you teach your kids Spanish too.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out the Start Here page! You can find which lesson you should start with and how to use the site. If starting with lessons feels a little overwhelming, my free Spanish for Kids Starter Guide is a quick, fun, and easy way to help your kids start learning Spanish.
And I realize not everyone took Spanish in high school or college, so I’ve started making videos for listening resources that go with the lessons to help parents use these materials and learn Spanish along with their kids! You can find the videos here.
You can also post questions in the comments section of the post you have a question about or email me using the contact form below, and I will respond as quickly as I can!
I hope you join me on this journey teaching our kids Spanish and creating a bilingual generation!
Nicole
P.S. Are you looking for a quick and fun way to help your kids start learning Spanish? If so, check out my free Spanish for Kids Starter Guide! You can immediately use any of the 9 simple tips to introduce your kids to Spanish. Know what the best part is? You don’t have to know Spanish to use it!