By Andria Barrios
Educating children while they are still young can prove to be effective, especially when teaching children Spanish. Kids ‘R Kids Daycare has taken this idea and flown with it. For nearly eight years, this daycare has provided helpful and child-based Spanish classes for three to five year-old-children.
“My mission statement is very simple: Bridging the Cultures. Simply Spanish is a bridge between North American and Latin cultures, bringing a greater understanding and offering Second Language education,” explains Jen Hildebrand, founder of Simply Spanish for Kids. In the last eight years, this class has grown from 12 to 300 kids. Though Hildebrand runs the business, her teacher, Marietta, teaches all classes. The inspiration began when “I heard many families express an interest in their children learning Spanish. Parents were wishing there were Spanish classes offered earlier than the classes offered in public schools. So, I began talking with local pre-schools and told them I was interested in offering Spanish as a Second Language.” Hildebrand also teaches classes for an hourly rate at many local preschools and other locations. “KRK was one of the first schools to join my program.”
This daycare allows children to have the opportunity to “grow physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually by playing, exploring and learning with others in a fun, safe and healthy environment,” Ben Fernandes, co-owner of Kids ‘R Kids states. Simply Spanish is also offered as a part of the daycare program, so there is no extra cost.
Over the last eight years, over 2,000 kids in the Tampa area have been exposed to a year or more of Spanish at an early age. Because of Kids ‘R Kids, more than 600 kids of these kids have received a Spanish education at this age. Clearly, this daycare has done much to benefit the youth of the area.
For more information, call 657-6200 or visit www.krkcirca.com or www.krkvalrico.com. Also, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kidsrkidsvalricocirca
Kids ‘R Kids is located at 4321 Lynx Paw Tr. A second location can be found at 5815 Kids Crossing Dr., Circa FishHawk.
