Teaching Your Children a Second Language is Vital!

If you talk to a man in a language he understands,

that goes to his head.

If you talk to him in his language,

that goes to his heart.

(Nelson Mandela)

Is it really important for our children to learn a second language? Why not wait until they are older... you know... High School level... Besides, if they learn a language now, they are going to have to learn a third language in High School since it is required by law in our state that each child have a high school level class in foreign languages in graduate!

We start our children out young. From birth they start learning sign language, and now, at 1, 4, and 6, we are learning Spanish. This is Sierra's (6) second year of Spanish. Why?

Children are able to learn a new language a lot easier if they learn it before they reach adolescence. At these young ages, their brain is still developing, and the language "department" of their brain is still accepting new words and phrases as their "first language". Before adolescence, children learn second languages at an alarming rate and retain it better, because their brain sees it as learning their mother tongue.

Learning another language opens up a whole new world for your child. Learning about a different culture, different dress, different foods and customs... these all add to who a child is. In learning about the different cultures, they also learn to be more accepting of other people, regardless of their race, sex, tongue, creed, or culture.

Teaching them another language... or two, or three, or... invests in their life. With extra language skills, your children will have more opportunities... greater opportunities. Bilingual adults have more of a chance of getting hired. Most colleges and graduate schools, these days, require that a student have at least two years of foreign language under their belt before they will be accepted! Also, being fluent in another language gives your child the unique opportunity of studying abroad.

The sad truth is that out of the 66% of the world's population that is at least bilingual, less than 30% of them have English as a first language, and even a smaller percentage is American. There are people all around us that speak another language, and many of the do not speak English. As the world's population grows, the world is shrinking. Are you going to let your children be unprepared?

You live a new life for every new language you speak.

If you know only one language, you live only once. 

(Czech proverb)

Homeschool Series #4: Extra-Curricular Activities

During the homeschooling years, extra-curricular activities add to your child's schooling. Some states require certain extra-curricular activities, like foreign language and P.E., so be sure to check the laws for your state before deciding what to and what not to do. These laws, listed by state, can be found at about.com or the Homeschool Legal Defense, which is the site I prefer.

Foreign Language 

Many states require all high school students to have at least one year of foreign language study. There are many possibilities for pursuing a foreign language. Rosetta Stone seems to be very good, although it is expensive. There are websites online, like Live Mocha, that offer free classes. Other websites, like Digital Dialects, offer tools and games to add to whatever curriculum you are using.

Art

Arts and crafts add fun and excitement to any school day. There are many ideas for crafts online at Life Tips, A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling, and ABC Teach. Art is normally done once a week. Have fun with it!

P.E.

Some states require students to have a certain amount of physical education per week. You can check the law for your state on the Homeschool Legal Defense page. Even if your state does not require it, it is still fun and fulfilling. You can create your own P.E. plan (There are many ideas for physical education listed HERE.), or enroll your children in gymnastics, karate, or any other number of programs. P.E. is usually done once or twice a week.

Music

Music is not usually a necessary requirement to graduate, but it is beneficial. Learning music helps build the brain. "Music" can be accomplished through piano lessons (or learning any other instrument), enrolling them in the children's choir at your church, or giving lessons yourself on the mechanics of music.

I know there are other extra-curricular activities out there, and I am sure you can think of a few :). these are the ones we include in our school days. For are learning Spanish on Mondays and Wednesdays. We do Art on Tuesdays, Karate (which is our P.E.) on Thursdays, and piano lessons on Fridays.

Do not go crazy with your extra-curricular activities, but do have at least a few! The idea is to add fun to the school day with something that will be beneficial in life. Be careful not to over-do it, or your school day will be so full of extra activities that you may not be able to complete your school work for the day!

What kind of extra-curricular activities do you do for your children?