The introduction to spanish immersion preschool & kindergarten. A greeting at the door. A song during circle time. A command to wash hands, uttered with rhythm and pleasantry. Children do not take time to analyze it. They just roll with it. Language, language, slips down like sunshine through a window.

Spanish in such classrooms is not separated by art and recess. It’s woven into everything. Children listen to it as they pour juice, tie shoes, fight about who may have the red crayon. Meaning comes first. Grammar comes afterwards, whether anybody observes. Errors are in the nature of things. Teachers smile and model. Kids repeat. Life goes on.

Young brains love patterns. Spanish gives them plenty. Sounds repeat. Words behave. It is so predictable that it gives kids boldness. They speak up. They experiment. One child makes an announcement of a discovery with panache. One sets them right, mildly, a bit comically, wrong. Both learn something.

The chatter becomes deeper by kindergarten. Stories get longer. Questions get sharper. Reading starts with the sounds, which actually sound like them. Most children will touch and read early literacy clicks earlier than anticipated. No pressure. No drama. Simply constant exposure and much practising in the form of play.

It is sometimes when the parents observe the changes at home. Instructions are translated without consultation. Songs appear at dinner. One child makes corrections on pronunciation with an upside eyebrows. It’s funny. It’s humbling. It is also evidence that language was riveted.

But there is something going on behind the scenes. Children who have been brought up in this manner are more listening. They pause. They read faces. Words fail them, they resort to gestures or tone. Such flexibility manifests itself in the later group work and problem solving. Early switching of languages causes ideas switching to become commonplace.

Immersion classrooms are humming socially. Children are taught how to be patient since it requires time to learn. They are taught benevolence since understanding is essential. A timid child may gain strength by repeating known phrases. A gossipy one knows moderation. Spanish is a place of commonality.

Teachers stay consistent. One language. All day. No constant translating. Children do not require explanations. Their minds are already programmed towards such consumption. and provide them with repetition and security, and they will do the heavy labour themselves.

Expect a few surprises. Children place orders of snacks in Spanish at random cafes. Parents are late-night Googlers. Routines of the family going astray. It’s all part of the deal.

Young exposure does not pursue excellence. It builds comfort. It allows children to talk, fall and rise. After sometime, they forget learning Spanish. They remember using it.