Lumi Kids
Spanish for Kids: How to Practice Beyond the Classroom Today
Practical ways to help a child practice Spanish outside school: free vocabulary, local classes and tutors, a homeschool routine, and where an app fits.
US elementary, immersion, homeschool, UK
Languages at school and homeschool
In the US most children get little or no language teaching before middle school; in England a foreign language is part of the curriculum from age 7. This guide explains what schools offer, what immersion means and how to support it at home.
In the US there is no national curriculum for languages: states and districts decide, and elementary schools often offer none. When they do, it is usually Spanish, either as a class a few times a week (FLES) or as an immersion program where part of the school day is taught in the language. Most students meet a language as a subject in middle or high school, and schools, districts and states can award a Seal of Biliteracy to students who reach proficiency in two or more languages by graduation.
In England a foreign language is a statutory subject at key stage 2 (Years 3–6, ages 7–11). Schools choose the language; French is the most widely taught in primary schools.
Whatever your school offers, a few minutes at home make the difference between a subject your child forgets over the summer and a language they keep. The sections below explain the options and how to help.
Language programs in US elementary schools
The names schools use, and how common each program was in January 2024.
| Program | What it means | Share of US public elementary schools |
|---|---|---|
| FLES | Foreign Language in the Elementary School: a regular language class, often a few times a week. | No separate figure: 20% of schools offer world-language classes of some kind |
| Exploratory | A short taste of one or several languages and cultures, not aimed at fluency. | No separate figure |
| One-way immersion | Mostly English-speaking students learn school subjects in the new language for part of the day. | 7% |
| Two-way immersion (dual language) | English speakers and speakers of the other language learn together in both languages. | 9% |
| Developmental and heritage | Programs that build the home language of students who already speak it. | 4% developmental, 1% heritage |
Languages in US elementary schools
If your child's school offers a language, it is most likely Spanish, as a class a few times a week.
- Ask which language is taught, how many minutes a week and from which grade.
- Ask what the children can say by the end of the year, and use the same words at home.
- If the school offers nothing, look for an after-school club, a weekend language school or a library story time in the language.
- Summer is when school languages fade: five minutes a day over the break keeps the words alive.
Immersion and dual language programs
In immersion, children learn school subjects in the new language. Families who don't speak it at home can still choose it.
- Two-way (dual language) classes mix English speakers and speakers of the other language; one-way classes are mostly English speakers.
- Ask how many minutes a day are in each language and in which grade reading in English starts.
- You do not need to speak the language to support your child: read in English at home and show interest in what they learn.
Dual Language Immersion: Pros, Cons and How to Help at Home
Considering a dual language or Spanish immersion program? What the types mean, how common they are, pros and cons, questions to ask and how to help at home.
Homeschool Spanish: a simple weekly plan
Homeschooling families can build Spanish into the week without a full curriculum. One topic a week, 15 minutes a day, works for ages 4–9.
- Monday: new topic. Play the word table on one of our Spanish word pages together and say every word twice.
- Tuesday to Thursday: use the words in real life and play the game on the topic page (I spy, hide-and-find, Simón dice).
- Friday: print the topic's worksheet: matching for the youngest, writing from age 7.
- Every day: one song, one greeting and the day of the week in Spanish.
- Speaking: add real conversation each week: a relative, a class or the app's talk with Lumi.
More ideas for parents who don't speak Spanish: teach your child Spanish at home.
Languages in UK primary schools (key stage 2)
In England a foreign language is part of the national curriculum for Years 3 to 6 (ages 7–11). Any modern or ancient language may be taught, and pupils should make substantial progress in one.
- Listening and joining in, songs and rhymes, and the sounds of the language.
- Simple conversations: asking and answering questions, speaking in sentences with familiar words.
- Pronunciation and intonation, reading short texts and stories, writing phrases from memory.
- Describing people, places and things, and the basic grammar of the language.
- Most primary schools teach French; ask your child's school which language and how often.
First words with audio for the languages most UK schools teach: French for kids and Spanish for kids.
Sources
Checked on October 5, 2026.
- ACTFL (March 2026): The State of K-12 World Language Education, data from the NCES School Pulse Panel, January 2024 and the National Teacher and Principal Survey (October 5, 2026)
- GOV.UK: The national curriculum in England, framework for key stages 1 to 4 (October 5, 2026)
- GOV.UK: National curriculum in England, languages programmes of study (September 11, 2013) (October 5, 2026)
- Association for Language Learning, Teacher Briefing 45: Language Trends England 2025 (British Council) (October 5, 2026)
- Seal of Biliteracy (October 5, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
Do US elementary schools teach foreign languages?
Some do. In January 2024, 20% of US public elementary schools offered world-language classes, mostly Spanish (NCES). Middle and high schools offer them far more often.
What is FLES?
FLES stands for Foreign Language in the Elementary School: a regular language class as a subject, often a few short lessons a week. It differs from immersion, where other subjects are taught in the language.
What is the difference between one-way and two-way immersion?
In one-way immersion, most students are learning the new language. In two-way immersion, also called dual language, about half the class already speaks it at home, and everyone learns in both languages.
Can my child do immersion if we don't speak the language at home?
Yes; one-way and two-way programs both include children from English-speaking homes. Read in English at home, ask about the day and show interest. Our article on dual language immersion covers the questions to ask.
When do children learn a language at school in England?
At key stage 2, Years 3 to 6 (ages 7–11), a foreign language is part of the national curriculum. Schools may start earlier, in key stage 1, but they don't have to. French is the most widely taught.
What is the Seal of Biliteracy?
An award given by a school, district or state in the US to students who reach proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. Starting a language early makes it easier to reach.
Practice that fits around school
Lumi Kids gives your child a few minutes of listening and speaking a day, in Spanish, French or eight more languages. The first two levels are free.
