Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

I hope the last post helped you become familiar and comfortable with Spanish body part vocabulary.  The more you use it around your littles, the more comfortable they will become with it.  We use our car time to and from school to practice this a lot.  My toddler is still facing backwards in her car seat, but we have a mirror in front of her.  I can see her in my rearview mirror.  So I'll say, "Where's your head?  Show me your estómago.  Can you find your manos?"  We go back and forth between Spanish and English.  If she points to a Spanish one wrong, I'll say "Remember, your pies are your feet." and she almost always corrects herself.  My kiddo repeats EVERYTHING, so as I'm saying these words, she says and points to them.  If yours does too, great!  If not, that's totally fine too.  They're learning as they go even if they aren't verbalizing it just yet.  They will.  No rush.  I hope your practice is going well and that you're becoming more confident mixing some Spanish in with what you're already doing with your babies.

While we're working on our body parts, it's a good time to talk about HOW kids learn a second language.  Most of the time, it's the same way they learned the first!  Pointing out things, labeling them, rhymes and songs.  Think back to how you (or your kids) learned body parts.  I bet the song Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes was a part of it!  In case it's been a while since you've sung it, here's a little video to remind yourself:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka7d-13iWbA 

This is a great song for you to use with your little ones in English AND in Spanish.  In Spanish, the song is Cabeza, Hombros, Piernas, Pies.  It translates as Head, Shoulders, Legs and Feet.  So the words are a little different.  Here's how it goes:

Cabeza, hombros, piernas, pies
Piernas, pies
Cabeza, hombros, piernas, pies
Piernas, pies
Ojos, orejas, boca y nariz
Cabeza, hombros, piernas, pies
Piernas, pies

Here are the translations:
la cabeza = head
los hombros = shoulders
las piernas = legs
los pies = feet
los ojos = eyes
las orejas = ears
la boca = mouth
y = and
la nariz = nose

Los hombros and los ojos are new words for us this week.  Be sure to practice them in addition to the words you've been working on from last week.

Here's an audio clip of the Spanish song.  Check it out for yourself so you can teach your tiny one.  http://www.kidsspeakspanish.org/esp_Cabeza_Hombros_Piernas_Pies.shtml

Next time we'll be looking at this first words board book.  Get a copy for yourself here: http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0789485931/ref=ox_ya_os_product_refresh_T1 

Welcome! Why Spanish? And Body Parts!

Everyone knows that it's important for children to learn a second (or third, or fourth...) language.  And when they are tiny, they absorb language like little sponges.  The more vocabulary we can expose them to at a young age, the easier time they will have acquiring new words.  I won't bore you with a billion studies on how language acquisition benefits brain development, but the studies are readily available if you're interested.

Check out this article about introducing a second language to your child: http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/language/teaching-second-language/?page=1

I'm a Spanish teacher with a toddler.  I SHOULD be speaking to her exclusively in Spanish at home, but the reality is that I'm not.  Right now we're working on small sets of vocabulary at a time.  We go over these the same way we practice English vocabulary: lots of pointing, acting things out, and repetition.  Nothing tricky about it.  You're probably already doing this with your little in English all the time.

A friend asked for some help and resources to work with her son in Spanish.  The only thing I have that she doesn't have for this is some basic Spanish vocabulary.  So I'm offering little mini-lessons of themed vocab so that she can learn the words and then teach them to her son.  If you are interested in working along with us, feel free to join along.  For each lesson I'll post a vocabulary list, some practice activities and an audio clip or video to help with pronunciation.  Once you have them down, just throw them into the normal conversations and language practice you're already doing with your kiddo.

So, let's get started:
First lesson is body parts.  We go over body parts in English ALL the time.  It keeps my kid happy in the car when she's restless.  We talk about them while we wait in line at the grocery store.  We go over them every chance we get because it gives her a chance to move around while she points to them and keeps her engaged.  So, for now, let's do basic body parts.  We can get into details like elbows and teeth and all of that later.  For now, we want big, general body parts that your child can easily see, identify and touch.

First, check out this post and corresponding video: http://spanishplayground.net/spanish-body-parts-beginners-video-kids/

Grab these flashcards for extra practice (5 additional bonus words included that do not appear in the video): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ki_Cu7MIsCSmtSOGQ3TkpCRnc/edit?usp=sharing

Download this mp3 of the audio file for the words in the flashcards: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7Ki_Cu7MIsCcUd4MDczd2Nta2M/edit?usp=sharing

Once you get these words down, incorporate them into your daily conversations with your little one.  Let me know how they're working for you, any questions you have, and if you need any additional help.  Thanks!