Spanish Schools for Kids in Manhattan, New York
Did you know that Spanish is the second most spoken language in New York, just right after English? And specifically in Manhattan, Spanish is the most spoken non-English language. This makes it the perfect place to live if you want your kids to learn the language. And you should want that as, nowadays, bilingualism is an important skill you could give your children. We live in a globalized world that is in constant need of people that speak more than just one language. And since Spanish is also one of the most spoken languages in the world, it’ll open many doors for your kids. They’ll have personal and professional opportunities to last a lifetime.
But with so many bilingual school options, you might be confused on which one is the best for your children. Don’t worry. That’s why TruFluency Kids has created this guide for the best Spanish schools in Manhattan, New York. Take a look and choose the one that’s best for your family!
About This Resource
Before we dive into the schools, we want to tell you about what you’ll find in this guide. Throughout the article, you might notice that we mostly recommend schools with Spanish immersion programs. That is because we know firsthand that immersion is the best way to learn a new language. It’s the same way we all acquired our mother tongue. Kids will be in a Spanish environment all the time. This means the teacher will speak to them in their target language most of the time.
Public education in NYC is guided by the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE). And schools are divided into what’s called the NYC geographic districts. Based on that, the borough of Manhattan is composed of the 1st geog district up until the 6th geog district. As well the non-geographic district 75, also named “NYC Special Schools”, which englobes all the boroughs. Based on this, we will present you with what we believe are the best schools in Manhattan’s geographic districts.
Then, we will also show you some private Spanish school, preschool and after-school programs. Just in case you want to check them out to see if they fit your children’s needs best.
All opinions matter! The information in this guide is accurate at the moment of publication, but if you see something that’s been outdated, please let us know. So we can update the guide. You can also contact us if you have any school recommendations as your opinion can make this article a better source of information for all parents.
Great Manhattan Geographic District’s Dual Language Schools
Manhattan Schools for Spanish Learning
PS 163 Alfred E. Smith
This school belongs to district #3. PS 163 The Alfred E. Smith School offers a Spanish-English Dual Language program. This means that the classrooms are composed of children that are native Spanish speakers, native English speakers, and bilingual. This will help kids learn from each other too. And all subjects will be taught in both English and Spanish.
The goal of the program is for kids to be English and Spanish bilingual and biliterate. As well as to understand more about Latin culture and heritage.
This program starts in kindergarten. And the curriculum is based on the NYS Next Generation Learning Standards.
There’s also an after school Spanish Club. Where they teach Spanish through “experiential activities”, like music, cooking, arts and crafts, and more. Through these activities kids will also learn about different Spanish speaking cultures.
They also have other educational programs: Gifted and Talented, Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT), and General Education.
In the past, the school was named a 2019 New York State Recognition School. And 66% of the school’s student population is proficient in math, while 63% is proficient in reading, according to U.S. News & World Report. They also have a minority enrollment of 75.2%, of which 45.5% is Hispanic/Latino. So your kids will also improve their Spanish by talking to some of their friends.
It’s rated 4.5/5 on GreatSchools, 3.5/5 on Niche, and 4.4/5 on Google.
Amistad Dual Language School
Amistad Dual Language School belongs to district #6. It serves kids from kindergarten to 8th grade. And since it’s a dual language school, all grade levels have classes in both Spanish and English. Not just language classes, they’ll study all academic subjects in those two languages.
In Kindergarten, kids will study through a 50/50 model. For one week they’ll study three days in English and two days in Spanish. The next week will be vice versa, and so on.
First graders will learn through an “alternating day” model. This means on Mondays they’ll learn the subjects in Spanish, on Tuesdays in English, on Wednesdays in Spanish, and so on. They’ll learn things like phonics, math, social studies, and more.
Second graders will learn by alternating both languages between the morning and the afternoon for one week. For example: one week they’ll take classes in Spanish during the morning, and in English during the afternoon. Next week it will be vice versa, and so on.
In third grade, kids will take literacy and social studies in one language for two weeks. For example: in Spanish. During those two weeks, math will be instructed in the other language. For example: in English. For the next two weeks, the languages will rotate. So, following the examples, that would mean literacy and social studies will be taught in English, and math in Spanish. And so on.
Fourth graders will learn through the 50-50 language allocation. It’s the same as in third grade. For two weeks, kids will take ELA in one language, such as English, and math in the second language, such as Spanish. And the languages of instruction for each class will rotate every two weeks. All core subjects will follow the same language cycles.
From 5th to 8th grade. Students will learn for two weeks in one language, and then the next two weeks in the other language, and so on.
Check more details about their curriculum here.
According to U.S. News & World Report, 43% of their students are proficient in math, and 49% in reading. And they have a minority enrollment of 97%, of which 94.6% are Hispanic/Latino. So your kids will definitely be immersed in a Spanish environment. It’s rated 4.9/5 on GreatSchools and 5/5 on Google.
P.S./I.S. 210 21st Century Academy for Community Leadership
This school belongs to district #6. The P.S./I.S. 210 21st Century Academy for Community Leadership is an English-Spanish dual language school. So, all instruction is given in both English and Spanish. They serve kids from pre-k to 8th grade.
Through their dual language learning experience, they want kids to “speak, read, and write in two languages and to become lifelong learners and leaders in their communities and in our global society”.
Kids will learn the common academic subjects, such as math, social studies, and science. But that’s not it, their curriculum also has accelerated courses for 8th graders. These courses are: Living Environment, Algebra, and Spanish.
There’s also a Title 3 After-School Program. For their literacy subject, children will improve their English and Spanish skills, and will learn about the “American and immigrant cultures and customs”. Students will be taught in English, Spanish or both, depending on their knowledge of both languages.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the school is the 157th best public elementary school in NYC. And it’s the 160th best public middle school in NYC. 55% of their student population is proficient in math, and 52% is proficient in reading. They have a 100% minority enrollment, of which 97% is Hispanic/Latino! This is great news because your kids will always be surrounded by the Spanish language and cultures, which will facilitate the acquisition of the language.
It’s rated 4.3/5 on Google.
Other Great Manhattan Geographic Districts’ Schools
New Explorations into Science, Technology + Math High School
The NEST+M is a school for the Gifted and Talented that serves children from kindergarten to 12th grade. And it belongs to district #1.
They have a Special Education program. Where, through an integrated co-teaching model (NEST+m ICT program), they create programs as individualized as possible for 2e students.
Students will also have the opportunity to practice a sport through their Athletics program. They have middle grade athletics, with sports like track & cross country, soccer, flag football, and more. And upper grades athletics, where they offer many different sports, like indoor track & field, basketball, tennis, fencing, and more.
And there are different after-school programs for all grade levels.
NEST+M is U.S. News & World Report’s best New York elementary school and the 5th best New York middle school. As well as the best NYC public elementary school, and the 5th best NYC public middle school. This is no surprise, as 97% of their student population is proficient in math, and 98% is proficient in reading. And according to Niche, it’s the 27th 2023 best college prep public high school in New York.
It’s rated 3.8/5 on Niche, 4.5/5 on GreatSchools, and 4.3/5 on Google.
The Anderson School
The Anderson School is a Gifted & Talented school that serves kids from kindergarten to 8th grade. And it belongs to district #3. They have a hands-on, and discovery learning approach. “Creative problem solving, divergent thinking, research, and self-evaluation” are always encouraged during classes. They also want kids to develop good social and communication skills, as well as good self-esteem and respect for others.
According to U.S. News & World Report, they only have a Hispanic/Latino enrollment of 7.9%. And they don’t have a Spanish immersion/dual language program. Despite that it’s still a good school for kids to learn Spanish, because they give foreign language classes. In which they teach Spanish starting in kindergarten. From 5th to 8th grade, the Spanish classes become more rigorous, so students learn not only the language but also about the culture. In middle school, students can prepare for the New York State Proficiency exam.
They also offer after-school programs for kids from k to 5th grade and from 6th to 8th grade. And there’s a chess program for kids of all ages and levels, from beginners to national champions!
It’s the 6th best New York elementary school and the 11th best New York middle school, according to U.S. News & World Report. It’s rated 4.8/5 on GreatSchools, 4.8/5 on Niche, and 4.7/5 on Google.
Private Schools, Preschool, and After-School Programs for Spanish Learning in the Manhattan Area
Maryel School
Maryel School is a bilingual English-Spanish school for kids from pre-k to 5th grade. Their education is based on the education system of the US and the education system of Spain. And their educational philosophy is based on the Multiple Intelligences theory by Dr. Howard Gardner.
The Spanish immersion environment starts from preschool (pre-k3 and pre-k4). Their preschool follows the full immersion model, so kids can acquire naturally and from an early age the Spanish language. Kids with all levels of Spanish can enroll.
In their elementary years, kids study 50% of the time in English and 50% in Spanish. One day the instruction is given in English, the next day in Spanish, and so on. All their academic content is taught in both languages.
They also have different after-school programs, including a Spanish Immersion program. For this program, kids learn through interactive activities. The school aims for children to not only acquire the language, but also learn about Spanish culture. This program is for kids in their elementary years, and there are different levels. So, if your children already know some Spanish, they can be placed on a higher level.
It’s rated 5/5 on Niche and on Google.
Hudson Way Immersion School
Hudson Way Immersion School offers two different full immersion programs, one for Spanish and one for Mandarin. These programs are for kids from 2 to 8 years old.
During early childhood, the school provides kids with a target language immersion time of 90% to 100%. Two-year-old students learn in their target language 100% of the time. Three and four-year-olds learn 90% of the time in the target language and 10% in English.
In elementary school the English instruction increases gradually. From kindergarten to 1st grade, instruction is given 80% in the target language and 20% in English. From 2nd to 3rd grade, instruction is given 70% in the target language and 30% in English. From 4th to 5th grade, children learn for 50% of the time in the target language and 50% in English. Students that didn’t take the preschool immersion program can still apply in elementary school and catch up in their language skills.
In middle school, from 6th to 8th grade, instruction is given 40% in the target language and 60% in English. The classes given in the target language are Mandarin or Spanish Language Arts, Humanities/History, and Executive Skills Development. The classes taught in English are English Language Arts, Sciences, Math, Arts: Visual Arts & Music, and Physical and Health Education. All kids can enter this program, even if they don’t have prior knowledge of the target language, but they’ll be placed in a separate group for the classes given in the target language.
They also have different after-school programs, including a Language Program for Mandarin or Spanish. And a Language Immersion Summer Camp.
The school is rated 4.6/5 on Niche and 4/5 on Google.
TruFluency Kids Spanish Immersion Program
Finally, we present you our very own fun and cool Spanish Immersion Program. With TruFluency Kids every class is full of activities so kids won’t get bored. They’ll learn by singing, playing word and picture games, dancing, making crafts, and even cooking! And just to make sure classes are up to the kids’ energy standards, all teachers had to pass an energy test before teaching with us. So, no lesson is dull.
Oh! And there’s enough time for kids to practice their speaking. With our Bellieu Method, created to achieve language fluency, our native Spanish teachers make sure that kids develop great conversation skills. After all, if we want them to truly master the language, they need to speak it.
Don’t worry! We know you have a busy life. That’s why all our lessons are completely online, and we have flexible schedules. You can choose a class from the seven days a week from 9 am to 9 pm (CST). And if your kid missed a class, let us know and you can make it up by jumping into another one.
Don’t believe us? Check our testimonials and see for yourself! After you’re convinced, pick a schedule and sign up for the next 4-week session.
Try a Class!
Ready for the next step in helping your child learn Spanish in a natural and conversation-based atmosphere? Join a small online LIVE session at TruFluency Kids Spanish today!