These children were given no grammar book. No one forced them to write verbs out on the white board at the speed of geological time. They simply walked into a room where the language was Spanish and, inevitably, they began to function in that language, which is what programs such as myspanishvillage.com are all about.

That’s how My Spanish Village is powered.

Full immersion is NOT a methodology! It is a commitment. The day isn’t just English and switch to Spanish after the warm-up. The first word heard in the morning, and the last word before dismissal is the Spanish language. Everything and anything that relates to math, stories, routines, transitions. Children adapt, children are made to adapt, particularly at this age, particularly when no one is fussing about how difficult it is.

The curriculum was designed and created by individuals who are knowledgeable in early childhood development, not early childhood marketing. It is based on what three and four year olds need at each stage – not what looks great in a brochure! There’s a difference between a program designed for kids and one designed for parents who are reading brochures. My Spanish Village falls definitely in the first category.

Small classes. This is a topic that I continue to see and it continues to be an issue. If a teacher knows each child in her room – his/her pace, his/her humor, his/her favorite distraction, she teaches differently. She catches things. A child who was silent following lunch. A 3 beat ahead, quiet bored child. Averages are the result of large classrooms. Individuals from small ones.

At myspanishvillage.com students read and write Spanish in kindergarten. Solid mathematical foundations are developed. The results come from a system of days, teachers, and an attitude that Tuesday is the day to try something that’s not perfect.

SEL is integrated throughout. Patience. Losing without catastrophe. Staying in the challenge until a solution is found. My Spanish Village considers them as basic building blocks, NOT extra credit.

Early years are not a forerunner. They are a chapter which is written only once. Here is where the habits, confidence and relationship a child develops with hard things begin. Having these years correct is a child’s ticket to a future with something really worthwhile.

Complete the picture at myspanishvillage.com.