Songs are a wonderful way to teach Spanish because melodies help children remember the words. Songs are fun and engaging, especially because of their interactive nature. A song may play through a child's head throughout the day, reinforcing the new vocabulary and syntax. The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers website offers examples of traditional and newer songs for learning Spanish.
Traditional Spanish or Mexican games teach kids about the culture behind the language, which makes learning it more interesting. You also can introduce certain words through games. Choose words that will be emphasized throughout the game, such as numbers in a counting game. Practice saying them together before you begin. The game Loteria, described on the Festival of Mexico website, is similar to bingo and great for kids.
Bring in puppets and have them tell a story or interact with the children, using silly questions and making jokes. Tell kids they must speak Spanish to the puppets, who don't know English. The kids will love talking with the puppets and practicing their language. Encourage kids to help one another to remember words they forget.
Instead of just learning Spanish words for foods, colors and body parts from books, find ways to work in sensory immersion. Stand in a circle and gesture together as you say the words for different body parts, movements and expressions. Prepare a simple Spanish dish and share it with the class, saying the name of each food as you eat it. In this way, each word becomes more ingrained in children, rather than a piece of a language they must translate.
Give students a story in Spanish once they know enough of the language to read it. Make sure the story stops just before the climax so students won't know what will happen. Have them take turns reading aloud. When they reach the end, have them predict what will happen next. Let them talk in small groups or pairs, anticipating why they think the story will resolve itself in a certain way. Have them rewrite their own endings in Spanish and share these endings with one another before reading the rest of the story.