One of my best finds is a free PBS program for kindergarteners to second graders that teaches them Spanish. I am always wary of those kinds of things. Can you really learn a language by watching a show? I must admit, the George Public Broadcasting system did this right with Salsa Spanish.
The Salsa program is completely in Spanish, and it is simply fantastic in its development from episode to episode. It is best geared to children aged 4-6, so it is perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners. Like Sesame Street, the story is mostly a series of puppets acting.
Interspersed in the child-friendly puppet story are a few live-action scenes. Children repeat the words, and a camera shows items that meet the word of choice. It is repetitive, but it works! After the first few episodes, my kids (I’ve used this with all three of them, as well as in a homeschool co-op for a class) were successfully speaking some of the learned words in Spanish.
One of my preschoolers like Salsa Spanish so much she made a perler bead SALSA!
Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the United States. I believe that is as good a reason as any to learn Spanish! In addition, language learning is much easier for kids to pick up as well, so why not start young? Salsa Spanish is a fantastic program!
Spanish is one of the most common languages in the USA.
View Salsa Episodes at Georgia Public Broadcasting. I'm also workiing on putting together a set of supplementary curriculum to go along with it. If you are interested, leave me a comment and I can continue that work.
Salsa is also on YouTube now! Here is the first episode for your convenience. This is a wonderful resource for parents and teachers alike. I hope you check it out!
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