How early should you teach children Spanish?

Grace Taylor
13 minutes ago
3 min read

Becoming a parent brings lots of questions - especially if your family speaks more than one language. You might wonder when to introduce a second (or third) language to your child. In this article, we’ll explore child brain development, the science behind bilingual children, and whether there’s such a thing as starting too early.

A Bilingual Beats music teacher and children in a nursery session.

Children’s brain development

As you’ll have noticed, babies’ brains are very impressive. At birth, they can hear all the sounds of every language, and by 10–12 months their brains start focusing on the sounds they hear most. This is what experts call the sensitive period. Research by Conboy & Kuhl (2011) shows that just a few weeks of interactive exposure to a second language, like Spanish, helps babies’ brains pick up sounds they might otherwise miss.

Classic research by Werker & Tees (1984) found that as babies approach their first birthday, they start to lose sensitivity to sounds they don’t hear regularly. For example, a baby mostly exposed to English might stop noticing subtle differences in Spanish words like pero and perro. Small, playful experiences, like saying “hola,” singing a short Spanish song, or counting in Spanish, help children’s brains to get a head start for child bilingualism.

The science of early bilingualism: benefits and myths

Many parents worry that early language learning will confuse their child. This is a common myth, and research shows it’s not true. Early bilingualism actually brings many benefits:

Better cognitive skills - attention, memory, and problem-solving
Greater task-switching ability - shifting focus between activities
Enhanced social awareness - understanding others’ perspectives
Stronger language foundation - clearer pronunciation and easier learning of additional languages later
Increased creativity - thinking flexibly and making connections

A study following toddlers learning two languages found that the more words children learned in both languages, the better they became at focusing and switching between tasks. In other words, practicing two languages helps strengthen important brain skills like attention and problem-solving - showing that early bilingual exposure supports more than just vocabulary. (Crivello, Poulin‑Dubois, et al., 2015)

Common myths include: learning two languages slows overall development, children become confused mixing languages and starting early is too much for the brain. Science shows these myths aren’t true - mixing languages is normal, early exposure doesn’t overload the brain, and bilingual children usually meet the same developmental milestones as monolingual peers. In fact, bilingual children often have an advantage!

Is there such a thing as ‘too early’?

Babies’ brains are highly plastic, naturally designed to pick up new sounds, patterns, and rhythms. Early exposure gives children a head start, helping them develop:

Accurate pronunciation - recognizing and understanding subtle sound differences
Listening and memory skills - processing two languages strengthens neural pathways
Confidence with languages - early exposure makes learning natural and fun

Even simple, playful experiences like music, songs, or interactive language activities, can support these development skills. Parents looking to help children learn Spanish often find programs like Bilingual Beats useful for weaving language into daily routines.

The best age according to experts

When is the ideal time for a child to start learning a second language? Experts agree: earlier is better. The first few years are when the brain is most receptive to new sounds, making it easier for bilingual children to pick up pronunciation, rhythm, and vocabulary naturally. Studies show that even short, consistent exposure in the first year strengthens neural pathways that support child bilingualism.

While there isn’t a single “perfect age,” most specialists recommend starting from birth to around three years old, when the sensitive period is at its peak. Small, casual and fun routines and involvement of the second language make a big difference and keep learning and development active throughout childhood.

Practical tips to help young children learn Spanish

Early exposure offers lasting cognitive, social, and language benefits, making it the perfect time to teach children Spanish. Here are three practical ways to start:

Use everyday language routines - Incorporate simple Spanish words and phrases into daily life, like counting, greetings, or naming objects around the house.
Explore Spanish songs and music - Music helps toddlers recognize sounds and rhythms naturally. Resources like Bilingual Beats make it easy to add Spanish songs and playful rhythms that build language skills while keeping it fun.
Read and interact together - Short stories, picture books, and interactive games in Spanish strengthen listening skills, vocabulary, and attention, while making learning enjoyable.