TV and Professor Pocket

Last year my oldest daughter started a dual language school. It was such an exciting time for us because after much searching, disappointments, and prayer, she's finally in a dual-language learning environment.

It's fantastic that more and more public schools and districts are offering dual language schools and programs.

At my daughter's school, she has an English teacher and a Spanish teacher. One day she's in English world and the next day Spanish world (el mundo de español.)

She seems to be enjoying her time there. One of my concerns was would she be able to keep up with the other children in her class since she didn't do kindergarten there. But that didn't turn out to be a problem at all. Her teachers are impressed with how much Spanish she knows. They love her enthusiasm for learning the language and her courage for speaking Spanish.

One teacher told me that she asked my daughter, "How do you know all of this Spanish. Who speaks Spanish to you at home?" My daughter told her that she learned from TV and Professor Pocket. So, the teacher said she had to ask me if I speak Spanish. I said I know just enough to teach them the basics, but I'm not a fluent speaker.

Then she wanted to know what we're doing at home. I told her about the lessons we do, songs we sing, and shows we watch during our Spanish time.

It's certainly possible for monolingual parents to teach their children Spanish. We're doing it and so can you.