Tips for Home

Our Spanish classes are communicatively based and most of our learning takes place in the classroom, so homework will not be assigned for grades K-4. However, here are some things that you can do at home to practice Spanish with your child and encourage greater learning!

Ask your child daily about what he/she is learning in Spanish class. This will help your child maintain enthusiasm and interest throughout the year, and it will give you an update as to the classroom activities.

Be the student! Have your child teach you some of the new vocabulary he/she is learning in class. Because the class will be taught 95% of the time in Spanish, he/she may not be able to directly translate some things for you, but if you ask about things in a general sense (weather, colors, etc.) they should be able to teach you vocabulary!

Label things around the house. Use a Spanish/English dictionary to find the names for things in the house, or ask your child's teacher for a list of objects in the house in Spanish. This will help both of you use the names for these items in Spanish.

GO to the many places in the community where your child can practice his/her Spanish or hear native Spanish speakers. Great places to go are the many museums and cultural events in and around Chicago where your child can learn about the many cultures where Spanish is spoken.

Books are a great resource for learning Spanish. The Wilmette Public Library has a section of Spanish books, many of which your child should recognize from Spanish class. CDs and videos in Spanish are also great resources!

Use Spanish daily. Key phrases like "Buenos días" or "Hola", if used on a regular basis at home and at school will serve to reinforce instruction and maintain enthusiasm for speaking and learning the language.