Common referred to as the original super computer, the human brain is truly amazing and is capable of achieving great feats, many of which are still untapped and unknown. But perhaps the only thing more amazing and capable than the human brain is an adolescent’s brain, which functions as a super sponge that constantly feeds this super computer information it absorbs in its surroundings. Children learn and pick up habits, beliefs, and knowledge at an alarmingly fast rate. For this and many reasons, it’s extremely important that education is made a priority very early in a child’s life in order to set them up for success in their adult years.
And one of the best ways to do that is by learning a second language. The sooner a child is introduced to a foreign language the easier and faster they’ll learn in. Introducing your child to a second language by the age of 10 is ideal, but starting to teach them a new language by the age of 5 is also gives them a head start. You’ll be amazed by how quickly, easily, and naturally they’re learn a new language. This will spearhead them into adulthood when the time is right and will provide several benefits in their adult lives. For example did you know that on average, bilingual employees make roughly 20% more than monolingual employees?
What language should your child learn? The decision is ultimately up to you and make depend on your cultural background, nationality, or ethnicity, but in the United States, Spanish for preschoolers is a popular choice. With a growing Spanish speaking population in the United States and considering that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world with 387 million native speakers, so it’s easy to see how beneficial learning this popular language is. In fact, there are more people that speak Spanish across the world than English.
Here are some of the life long benefits of a preschool Spanish curriculum for children.
Improved linguistics
As previously stated earlier, a preschool Spanish curriculum exposes a child to a foreign language at a early age, as early as 3 in some cases, which makes it easier to gain proficiency and completely fluency in the Spanish language than if they were to learn it later in their life. At this point in a child’s life, their brain is developmentally ready to absorb and retain the lessons learned in a preschool Spanish curriculum. The results are the ability to learn and speak a completely foreign language easily and without an accent.
Cognitive benefits a plenty
In addition to linguistics, a preschool Spanish curriculum also provides several other benefits in terms of enhanced brain function, including grasping the complex concept of “object permanence” at a younger than normal age, improved problem solving skills, improved critical thinking skills, increased creativity, improved memory, and a greater ability to flexible in terms of thought processes. Now that’s a head start!
Better grades
A preschool Spanish curriculum has many benefits that extend long beyond preschool. Learning a foreign language at an early age provides several academic benefits that carry into middle school, high school, and even beyond. Because of the increased cognitive abilities that come along with learning a foreign language, academic performance improves as well. Several research studies have confirmed what many parents and educators already know; bilingual children do better in school! They have improved kills in math as well as higher scores on standardized tests such as the SAT. And for parents that are concerned that learning a second or foreign language has an adverse effect on a child’s proficiency in English, you’re wrong in so many ways. In fact, learning a second language at any age enhances proficiency in one’s native language.
