You may know tamales as a traditional Mexican dish of cornmeal and meat fillings. Tamales are a culinary staple in Mexico – up to 100 million are served there annually – but did you know that the tradition of tamales spans the globe and almost 9000 years of history? A Little History The earliest tamales were likely made by the ancient Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. Pre-Columbian writings called hieroglyphs depict […]
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Did you know that preschoolers whose parents sing to them, tell them stories, and read to them tend to develop larger vocabularies, become better readers and perform better in school? Language research shows that these effects are amplified in a multi-lingual environment! Literacy is most often defined as the ability to read and write. But before a child can read and write, he has to be able to listen and […]
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No Comments In this digital age, where face-to-face contact is minimized by self-service, online ordering, and social media, one might wonder if manners are becoming less relevant. We say no! In fact, at Spanish Schoolhouse, manners are a core part of our identity and program. At Spanish Schoolhouse, teaching manners comes not only from the curriculum but from the earliest memories of our Spanish-speaking teachers and directors! In Latin countries, the concepts […]
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Yes, we are a Spanish-immersion preschool, but you may not know that some English is taught here as well! In addition to our dual-language Kindergarten, our three and four-year-old classes look forward to a 30-minute visit from a native English-speaking teacher every Monday – Thursday which helps prepare them for elementary school. This time is rich with learning opportunities – and not just in language arts, but in math, science, […]
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No Comments Fresh Ideas for Lunchboxes from Far and Near If you find it a challenge to put together school lunches that are appealing, easy to eat, and nutritious, you’re not alone. Whether your little one is at preschool twice a week or every day, you may find yourself running low on lunchbox inspiration from time to time! A quick search on Pinterest and parenting blogs can bring up an endless stream […]
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2 Comments It’s been a few weeks since your child started the school year, you’ve finally mastered the morning routine, and drop-offs are going (mostly) smoothly. Now that you have a moment to stop and take a breath, you begin to wonder, “What are they doing in school all day?” Wouldn’t it be nice to be a fly on the wall in the classroom? Let’s take a peek at a typical day […]
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No Comments Periquito in the School Spanish Schoolhouse’s mascot, “Periquito Azul,” is a favorite with all the students! This friendly blue hyacinth macaw has been a part of the SSH family since our very early days, and it all started with a little song. One of our first teachers played a song about a little blue parrot for her class, and the students loved it so much that other teachers began using […]
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It’s finally here, the first week of school! During the summer, you and your little ones have built excitement about starting preschool. You may have driven by your school in anticipation, perhaps bought a new lunch box or backpack, and attended Meet the Teacher day. Despite your efforts to make school sound like a new adventure, you may be faced with a burst of tears and cries of, “Mommy/Daddy, don’t […]
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No Comments Are you considering a language immersion experience for your preschooler? Or maybe you’ve registered for this fall and can’t wait?! Or perhaps you have a baby and are just exploring what is out there for language preschools? Language immersion is a unique experience and many families ask, “How can you throw my child into a class with a language he/she has never heard before? Won’t he/she be confused?” Of course, […]
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2 Comments Do you feel like summer is a time to relax and take a break from the structure of the school year, yet you don’t want your children’s brains to forget all they have learned? If you are like most parents, you want them to engage their minds while doing something fun, so that it doesn’t feel like “learning!” Summer language activities are a great way to re-activate their imaginations and […]
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