# The best homeschool Spanish tip this mom has? A dead iPad battery. > A toddler in a library says "excelente." His mom didn't teach him that. His app did. Published: 2026-06-25 Canonical: https://studycat.com/blog/the-best-homeschool-spanish-tip-this-mom-has-a-dead-ipad-battery/ --- Lisette is homeschooling her three-year-old son Lachlan. On top of teaching him to read, count, and explore the world, she's raising him bilingual. Her family is from Honduras. Half speak Spanish, half don't. "I want my son to be bilingual," she says. "I looked at a lot of different programs — something he can do independently was really important to me." That last part matters. Lachlan has been navigating an iPad since he was 18 months old. He picks up Studycat Spanish on his own, works through it without help, and still comes back to it consistently. Studycat Spanish is designed with exactly that in mind: a clear learning path and age-appropriate activities that children aged 2 to 8 can explore independently, without a parent needing to sit alongside them every time.   ## **Key takeaways** * Children learn Spanish more effectively when they have a mix of parental involvement and space to explore independently * Vocabulary sticks faster when new words show up in real, everyday moments — not just during lesson time * A Spanish app for toddlers that a child can use independently makes bilingual learning easier to sustain day to day * Lachlan, age three, said "excelente" in a library without being taught — he learned it from Studycat Spanish ## **How to manage screen time while teaching your toddler Spanish** Lisette has a practical approach: she leaves the iPad on zero battery. Lachlan doesn't know how to use the charger yet. "That's my trick," she says. "When it's time, I'll plug it up and tell him it's ready." She also sits with him when she can, learning Spanish alongside him so they can practise together. But she believes in giving him space too. "When I'm not sitting with him, it gives him a little bit more freedom to explore on his own." That balance turns out to matter. Research shows that children learn more when they have a mix of parental guidance and space to explore on their own (Skene et al., 2022; Gureckis & Markant, 2012). ## **How toddlers build vocabulary in a second language** Lisette isn't trying to immerse Lachlan in Spanish all day. She wants words that stick to real life. And that's what she's getting. "With Studycat we don't have to spend much time. He's learning the words, he's seeing the image, and then he goes out in the world the same day and uses the information." The library moment is her favourite example. Lachlan did something, said "excelente," and Lisette hadn't taught him that. "Now I say it to him too," she adds. Research shows that children build vocabulary faster when new words show up in real, meaningful moments — not just in lessons (Cartmill et al., 2013). Lachlan isn't just hearing Spanish. He's connecting words to the world. ## **Try it at home** Pick one moment in your child's day where a new word can show up in context: naming animals on a walk, colours at dinner, or objects at bath time. Five minutes of Studycat Spanish followed by spotting the same word in real life is one of the simplest ways to make vocabulary stick. [btn: "Learn more about Studycat Spanish"](https://studycat.com/products/spanish/)   ## **Frequently asked questions** ### **Can my child use Studycat independently?** [Studycat is built for children to explore on their own.](https://help.studycat.com/hc/en-us/articles/57240572253593-Can-my-child-use-Studycat-independently) The learning path is structured so kids know what to do next without needing a parent to guide every session — which means learning can happen even when you're not sitting beside them. That said, many parents find that joining in occasionally, like Lisette does, adds a nice layer of connection to the routine. **Why does Studycat repeat words and activities?
**[Seeing a word once isn't enough for it to stick](https://help.studycat.com/hc/en-us/articles/57239995693593-Why-does-Studycat-repeat-content) — especially for young children. Studycat brings words back across different games and contexts over time, so instead of memorising a list, kids build a genuine feel for the language. The goal is for words to become second nature, not something they have to think about. \*\*How do I know if my child is actually learning Spanish, not just playing?
\*\*The short answer: watch for the moments that happen outside the app. Lisette wasn't looking for a test result — she was in a library when Lachlan said "excelente" completely unprompted. That's the kind of signal that tells you something has stuck. Real vocabulary shows up in real life, often when you least expect it. ## **Scientific References & Further Reading** * *Cartmill, E. A., Armstrong, B. F., Gleitman, L. R., Goldin-Meadow, S., Medina, T. N., & Trueswell, J. C. (2013). Quality of early parent input predicts child vocabulary 3 years later. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 110(28), 11278–11283.*[*https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1309518110*](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1309518110) * *Gureckis, T. M., & Markant, D. B. (2012). Self-directed learning: A cognitive and computational perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 7(5), 464–481.*[*https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612454304*](https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691612454304) * *Skene, K., O'Farrelly, C. M., Byrne, E. M., Kirby, N., Stevens, E. C., & Ramchandani, P. G. (2022). Can guidance during play enhance children's learning and development in educational contexts? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Development, 93(4), 1162–1180.*[*https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13730*](https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13730) * *Thordardottir, E. (2019). Amount trumps timing in bilingual vocabulary acquisition. International Journal of Bilingualism, 23(1), 236–255.*[*https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006917722418*](https://doi.org/10.1177/1367006917722418) * *Bratlie, S., Grøver, V., Lekhal, R., Chen, S., & Rydland, V. (2025). Home literacy environment, language use, and proficiency. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology.*[*https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2024.101728*](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2024.101728) ## **About Studycat** Studycat creates five language learning apps — Studycat English, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese — designed to help children develop language skills through research-backed interactive learning games. With over 50,000 five-star reviews, parents trust our measurable learning outcomes on iOS and Android devices.