There is a unique option for preschoolers in Clawson and surrounding areas to learn Spanish in an immersion setting. At Spanish for Toddlers children have been doing so since April 2002. Classes are available Monday to Friday with a minimum of two days attendance required per week. Morning classes are available from 9:15am to 12:15pm and extended care may be arranged from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The schedule and curriculum ensures plenty of practical application, especially as most of the families do not speak Spanish at home, and with wonderful results.
Our curriculum utilizes the five distinct areas of the Montessori approach throughout a preschool day, which are carefully chosen and applied to instill life-serving skills in our children such as curiosity, initiative, concentration, decision-making and responsibility.
It seems immersion into a culture or language at an early age is the key to learning. Children at this early age (2 to 5 years old) are keen to learn and typically have no inhibitions. “They don’t worry about what the other toddlers may think about them,” says Maria Van Dyke, founder of the preschool, “little ones are unafraid to pronounce the words properly, they don’t even have an accent.”
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One parent insists that “For my children, learning Spanish here is as easy as going to a play date: they enjoy coming to their fun class and they don’t even know they are learning a second language.”
Studies have shown, and it is widely accepted, that very young children absorb incredible amounts of knowledge. Lack of inhibition or shyness, along with their still forming/growing minds, allow them to learn and speak multiple languages without any confusion between the languages.
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The three-hour class is structured, beginning with a welcome song where each child is encouraged to sing, and is followed by circle time. Other activities include story time, crafts, music & movement, a snack break (combining table manners with food and drink lessons), and games designed to teach body parts, numbers, colors, animals, other aspects of life.
“I love this class as it is high impact where kids are constantly stimulated in a well balanced morning. It is truly a lot of fun.” says one mother. Another parent explains that although her original reason for enrolling was the bilingual aspect, she would now recommend it just on the basis of the intense and imaginative curriculum.
Most of the students attend the Spanish immersion class as an alternative to regular preschool, as of course they are introduced to a social setting with other children in a small and loving environment, and an educational curriculum. Spanish for Toddlers is a licensed child care provider, and the class sizes are small.
The overwhelming response from parents has been how happy they are with the class. They are amazed at how quickly their children have learned. “Apart from singing Spanish songs all day my child has conversations with other Spanish speakers that occasionally enter his life” says Ms. Denise. Many parents also bring their second child as soon as they become old enough. “Having been brought up bilingual myself and after seeing my eldest’s development and enjoyment at the school, there was no doubt his sibling should share this valuable experience” says Ms. Belinda.
Knowing a second language will give confidence to a person and will allow them to remain open-minded when dealing with different cultures or ideas. It will also ensure access to opportunities socially and professionally that likely would not be there if he or she were not multi-lingual. It does, indeed, give them the opportunity of a lifetime. Spanish is currently the number 2 international language.