My daughter is 4 and is being forced to learn spanish. Should this be allowed?

I believe she should learn the English language first. I didn’t take spanish lessons until high school.Although, I have heard that it is easier for young children to learn other languages.

I think that the amount she would learn in preschool is minimal. I know that children learn languages easier but it’s not like she can’t make the decision on her own when she gets to high school or something if she wants to learn it or not. In elementary school they might teach some words/phrases which is good b/c she will have learned English well enough to establish the difference between the two langauges by then. I don’t think there is anything wrong with you changing preschools.

See. This is what I love about being a parent. You get to make all the decisions for your child with out having to worry about others opinions. I think that if you think that your daughter will benefit from being in the christian preschool opposed to a preschool that taught a second language than you made the right decision. You know your daughter and you know her learning capabilities. It is now mandatory for every child to eventually take some form of a foreign language. Maybe when she gets to that age she can decide which language she wants. But for now I would stick with your gut instinct and let her learn english first.

i would say you did a good thing. yes in the future a second language is good but not at age four. what i would have done is went to the per school board. at the parent meeting you bring the problem up and then you can go from there. to the broad. at per school there is more than one person in charge. they would have to do something about it. they are not aloud to force anything on a child. i agree it does affect the learning process. this is America and English should be first nothing else!

I feel that at NO TIME should any of us be forced to learn a foreign language. We were all born here with the language in this country being ENGLISH. I feel that foreigners should be forced to learn English, but they are not. Eventually America will get tired of our Spanish immigrants and send them back across the border as we did in the 20’s. History always repeats itself. Therefore, I feel it is imposing on our inalienable to make us feel as if we should be accomodating to those who are not accomodating to us.

I think you are a racist. Because of our countries immigration status? you say, how did you get here? unless you are full bloodied native american (indian) your family immigrated over here too. America stands for people from everywhere. If you knew anything about child development you would know that learning other languages at her age and even earlier is actually very good for her brain. It would be the equivelant of her doing puzzles or learning algebra. The fact that you pulled her out of the school and took her to a christian preschool is stupid. I am sure most the kids and teachers at the headstart were also Christian, now your child will get less of an education and she will be an ignorant bigot like her mother. and to the mother of twins, if you knew history you would know that spanish immigrants are from spain, and spain is in Europe and was a huge part of christopher columbus coming to america

i commend you for wanting your child to learn english!!! this is america after all!!! i am trying to concieve and would be unbelievably pissed if some one who was taking care of my child was making them learn a different language before english!! i cant tell you how irritating and annoying it is when i hear people speaking other languages to their children! they dont realize its just going to make it harder for them when they reach school age and cant understand what is going on because they dont understand english!! this may sound really racist but, i think if your going to live in america, then you need to learn and speak english (especially if you plan on raising kids here) before anyone even lets you into this country. i dont think you are hurting your childs future at all. i think that program is the one hurting your childs future!!! what would their answer be if your child couldnt communicate with you because you both spoke different languages? would they tell you to learn spanish? that is just insane!!! good luck and please continue teaching her english!!

A lot of other countries require that school children speak more than one language. I really don’t think there’s any harm in a child learning a language at all. Studies have also shown if learned early, they’re more easily retained. There is nothing wrong with a child learning spanish or french, or any other language. They are both very beautiful languages.

However, you have every right to be pulling your child out if she’s having a hard time. Trying to learn another language now when she’s having a struggle isn’t very wise. I don’t know how you could be looked down upon for that.

I am surprised you found a school that does not have a foreign language.If you think she is confused,then i think you have done the right thing.Hopefully the other children are up for it.Maybe pre-school(as it is so academically challenging)may not need to be the place to begin a foreign language.Hopefully they were only given some ideas on the language,but I am probably just wrong..these little ones have so much on their plates,even in pre-school….

I’m not sure which American language she is learning now - there’s so many - Arapahoe, French, to name a couple but I think English should be what she should know.

The learning of two languages at especially her young age is actually a good thing, because she will be able to pronounce both languages correctly. It’s very hard when you’re older. I would encourage her to learn another language at a young age, there’s alot of bilingual children who do fine in other countries.

I’m also concerned about the “new” school - if this country’s immigration status somehow is forcing children to learn Spanish, how is that “new” school be exempt?

I’m sorry you’re getting critisisms - but she will be okay, learning both languages.

first i don’t think americans should have to learn another language.. i think anyone who want to live here SHOULD HAVE TO KNOW english. it is our language. i could go on on this how ever i will not.(i’m not racist) 2nd i’m not christen so i wouldn’t be sending my kid to that type of school. but i also wouldn’t want her getting alot of spanish either. like dora is not to much if you kid can say everything in engish right( i can’t stand her she has no eyebrows lol) BUt if u feel your child is getting confused then u did the right thing i would have who cares what others think its ur child and YOU KNOW HER BEST. i don’t think ur hurting her if there is a need for spanish later(i hope not) then thats down the road. but her pronounciation is what matters now. becaus eif she can’t say the words right they will stick her is speech class or all day kinderg. at least thats what they did with my niece. and i don’t think a 5 yr should be in school that long

Children have the mental ability to learn as many languages as they please with less difficulty than adults. At the age of 4, their brain produces more neurons than that of a 14 year old. In the case of neurons, either you use them, or you loose them! Literally!
If you are asking my opinion, I would suggest you allow her to challenge herself and learn as much as she can learn. Extra knowledge never hurt anyone. However, you are her parents and your decision is ultimately the one that matters.

DEAR
SOONER ARE LATTER WE ARE GOING TO KNOW IT TO GET BY THE USA BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS LEARN THE AMERICAN LUGGAGE OK TAKE CARE

I don’t think she should be forced to take spanish. This is America, we speak English so why are we expected to learn another language because of our countries immigration status. I think the people that CHOOSE to come to America should have to learn English…I don’t understand why we have to cater to them. I am not racist at all I just think it’s unfair that we have to change our way of living because people that come to our country don’t understand English.

Your daughter should be proficient in computer first. it is something they teach in Kindergartenclasses. It should be her decision to learn another language and frankly, I think by the time she needs to use one in busines it will be a world that teaches spanish as a second class elective since most of all foreigners speak english anyways.
Sure some people of foreign nations stick to their own language (some just to preserve it), but English has become predominant in even countries such as China (where the most spoken language in the world is Mandarin Chinese) .
No she should learn any foreign language except for computer language( it is almost foreign in itself but essental to learn at her age) I started at age 43 and still have no idea what I am doing at times. They didn’t have Computer classes when I was in High school and that is why I am going to college late to learn it ,
Spanish taught me nothing; neither did doing graphs in algebra. but the computer is the new world and the only thing to stop your daughter from it learning how to type fast(Istill have not got that down) .
And English is the only language spoken in the business world . So you definitely made the right decision.

I think you were absolutely right. I had the same problem with my sons school. My family is currently taking Japanese lessons and the private tutors aren’t cheap, when my son started kindergarten his japanese went way downhill and he started throwing in spanish words. I knew it was spanish because I do speak the language, I took four years of it. I went to the school and was told because some of the kids speak only spanish they had decided to teach it to all the children. I was a little upset and told them maybe they should work on teaching the spanish kids english. They were so rude and basically called me a racist until I started screaming at them in spanish about all the money I was putting into the japanese lessons and if they were going to undermine that then they could just reimburse me for all the money I had spent. They were alot more understanding after that, but it’s depressing to know that a white person in the same situation who didn’t speak the language would simply be considered a racist.
Above all, she’s your child. You should have a say in what she is taught, and if a school doesn’t respect you then either pull your daughter out or sue the hell out of them.
Although to be honest, a second language is a good thing. From what you’ve said it seems to be hurting her english at this point so she’s probably not ready for it, but it’s something to consider in the future.

It is crap.
I once took care of an elderly woman from (formerly known as)Czechloslavokia. She came to America when she was 5 years old with her parents and didn’t know a speck of english. You know how she learned?
She was dropped into school and totally emerged in the english language.

She told me that it is a shame now what they are doing to immigrant children. All this bi-lingual learning is making it harder for them to learn english. Spending millions of dollars when all they have to do is give them time.

I agree. I never thought of it like that until she told me that.

I imagine she isn’t learning Spanish as a first language in class but it’s being taught because of the poor little kids who come from only Spanish speaking homes as a way to bridge the communication gap. I think it can be good for her in the long run as long as she doesn’t have a learning disability that is effecting her speech development.

As a parent, it is your right to do what is best for her and if you feel you are helping her by pulling her from the headstart program…who cares what anyone else thinks? So what if you want her to develop her English vocabulary first?

My son is in headstart too and I would pull him if I felt anything was interfering with his development…of course I wouldn’t choose Christian but that’s me.

Actually it is easier in the long run to start chldren learning different languages early. I say you did your daughter more harm that good by pulling her out of the preschool she was in.