It was dinnertime and we were playing a vocabulary game with our toddler.
“¿Qué palabras empiezan con ____?”
We were asking her to think of words that started with different letters of the alphabet. Here’s what she came up with:
A: anillo
U: uva
S: sigilosa
O: oculista
When she busted out those last two, my partner Josh and I had one of those parent moments (you know, the kind where you look at each other with a mixture of amusement, pride and astonishment at how marvelous your kid is). I mean, she’s two! To be honest, I don’t know many adults that use the word “sigilosa” in everyday conversation.
Here’s the thing though: I can tell you exactly which books she learned her big words from. Sigilosa? That one is from Daniela Pirata.
As her parent, obviously I think she’s extraordinary (!) and I’m sure that helps. But I also know that I am just a regular parent doing my best.
By which I mean, if my kid can learn to speak Spanish like this, your kid can, too.
The best part about learning a language as a kid is that there are no vocabulary drills, no quizzes, no studying. It’s as easy as this: you get to learn snuggled up on or next to your favorite person, looking at beautiful pictures, listening to an interesting story.
And I happen to know a good book or two you should check out. 🙂 I share them over on my instagram if you’d like to follow along!
And now I’d love to know… what’s your favorite big word (or “palabra de 20 pesos” as my Abuelito used to say) that your kid says/said?
P.S. How I helped my friend do a Spanish reading challenge with her kids, in case you’d like some inspiration & motivation!