Bilingual Kids
Raising bilingual children– or want to? You’re in the right place.
browse my top content on:
- Bilingual Parenting Advice
- Personal Stories
- Tips and Ideas
If you are looking for lists like books, podcasts, songs, and more, see my Spanish Resources page.
Here, you can click on the section you need– or grab a cuppa and spend some time browsing!
- Interview and Stories from Bilingual Families
- FAQ and Tips on Raising Bilingual Children
- Guides and Resources for Bilingual Families
- Just for Fun
- For Non-Native Speakers
Most of us have seen the research showing the social, emotional, and brain-boosting benefits for bilingual children. For some families, bilingualism is a natural part of their community. For others in more monolingual contexts, it takes an incredible amount of intention to support a minority language (or two!).
I always say this: language is never wasted. Whether you are shooting for kids who can communicate fluently with their abuelos, or just want a jumpstart to high school Spanish, language-learning is wonderful for kids.
…the most important thing to do as a parent is to provide nurturing support. The approach that you end up taking will depend on the nature of your household, the area you live in, and the resources that are available to you. At the end of the day, focus on raising a happy child. The ability to speak two languages and the cognitive, neurological, and social benefits that come with it are an added bonus.
– Viorica Marian Ph.D., Psychology Today
Interviews and Stories from Bilingual Families
These interviews with families from all over the world are some of my favorite blog posts. They’re a powerful look into what is working for families– and, surprise!– it looks different for everyone.
How I Taught my son Spanish at 4: One Mom’s Story
Hear the step-by-step method one mom followed, when she decided to raise her son bilingually starting at age 4.
Read her story here.
5 Bilingual Families Share Their Success Stories
I love this post because it shares the perspective of families or adults looking back, reflecting on what worked well– and what you can do too. Read the interviews here.
OPOL Interviews: 5 Families Tell us how they make it work
See how five Spanglish families use the OPOL (one parent, one language approach with their children).
Read the interviews here.
One Parent, One Language Part 2: 5 More Families Share
This is part two of our OPOL families, with some great advice for making this bilingual method work.
Read the interviews here.
Non-Native Speakers Teaching Their Kids Spanish (Interviews)
Think you can’t teach your kids Spanish because you’re not a native speaker? Find out how five families are making it happen!
Read the interviews here.
5 bilingual Homeschooling Families give us a peek into their homes
Find out how these families with bilingual children are homeschooling and what resources they’re using to do it!
Read the interviews here.
Tips on FAQ ON Raising Bilingual Children
For all the great advice on bilingual children you can find, there are some big myths too. You might be afraid it’s too late, that mixing languages will harm your kids, or that you shouldn’t speak Spanish to your kids if your own isn’t 100% perfect.
These tips will help you sort through it all and make a game plan for your own family. The good news, again? Language learning can begin before birth AND at any age. If you didn’t get the early start you hoped for– or Spanish has fallen by the wayside recently– you can still jump back in.
The languages you learn as a child are important, but so are the languages you learn later in life. “We all know people who make great contributions and do great science in English and are not native speakers,” Dr. Hoff said. “The human brain is amazing, and the human capacity to acquire language is amazing.”
– Perri Klass, M.D., The New York Times
What If My Child Doesn’t Want to Speak Spanish?
It’s pretty common that most kids will go through this phase at one time or another. Here’s some advice for getting through it and motivating your kiddos!
See the tips here.
FAQ Answered by a SPEECH Pathologist
Answers to your most common questions on bilingual kids and language development.
See the FAQ here.
10 Tips and Tricks For Raising Bilingual Kids
Get some practical advice on bilingual parentings with these tips you can start today.
See the tips here.
Creating Joy in the Bilingual Home
We want our kids to look back on their bilingual childhood with affection and happy memories. Here are some thoughts on creating that context.
See the post here.
Guides and Resources for Bilingual Kids
Teach Your Child To Read in Spanish: A Parents’ Guide
Teaching Reading in Spanish 101, written with parents in mind. This is a big post full of ideas and resources!
See the tips here.
Bilingual Homeschooling 101
Thinking about homeschooling your kids in more than one language? Start here.
See the guide here.
Three must-Read Books on Bilingual Parenting
Read review on my top three favorite books to learn more about raising bilingual kids.
See the guide here.
Why Your Bilingual Child Needs Poetry
Did you know that poetry and rhymes are some of the most important things to help your child’s language development?
See the post here.
Just for fun
Things bilingual moms do in public
Funny things that bilingual parents say and do, from yours truly and my kiddos.
See the post here.
The Spanglish family gift guide
Find lots of fun gift ideas for the holidays or birthday, from kids to adults!
See the post here.
10 Awesome Benefits of Bilingualism
What’s not to love about multilingualism?
See the post here.
The Benefits of being Bicultural
All about the gifts and benefits of being bicultural.
See the post here.
For Non-Native Speaking Parents
Tips for Monolingual parents raising bilingual kids
What if you don’t speak the language your kids are learning? Here are some concrete tips for making the best of the situation!
See the post here.
Letting go of Language Fear
It can be scary to speak a second language and feel judged if your accent or grammar isn’t perfect. Read about my experience and what I’ve been learning.
See the post here.
Learning a language alongside your kids
What’s the number 1 way to motivate your kids to learn Spanish? Learn it too!
See the post here.