Resource Center

In the world we live in today, there are fortunately many opportunities for children to learn Spanish. Please find below a list of suggestions and resources for children, parents and educators interested in learning or reinforcing Spanish. We are continuously looking for new resources, so please contact us with other ideas, or thoughts/suggestions about any of the following. ¡Gracias!

A reminder that at the start of each Hola La session, parents will receive song lyrics, words, phrases and expressions commonly used during the session, as well as recommended books and CDs to help with reinforcement of Spanish outside of the Hola La classroom.

Playgroups:

Form or join a Spanish playgroup by asking friends, local community networks, or through advertising. Playgroups are an excellent way for children to meaningfully interact with the Spanish language in a fun and informal way.

Books:

Find books that support the Spanish language. These can be found either at your local library, Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Lectorum (Spanish books), Language Lizard, www.santillanausa.com.

The Bilingual Edge: Why, When and How to Teach Your Child a Second Language by Kendall King, Ph.D. and Alison Mackey, Ph.D. An excellent resource for families who would like to raise their children bilingually.

Music:

Purchase children's music in Spanish (with English translation provided) or bilingual soundtracks. www.amazon.com and Barnes and Noble both have great selections. We love Sol y Canto's "Twice as Many Friends" CD.

Websites for Children:

PBS Kids - Sesame Street: Asks children to identify an article by saying the word in Spanish and providing a picture.
Scholastic
Matching Game
Bob the Builder: Select "If you are from another country, click here". Not a bilingual site but a chance for children to hear some of their favorite characters speak Spanish!
Dora the Explorer
BBC Primary Spanish
The Internet Picture Dictionary: Spanish
Little Explorers Spanish Dictionary

Parents/Educators:

123TeachMe

Lectorum: The Spanish arm of Scholastic Publishing; wide selection of Spanish books, lesson plans and music.

Language Lizard: An innovative resource for award-winning bilingual and multicultural children's products in over 40 languages.

Articles:

"Why, How and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language?"
ERIC Clearing House on Language and Linguistics

"Bilingual Kids not Slowed by Second Tongue"
The News in Science

Brain Research: Implications for Second Language Learning
Center for Applied Linguistics

"10 Good Reasons You Should Be Learning a Foreign Language"
Vistawide

Organizations

ADFL (Associations of Departments of Foreign Languages): "Knowing Other Languages Brings Opportunities"

�andut� (Center for Applied Linguistics): �andut� is our favorite comprehensive resource on foreign language teaching and learning in grades pre K-8.

NNELL (National Network for Early Language Learning)

"Hola La has been more successful than television shows or books to get my children to pick up on Spanish vocabulary and even full sentences! To have my not-even-two-year-old tell me that a shark is a "tiburon" or show me the difference between "grande" and "pequeno" is all I need to know that it is successful. And most important of all, it's fun! My daughter and I sing the songs every day, and she knows the little dances. It's a wonderful program."
J. Chandler, Ballston Spa, NY

"The Hola La cd is on the repeat setting in our car and our children never tire of it. The teachers are enthusiatic and creatively present the Spanish language in a way that mesmerizes the children and leaves them looking forward to the next class week after week."
Nicole G., Mother of 3, Greenfield Center, NY