Portuguese for kids: five ways to start before age seven

Many children grow up with a grandparent or a parent who speaks Portuguese, in a country where everything else happens in another language. Keeping that Portuguese alive is easier than it sounds.

The early years are a good time to start. Here are five things that help.

European or Brazilian Portuguese?

The two understand each other well, but the accent and some everyday words differ. The simplest choice is the variety the family speaks, so the child hears the same music at the grandparents' and in the stories.

If nobody at home speaks Portuguese, either works. Brazilian Portuguese pronounces its vowels more fully and often feels easier to the ear at first.

Sound first, spelling later

Between three and seven, children learn words by ear. Hearing a lot of Portuguese does far more than an alphabet chart on the wall.

Stories instead of word lists

A word from a list is gone by next week. A word met in a story comes with a picture and a scene, and it stays.

Wanting the same story again and again is how small children learn: by the tenth reading their attention goes to the language rather than the plot.

Ten minutes a day beats an hour at the weekend

One bedtime story in Portuguese on a few evenings a week is enough. Tying it to a fixed moment, or to the weekly call with the grandparents, keeps it going.

You do not need to speak Portuguese yourself

A parent who listens along and points at the pictures is doing the important part. Do not turn it into a test; most children understand for weeks before they say anything.

Free printable word cards

Cards with a picture, the Portuguese word and the word in your own language, cut from the stories. Choose a story, the language your child knows and Portuguese (European or Brazilian), then print the PDF on A4. No sign-up needed.