Comments on: Homework Is In English. Now What?

By: Gabriella

Gabriella — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 03:59:26 +0000

My daughter is 8 months old and I speak to her in both Spanish and English. Living in South Florida they offer programs on TV that I could not get when I lived in Maryland. The Baby First Channel has 24 hour programing in English. They also have the Spanish Baby First Channel that show the same programing at the same time as the English. I love this because it allows me to alternate her favorite shows between English and Spanish. She loves Yo Gabba Gabba and the Notekins. So very happy to have found this blog.

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 10:05:45 +0000

We’re lucky. Our son is in a dual- immersion school (English-Spanish). We’re non-native Spanish speakers and we do homework in the language in whichit comes home (science, math, Spanish language arts — en espanol). But sometimes even we, who try to be consistent about our use of Spanish, just explain things in certain instances (if we’re tired at the end of a long day etc) in English. It is work, but it’s worth it.

By: Hanoi R

Hanoi R — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 01:23:43 +0000

My two kids are bilingual, their 2nd language is English as we came to USA when they were 4 and 7 years old. My oldest was already reading in Spanish but with my younger, I worked very hard to teach him to read in Spanish before he learned to read in English. It has been wonderful, kids only learn to read ones, they transfer the knowledge (decode signs) from one language to another. He is 9 years old now and read above level in English and Spanish. At home, we only speak Spanish, we do school homework in English but we do activities in Spanish also.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:31:56 +0000

Thanks for sharing. I have an immediate emotional reaction when you share comments like “it’s OK to acknowledge that in school, Enzo is learning in English .” Maybe, because it seems like a good intention has swung the pendulum from language fun to language pedantry, or probably, it’s just because I fear that I’ve looked at my own journey towards multilingualism and my endeavors to raise my child the same way. I think you hit part of the nail on the head when you wrote ” I think it is very important to continue making Spanish FUN!” I say only part of the nail because you should make LANGUAGE fun. Playing between the two languages is inherently fun, and code switching is miraculous and natural with bilinguals. I think you’re doing a great job and am grateful that you’re out there sharing your experiences with the rest of us.

By: Karen Nemeth

Karen Nemeth — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 22:09:51 +0000

In a way, Lisa C. is right. But the real secret is that many programs send home that “homework” as a way to make sure the parents know what the child has learned that day. It also will give the parent a reason to stop and talk to the child about that learning. What they send home should be so short – it doesn’t really interfere with important play time. It does, however, connect home and school, keeping parents involved in the process every day. So – I think having that conversation in Spanish and mentioning how we say “mariposa” as “butterfly” in English is a perfectly good solution!

By: Lisa C

Lisa C — Mon, 07 Oct 2013 21:34:24 +0000

Hmmm….he’s in pre-nursery school and he has homework? Ditch the homework and play. Children learn most through play anyway, and he will have the rest of his school years to slave over worksheets Problem solved!