In the midst of all the exciting cultural and educational opportunities that accompany Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re taking a moment to appreciate Merit’s Early Childhood and General Music Program Director, Sally Blandón, and Early Childhood Instructors Miro Hernandez and Tanya Katleya Guerrero—the hearts and minds behind our bi-lingual Jugamos Juntos (Let’s Play!) classes.
Offered at both our Near North and West Loop branches, Jugamos Juntos was the brainchild of Sally Blandón. “They asked me if this was something that I’d be willing and able to put together, and I said ABSOLUTELY! My imagination took flight and I developed the name, concept, and the whole thing from there!”
Now in its fifth year, Jugamos Juntos is an Early Childhood bilingual Spanish-English class for children from infancy through age five. Offered four days per week, year-round, the class invites families into the musical world of Spanish-speaking countries, exploring folk music, culture, and language through songs, poems, dances, and games, with no language fluency required.
Reflecting on the value of early exposure to multiple languages, Sally is quick to reel off a substantial list of benefits: “Studies show bilingual children are quicker at switching between tasks and filtering out distractions, better at navigating new situations and at handling frustrations—essentially, acquiring skills that boost creative problem solving for life. Simultaneous early exposure to new music and language skills complement each other.”
“My favorite part of the curriculum is being able to introduce the students to music that I grew up with that influenced my musicianship a lot, and finding new songs to introduce to them."
“The phonetic pattern recognition they learn here will live in their brains forever. Essentially, this class primes young children for any future language studies.”
And, all this long-term cognitive enrichment comes wrapped up in an experience that is pure enjoyment for children and parents alike. Enthusing about his Jugamos Juntos classes, instructor Miro Hernandez notes, “It’s nice that I get to teach the parents, as well! A lot of them are not Spanish speakers, or maybe they learned in high school, so it’s nice for them to be able to use it with their little ones,” while fellow instructor Tanya Katleya Guerrero adds, “My favorite part of the curriculum is being able to introduce the students to music that I grew up with that influenced my musicianship a lot, and finding new songs to introduce to them.”
