KidSmart | Early Childhood Development

Our preschool classroom is made up of children who only speak English and one child who only speaks Spanish. To assist in the Spanish-speaking child's transition to our school we installed on our computer a software program that teaches Spanish to preschool children. We use this program by pairing the Spanish-speaking child with various English-speaking children and have them learn Spanish together. The Spanish-speaking child feels very important because he knows all the words and can teach the others. The other children in the class are equally excited at the opportunity to learn Spanish. Originally our Spanish speaker was very shy and would not talk; he is now much more outgoing. We see a vast improvement in his social skills that we believe will help in his future school experiences.

What I did to set this up and how I followed through:

I set up a computer with two chairs so that children would work together at the computer. I selected and installed a software program teaching Spanish to preschool children. The children take turns using the program with our Spanish-speaking student. We have also used the computer to make labels in Spanish and English for items in our classroom. The children decide what we should label; we then write them on the computer, print them out and post them throughout the classroom.

Materials used:

We use a computer and a Spanish-speaking software program. We also use the computer to make labels in Spanish and English for the classroom. Although we used software that actually teaches Spanish, you can also use children's software that is available in the Spanish language. This would give children a different kind of experience with the language.

What the children had to do and what I wanted them to learn:

The children had to work cooperatively with each other. They learned that they are all alike even if they sound different. They have learned to respect each other and their differences. I wanted to help develop social and emotional skills in my students. I have also learned Spanish through this program.

Images of the Activity:

Background: How I got the idea:

I got this idea from my 9-year-old granddaughter. She had a new student in her class who spoke Spanish and she wanted to be able to talk to her. I bought her a software program that teaches Spanish.

Analysis: How the kids and/or parents responded:

This has been a very positive experience for the students in my class. They are not only learning a new language, they are also learning about a different culture while also developing social skills. Our Spanish-speaking child's parents are especially happy at how well their child is adjusting. They report that he talks about his school and friends. The English-speaking parents were also very excited to see their children learn to communicate in a new language.

Extension

Learning a new language is easy and fun for preschoolers. In this case it was real to them because it enabled all the children in the class to communicate with each other. Other languages could be used if the need arose.

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