Six Ways to Teach Your Child the Spanish Language
(Photo : Reuters)

Learning to speak Spanish can have multiple benefits. One of the most useful benefits of learning the Spanish language is the opening of opportunities for an individual's career. 

For children, education in the Spanish language at an early age helps them understand the diversities in cultures and the presence of diversity in their country. This helps them learn the value of respecting others at a very young age.

The following are ways on how to effectively teach children the Spanish language:

1. Read them a good fairy tale book in the Spanish language.

Kids love reading with their parents or older siblings. Fairytale books with good illustrations can help them learn the language better. Point to the photos of the Spanish words being mentioned in the book. 

When encountering new words, let the child guess the meaning of the words. Use creative voices while reading the book (like cartoons) so that the kid remember it immediately.

2. Use puppets or make-shift puppets from materials found in your home

Children love seeing puppet shows. Prepare a puppet show for your children with dialogues using the Spanish language. Create puppet theatres out of boxes and create finger puppets. It is also good to let your finger puppets sing Spanish songs.

3. Visit the zoo with your child and play a game of naming the animals you see in Spanish.

Before going to the zoo, let your child learn the Spanish terms of animals by giving them a book of animals with their Spanish translation. Let him point at an animal in the zoo and give their Spanish translation.

After a visit to the zoo, you can ask your children to draw the animals they saw and write the animal's Spanish name near the drawing.

4. Play a game such as a hide and seek while counting in with Spanish numbers.

Hide and seek is an enjoyable way to learn numbers in the Spanish language. Start from small numbers like from one to ten then as your child progress, add bigger numbers. To master the numbers, ask your child to count backward.

5. Enjoy a goad board game in Spanish.

Dice games can also help your children master numbers in the Spanish language, also it can help them practice adding numbers. Games played by the whole family is a good bonding and learning experience for the child.

6. Listen to Children's songs in Spanish

Listening to Spanish songs can be an enjoyable and productive learning experience for a kid learning the new language. Help your child remember the song. Sing it with them. Give him or her a special reward if he or she successfully memorize a Spanish song. Songs can be in different genres.

Learning the Spanish language includes multiple benefits that a person can use to his advantage. By learning the Spanish language at an early age, the child learns to respect and accept the cultural differences of the diversified population in the country. In the future, this promotes a harmonious environment where discrimination is no longer wide-spread in the nation.