Josiah is 2 ½ years old, and he can already count to ten and sing his ABC’s, so recently I decided to start teaching him Spanish. He already knows the names of so many things in English—why can’t he learn their Spanish names? So I pulled out the picture flashcards and started to say the name of each picture in Spanish. When Josiah saw the plane, he said, “Plane!”

“Yes,” I said, “Plane…Avion.”

He started to pout, “No Avion! Plane!”

I smiled and said, “Good boy!” After all, he DID say the Spanish word, right? I showed him the next card, “Car…Coche.”

He was still pouting, “No Coche! Car!”

Card after card went like this until finally he refused to say anything at all. Not easily discouraged, I pulled out the flash cards again the next day…and the day after that. Some days he participated, and other days he pouted, but I continued on, cheerfully saying the name of each picture in English and Spanish.

And then it happened! We were driving into town and he said, “Look, Mommy! Coche!”

I was shocked! “That’s right, Josiah! Do you see the house? Casa?”

He willingly chimed in, “House…Casa.”

Wow! I’m so glad I didn’t give up on him after the first try. Now when we walk around the neighborhood, he cheerfully joins me in saying the names of things we see in English and Spanish!