Supporting Spanish at Home
Local Resources
We are always looking for new resources and inspiration to support our Spanish learners! Below are some of our favorite resources:
Facebook Groups: These groups are a fantastic way to stay connected, find families with similar interests, and stay connected with trends and ideas in your local community and around the world. Some of the groups we recommend are: Multilingual Families, Raising Bilingual/Multilingual Families, Multilingual Parenting. There are hundreds of groups you can join!
Park Slope Parents: This community based platform is dedicated to supporting each other through the challenges, joys, and absurdities of parenthood in all its forms. They are a wonderful resource and even have two specific language groups: PSP Multilingual Families and PSP Spanish Group. Check them out here.
These are just a few of our favorites! We would love to hear your ideas as well. ❤️
Listening to Música
Music is a great way to make your home a little more bilingual! You can find many children songs in both English and Spanish! Below are some of our favorite places to find Spanish songs for children:
Our very own OWP album includes many of our favorite songs! Produced and performed by our own talented music teacher Jenny Luna.
We use some of these songs though the day and at our music center: they are upbeat, fun, and really make us want to dance!
Rockalingua is a great online resource that has a wonderful library of Spanish songs for children that are free!
Love Notes in Spanish
We know you love receiving masterpieces from your children: drawings, sculptures, and even cut up pieces of paper. What if we return the love? ♥️ We encourage you to write notes in Spanish to your children - don't worry, they can be just a few words. Below we've included a few of our favorite phrases that you can consider when making your notes.
Recuerda que te amo (Remember that I love you)
Eres mi tesoro (You are my treasure)
Ten un buen día (Have a great day)
Te deseo lo mejor (I wish the best)
Estaré pensando en ti (I will be thinking about you)
Cooking in Spanish
Here are some steps you can use at home to turn everyday recipes into a fun, Spanish learning opportunity! 🥣
1. Find a recipe that you love! 📝
2. Research how to say the ingredients and measurements in Spanish. 🥒
3. Assemble ingredients and start cooking. 🥘
4. Make up a Spanish song while cooking! Something like "mezcla, mezcla" (mix, mix)! 🎶
5. Before you eat, you can say "provecho" which is similar to "bon appétit", or "enjoy your food" 🍽
6. After you eat you can hopefully practice words such as "qué rico" and "delicioso"!😊
7. If you still have energy, you can sing Soy Una Taza❤️
Movie Night in Spanish
Since we are spending so much more time at home post-pandemic, we are cuddling up close to our loved ones! A great way to get the family together and to support Spanish learning at home is to host a movie night in Spanish!
Here are two simple ways you can host your own movie night in Spanish:
1. Find or stream a movie in Spanish.
Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, Youtube, and many more movie providers have child appropriate movies in Spanish. Please check out the links below for some lists with our favorites!
2. Change the audio language settings to Spanish.
For many movies, you can change the audio language settings, and watch your old favorites in a new language. In the settings menu for your movie, change the audio language to Spanish.
*Please keep in mind that Spanish audio language may not be available for some movies.
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Also, here is a list of great movies from Latin America for grown ups! 🎫
Create a Cozy Nook for Books in Spanish
Creating a special collection of books in Spanish is a great way to continue Spanish learning at home! Here are some tips to start your library:
Create a home library
Creating a library can be simple. Start off with a small shelf or a basket in your home where children can have easy access to their books.
Find Spanish books
There are many ways you can find Spanish books. Our local New York libraries have Spanish book sections for children, where you can borrow a variety of books. Some local thrift shores, stoop sales, and used book stores also have Spanish books available for affordable prices. Chau Luna is a great resource where you can find a wide range of Spanish books for all ages.
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Remember that learning a language is a lifelong endeavor! Enjoy the journey, be patient and vulnerable with your children. It’s important to share the struggles and seek moments of joy. ♥️