Disclaimer: I was compensated for my time in exchange for my honest review.
This is the hot topic when it comes to homeschool. We have the freedom to incorporate language learning into our everyday classes without waiting until high school but we want to make sure we’re doing it well by not wasting time and money on Apps and programs that don’t work or that our kids won’t enjoy or remember. I get it. I’m that Mom. I’ve been working with my son since he was a baby with languages and I’m not a native speaker of anything except English. So let me save you a little trouble and give you a few tried and true options for early language learning that won’t drive you crazy – in any language.
Things you need to understand before choosing an online Spanish Class for Kids
First off, let’s make sure your kids can understand the information being given to them. Back when I took my first French class in High School we started out with a ton of verbs and their conjugations. I took the notes, memorized the stuff to pass the test, and to this day with years of French under my belt my French is subpar. It didn’t work for me and it wouldn’t work for my child. What did stick was the Spanish I learned as a young adult working for a fine art publisher. The guys that worked in our frame shop only spoke Spanish and we had to work together to communicate important things like payroll information and days off. The Spanish, unlike the French, was learned using “Comprehensible Input” which is learning Spanish not by the practice of speaking and repeating but by listening and reading. This isn’t the whole story when it comes to learning a language but it is a big part of it.
Dr. Stephen Krashen has worked on the concept of “Comprehensible Input” for over 40 years and stands behind his work with science. Comprehensible Input can be understood easily by listeners, even though they may not understand all of the individual words that are being said – or the conjugations, or the vocabulary, or the masculine/feminine – you get it. You get the gist of what’s being said. That’s one of the reasons you hear stories of people who pick up languages from music and television – there was real context there. Instead of focusing on grammar in these early years, make the language learning more natural and focus on the Input. In addition to being scientifically effective, it’s fun. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself truthfully how much fun you had in YOUR high school language class. I’ll wait.
Benefits of Online Children’s Spanish Classes
So why choose to tackle language learning online or via an App or program? I’ve got 5 good reasons for you:
It’s Stress Free. Not just for them, but for you too. I posted mu son and I going over some Spanish one day on social media and prefaced the posted lesson with “I AM NOT A NATIVE SPEAKER” and that I was also learning with my son. The trolls jumped me SO fast on everything from how I tried to roll my “Rr’s” to how my 4 year old pronounced a word. Never again. I learned to save our private lessons between us for home and that a consistent speaker is the best teacher. When we sit down for Spanish now, I’m sitting down not to teach him but to get myself together as well. This computer with it’s perfect diction from native speakers can do this very well without my help.
You can chose your own approach at learning. Prefer your kid to learn all the conjugations in the world – have at it. I guarantee you’ll find the right program for that. There are tons of options on the market at various price levels. Some have been around for years, like Rosetta Stone, and others, like Duolingo, are the trendy cool kids on market. Take your pick and press play.
It’s convenient. We practice language learning any and everywhere and as homeschoolers that enjoy traveling, it’s one of the easiest curriculums to pack and go. Have computer/tablet – Will travel!
Learn at your own pace. This one is key. We aren’t on Year 1 or 2 or 3 of Spanish – we just simply keep learning. I don’t ever expect my child to “finish” his Spanish. We chose a block of time during the day for him to log on to this device and he completes a lesson – or 2 or 3. It’s truly up to him. And I recognize noticeable improvements in his Spanish. True Story: We were just on a homeschool field trip in Washington where a small group of Spanish Speakers got on a mall elevator with my family. They were trying to find the correct floor for the movie theater. My 8 year old gives them perfect instructions for the correct floor (we had just left there) in Spanish. I’m winning.
Online learning is easy to monitor. Want to make sure your money is being spent correctly? Just log into whatever program they are using and see what they’ve learned. Many programs have dashboards that offer adjustments for difficulty and assignments. Use them. You know your child best and you know what they can handle. But you don’t know how much they are retaining from that Spanish language CD you got from the library, or if they were even listening…
So let’s get to it. What do WE recommend? There’s a lot out there so let’s start with Apps and with a focus on the younger learner. And do keep in mind these are my opinion, so trolls, don’t come for me.
5 Best Online Spanish Apps for Children
1. FabuLingua
We are big readers in my house and homeschool. If it’s Lit-based, it’s winning. FabuLingua checks off ALL of the Lit-based boxes BUT it’s in Spanish. So that’s a double win. The program is bright and colorful, ultra easy to navigate, specifically made for kids, with all of bells and whistles that we now expect a high quality app to contain. Traveling? Take it with you. If it doesn’t work in Airplane Mode, I don’t need it.
FabuLingua gives you adventure and language. Start your journey on Tutorial Island and learn how to use the App. Read stories in Spanish and find keys that will get you treasure chests. Use the keys to open the chests in their virtual shop. Most images and words are interactive, so encourage your kids to play with them! Clicking on a picture using gives you the vocabulary words for that item and triggers a surprise. A cute Zorro (fox) is both the FabuLingua mascot and guide but your child can choose their own cute avatar. My son’s is a sweet little puppy. Want to take it up a notch? Switch to Spanish only mode. Expect to hear lots of Spanish coming from your child – these are stories so you’ll hear them reading and repeating. The readings played back to your learner so that they can hear themselves as well. Each story has vocabulary they can play games with, comprehension questions, listen and record, syllable scramble for phonics, and gender practice for nouns.
FabuLingua is deep Spanish language learning cloaked in storytelling with all of the story written by Spanish and Latin American authors and illustrators. I don’t have to ask my son to practice his Spanish when using FabuLingua – I have to ask him to stop and put in away.
Last but not least, it’s also affordable at only $69.99 a year for up to 6 students!
If you decide to try FabuLingua , I do have a promo code for you to get your first month FREE.
MSB1MONTHFREE
I like free. Who doesn’t? When the funds are tight but you still want to get in language learning this is your go to App. Don’t make the mistake of downloading the original version – I can tell you from experience that even though it’s better than nothing, it’s not for children. The kid’s version is very cute with options for learning Spanish, French, German, and English. Think Gamified learning with this one though you will have to check to make sure that your kids are learning in addition to playing. Even though it’s free there is no In-App advertising which is another plus along with the ability to use it offline.
FREE
3. Endless Spanish by Originator
This was my son’s favorite tablet game as a preschooler. It’s rated for ages 4+ but adults can definitly learn from these funny little monsters. Originator is masterful when it comes to creating children’s apps and their language app is no different. Chose from immersion or bilingual modes and let them kids have fun. You do need to have internet access for this app and the Spanish app is the same as their English version – Endless Reader. Expect to learn the alphabet, sounds, sentence structure while enjoying a host of animated letters that all “speak”.
$11.99 for all 4 Spanish Paks
In 15 minutes per day your child can build a solid foundation in Spanish using this app. Expect lots of vocabulary games with some okay-ish animation. I enjoy it for review and spelling practice. This ones, though effective, can get repetitive. I couldn’t tell you where and when it ends because the levels seemingly go on forever. There is a definite focus on immersion and the lessons are short and simple to use. Ad free.and available offline. The unlimited version also offers printable worksheets.
$59.99/ 6 month subscription
5. Little Pim
This series has been around for a while and uses Entertainment Immersion to teach younger children a new language. Keep in mind this program is designed for kids under the age of 6, so don’t expect it to go very deep. The videos are very engaging and Pim, is the title Panda. Learn Spanish, French, English, Mandarin, Italian, German, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, Portuguese, Korean, and Russian but with around 20 Video episodes of each language it’s about 360 words total. Wonderful for the little crowd and more educational than most cartoons. Simply watch and learn.
$69.99/year
@Mamasweetbaby 
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