Need a New Spanish Plan

[CrunchyGirl]

So having a Spanish-speaking nanny didn't work out. 1) she didn't consistently talk to them in Spanish and 2) we are losing her in the next few weeks anyway. We live in South Dakota--let's just say it's going to be a while before I can find someone else (and this time we will NOT be letting the kids know she can speak English).

 

I need a new plan for Spanish. I don't mind buying a program or something, I just need ideas. Here's what I have to work with:

--DH knows quite a bit of Spanish. He isn't terribly comfortable conversing but can read and knows a ton of vocabulary.

--I'm learning but it's very slow. I don't exactly have a gift for learning languages. It's going to be a while before I'm helpful.

--We own Rosetta Stone so we can use that for some vocabulary supplementation.I realize it's not good for much else.

--We have a bunch of children's books and DVD's in Spanish.

 

Ideas? I'm willing to have DS do Skype lessons with a native speaker but that's probably only going to be twice a week. I can have them watch TV in Spanish and have DH read stories to them. I'd like to find an LA program (secular) that we can use long term as it's important to us they be able to read and write in Spanish too. And then I just need ideas for something we can reasonably do while I look for another native speaker to spend time with the kids (it could be 6 months).

 

Can we focus on reading, writing, and listening for the next 6-12 months and put off speaking? Am I setting myself up for problems?

[bakpak]

I think you're on the right track. I think you should really try to speak some to your kids every day, even if it's a lot of repetition. I've found meals are a great time for doing that. Or getting ready for bed. Or do a Rosetta Stone segment together and figure out a way to make a game out of the info. I think getting the kids (and you!) using the language is important, even if it's only simple sentences/phrases. Give them options: 'Quieras jugo de manzana o jugo de naranja?' It's easier than coming up with it on their own. Playing games in Spanish is great...dominoes, Uno, etc. There's a Handy Manny matching game that has all the tools in Spanish, and my daughter (and all of us) has learned the tool names because of that. Also, I have found that my daughter will repeat the phrases on the RS CDs while in the car. Listening and repeating is good at this stage.

 

I still haven't used it as much as I'd like, but I found this book helpful for going over situational vocabulary. This is to help YOU use new phrases in context during the day: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/listing/2688844976309?r=1&cm_mmca2=pla&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-Book_15To24-_-Q000000633-_-2688844976309 When you're helping the kids get dressed, when you're at the park, etc.

 

Good job teaching a language you're not fluent in yourself! I'm in a similar boat :)

[Guest amyperusse]

Spanish for Children A & B is fabulous! It is by Classical Academia Press and has a free site called Headventureland.com that has games and bilingual online books to help reinforce the learning. It has a DVD with and instructor who is fun & gives so much great knowledge.  She explains things really well and you learn so much more than just vocabulary.  I have been trying to master Spanish for years, and while I'm still not fluent (due to my own lack of practicing), this program helped me so much.  The Spanish for Children B really gets into all of the tenses so your not stuck just in the present tense.  Level A teaches it too, but not as in depth.  I also just discovered the app. called Duolingo which is free and  is really good. I have Rosetta Stone, but I'm not crazy about it.  I do like a program that is called Pimsleur Spanish.  It is on CD's and auditory learning.  It is very good, but kind of pricey.

I'm looking into Synergy Spanish for my 2 kids that finished SFC A&B.  Has anyone used Synergy Spanish?

[cmarango]

Homeschool Spanish academy offers Skype lessons. We have been very happy with the program, as our tutor realized that my dd is beyond the curriculum part of the program and just uses their session for playing games together and gently introducing new vocabulary and correcting her verb conjugations.

[CrunchyGirl]

Thanks everyone! I took lessons through HSA myself last year and adored them. We probably should just do that especially since there will be homework to eat up our time the other days. But I'm tempted to use Spanish for Children alongside it.

[CrunchyGirl]

Whoops! DP

[Ariston]

Just wanted to offer a differing opinion.  I absolutely hated SFC.  It is to date still the ONLY thing I've bought that I went to the trouble of returning instead of saving to see if it would work down the line.  I can't remember all the details (I think i've written other posts about it) but I remember finding it completely disorganized.  And I also didn't understand why they would want to teach a language like Spanish (which is the second most widely spoken language in the world) the way you would teach a dead language like Latin.  I think there is a much stronger argument for moving in the other direction, i.e. teaching Latin more they way we teach living languages.

 

I would especially not recommend it for children under 10.  There is a lot of focus on reading, writing, and grammar.  As far as the DVD goes, the teacher is charming and a good teacher, but  I think there is absolutely no excuse in the USA with so many hispanics to use a non-native speaker, especially one with a heavy American accent.  Maybe they could have had her doing the teaching, but a native speaker doing the chants, etc.

 

There are a number of programs that look fantastic for elementary spanish, especially Calico and Sube.  But they are expensive (I think $250) so I've never tried them.

 

Something else to look into: there are is a series of video lessons with a PDF packet of activities to support it on Discovery Streaming called Elementary Spanish.  I mention this because Discovery Streaming is free now until August 31st through HSBC, so its a good time to try it out.  I tried the First/Second grade with my kids and I didn't like it, but this time around we're doing the 3rd/4th grade and its going much better, not sure why.  But that is something to look into.  There are also the Salsa videos which are free and good for young kids. (I don't have the link to Salsa but I'm sure you could find it on these boards.)

 

Last but not least, if I only had one resource for teaching Spanish, it would definitely be Visual Link.  It is the one thing which has helped my children put together sentences on their own and really attempt to communicate naturally.  I paid for the downloads, but I think most of it is available for free.

 

ETA: Also there are a ton of videos in Spanish on Discovery Streaming, including a lot that are at the perfect level for beginners.  Many are about animals or topics in science, so they tie into what we are learning that week.  I think I'm going to have to subscribe after my free trial is up...

[Sarah0000]

OLD THREAD!

 

I came across this while researching, and the book recommended and linked in the second post here, the one by user bakpak, sounds exactly like what I'm looking for. But the link doesn't work because the book isn't carried at that seller anymore. Does anyone know which book this might be or how to find the original link that might have the title in it?

[Ariston]

I don't know what the book was for sure but it sounds like it might have been Kids Stuff Spanish, which  I highly recommend: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kids-stuff-spanish-pirz/1014050884?ean=9780960614028

 

It is full of phrases and sentences that come up throughout the day, and really helps with speaking at home.

[Sarah0000]

Thank you! Sounds perfect, and my library has it too.

 

Now I just need to find one for finger plays, action rhymes, and active preschooler games.

[bakpak]

It was Play and Learn Spanish book + cd by Ana Lomba. Here is a new link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/play-and-learn-spanish-with-audio-cd-2nd-edition-ana-lomba/1100710465?ean=9780071759281

 

I'm glad you mentioned it...I'll get mine out again!!

[Sarah0000]

Thanks! Both of these books look great and I think will cover exactly what I was looking for. And my library has both.   :) 

[Guest rroghaar]

Hi there! We have had great success with a couple things. First we are lucky enough to live in an area that has spanish immersion programs in the elementary through high schools. Our oldest boy has been in the program three years and doing really well. Our youngest hits Kindergarten and will begin his immersion next fall. 

Secondly, but as an extension of that we have hosted teaching interns from the program in our home for a year at a time—we've done it twice now. In this instance the interns are college students here working as teachers and consequently have been a little better and more mature than hosting students visiting the US for college. Both of our interns have been from Spain and we've formed great relationships with them that will hopefully last long term (in fact we've hired one full time for my company and the other just left this morning for Spain after ten months here). Our boys both gleaned a lot of conversational language from having them in our lives. I realize this is a unique scenario and may not be available to you per sé but maybe you could find a program like this ("Amity" is the name of the company we worked through). 

 

Good luck! 

Ryan

[Sarah0000]

Thanks! My oldest is three. The most outside immersion I plan on doing right now is Spanish Storytime at the library. He's learning a lot right now, but mostly I'm working on my own ability to speak it.

 

We do have bilingual programs around here, but most are focused on teaching Spanish speakers English rather than the other way around.