Spanish Language in Pre-Primary School

Director of Pre-Primary School Stefania Rubino notes that young children learn best when they can connect what they are learning to the concrete and to their daily lives. What we think of as more traditional language learning—like memorizing vocabulary lists—is of little benefit to preschoolers.

Lowell teachers will also tell you that it is important for children to experience the new language in a meaningful context—that is, when there is an authentic desire to connect with another person, to understand or to be understood. When children are interested and motivated to learn the language, classroom experiences become all the more enriching.

Stefania adds, “Teaching Spanish to young children should always involve fun and creative ways to capture children’s imaginations. Through plays, stories, and songs we introduce new Spanish vocabulary in a natural and concrete manner.”

“Hola!”
“How many friends are here? Uno, dos, tres, cuatro—that’s right.”
“Do you need to go to el baño?”
“Ojos en mi. Eyes on me.”
“What color is it? Rojo?”
“Be careful, por favor.”
“¡Gracias, amigo!”
“¡Adiós!”

Pre-Primary children at Lowell encounter a new Spanish word in Singing Meeting every week, and an hour is set aside every Monday afternoon for Spanish language activities. During these times, teachers introduce new vocabulary, engage children in hands-on activities related to the vocabulary, and sing songs and read stories in Spanish. These two carefully designed experiences help bring predictability and structure to the children’s week and offer regular opportunities to spark children’s interest in the Spanish language.

But children’s exposure to Spanish does not end here. Ten of the adults in the Pre-Primary School speak Spanish and six are native speakers. Spanish can be heard throughout the day, every day.

During Morning Meeting, it is not uncommon for teachers to weave Spanish words into the schedule for the day. Words of the week find their way into science, art, and playground activities. Spanish can also be heard in daily greetings, directions, and reminders of daily tasks. New vocabulary is reinforced through repeated exposure and also inthe ways teachers expertly draw attention to the meaning of the words.

As they use the Spanish language, teachers gesture, make statements in both Spanish and English, explain new vocabulary, and encourage children to make personal connections to the new words they are learning (“Look at the picture of Clementine’s pantalones. Are you wearing pantalones?”). Hearing Discovery Room Teacher Ana Ardon read a story to children in the Discovery Room is an experience not to be missed. Children are rapt, drawn into the interactive experience as Ana transitions seamlessly between English and Spanish in an animated voice that transforms each new word into an exciting discovery.

Hearing more than one language on a regular basis also helps children become more “attentive to sounds and refines their ability to listen,” says Stefania. This crucial pre-academic skill is a benefit to children not only as they continue to learn Spanish, but also as they move onto the literacy and language arts in Primary School.

For those students who speak Spanish at home, encountering Spanish in the classroom and interacting with teachers who are native speakers on a regular basis helps affirm their identity. Sara Aguilar makes a point of connecting with Pre-Primary children whose first language is Spanish. She wants to “make sure they feel proud of their background.” Sara observes that when children hear them conversing in Spanish, they get curious and are motivated to speak more Spanish. These conversations also help create an environment in which children feel comfortable sharing their different backgrounds. In fact, Sara recently observed a small group of children practicing a new word they had learned. Another student joined the group and said, “I speak Arabic. I can teach you how to say it in Arabic.”

And this is, perhaps, one of the most important benefits for our youngest students. Hearing more than one language at school expands children’s horizons and builds cultural awareness. Stefania says, “We are sparking their curiosity about the larger world around them.” What a motivation to keep learning!