Spanish

Specialists are unanimous in their opinion: Exposing a child to two languages from birth is the best way for the child to become bilingual. Exposing kids to a foreign language at the same time they're learning their home language, may be the best time to introduce a second language to children. Although many people in the US don't start learning a foreign language until middle school or later, recent research indicates that the optimal time to learn a second language is when they're even younger.

At Surreybrook School, our Spanish program is offered daily to all children from the age of six weeks to 6 years. Stories, songs and activities make for an enjoyable and fun way for the children to be introduced to the language and conversation with their teacher allows them to apply what they have learned!

Studies show that learning a language is easiest for younger children; they have an acute ability to mimic sound, enabling them to quickly develop fluency and avoid developmental accents. In fact, children who begin learning a second language after age ten are unlikely to ever speak it like a native. Our exciting, learning-based Spanish program will allow your child early entry into the fascinating world of the Spanish language and the cultures it represents. Songs, games, stories, puppets and hands-on activities will allow your child to learn Spanish in an environment which mimics that of early first language acquisition. The primary focus will be on language exposure. This class will aid your child in building basic conversation skills and acquiring age appropriate vocabulary. Topics include: weather, greetings, numbers, colors, animals, family members.

Surreybrook offers children a gentle introduction to the Spanish language and a foundation for a smooth language acquisition experience. At this level, students develop fundamental skills including listening comprehension, decoding, oral expression, and basic vocabulary development.

Such skills are fostered through a language- and culture-rich environment that includes singing, playing games, story-telling, poetry, art, and other multi-sensory experiences, and an environment that addresses young learners' educational development as well as their emotional needs.

Awareness and appreciation of Spanish language and culture is developed through exposure to enriching lessons in meaningful contexts. By the end of Preschool, students will have acquired basic, age-appropriate knowledge of Spanish and reached equally appropriate developmental milestones in their English language skills. Students will be able to:

  • Make greetings and introductions.
  • Address specific elements of school, classrooms and numbers (0-31).
  • Follow and repeat basic, predictable directions.
  • Use Spanish in highly predictable and familiar contexts.
  • Engage in basic day-to-day conversations related to feelings, calendar, weather, family, likes and dislikes, basic geography, nationalities, common celebrations, holidays, animals, colors, the human body, common ailments, nutrition, hobbies, and clothing.
  • Use the alphabet and phonology to create and understand words and phrases and to complete sentences in meaningful contexts.