Teaching kids another language..

[ThreeMusketeers]

My dd is almost 5, with a HUGE thrist for knowledge. Recently, she has shown interest in learning to speek Spanish. My DH can speak mildly well, and I know about as much as Dora teaches me. We were thinking about Muzzy. But its so expensive, so I was wondering if anyone else had used it???

Any other ideas or resorces would be great!

Thanks so much.

 

[cancer_survivor_06]

I don't know if you have checked out target online. I haven't been looking for spanish but my DD6 has been learning sign language since she was 2, no she isn't deaf. It actually as been to our benefit that she has been learning this because DD3 is disabled and part her disability being speech we have started using this w/ both DD's. Sorry for getting kind of OT I found videos and thing like that online at target. You may also want to checkout you local library or second hand bookstore.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Our library has Muzzy.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

My older two kids learned German. They saw a tutor, and I got the Muzzy set to supplement.

The tutor said that Muzzy wasn't very good. The syntax and grammar were off. She found it very hard to work with--it's fun and all, but the language was just wrong.

The Muzzy for Spanish might be better, but for the $$ involved, I'd check other resources. Spanish is common enough these days that you could find stuff in your local library or Barnes & Noble or some other large bookstore.

I will tell you, one side effect of the German here was, the kids coudl both speak it, but I couldn't, so they could tlak without me understanding what they said. Possibly not the best plan...

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

Thank you for bringin this up. MY 5 year old always tries to speak a different language, but she makes up her own words. She loves Dora and knows some basic stuff. The other day we were at the mall and they have a play area for kids. She met this little girl and asked her if she was Spanish. My daughter started counting to ten in Spanish and said goodbye in Spanish to her. The little girl and her mother got a kick out of it.
Last night we went to a Portugues wedding and mostly everyone spoke Portugues and they played the Portugues music. My daughter was making up her own words trying to talk to another child who was fluent in Portugues. I am going to check out my library for the Muzzy. It definatley woud be beneficial.
My daughter's already know sign language. Their school teaches basic skills. My niece uses sign language to communicate and my children are able to communicate with her.

 

[Rachie0507]

To the OP, you said your husband can speak Spanish. That is a great place to start, IMO. My DH speaks French with his parents and brothers. My kids have always been very curious about it. Since they were old enough to speak though, he would talk to them in French. For example at dinner time, while setting the table and getting drinks, he will say exactly what he is doing in French. The kids love it. He won't speak English at all during these "lessons" so the kids have to keep repeating what he is saying to figure out what he is talking about. My kids can't speak French in a conversation, but they can understand quite a bit and can say phrases here and there. If DH had done these exercises more often with them, they probably could do more!

DS4 has watched a lot of the shows that have Spanish speaking characters. When we were in Canada this past summer, all the relatives were speaking French. DS looked at me and said, "Wow Mommy, a lot of people speak Spanish around here!". I had to remind him that these people are Daddy's relatives and they speak French just like Daddy and Memere