German daycares and preschools provide an outstanding opportunity for young children to develop or preserve their knowledge of the Arabic language. German preschools also allow toddlers and preschoolers to improve their social awareness, and build an appreciation for another culture in a fun and supportive environment. One of the most widely-spoken European languages, German is also Bloomberg's eighth most useful language for business and a language from which many English words are derived, making German immersion daycares and preschools an excellent option for children of all backgrounds. The first three or four years of life are an ideal time for a child to learn a second language, and doing so can provide many advantages in a child's cognitive and social development. Contrary to a common misconception, there has been no scientific link found between dual language learners and a delay in language development. Bilingual children have indeed been proven to consistently reach early education milestones at the same rate as their English-only peers. In fact, some studies have found that learning a second language can increase the rate of English language acquisition, especially when the second language is a romance or Germanic language, such as German itself! If you're still on the edge about whether or not a bilingual daycare and preschool is a good option for your family, read this post about 5 reasons why your child should attend a language immersion preschool. Instruction in German immersion preschools can take several forms, including extracurricular activities, structured weekly curriculums, or full language immersion. Extracurricular instruction is irregular and often informal, tending to focus on basic vocabulary, cultural exploration, social development and play. These can often be found in German in-home daycares for instance. Curriculum-based child care programs and preschools involve more formal instruction, which is usually offered a few hours each week. While using age-appropriate methods similar to those in curriculum-based facilities, full German immersion preschools will have extended periods of the day or even entire days when German is the only language spoken. Other times will be reserved for English or dual-language activities. That said, teachers in language immersion daycare and preschool programs always want the children, especially infants and toddlers, to feel secure and comfortable with their environment. They will thus generally switch to a child's native language if he or she becomes overly confused or upset. This reduces stress and encourages learning, over time. German language instruction can be found in child care centers of all types, although curriculum-based and immersion daycares are less common in German than in more popular languages like Spanish or French. It's also possible to find a German immersion program in home daycares where the main child care provider speaks German. If possible, parents who want to have bilingual children should try to enroll their toddler or preschooler in full language immersion or curriculum-based programs. You don't even need to speak German for your child to have a successful and enjoyable experience. Language skills are transferable and focusing only on English language development at home, along with enthusiastic support for your child's work at their German bilingual preschool should be enough for their needs. You can also read this article with 6 tips for raising multilingual children. If you would rather avoid a structured academic environment or if bilingual preschools and daycare centers are not available nearby, extracurricular activities in German can still build a foundation for future language mastery and lead to improved cognitive development, stronger social skills, and most importantly, fun!