If you run a licensed daycare center out of your home, you need ways to stand out from all the other options that parents have. One way to attract families to your daycare center is by offering Spanish lessons.
You may think that your program is too small to provide such an amenity, but high-tech solutions make it possible. In this article, we’ll talk about why parents prize daycare centers that teach Spanish and give you a strategy for setting up Spanish classes in your program.
Parents Want Bilingual Education
Around the world, almost two-thirds of children are being raised to be bilingual. The U.S. is behind the curve in this area. Just under one-quarter of Americans are bilingual.
This includes native speakers of other languages who use English outside the home. The number of native English speakers who master another language is lower.
However, the tide is starting to turn, as more parents realize that it’s increasingly important for their kids to be bilingual in order to succeed at work and in life. Since Spanish is the most commonly used non-English language in the U.S., it makes sense that many English-speaking families want their kids to master it.
In Dallas, where TruFluency Kids is based, we’ve seen Spanish-language immersion and dual language programs become more popular in area schools. This is happening in other regions as well.
Attending a daycare with Spanish classes can help kids prepare for immersion programs. This can be a powerful selling point you can share with families who are considering your in-home daycare.
Being Bilingual Has Many Benefits
But that’s not the only benefit of Spanish language classes. By teaching Spanish at your daycare, you can help kids increase their cognitive flexibility, develop problem-solving skills and improve their memory. That gives parents even more reasons to choose your daycare program!
You may, though, hear concerns from families that learning a second language while they’re young will make it harder for their kids to master English. To reassure them, you can share these words from speech pathologist Meagan Horn:
The idea that (learning) two languages causes language delays in children has been a long-standing myth in the United States. However, research has dispelled this myth. Children are able to learn two languages at the same pace as other children who are learning only one language.
Learning Spanish isn’t just great for kids’ brains. It also helps them develop cultural fluency. By learning about Spanish-speaking cultures around the world, kids develop empathy and open-mindedness.
Private, Online Spanish Classes from TruFluency Kids
At this point, you might be thinking, “Spanish classes sound great. But I don’t know if I can afford to offer them at my daycare.” That’s where we come in. TruFluency Kids offers private, online Spanish classes tailored to the kids in your program.
You just have to choose the age of your students and their experience level with Spanish. Our classes happen on your schedule. And there’s no big commitment. You can start with packages of eight or 12 classes over four weeks or the full semester.
So what are our Spanish classes like? Our instructors are native Spanish speakers and experienced teachers with credentials to back it up. Kids will get lots of practice listening to and speaking Spanish, all while they’re having fun.
But you don’t have to take our word for it. Check out these testimonials about TruFluency Kids’ Spanish classes or Mama Llama Linguist, an educator herself, enrolled her son Micah and continued to enroll.
More Ideas for Using Spanish at Your Daycare
Spanish classes can serve as a springboard to other activities at your daycare. Here are just a few ideas for enhancing Spanish learning from the TruFluency Kids blog:
- Start doing greetings and goodbyes in Spanish.
- Learn how to play Jugaremos en el Bosque, a popular game in Spanish.
- Sing songs in Spanish.
- Teach Spanish vocabulary through a Mexico-themed party.
- Read books together that combine Spanish and English.
Add Spanish to Your Daycare
We’re all about making it easier than ever for kids to become fluent in Spanish. And we’d love to talk with you about bringing our Spanish classes to your in-home daycare. Get in touch with us now to learn more!
