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Bienvenidos to Mommy Maestra!
This blog is being created as a way to share the many resources for Latino homeschoolers that I am slowly discovering through my own journey as a Latina homeschooling mami. It is also my way of recording our learning experiences as a bicultural family.
Our decision to homeschool our children was prompted by the fact that we currently live in a county that is considered to be a failed school district. The state has come in and taken over the district, and two of the schools in our small town were closed down completely. I’ll be the first to admit that I had absolutely NO desire to homeschool my kids, but because their education is so incredibly important to me, I felt that this was the best route to take.
During this first year, I have learned so much! Not only about how to teach my children, but also WHAT to teach them, and where to find it.
As a Latina, I also feel the overwhelming desire to raise my children to be bilingual and bicultural. The hard part is that I am 4th generation, and while I understand Spanish perfectly and can speak it well enough, it has been a terrible struggle to pass it on to my children. I think this stems from the fact that I am so rusty from a lack of opportunity. You know the saying, “Use it or lose it!” I hopped on the boat a little late, so to speak, in terms of how to raise my kids to be bilingual. I wish that I had started off using the OPOL method from the very beginning and so now will be playing catch up.
In addition to learning the language, I also strive to find ways to supplement our curriculum with cultural books, activities and themes that reflect the richness of our heritage.
We live in a small farming community, with no immersion schools or Spanish programs for small children available. So their fate rests on my shoulders.
Through my endless research as a homeschooling mami and through my work at the Latin Baby Book Club, I have stumbled upon a number of educational opportunities for the Spanish teacher, and I look forward to passing these along.
The goal of this blog is not how to teach your children Spanish (there are already plenty of blogs and websites for that), but rather to share with you ideas and educational resources in English and Spanish that are available for those of you raising bilingual children.
Regardless of whether or not you are homeschooling your children, I hope that you will find information and ideas that help you to encourage their love of learning or to supplement their education. No one will care more for your children than you will. So take their futures seriously and get involved now!
But please note that as a modern Latina with a bicultural family, this blog will be a combination of both our English and Spanish heritage and our homeschooling experience.
Please take the time to share your thoughts and ideas.
¡Que lo disfruten!
~Monica
