Young Learners

Spanish immersion for young learners in northern virginia and beyond

Young learners are the heartbeat of what we do here at Bilingüitos. Due to the nature of brain development, the golden window of opportunity for language learning is in early childhood. A child’s brain is in language-learning mode and she is able to soak up linguistic information like a sponge. That’s certainly an opportunity that you don’t want to let pass by!

 

With programs for young learners from 6 months to 12 years, we are intent on providing an opportunity for input in a second language throughout every step of childhood. Browse our programs below!

Spanish immersion programs in northern virginia

For the 2020-21 School Year

We are currently running virtual programs until further notice. We’ve been having a blast with them, more than we ever thought possible! Browse our current session of virtual Spanish immersion programs here.

 

The following sections are our class descriptions from our in-person classes. Much of the wording still applies to our virtual classes, but not everything! To see full details of the virtual classes we’re currently offering, you can find that here.

We are all for family learning! Mommies & babies learn together through stories, songs, rhythm, and movement! At this age, your baby’s brain is at its optimal point for linguistic development and introducing a second language can increase their language processing abilities. In fact, in the early stages of your child’s development, they are able to acquire sounds of the world’s 7,000 languages like a native would. Part circle-time, part child-directed free play, the benefits of this class are two-fold: baby will get early Spanish exposure, and mom will get language exposure plus social time with other bilingual-minded mamas! Set your child up for future bilingualism by starting them early and being part of the learning process with this fun-filled immersion class! When they age up, students can move to the next level class at the beginning of the subsequent quarter.

 

This is our most robust program as it is a full-fledged kindergarten prep program designed to help our students develop all the necessary skills (academic, social, and personal) needed for future academic endeavors. Each day your child will come to a full schedule of immersion, structured much like a day in any other typical preschool but at our school all the instruction is done in Spanish. Our teachers will lead the class in fun activities, music, games, crafts, and lessons that help these little ones fall in love with learning and exploration. We are not teaching Spanish as its own subject like a typical language class, but instead integrating the language into normal activities that your child is already familiar with. This is what creates the immersion environment, and allows the children to acquire the language naturally like they do their first language.  We believe in a play-based curriculum that allows students to connect language with context in a fun and engaging way. It warms our heart when we start to hear the children incorporating their second language into free play with each other.

 

Immerse your young school-age child in the world of Spanish!
This program is designed for older Pre-K students who are already enrolled in an English-speaking school* in the mornings and/or for young homeschoolers (late 4 – 6 year olds) who want to enrich their academic experience in the afternoon by reinforcing the concepts they’re learning elsewhere, but here it’ll be in a new language (known as biliteracy). We design this two hour Spanish immersion class around engaging our students’ interests and inviting them to play, discover, and explore in their second language. We have structured activities like games, crafts, music, story time, and Spanish literacy development, but we also schedule time for creative free play, as this is essential for children of this age group and allows them to develop their imagination and build strong friendships. Students must be between 4 years + 6 months old and 6 years at the start of the school year (Sept 2020) to attend this program.

Most Loudoun County schools don’t start teaching language until late middle or HIGH SCHOOL, which in our opinion is way too late; that’s why we’ve created our game-based Spanish immersion after school program. We love to engage older children by incorporating games and activities that get them excited and involved (think Mad Libs, Guess Who, Spud, Musical Chairs, Twister, Relay Races and more!). We also work on developing biliteracy by teaching reading and writing skills in Spanish. We believe in coming alongside students with what they’re learning in school (literacy math, science, geography, etc.) and reinforce these same subjects and skills in a second language. They don’t realize we’re working on school skills, as it’s all done in an engaging and creative way.

 

One-on-one Immersion for ages 1 – 6

Think about how your child has learned English. Has it been through classes on how to speak? If English is her native language, then of course not! She learns through you and others speaking to her, interacting with her, playing with her, and explaining things to her. In one-on-one immersion, your child will learn Spanish the very same way. We come to you (or your location of choice!) and use the same methods of play-based learning, games, stories, and activities that we use in our immersion classes, with even more focused attention on your child. Parents generally like to schedule 1-2 hour sessions. Feel free to sit in on the lesson OR to use this time to get work done around the house while our teacher is with your child. You can arrange this service for close-in-age siblings or even friend groups.

 

Private Language Instruction for ages 6 – 12

In our private Spanish classes, elementary aged students learn with one-on-one instruction and attention. We tailor these classes to the level and needs of the student, with structured activities, games, worksheets, crafts, etc. Because this age group learns differently than the very young learners, these classes are as immersive as they can be, but English is used when needed to explain certain things, acting as a bridge between the students native language and the target language (Spanish). However, it is still not a typical language course that drills boring charts and dry grammar. Instead, we focus on conversation and real world usage and our methods are anything but dry! And the most convenient part is that we come to you and fit your schedule! Also ask about how you can arrange it for siblings.

Check out our info packet here for logistics and FAQs about one on one sessions

GrupoEXPLORE Spanish Adventure Group

A hands-on adventurous education experience to practice bilingualism outside the home AND outside the classroom. Explore the world in Spanish together with Bilingüitos through a series of fun outdoor adventures and outings. Each week we will meet at a different location to explore a new place and topic together, appreciate nature, and enjoy one another’s company. For example, one week we may meet at Broadlands Nature Center to talk about wildlife in our area, and then take nature walk on the paths around the center, and another week we may meet at Red Rock in Leesburg to hike down to the river and then have lunch together near the old ruins. Our outings will take place within a 25-mi radius of Ashburn. This group is for parents and kids together; with activities geared for ages 3 – 12, but younger siblings in strollers are welcome too in strollers & carriers!

*We need Parent Leads for this group!* Spanish-speaking parents are invited to be Parent Leads to qualify for special pricing. Parent Leads commit to lead the group two weeks per semester, where they plan the activity and topic. For example, you may plan one of the themes mentioned above, or some more ideas to get you started: nature walk at Bear’s Den, history hike at Manassas Battlefield, creek exploration on the walking trails behind Ashburn Park, etc.

 

We’re hoping to resume this program soon!

Homeschool Spanish Class

Our founder & director was homeschooled for a large portion of her academic career, so she is passionate about carving out time in the schedule specifically for homeschooling families. As are all of our classes, these are designed with your child in mind and seek to foster a love for language through a play based curriculum that engages and excites our learners. We teach language not as a subject, but through themed lessons that develop your child’s linguistic skills, literacy, and critical thinking in a variety of subjects. We also allow time for creative play to encourage imagination and friendships among our students.

Súper Sábados Saturday Spanish Program

The only thing better than a lazy Saturday in your PJs watching cartoons (ahh, the good ole days) is SÚPER SÁBADOS Saturday Spanish program! Students will play games, participate in circle time, do art projects, have dance parties, and so much more all based around weekly themes and ALL IN SPANISH. There will also be time for creative free play and for forming bilingual buddies friendships. Activities will be tailored to your child’s age group, and are all hands-on, play-based, and learner-led. Kids will learn language by having fun! We want your child to come away from every class excited and energized and oh-so-pumped about learning a new language. Oh, and in honor of it being Saturday, every last Saturday of the month, we encourage everyone to come ‘en pijamas’ for a good ole fashioned PJ Party! It’s the weekend, right?