I have always felt it was important to learn languages at a young age. So when our daughter was just about to turn 3 years old we started the program at the Instituto Cervantes Chicago which 6 years later has far exceeded our expectations.
The elementary school we are at begins teaching Mandarin at age 3. We thought learning two languages would be confusing and therefore should pick one. However, doing Spanish in the Summer at the Instituto and Mandarin at school during the rest of the year we have found no issues. In fact her Spanish may be better than her Mandarin because of the program at the Instituto. Learning while creating beautiful art projects, being able to apply the learning to your daily life and making wonderful friends while being in a fully immersive Spanish speaking program is bound to teach the language in no time.
Let me take a moment to speak about the teachers…they certainly know how to hire the perfect teachers for the different age groups. Over the 6 years we have been there we started with one teacher, had the second level teacher and now we are onto the older kid teacher. Each instructor has been perfect for the age group they are teaching. They have all become our friends over the years, we walk in to happy smiling faces every day, all of us greet one another in the hall with compliments (in Spanish of course), hugs and kisses. It is the best way to start the day!
I cannot say enough about this program! Keep reading for more helpful tips.
*JAJ TIP* This year the Instituto started offering an after camp enrichment. The normal day ends at 2pm, this enrichment extends the day until 4pm. Giving the kids an option of Theater or Poetry, this after camp class is sure to engage your child in another way that will promote their learning even further. Plus it is 2 more hours a day they are learning and speaking Spanish.
*PLANNING TIP* Start Young, the younger the better. And look for a fully immersive program. It may be intimidating at first, but in no time you will see that it is a faster way of mastering the language. You can go week by week at the Kids Summer Camp, but I highly recommend doing a few weeks in a row in order to gain the most as far as learning.
*TECH TIP* Go to https://chicago.cervantes.es/en/Cervanteskids_spanish/children_courses_spanish.htm to sign up for classes or camp today.