The Power of Language

February 26, 2019

Did you know that babies are born with the ability to learn any language? They are universal listeners. And, from birth to age three, a child’s brain produces more than a million neural connections a second. That’s a lot of learning opportunities!

By about the age of one, children can distinguish between native language sounds, what they hear on a regular basis, and non-native language sounds. This means that for one whole year you have the opportunity to introduce a multitude of sounds patterns to your child.

So, if you speak another language, take this opportunity to talk with your child in that language. And, if your native language is not English, you are highly encouraged to talk with your child in your native tongue.

And because children are like sponges, they soak up new concepts quickly.

Not sure where to start?

Here are some of my favorite bilingual books in English and Spanish.

This book flows effortlessly between English and Spanish to tell the story. It presents one word at time, such as party and fiesta, while a new friendship is made.

Very similar in style to Como se dice?, Viva Frida introduces phrases with an overlaying of fonts. Your child is sure to be enthralled by the vibrant illustrations as well.

A perfect book to introduce counting and visual discrimination. Help your child identify the different types of fish mentioned in the story.

A lovely, repetitive book perfect for teaching manners! The high contrast images are also great for babies and their developing brain. Bonus: it’s a series. So, be sure to read them all!

You can also visit any of our locations and peruse our World Language Collections. We offer books in many languages, such as Chinese, Arabic, French, and more!

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Section
Children
Genre / Topics
Literacy and Learning
Age Groups
Adults