How do you and your kids spend your time together? Children are stuck at home and take online classes, while parents work from home or are furloughed. Families now have more time together at home, and kids and parents can use this time to learn the Spanish language. 

Most of us feel overwhelmed when we think about the idea of learning a new language. There are just too many words to learn and grammar rules to remember. The good news is that there are now numerous apps to learn the Spanish language. 

These apps are carefully designed to make learning Spanish less difficult. Some apps are designed for kids, and some have different difficulty levels intended for users of any age. 

The number of language apps in the market is too enormous, so we’ve picked the 12 best apps to learn the Spanish language for you. 

Zoolingo

For: ages 2 to 11

Zoolingo is a top-notch educational app to learn the Spanish language. Kids will enjoy learning Spanish using this app. With Zoolingo, they’ll be introduced to the ABCs, 123s, shapes, measurements, and colors in Spanish.

Aside from learning the basics, kids will also enjoy playing over 1000 games and puzzles. They can also sing along to various nursery rhymes. This app is not just available in Spanish but in 15 other languages, including Japanese, French, Danish, Italian, and more. 

Zoolingo is an all-in-one app. It’s interactive, vivid, and super engaging.

Here’s what others had to say about this app:

“I often babysit my 6 year old sister and we practice Spanish together. She usually asks a ton of questions. But now I can tell her to learn some vocab words and come in 30 minutes so I can quiz hr. Zoolingo buys me at least an hour every day when I can do what I want, finally!”

— A Grateful Big Sis, Canada

“I was a bit afraid of having my four-year-old granddaughter playing too much phone games, so I made it a habit of playing with her for half an hour every day. After a few days, she surprised me by counting to five in Spanish! None of us speak Spanish at home and she seems to enjoy it, so we now learn and play with Zoolingo in the mornings and in the evenings. We’re even thinking about preschool Spanish classes for her!”

— Ann Loxley, Liverpool

Now is the best time to motivate your kids to learn the Spanish language! Learn more about what Zoolingo has in store for you and your kids by visiting the Zoolingo official website. 

Memrise

For: kids and adults

Memrise has one goal: to help everyone learn a language the fastest way possible. And it’s not only a language app but also an all-in-one web and mobile app that can help you towards memorizing phrases, words, and vocabulary. Plus, it covers a lot of subjects, such as economics, science, math, and so forth. 

This app functions much like a gamified flashcard app, a technique proven to be effective in enhancing visual memory, thus making it easier to learn Spanish. 

Here’s what others had to say about Memrise:

“I’m a high intermediate Spanish learner and I’m finding Memrise great for improving my vocabulary! The lessons are short and fun. It’s easy because it’s very incremental with lots of repetition. I use Memrise as a fun reward after doing harder lessons elsewhere.”

— Shari Allgood

Duolingo

For: teens and adults

It would be a mistake not to include Duolingo among the best apps to learn the Spanish language. Duolingo excels in so many things that you’ll never fall short of reasons to love this language app. 

Although Duolingo is not a stand-alone language course, there’s no doubt that it’s a good addition to a learner’s toolbox. 

Spanish is just one of the many languages that you can learn using Duolingo. You may download the Duolingo app or use the web version. 

The lessons are gamified to make it engaging, exciting, and addictive. Also, it would take only five minutes of your day to complete the lessons. 

Here’s what others had to say about Duolingo:

“I love this app! I am learning 3 languages right now. Latin, Gaelic, and Spanish. I love that there are so many different languages to choose from. Even if you don’t pay for duolingo, there is not a ridiculous amount of ads. The lessons are just challenging enough and really help you understand not only the meaning, but the pronunciation of the words!”

— Caroline Hahn

[Related: 10 Great Apps For Learning the English Language]

FluentU

For: teens and adults

Immerse yourself in fun and engaging language learning using FluentU. This is one of the best apps to learn the Spanish language and for several reasons. You will learn Spanish through interactive videos. It’s easy to use and always improving. 

Here’s what others had to say about FluentU:

“I tried FluentU several years ago and thought it was interesting but was never really hooked on it and went on to other sites and forms of improving my Spanish. Now with the stay at home situation, I thought I would give it another look. This site has made major improvements in my opinion from its initial start up. I am very excited to make this my go to learning site for improving my Spanish. If this doesn’t improve my language abilities it will be from my lack of effort. It is engaging, fun, addictive,and interactive. Thank you fluentU , so glad I give you a second look.”

— committed learner

Cat Spanish

For: teens and adults

If you love Cats and Spanish, then this is definitely the app for you. Cat Spanish uses cat pics to help you learn and improve your Spanish language skills. And for that, we can say this is one of the best apps to learn the Spanish language. 

This might surprise you: Cat Spanish is a product of Memrise. Hence, you can expect just as effective language learning techniques with this app. 

The cuteness of the cats improves cognitive function as the photos are used as visual mnemonics. 

What others had to say about Cat Spanish:

“The creators of this app decided to take a creative and humorous approach to help cat lovers improve their Spanish skills. While using it, users will learn common phrases and words with the help of amusing cat themed pictures.”

— Eric Vargas

MindSnacks

For: kids, teens, and adults

Are you thinking about traveling to a Spanish-speaking country? Get the MindSnacks Spanish app to build your vocabulary and boost your conversation skills. You can learn Spanish words, pronouns and their usage, as well as the conjugation of -er, -ar, and -ir verbs. 

MindSnacks Spanish has 50 levels to master, over 40 hours of fun content, and over 1000 words to learn. 

Here’s what others had to say about MindSnacks:

“This app is absolutely brilliant! I cannot even make this up. It is the best app on my phone. I haven taken 3 years of Spanish in high school I know how to read/write it pretty well but my only problem is not trying to fully immerse myself in the language. I need to familiarize myself with it every day & also trying to speak it. With this app I could easily pick up right where I left off in high school. One day, I hope I can be fluent. On another note I really liked would have enjoyed the geography app if they would have updated it. I would LOVE to see a History (World, by Continent, or just US) mindsnacks and maybe even an LSAT one! Don’t ever let these apps die.”

— missisrobinson

StudyBlue

For: teens and adults

Whatever your reasons are for learning Spanish, StudyBlue’s got your back. As among the simplest yet powerful apps to learn the Spanish language, StudyBlue uses flashcards to help you towards widening your Spanish vocabulary. 

And the best part is that you can share your flashcards with your classmates or teachers. 

Here’s what others had to say about StudyBlue:

“I love this app!! Keeps track of how you’re doing.. can focus on the ones you get wrong.. couldn’t be happier with this program!! A++”

— Veronica Jewell

Busuu

For: kids, teens, and adults

Busuu is an award-winning app with a design that makes learning and mastering Spanish and other languages easier, effective, and more entertaining. With the help of Busuu, you can widen your vocabulary and improve your conversational skills, so you can have better conversations with friends and loved ones. 

This language learning app is made accessible to all levels. And you can expect good results as this app was developed by a team of experts. 

With Busuu, you’ll learn not just Spanish but other languages as well. 

Here’s what others had to say about Busuu:

“This is the best app I’ve tried for learning Spanish. I like Duolingo better for learning vocabulary, because it forces you to practice a bit more and it’s more enjoyable (not to mention, it’s free), but Busuu is most like the college course I took in Spanish. It is a great review of grammar rules, and it’s a very useful tool.”

— Michelle Me

Gritty Spanish

For: teens and adults

What better way to learn Spanish than listening to real speakers — actresses and voice actors in real situations. Gritty Spanish lets you listen to fun and engaging audio stories voiced by eccentric Spanish speakers, so not only you can improve your vocabulary but your comprehension, too. 

Here’s what others had to say about Gritty Spanish:

“A non boring way to learn another language. The scenario in the app are very unique and interesting!! Awesome job!!!”

— Raymond Borden

Brainscape

For: students and adults

Using adaptive flashcards, Brainscape aims to help learners to immerse themselves in language learning. Smart flashcards have been proven to double the learning speed, and that’s exactly what Brainscape wants for you. 

This app also uses spaced repetition — a proven cognitive science. The exposure of the flashcards is within exactly the right interval for your brain. 

“I’ve been using Brainscape since 2013. It’s a great app to increase memorization and learning. Their flashcard algorithm maximizes fast and easy memorization. They also have a wide range of card collections: Latin, GRE vocabulary, Geography, Music Theory (including Ear Trainers!), Spanish, French and many more. It’s a great way to learn basic vocabulary for a language. Also to study for exams such as the MCAT and CPA. They are also an excellent company with good practices. I recently had an issue with them and it was resolved quickly and easily with excellent communication. Highly recommended.”

— SKC

Kids YAY

For: kids ages 2 to 8

There’s no question about why Kids Yay is among the perfect apps to learn the Spanish language. This is a pressure-free app that allows the learners to learn at their own pace. 

Kids Yay helps children learn basic Spanish words through fun and interactive gamified activities. It has no pop-up ads, which guarantees this is a child-friendly app. 

Here’s what others had to say about Kids YAY:

“It’s a good app, Spanish beginners friend for anyone and not just for kids.”

— beejoe diamond

Memory

For: teens and adults

Get fluent in Spanish with the help of Memory. This web course uses different techniques to ensure all users learn Spanish the most effective way. You can learn by typing, multiple-choice, flashcards, speaking, listening, or a mix of all modes. Then, you can put your skills to test and practice what you have learned. 

There are other languages you can learn with Memory, such as French, German, Korean, and Italian. 

Here’s what others had to say about Memory:

“It’s a vital experience that widens my horizons. It challenges some of the misconceived chunks of knowledge. It introduces one to ever so widening world arouses curiosity and compels one to read and keep abreast of modern knowledge.”

— Sham Naib

Tinycards

For: kids and adults

Tinycards helps you prepare for tests and memorize vocabulary using fun and engaging flashcards. This language learning app uses spaced repetition and other effective learning techniques to help you remember new material. 

You can pick from a variety of ready-made collections or create your own deck. You can even share them with your friends! 

Here’s what others had to say about Tinycards:

“As A THREE TIME LOSER… to traditional Spanish classes, at 66, I am delighted to discover I CAN learn Spanish! I can repeat lessons I think/know I need to repeat….and then move on when I am comfortable with my use/knowledge. It’s a bit tougher for me after having a small stroke. The words I try to spell, get mixed up, even though I KNOW the word I want…I am having trouble spelling in Spanish. But I am delighted WITH my progress!”

— 1stCeye

Related Questions

How can I learn Spanish by myself?

We highly recommend spending at least an hour a day on grammar exercises. Reading, underlining, and looking up new words can help you progress faster. Watching movies and listening to the radio in the Spanish language can also help you improve your comprehension skills. 

How can I help my child learn Spanish?

If you know how to speak Spanish, we encourage you to speak it too. Help your child keep a schedule, and find them age-appropriate language apps that can help throughout their learning process. Consider apps like Zoolingo or Tinycards. 

Find other resources and share your thoughts with other parents and teachers

All Digital School is working continuously to provide you with all your learning needs. You can find all the resources you need in our comprehensive directory. Find language apps and other learning tools in just a matter of seconds. 

By joining our community, you can get access to our community boards where you can ask questions, seek or give answers, share experiences, and connect with other parents and teachers. Click the button below to get started. 

You can also register using your Facebook or Google account. Click any of the buttons below:

Do you have any more questions? Let us know in the comments below or share your thoughts on our community boards by signing up now. 

Many schools are closed due to the new coronavirus, yet it still has been a very busy week for teachers who continue to provide education to their students through remote teaching. Thousands of students are out of school as well, and teachers are challenged to figure out how they can keep their students occupied while at home.

Most teachers are women, and many of them have young children. In fact, 48% of public school teachers have children living at home, as reported by the Brookings Institutions. With teachers now transitioned to online teaching, they are now carrying two heavy roles: teaching and parenting. The latter can be overwhelming already, even more so if it collides with teaching.

Teaching has become pretty complicated for teachers now that they have to teach at home while having to attend their responsibilities as parents. This is even more difficult for teachers who are home alone with kids. 

And although this can be somewhat complex to deal with, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s impossible to teach from home while providing caregiving responsibilities for children. 

If you’re a teacher who is trying to figure out how to balance online teaching with parenting, then this guide is for you. 

Your kids are yet adjusting to the sudden shift…

If it was a dizzying transition for you, then your kids might have been feeling the same way. They aren’t used to being at home in the morning when they are usually being sent off to school. And when they see you home, they might not think that you’re actually working. 

Online teaching really does bring unique challenges, but they are things you can do to minimize the difficulty, all the while not compromising your responsibilities as a parent. 

We at All Digital School are working to continuously provide you with all your online teaching needsーfrom guides like this to tools and resources online. 

Here’s what you can do

Accept your chaos (and own it!)

If your kids are with you in the same room while you are facilitating your online class, then you have to realize that their heads might pop into your students’ field of view anytime. And you can’t expect them to hush. Your kid might sing nursery rhymes, read his favorite book loudly, or constantly make you look at that LEGO house they’ve built or that horse they made out of clay. 

When students see you in your parent mode is good for them. And your kids seeing you in your teacher mode is also good for them. 

Your schedule should stay unchanged

With you being in the comfort of your own, you could easily lose track of your schedule and spend more time teaching your students than you should ー or it could be the other way around. The best thing to do is to work the same hours every day. 

Set office hours and teaching hours for your students and school. You should also set a strict schedule for homeschooling. 

Some schools expect teachers to replicate a regular school day schedule in a virtual environment and hold office hours at least three times a week at flexible times. Such flexibility is essential for teachers. You might want to talk to your school principal about that. 

Keep in mind that responding to student emails are to be considered teaching time. Communication with students is crucial to their academic success, but the virtual environment could make you set aside time management. 

The time that you invest in replying to email questions should not be counted as “extra work” (just as how fielding questions to your students after your lecture is not “extra” teaching). 

If you do not want to overspend time in responding to email questions, consider populating your online portal with plenty of instructional guidelines. Do not hesitate to direct your students to specific instructional material.

If you still find it difficult to manage your teaching time, talk to your school principal. They may be able to set up a virtual classroom with schedules that fit yours and your students. 

Create separate space for home teaching and virtual teaching

Having a place at your home for remote teaching can help you stay focused on your work, and also keep your teaching materials organized. A separate room dedicated to your online teaching is good, but with kids in the house, setting up a home workplace could be rather tricky. 

Setting up a space for your teaching doesn’t always mean you have to be in a separate room form your kids. You could be in one room and create a “zone.” For example, you could be in one corner and your kids in the other corner. Place educational toys in your kids’ area. You may even want to set up another computer for your kid (depending on their age and ability to use your device). 

You want your background to be neat, preferably a wall with neutral color, so that your students won’t get distracted with whatever that’s happening in your home. Using a noise-canceling device is also important. 

If you have to attend to your children due to matters that require urgent attention, then do not be afraid to tell your students about it. 

You might want to consider collaboration with your co-teachers to ease each other’s burdens. For example, if you are available during the day, you could focus on connecting with your students, while another teacher videotapes lectures at night that students could watch on their own time. 

Give your kids fun learning activities they can spend time on

Kids will always crave for your attention if they are left with nothing to get busy on. Get your kids excited about discovering something new (like skills, talent, or information) by giving them fun activities that could also disguise as fun time. 

If you have a preschooler, you may have him start with basic games that will teach him farm animals, colors, ABCs, 123s, and shapes. You can hand him a soundboard book. If screentime doesn’t bother you, you can introduce educational games for toddlers for your kid, such as LingoKids and Zoolingo. 

You may also have your kids watch educational videos on YouTube Learning, YouTube Kids, or Netflix Kids. To learn more about what you can do to keep your kids entertained, read our blog post How To Keep Kids Entertained At Home During COVID-19 School Closures. 

Keep them occupied by assigning them engaging home chores

When your kids are occupied with an activity, you are more likely to focus on your online teaching. Assigning your kids household chores does not only give them something to do but it also teaches them the concept of work ethic. 

Not just that, household chores also teach kids practical skills and important life skills. They will also develop independence and practice cooperative learning. But let’s get real here… chores aren’t very fun to do, so you have to make them fun. And by fun, we mean creative. 

Kids love it when they are enjoying what they do, so you want to ensure they get fun from doing household chores. You’ll likely be occupied with your online lessons as well, so assigning your kids chores that do not need that much supervision is ideal. 

Chore Charts are creative chores that your kids can enjoy. Giving them rewards for tasks they complete is a good way to keep them excited doing the chores. 

READ: Creative Chores for Kids: How to Make Chores Fun

Let your kids get bored

This comes in contrast to the things we’ve just discussed, but letting your kids get bored is actually a great way to hush them. 

Some households do not have enough laptops, PCs, and other techs that allow children to access learning platforms. Chris Dyson, a headteacher of Parklands Primary School, Leeds, suggests to “let kids have a holiday and enjoy themselves until they get bored.”

When kids get bored, they are likely to get on to learning they have been set. That’s when home activities come in handy. Children are more likely to work on their assignments to ease boredom. 

Sit down and talk to your kids

Sometimes, all it takes is a serious talk with the kids. As mentioned before, your children are just as surprised as you when they learned they have to stay home for an indefinite period due to the new coronavirus. And just like you, they are still fine-tuning to the new normal ーslow mornings, homeschooling, and seeing you working (and teaching in a virtual classroom) at the dining table. 

They’ve known you as a teacher when you’re in the school but seeing you in your “teacher mode” when you’re at home could be something new to them. 

What you can do is sit your kids down and talk about teaching your class online. You might even have to discuss what COVID-19 is, why they’re stuck at home, and why they need to keep things down when you’re in your class. 

Of course, you will want to reassure your kids that they can always call you if they need help with something. They have to understand how important it is for you that they minimize their noise and also know that you are there when they need you. 

When facilitating your online class, give the class intervals. The quick breaks could mean rehydrating, pee time, or quick bonding time with your kids. 

Check in with your kids every morning (and throughout the day)

Teaching online might have gotten you overwhelmed. Now that you have to do almost everything online, you tend to spend more time understanding how Zoom works, troubleshooting your speaker, searching for online teaching resources, and creating online lesson plans. 

We understand that it’s a heavy load to bear, and because of the complexity of digital teaching, you might be spending too much time figuring out the nuts and bolts of this remote teaching thing. 

But that shouldn’t be a reason for you to neglect—or spend less time—with your kids. True, setting an academic goal for each day is good, but establishing a sense of belonging, connection, and well-being is a crucial precursor to learning. You want to make sure that you provide not just the academic and emotional needs of your students, but most importantly, the needs of your kids as well. 

So before you start the day, make sure to check your child’s emotions. For instance, is your kid lonely and upset? Research suggests that upset kids won’t be as productive as learners. 

Try this: implement an at-home version of “greeting at the door.” Start your day checking in with your child and asking how they are feeling. 

Notice good school habits in your kids

What does your child like to do (and can do independently)? Does your child like sitting and reading quietly? Then make sure they have enough good books to read. Is your child excited about jigsaw puzzles? Do they like solving math problems? 

The school at home system might continue for at least several months. Help your kids to have time to develop their skills by building in time for fun and passion projects. 

Household activities like decorating and organizing give kids the opportunity to develop problem-solving skills. Research also shows that highly engaging activities can help improve empathy, mental focus, language skills, and creativity. 

So while you’re hustling at your online teaching work, allow your kids at home to spend time building and improving their skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends giving kids unstructured play with few rules and lots of room for imagination. This will help your kids practice social-emotional skills and creative thinking. 

How about a painting contest?

Have you heard about this dad who watched his kids so mom could go shopping? Mom returns home only to find out her husband was sleeping, and the kids are drawing him “posing.”

Michael Weber Jr, the dad, had just returned home from a 12-hour night shift. We could imagine the level of exhaustion that he was carrying. His wife needed to get some grocery shopping done, so someone had to take care of the kids, and so he volunteered. 

Weber Jr always tries to come up with fun and creative ways to get things done (and get time for himself). So he got his kids to sit still and paint him while he’s “posing,” AKA naps. The best painting gets a prize, of course!

For some, that’s bad parenting, but for many others, that was a brilliant idea and genius parenting. You could do the same, except your “pose” is when you’re having an online class. 

Not that your kids should draw you, but the concept could be similar to that. You can have your kids sit down and have them paint (it could be a painting of one specific subject or just anything they want to paint). 

Painting is a great hobby that kids can spend time on while you’re teaching your class. Alternatively, you can let your kids complete puzzles or build a community using LEGO bricks. 

Let your child engage with other peers

School closures and being stuck at home may have been difficult for your kids already. They haven’t had any close contact with their friends, no playdates, and absolutely no playgrounds. 

Give them time to engage with their friends through the available technology. You can call the parents of your kid’s friends or classmates, and set up a schedule when your kids can have fun even through videoconferencing. 

Your kid could be having fun with their friends while you’re conducting your online class. Use communication tools that allow you to monitor your kid’s activities, such as Messenger Kids. 

Get your child on board with virtual tours

You don’t want to compromise your teaching quality when you’re with your students. Hence, keeping your child at home busy is crucial. But of course, you don’t want them to just engage in anything, but something that they can learn something from. 

Taking them to online field trips, virtual tours, art lessons, nature cams, and author read aloud are some of the online activities your kids might look forward to. 

We at Digital School are working and have created a list of virtual field trips. To learn more about virtual field trips, read our blog post: Virtual Field Trips 101: Ultimate Guide for Teachers. 

After your online class…

So you’ve managed to finish hours of discussions with your students online and kept your kids (mostly) managed throughout your online class, what now?

Check in with your kids again and ask them what they are feeling. Are they upset? Did they think you were ignoring them? Did they have a great time chatting with their friends? 

Take your teacher’s hat off after your online class. Praise your children’s efforts and behavior. Acknowledge the things they have done throughout the day. 

Spend extra time together with your child. Bring out the board game, do some artwork, make a meal together, bake cookies, do a jigsaw, or dance or make a video. 

If you need more help, we know exactly where you should go

Remote teaching may be something that you lack experience of. This may be a new complex thing you’re still trying to figure out. If the transition has been difficult for you, then it’s fair to think that your kids are feeling the same way. 

More and more schools are closing due to the pandemic, and distance learning is expected to last longer. This could lay another set of challenges, especially for parents that also teach students online. But just because you have to manage two roles doesn’t mean you can’t do it. 

You CAN be a great parent while being a great teacher. It is during these challenging times that teachers and parents can help one another to ensure education continuity and success among children. 

If you need more help in facilitating remote teaching, our community of parents, educators, and professionals are more willing to help you. By registering on All Digital School (which, by the way, is super easy and 100% free), you’ll get access to community boards where you can ask questions, get answers, and share your experiences. 

You can connect with other teachers or even help parents that need support during this pandemic. 

You can also create an account using Facebook or Google buttons below:

Do you have any more tips you’d like to share with us? Comment below or share your ideas in our community forum!