Extra language help and home language
You will know what extra help exists, which is free, how to prepare before arrival and how to keep your family language alive.
Your child's school is only one source of language support. This topic covers the help you arrange yourself outside the school day: tutors and academies, free reinforcement, homework support, preparation before you arrive, certificates and keeping your family language alive.
Pick the article that fits your situation
What extra language help can my child get outside school?
The main kinds of language help available outside school for a child who is learning Spanish: private tutors, academias, summer courses, and free municipal or NGO classes. Each comes with a typical price and format. It is for parents choosing extra support.
Are there free reinforcement programmes (programa PROA) for my child?
Explains the free PROA+ reinforcement programme in Spanish schools: who it is for, how a child gets a place, and how names and rules differ by region. Written for families of children who are behind or new to the Spanish school system.
How do I help with homework without speaking the language?
You can help your child with homework without speaking Spanish. This page covers a simple routine, translation tools, the school's homework platform and agenda, and how to reach the teacher. It is for parents of school-age children who are new to Spain.
Will my child lose our home language, and what helps?
Home-language loss is a real risk for children in Spanish schools, but steady habits, community classes and heritage programmes can prevent it, and they don't get in the way of Spanish. For parents raising children in Spain.
How can my child prepare for the school language before arriving?
How to use the long Spanish summer break, and the months before it, to get a child ready for school in Spanish. For parents moving with school-age children who speak little or no Spanish.
Are language certificates worth it for a school-age child?
Helps families decide whether a Spanish, regional-language or English certificate is worth the fee and effort for a school-age child. It covers the main options, who recognises them, the usual minimum ages and when to skip them.
About this topic
It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain with a school-age child. You will know what extra help exists, which of it is free, how to prepare before arrival and how to protect your home language.
Start with "What extra language help can my child get outside school?". It gives the overall picture of tutors, academies, summer courses and local classes, and it helps you decide which of the other pages you need next. The topic also covers free reinforcement programmes, help with homework when you do not speak the language, the risk of losing the home language, preparing during the long summer break, and whether certificates are worth it.
Classes run by the school itself, adult language learning, raising children across cultures and the cost of extracurriculars are covered elsewhere.
Key rules
- Tutor price: Private tutors typically charge about €12–€30 per hour in major cities.
- Academy fees: Academies for children typically charge about €40–€100 a month for reinforcement classes.
- Start preparing: Start preparing 6–12 months before the move if possible.
- Joining PROA+: Families normally do not apply for PROA+ themselves: the school's tutor or guidance team proposes the pupil and the family gives consent.
- Cost: The programme is publicly funded, so there is no charge to families.
- Your role: You support the routine and check that homework is done; you don't have to check the content.
Documents you may need
- DELE or DELE Escolar diploma from the Instituto Cervantes — Are language certificates worth it for a school-age child?
- Official regional-language certificate from the regional authority — Are language certificates worth it for a school-age child?
- English certificate from Cambridge — Are language certificates worth it for a school-age child?
Extra language help and home language: questions that cross several articles
Where can a newcomer child get free homework help or Spanish classes?
Free help usually comes from NGOs such as Cruz Roja and Cáritas, and from some town halls. Access is normally through the local branch, the servicios sociales (social services) or a referral from the school. Read the article on extra language help outside school for the full list of options.
Is PROA+ something families can sign up for like an NGO class?
No, PROA+ is a state-funded programme run by the regions in publicly funded schools with many vulnerable pupils, and the school proposes the pupil. Ask the class tutor whether your child could join. The article on free reinforcement programmes (programa PROA) explains how it works.
Should a family look for free help before paying a tutor or academy?
Yes, ask the school and the servicios sociales about free options first, because tutors are paid by the hour and academias by the month. If free places are full or do not fit, the article on extra language help outside school gives the price ranges to compare.
What can a newcomer child do in the summer to learn Spanish?
Town halls run summer camps (campus de verano or colonias urbanas) where children play with Spanish speakers, and language schools and academies offer Spanish courses for children. Choose a provider with registered, qualified staff. The articles on extra language help outside school and on preparing before arriving cover summer planning.
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What to read next
More in Language and integration at school
School language by region
You will know which language your child will be taught in where you plan to live, how settled that rule is, and how to confirm it for one school.
Newcomer support and exemptions
You will know what help your child can get on arrival, how exemptions work and what they cost, and how to push when support does not appear.
How children adjust to the school language
You will know what progress to expect at your child's age and when to worry or ask for more.
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Need certainty before you act?
For important relocation decisions, speak with a qualified human specialist.
Always verify important information with the relevant official authority or a qualified adviser before acting. This website uses large language models together with various public data sources, official government documents and other established sources. Due to the amount of data on this website, some information might be wrong. Information may also be incomplete or outdated.