I have always loved languages and Spanish is a good one to learn if you are living in the US. Even though my focus is on English, Romanian and French with the children, I like to throw in a little Spanish now and then.
When the author of HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish contacted me about a book review, I was glad. This is no ordinary book on learning Spanish. Even if you don’t speak Spanish, you will be able to introduce your children to the proper pronunciation because it even has an audio version. It takes commitment and your time, but I know homeschooling parents are made of commitment and time dedicated to the development of their children.
My mother lives in Spain and because she moved there later in life it is hard for her to keep the languages separately. So as we converse in Romanian, she throws in a Spanish word here and there. I have learned some vocabulary that way. Plus my kids say Hola to her because she greets them with Hola unless she greets them with Buna which is Romanian for Hola.
Romanian is very close to Spanish, so the pronunciation and vocabulary are not that hard for us to learn. When my mom lived here with us, she would drill the kids in Spanish for colors, numbers 1-10, the days of the week etc. After she left, I have not focused as much on Spanish.
Time to change all that with this book, Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish, a book available in paperback for $14.97 and Kindle format for $7.99. Pete the Pilot takes readers on a flight to Mexico where they meet Panchito, the Mexican Jumping Bean. This book was written with ages 6-10 in mind. Of course, younger or older children would enjoy this colorful book as well and get a lot out of it.
The audio version of the book is free so even if money were an issue, you could still go to this website and have the kids listen to the book. It’s a great social studies book as well, because you could look Mexico up on the map and talk about Mexican culture. Plus the book emphasizes that Mexican people are just like us – they do pretty much the same things we do every day.
There is a game you could play as well, which you can download here. Just print out the page and advance or go back a step depending on whether the child answers the questions correctly or not. The two lists of questions, one for parents and children, the other for Spanish classes, are found at the same link as the game.
In case you are wondering, FLES stands for Foreign Language in Elementary Schools. Apparently, only 15% American schools offer foreign language instruction. We homeschoolers know better, right? We can give our children a world-class education by introducing them to Spanish with this book, audio book and game.
Repetition is key. So go through the entire book until you reach the exercise area. It will not take long. Then, work your way through the exercises. When you have come to the end of the book, start all over in the same way. Play the game. Use some of the words throughout the day as you interact with your children outside of “Spanish class.” That’s the way to reap all the benefits of this resource.
I received a free copy of this product in exchange for my honest review. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.
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