Bilingual Spanish-English Montessori Preschool in Fort Lauderdale
How Young Children Naturally Become
Fluent in Two Languages
You’ve probably heard that young children pick up languages easily. But what does that actually look like in practice? And how is learning Spanish at school different from, say, a weekly language class?
Here’s the short answer: children don’t study a second language the way adults do. They absorb it the same way they learned to speak in the first place. The trick is creating an environment where that absorption can happen naturally.
That’s exactly what happens at our Bilingual Spanish-English Montessori in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Our classrooms operate in both Spanish and English throughout the day, so children hear, speak, and think in two languages as part of their routine, not as a separate “subject.”
Between birth and about age six, children are in what researchers call the “critical period” for language acquisition. During these years, their brains build neural pathways for language more efficiently than at any other time in life.
Think about how your child learned their first words. You didn’t hand them flashcards or grammar worksheets. They listened, watched, tried things out, made mistakes, and gradually figured out the patterns.
A child learning Spanish at this age does the same thing; their brain doesn’t distinguish between “first language” and “second language.” It’s all just language.
This is why a Bilingual Spanish-English Montessori environment, combined with authentic AMI methodology, works so well for young children. When Spanish is woven into daily activities, songs, conversations, snack time, and play, they develop genuine fluency. Not the kind where you can conjugate verbs on a test, but the kind where you actually think in both languages.
Outdoor Area
Primary Classrom
Picnic Area
Spanish-English Montessori
What Happens in a Bilingual Brain
Dual-language learners don’t just gain vocabulary in two languages. The mental work of switching between languages, what linguists call code-switching, actually strengthens cognitive abilities that have nothing to do with language itself.
Studies consistently find that bilingual children show stronger executive function (the ability to focus, plan, and switch between tasks), better working memory, and greater cognitive flexibility. These benefits show up in math, problem-solving, and reading comprehension, not just language arts.
In other words, learning two languages doesn’t divide a child’s mental resources. It expands them. It’s one of the reasons we built our entire program around the Bilingual Spanish-English Montessori approach, because the benefits go far beyond language.
Typical Day in Our Classroom
A Glimpse Into Our Spanish-English Montessori Classroom
So how does this work in practice? Let me walk you through a typical morning.
When children arrive, they’re greeted in Spanish: “¡Buenos días! ¿Cómo estás?” They hang up their bags, wash their hands, and choose their first activity, all with gentle Spanish narration from our teachers. A child selecting the pink tower might hear, “Ah, la torre rosa. ¿Puedes encontrar el cubo más grande?”
Circle time includes songs like “Los Pollitos Dicen” and “Estrellita, ¿Dónde Estás?” (the Spanish “Twinkle Twinkle”). Story time might be a Spanish picture book one day, an English one the next. The calendar routine happens in Spanish, counting the days, naming the weather, and discussing what month it is.
During work time, children move freely between activities while teachers circulate, speaking Spanish. A child pouring water practices “lleno” and “vacío” (full and empty). Someone working with sandpaper letters traces them while hearing the Spanish letter sounds. Math materials come with Spanish counting.
At lunch, children learn practical phrases: “Más agua, por favor.” “¿Me pasas la servilleta?” These aren’t vocabulary drills; they’re real communication, which is how language sticks.
By afternoon, English naturally weaves back in through stories, outdoor play, and conversations. Children hear and use both languages throughout the day and so frequently that switching between them becomes effortless.
AMI Montessori Teachers
The People Who Make This Work
Immersion only works if children hear authentic, natural speech. That’s why our lead teachers are native Spanish speakers; people who grew up with the language and can model the pronunciation, rhythm, and expressions that children need to hear.
They’re also trained in the Montessori method through AMI (Association Montessori Internationale), which means they understand how to follow a child’s development rather than pushing a rigid curriculum. This matters for language learning: children acquire vocabulary when they’re ready for it, at their own pace, through activities that genuinely interest them.
Our teachers don’t correct grammar mistakes or drill pronunciation. They model correct language, repeat phrases naturally, and trust that comprehensible input, language that children can understand from context, will do its work over time. And it does.
English-Spanish Program
Is This Right for Your Family?
Our program works well for different situations:
- English-speaking families who want their children to grow up bilingual
- Spanish-speaking or Latino families who want their children to maintain their heritage language while developing strong English skills
- Families where both languages are already spoken, and you want the school to support that
- Anyone raising children in South Florida‘s diverse, multicultural community who sees bilingualism as a practical life skill
We welcome children ages two and a half to six, right in the heart of the critical period when language acquisition happens most naturally.
Taking Care of a Plant Lesson
Sewing a Button Lesson
Large Button Frame Lesson
cultural awareness
What Children Gain Beyond Language
Growing up with two languages gives children more than vocabulary. They develop cultural awareness and an understanding that there are different ways to express ideas, celebrate traditions, and connect with people.
In a classroom where Spanish and English coexist, children naturally learn that both are valuable, that both belong.
For children with Hispanic heritage, hearing their family’s language at school reinforces their cultural identity. For children from English-speaking homes, regular interaction with Spanish opens a door to South Florida’s broader community and to the Spanish-speaking world beyond.
There’s also the social-emotional dimension. Children in bilingual environments tend to develop strong perspective-taking skills. Managing two languages requires understanding that different people might use different words for the same thing, a foundation for empathy and communication.
Knobbed Cylinders Lesson
Geometric Solids Lesson
Pressure Cylinders Lesson
Early Bilingual Education
Kindergarten Readiness and Beyond
Parents sometimes wonder whether a bilingual program will leave children unprepared for English-language kindergarten.
The evidence suggests the opposite.
Children who complete our program typically enter kindergarten with:
- Strong pre-reading skills in English, including phonemic awareness and letter recognition
- Age-appropriate (often advanced) math foundations from Montessori materials
- Well-developed focus and self-regulation from the Montessori environment
- Conversational Spanish ability is a skill that keeps developing even if they continue in English-only schools
- The cognitive advantages that come with bilingualism
In short, they’re ready for kindergarten, and they’ve gained something many children won’t have the chance to develop until much later, if at all.
Metal Insets Lesson
Handwriting Lesson
Preposition Lesson
Fort Lauderdale Downtown
Come See It in Action
Reading about bilingual education is one thing. Watching three-year-olds casually switch between Spanish and English while building with blocks is another.
If you’re considering a bilingual Montessori education for your child, the best next step is to visit our school.
You’ll see how the classroom works, meet our teachers, and get a sense of whether this approach feels right for your family.
FAQ
This is the most common worry, and it’s completely understandable. But decades of research say the same thing: no, it won’t. Young brains are wired to sort out multiple languages.
It’s actually what they evolved to do. You might notice some mixing at first (using a Spanish word in an English sentence), but this is normal and temporary.
It’s called code-switching, and it’s actually a sign that both languages are developing well. Children naturally sort them out as they get more exposure to each.
Absolutely. Most children who join us are hearing Spanish for the first time. That’s fine, in fact, it’s typical.
Young children don’t need prior knowledge to begin acquiring a language. They need exposure and context. For the first few weeks, your child will listen more than speak.
Then single words start emerging. Then phrases. Then sentences. It’s the same process they went through learning English, just compressed because their brain already knows what “language” is.
Research consistently shows the opposite. Bilingual children often meet English milestones at the same time as monolingual peers, and sometimes earlier.
The cognitive benefits of managing two languages (stronger working memory, better focus) actually support English literacy development.
By the time children reach kindergarten, those who’ve had dual-language exposure typically show strong phonemic awareness and vocabulary in both languages.
A traditional Spanish class teaches language as a subject, memorizing vocabulary lists, practicing phrases, maybe singing a song. Immersion is different.
Children aren’t learning about Spanish; they’re learning through Spanish.
The language is the medium, not the subject. This is how children develop actual fluency, the kind where they don’t have to translate in their head before speaking.
You don’t need to. Many of our families are English-speaking households where the children’s only Spanish exposure is at school, and they still develop real bilingual ability.
Of course, any reinforcement helps: Spanish TV shows, music, library books. But the heavy lifting happens here, during the school day, through consistent daily immersion.
Call Us and Schedule a Visit
Visit Fort Lauderdale’s Authentic AMI Montessori
Come see the International Montessori School and discover why 75+ families have trusted us since 2020.
We’re located at 114 SW 10th St, Suite B, in Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Call (954) 614-4505 or use the contact form to arrange a time.
