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Reading Time: 2 minutes Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish! We’re back with our Game Time series and the next level of our Sticker Activity to help beginners learn Spanish! This week, your students will be learning the words “hermano” (brother), “hermana” (sister), “hermanos” (brothers), and “hermanas” (sisters), with the help […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes September 26th is the official European Day of Languages! A day that celebrates the diversity of languages and helps spread encouragement of language-learning across the continent. Why is it important European is home to 44 countries, and in these countries, there are 26 official languages as well as 225 Indigenous languages continent-wide. This doesn’t even […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Game Time!  Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish Welcome back to our Game Time series! We hope you liked our Pronoun Game and are looking forward to what’s next! Today, your students will be learning the words “amigo” (friend, male), “amiga” (friend, female), “amigos” (friends, plural), “amigas” […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Game Time!  Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish Welcome back to the bonus level of our Pronoun Game! You may be wondering, “but I think we’ve covered all the pronouns?” And, you’d be right. Today, we’re using the same fun game to learn two new words – […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Game Time!  Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish Today we’re back with the next level of our Pronoun Game and our last round of pronouns to learn. But stick around for next week’s “Game Time!” post because we’re sharing a bonus round with new words to learn […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Game Time!  Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish Today, we’re back with the next level of our pronoun game! We still have a couple more levels to finish this game, but, for now, we’ll get right into this week’s level!  If you missed Part 1 or Part […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Game Time!  Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish We’re back this week with the continuation of our “Game Time” series! Today we’re diving into the next level of our pronoun game. If you missed Part 1 of this game, you’ll want to start there to get the […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes Game Time!  Fun and quick 5-10 minute games that will teach your students to speak Spanish Tackling a new language can be boring and difficult or it can be fun and exciting! At FL4K, we root for fun and exciting! In fact, we’ve found that when kids get lost in the moment and are busy […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or a parent-teacher, I am sure that you are always looking for innovative and engaging ways for your children to learn another language. The truth of the matter is that this generation of digital natives is not particularly easy to teach due to their statistically proven shorter attention […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Are your kids ready to learn something new this summer? What about introducing them to Spanish in an innovative way that includes culture, carefully scaffolded language to build proficiency, entertaining videos that teach vocabulary and grammar in a contextualized format, games specifically designed for language learning, a built-in language lab with unique recording features, and […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Most teachers, parents, and grandparents understand the importance of learning a second language in our globally connected world. The problem is that it is difficult to find good programs that facilitate the learning experience for kids. At FL4K, Foreign Languages FOR Kids, this is our mission.  We have gathered a team of teachers with over […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes An icon in the homeschool community Cathy Duffy began homeschooling her three sons in 1982. Unlike today, homeschool resources were scarce then, and Cathy was dedicated to finding and reviewing as many materials for homeschool families as she could. Four decades later, the homeschool scene couldn’t be more different, but Cathy’s expertise is needed more […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Teacher Tooltip Tuesday: While you are taking a break this summer, try a new Spanish for kids app to offer you a break throughout the school year, too! It’s summer, and you are on vacation by now, hopefully! Time to take a break! A break is exactly what I invite you to consider in your […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Melissa Mashura, K-8th grade teacher at Estell Manor School in Estell Manor, New Jersey, uses her background in Spanish and her love for American Sign Language (ASL) to incorporate both languages into her teaching. Teaching two languages at once may sound daunting, but her ingenuity doesn’t stop there; she has also found a unique way […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Whether you are teaching children or adults, vocabulary needs to be taught according to a communicative hierarchy and in a context. In other words, you need to teach chunks of language that lend themselves to helping students be successful at speaking Spanish in the real world.  Outdated textbooks provide long lists of isolated vocabulary and […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Summer is almost here! Downtime is on the way! Refresh, relax, and find ways to enrich your interculturality curriculum! Is this often an afterthought that finally you need to do something about this summer? Don’t reinvent the wheel I am part of a teacher team that is creating an interculturality curriculum that can supplement any […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Teacher Tooltip Tuesday: Avoid BURNOUT!  May seems like a good month to address the pernicious result of working nonstop for an entire school year without taking time to breathe: BURNOUT! Why is burnout common in the World Language classroom? According to the American Psychological Association, burnout is defined as “physical, emotional or mental exhaustion accompanied […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Now that you know the stages of group development: forming, storming, norming, and performing, let’s consider the effectiveness of the curriculum in the language-proficiency-driven classroom.  A long time ago, I used to use a product called, “Once n’ Done” to keep the shiny veneer on my kitchen floor. Well, that’s just what it was, a […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes In the last three weeks I have explored the first three stages of group participation and development: forming, storming, and norming, all essential developmental phases in preparation for the final phase, performing! Most of us have been doing this throughout our teaching careers in the form of group projects or presentations at the end of […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Tuesday Teacher Tooltip: Take advantage of the norming stage of group development to allow students to enjoy pair work in the World Language Classroom During the last two weeks, I have addressed the first two stages of group development, forming and storming, where students become acquainted with one another and wrestle with all different personality […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Last week I mentioned some activities that can be used in the World Language classroom during the “forming” phase of group development. This week, I will address the next phase, “storming,” the time when students may begin to share differing opinions and even compete with each other in the classroom. Teachers can provide time and […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re looking for ways to bring your students together, these 5 activities are great for group development in the world language classroom. Try them out with your students and see! 1. FORMING, the first phase of group development The first phase and activity for group development in a classroom is FORMING. FORMING activities are […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Be, Belong, Become. Make this a motto for building an all-inclusive community in your classroom! The World Language classroom is a place where students should BE accepted for who they are, BELONG to a supportive community, and BECOME the best language learner possible! Unfortunately, the World Language classroom is often a place where intimidation can […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes This Week’s Teacher Tooltip: Student success comes from making the target language come alive for your students by giving them opportunities to practice using the language outside the classroom. I’ll share some great ways to do this in this post. Advocating for summer language camps, homestay experiences abroad, or even hosting exchange students can help […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Student success can be elusive at times if we don’t understand how to build confidence in the language classroom. Let’s first put ourselves in the shoes of our students and consider for a moment what it is like for them to achieve student success. Learning to speak another language can be scary and intimidating! There […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes In order for students to progress from a novice level of proficiency according to the ACTFL language proficiency standards to an intermediate level, they need to build competence in asking questions. Once I went through the Modified Oral Proficiency Interview training and certification process, I became more intentional about helping my students learn to ask […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes March is Women’s History Month. A time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of women and their impact on the world throughout history. Women’s History Month also holds International Women’s Day today, on March 8th. Today, to celebrate International Women’s Day, we would like to highlight the achievements and contributions of one of the many […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes What I learned in more than four decades in the world language classroom is that positive teacher and student relationships trump learning. As a long-time mentor to new teachers, this was a pearl of wisdom that I always prioritized sharing with my mentees. I had noticed a trend with inexperienced teachers wanting to compensate for […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes This Week’s Teacher’s Tooltip: Engagement Strategies are essential for teaching Gen Z students Engagement strategies for the 21st Century world language classroom. Do we really need them? You bet. I might even call them “survival” strategies in the Gen Z classroom. This is a generation of language learners that have information at their fingertips and […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes Learn Spanish Fast! Through my extensive 43-year career as a Spanish teacher I have been asked countless times the best way to learn Spanish fast. Quite honestly, it’s all about the Super 7! If you have never heard of them, they are the secret! Mastering the Super 7 verbs facilitates the most basic conversations in […]

Reading Time: 6 minutes There are a few things I have learned in my 43-year tenure teaching Spanish! As strange as it may sound, it’s much like the game of golf – challenging enough that you want to keep doing it, knowing that you can always improve. I’ve often thought about writing a book about the lessons I have […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes I have been studying, learning, speaking, teaching, and tutoring Spanish for 40+ years, forever seeking the secret formula for language learning for my students that have ranged in age from 3 to 80. Many ask me what the best Spanish learning programs are. Honestly, since I learned through school, study abroad, travel, and many extended […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Trouble Finding Spanish for Kids Programs Through my extensive career of teaching Spanish in a traditional school setting, I have been approached by many parents who are interested in a Spanish for kids program. Sadly, most schools don’t have the resources to finance an elementary school world language program and many children miss out on […]

Reading Time: 5 minutes Imagine a world where there were no names for colors, no number system, and no ability to talk in past or future tense. What would that look like for you? To the Pirahã people of the Amazonian jungle, that is their way of life. And, while it may sound like a difficult way to live, […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes Have you ever been overwhelmed by grading? Or felt like grading was capricious, meaningless, or even superfluous? Read on to learn how standards-based grading could solve these issues and how to implement it. What is standards-based grading What I discovered in the last decade of my teaching career is that Standards-based grading is the most […]

Reading Time: 7 minutes Looking for ways to explore Hispanic culture with your kids? San Antonio, Texas is one of the top ten largest cities in the United States, and I’d bet you wouldn’t guess that this huge American city is flourishing with Hispanic culture. San Antonio actually served as a central point for much of Texas’ multiple owners, […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes I had the opportunity to get back in the classroom this past week due to a former colleague’s extended leave of absence. What an honor to have the opportunity to teach for a few days after six months of retirement! To go in with fresh eyes after working to integrate interculturality in a new and […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Previously, I mentioned the importance of building community in the classroom in order to create a safe space for all learners. Today’s blog is about the importance of discovering the strengths of each individual student. As teachers, we often get so focused on our lessons that we forget to prioritize making a personal connection with […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Here’s today’s tool tip: Attend ACTFL’s Annual Convention to tune into best practices for WL teaching! If you have been following this series of blogs about what I learned in my 43 years of teaching a world language, I will defer my discussion of differentiation in the classroom to next week and direct all your […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes My husband used to chide me about spending too much time on my lesson plans. After I had been teaching for a few decades, he actually said to me, “Don’t you have this down to a science by now?” I answered emphatically, “No! Teaching is not a science; it is an art!” He looked at […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Now that we have established the priorities in your classroom as 1.) make it a can-do classroom for all from day one; 2.) create community in your classroom, a place where students can belong and become confident language learners; and 3.) prioritize oral proficiency as the outcome for your students. Let’s delve into some of […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes In my last few posts, I mentioned the two biggest take-aways from my 43-year tenure of teaching: 1.) Make your classroom a can-do classroom, inviting every student to make progress toward building skills; 2.) Building relationships with your students is one of the most important secrets of successful teaching; 3.) Keep your classes student-centered, building […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes In his book, “Tribe,” Sebastian Junger uses the tenets of self-determination theory to explain that “we have a strong instinct to belong to small groups defined by clear purpose and understanding–”tribes.” This tribal connection has been largely lost in modern society, but regaining it may be the key to our psychological survival.” He says that […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Raquel Ortiz has helped share the stories of Afro-Caribbean and Latinx people and culture through her many bilingual children’s books. Through her own journey of cultural self-discovery, her stories inspire children by encouraging them to learn more about who they are while at the same time spreading cultural awareness to adults.

Reading Time: 2 minutes Building relationships with your students is one of the most important secrets of successful teaching! When you know your students and care about them, they will forgive a multitude of teaching blunders. This is especially important when you are just starting your career! In all honesty, it took me 43 years to hone my skills […]

Reading Time: 6 minutes Have you heard of the Six Flags over Texas? You may have heard of the Six Flags America theme park, which originated in Arlington, Texas and is named after this Texas slogan. The six flags of Texas represent the six nations that had complete or partial control over the state during its history. However, there […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Are you looking for a way to have all your language students feel confident and find success in the classroom?  In my experience, one of the absolute miracle approaches to teaching a language is to engender a can-do attitude in every student! Once I adopted this way of thinking in my classroom and actually began […]

Reading Time: 6 minutes Have you ever wondered how New Mexico got its name? If you’re thinking like most of us, “after Mexico, of course,” you’d be wrong. How can that be? For one reason, New Mexico was named New Mexico before Mexico was named Mexico! So, what’s the real reason behind the name? In just a bit, we’ll […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes            As I check the news online, I think I am the exception as I skip most of the video clips and seek out the written content. For our company, we are filming short informational videos about our Spanish program because it’s visual, quick, and easy to receive the information this […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Women’s History Month is a time to ponder on all the accomplishments we’ve had as women. I use this month to reflect on what truly motivated me to start the program Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids®. After years of searching for a quality foreign language program for my children, I decided to take the […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Did you know that Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world after Mandarin Chinese? Over 400 million people throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, and Africa speak the Spanish language. In the United States, Spanish is the most widely spoken language with over 37 million speakers. There are many advantages […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Learning a foreign language brings a plethora of benefits for parents and their children. Not only does research show the increase in overall school performance, but children gain additional skills that aid in their personal and professional development. As parents, we strive to enrich our children’s lives by signing them up for activities such as […]

Reading Time: < 1 minute In an increasingly interconnected world, learning a second language can be both an exciting and challenging endeavor for children. Not only does a foreign language allow children to embrace other cultures and deepen their understanding, but it also offers them a glimpse into how the world works. Children who speak a second language can communicate […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner, and if you’re like me, you may not know much about this celebration.  I plan on fixing that with breaking down what Cinco de Mayo is, why you should celebrate it with your kids, and even some fun activities and more to get you started. When is […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes As our children grow it is important to teach them about the world around them. Our children need to learn to appreciate different peoples and places.   We have heard from many parents who struggle with this. They are not sure where to begin when it comes to teaching their children multicultural lessons. We believe […]

Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s SPRING! This is a great time of year to put the windows up in your home and get the fresh air flowing. It’s also the time of year when many of us begin to think about cleaning out the dust and grime that has built up over the winter, and purging the clutter that […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Spring is upon us, and with it comes thoughts of Easter. I’m not sure what you think of when Easter comes to mind, but for me, it’s church , the resurrection, tulips, family gathering, warm weather, and baby animals.  We have numerous family traditions that go along with Easter.   But, have you ever wondered […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes When my daughter first told me she wanted to learn a foreign language, I didn’t know where to start. Which language should I teach? Which program should I use? How could I even teach her when I didn’t speak a foreign language? Now, those questions are too much to answer in one blog post, but […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Many of our children have been used to electronics for years. They love learning on tablets and other devices. This could be one of the easiest ways to teach our children a foreign language. Let’s explore some of the best foreign language apps for kids. These apps have been rated easy to use, many feature native speakers […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Math, check.  Reading, check.  Spelling, check.  And the list goes on until we get to the music, art, and foreign languages.  Usually, we drop the ball when it comes to teaching or incorporating lessons that aren’t a part of our natural skill set or if those mandatory lessons take more time than we anticipated. Three […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes   When I first began considering a foreign language I tried one of those “well known” Spanish courses for Kids. You know the ones everyone has heard of. I had the girls on the computer speaking along with the “instructor”. They honestly learned very little. And they definitely didn’t have conversations with each other in […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes   Have you ever came to a word while reading a book you’re totally engrossed in, but have the slightest idea the meaning of the word?  If you haven’t, I have and so have my children.  When this happens we often use context clues to help us figure out the meaning of the word or […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes   I have heard it said time and time again, “I don’t have time to teach a foreign language”.  I said it myself! But, the truth of the matter is teaching a foreign language doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, you can teach a foreign language in 10 minutes a day! How to Teach […]

Reading Time: 4 minutes *Read through to the end for a Christmas cash giveaway!* Christmas is upon us and with it comes some of our favorite Christmas traditions. Santa Claus, Christmas trees, evergreen wreaths, mistletoe and more. But, have you ever wondered how others around the world celebrate Christmas? I have! And was surprised  at what I learned about celebrating […]

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Reading Time: 4 minutes Spanish is a beautiful language, and here in the States it is becoming increasingly important for us to have at least a grasp of the language. Teaching it in your homeschool can seem daunting (especially if you don’t know it), but Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn and you can make it […]

Reading Time: 3 minutes Learning a foreign language, or at least studying one for 2-3 years, has been a staple requirement for admission to most colleges, well, almost forever! But even beyond that, there are good reasons to teach language in your homeschool, and it really isn’t as hard to do as you might think. Are you unsure about […]

Reading Time: 2 minutes We are so excited to share with you all the launch of our new blog! FL4K is an up and coming Spanish immersion program that is different from all those other ones out there. Here’s how!   We are MEANT for Kids! Many of those other Spanish immersion programs out there are not meant for […]