As an educator, Kim knows firsthand how important parental involvement is in ensuring the academic success of children. Because of that correlation, she wanted to maximize the Planet Spanish experience by incorporating an at-home component into the program. Besides, in developing Planet Spanish, Kim and Pat heard from many parents who like the idea of being exposed to Spanish while their children are learning the language.

Your support and encouragement are key to your child's motivation and positive attitude toward learning Spanish. Parents, don't be intimidated if you know only a few words of Spanish. Our supplemental materials are designed so that even those of you who have only a glancing knowledge of the language can navigate them and have fun learning alongside your child. Even if you do not speak Spanish, you can help by taking an interest in your child's progress in Spanish and encouraging activities that enhance language learning and will lead to a higher level of achievement.

As with any subject, the more time your child can devote to learning a language, the more competent she will become. Instruction, curriculum and learning materials play an important part in your child's language acquisition.

To make optimal progress, your child needs to experience Spanish outside the classroom -- at home and in real-life situations in the community -- to enhance learning and lead to a higher level of achievement. You can encourage your child's interest in the language and in other cultures. Show her that you value the ability to speak a second language. The attitude and motivation she brings to her studies will also influence the level of Spanish proficiency she achieves.

You can support your child in a number of ways. Here are some suggestions:

• Encourage her to talk to you about Planet Spanish learning experiences.
• Create opportunities for her to practice language skills.
• If you are familiar with the language yourself, read to her
• Keep a Spanish-English dictionary in your home and encourage your child to use it.
• Borrow Spanish language books from the library (including comic books)!
• Surf the Internet for a variety of Spanish language experiences.
• Tune into Spanish television programs your children might enjoy, such as cartoons.
• Take the family on a Spanish cultural field trip.

Attend cultural events that feature music, dance, or food from the country or countries where the language is spoken. As your child's skills develop, local Spanish cultural opportunities, such as plays, concerts and festivals, can be fun for the whole family and give your child the opportunity to experience Spanish in a social setting. Planet Spanish has lots of great ideas about where to take field trips.

During the course of your child's enrollment in Planet Spanish, you can have fun by helping to develop her speaking and listening skills.

Here's what Planet Spanish students will do at home as part of their assignments:

• Read an assigned passage to their parents. Parents "check off" on the passage and return it to school.
• Read and practice vocabulary lists
• Label vocabulary words in the home
• Prepare foods from Spanish-speaking cultures
• Explore a cultural holiday or custom