Spanish teaching question

[SquirrellyMama]

I would like to find a Spanish phonics book and grammar book that would actually be used to teach children in Spain or Mexico or other Spanish speaking country.

 

I'm using OPG and FLL for phonics and grammar for English and am wondering if I can find something like that for Spanish. What do they use in those countries to teach their kids? I speak Spanish so I can understand it. I just need some guidance in teaching it.

 

I've tried some different Spanish program and I don't like them. They aren't what I'm looking for.

 

I've tried searching but I'm not using the right key words. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks! Kelly

[Matryoshka]

Spanish is pretty much 100% phonetic. There's no need for a separate phonics curriculum - learn what sound each letter represents in Spanish, then say them in order and blend them. That's it. Every vowel only has ONE sound. Two vowels together - say the one sound for each, blend.

 

The only two-letter phonemes in Spanish are ch and ll - which until recently were considered separate letters in the Spanish alphabet. Teach them as a unit. H alone is never pronounced at all. C and G are soft before E an I and hard before A, O, and U (just like English, except soft G is pronounced differently in Spanish than English, but the "rule" is the same, so very intuitive). For hard G and C before E or I: there is no letter K except in foreign words, so if you need a K sound before E or I you use QU - which is never KW, always just K. Same with GUE and GUI - the U isn't pronounced unless it looks like this: ü.

 

Most Spanish curricula start with an explanation of the letter sounds.

 

I find it extremely counter-productive to use English "phonetic" equivalents to pronounce Spanish. They are less accurate, and less phonetic, than just learning the Spanish letter sounds and using them. And it makes an easy one-step process into multiple steps.

[SquirrellyMama]

It is phonetic, I agree. I guess I'm tired of using programs made for learning a second language. How can I find the books they use in Spain for grammar and learning to read?

 

I would love something like First Language Lessons and OPG for Spanish grammar and learning to read in Spanish.

 

Kelly

Edited September 22, 2011 by kwiech

[Matryoshka]

It is phonetic, I agree. I guess I'm tired of using programs made as a second language. How can I find the books they use in Spain for grammar and learning to read?

 

Are you fluent? Amazon has a ton of books in Spanish - Scholastic also has a Spanish catalog; both have lots of early readers.

 

I actually have some learn-to-read curricula from Chile and Ecuador. I never ended up using them. Learning it as a second language, there's a disconnect - they assume a high vocabulary and no idea how to decode phonetically, when a second-language learner is usually in the opposite position. Once you can decode in one language, it's a snap to learn how to decode a second one. That part then goes too slowly. But they use words to read that a non-native speaker has probably never heard.

[SquirrellyMama]

I actually have some learn-to-read curricula from Chile and Ecuador. I never ended up using them. Learning it as a second language, there's a disconnect - they assume a high vocabulary and no idea how to decode phonetically, when a second-language learner is usually in the opposite position.

 

Hmmm, ok. I see what you are saying about a disconnect. I was fluent at one time but haven't used it in a while. I really dislike the Spanish curriculum that I've seen.

 

I wonder if it would be better to try and get a high school or college beginning level Spanish text to use instead. I probably can't get a teacher's manual though.

 

I wanted to add that I do read Spanish readers with the kids but they don't understand them so they don't like to sit through them. Not sure how to make that more enjoyable for them. They also don't like it when I try to read it in both Spanish and English. I've had better luck with books written in English that throw in some Spanish words. Those often don't have a lot of Spanish though.

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

Kelly

Edited September 22, 2011 by kwiech

[Matryoshka]

Sounds like you might be in a similar place I was. I hate the elementary curricula for languages. They seem to teach colors, numbers and parts of the body over and over and over till they start actually teaching the language in middle school. If you do find a curriculum that teaches something in elementary, there's only one level - and you have to wait to teach more till middle school again!

 

The best elementary curriculum I found was Español para chicos y grandes, which is billed for 3-4th grades. I used that when my dd was 8 - it was perfect. The problem was that the second level was again, aimed at middle school. The whole book was based on class schedules and changing classes - my 9yo who'd never been to school couldn't relate. Where was the curriculum for 4-5th grade?? And the grammar was too cursory, while at the same time moving too fast, for a second level text.

 

In frustration, we just read out of the Trip to Mexico reader (available at Rainbow Resource) and did vocabulary building with Español con juegos y actividades. Then last year I just started her on Spanish the Easy Way, which is an inexpensive standard "1st year" text from Barron's. I do that over two years, so this year she's doing the second half or StEW. It's been discontinued, but it's pretty much identical to Spanish Now! Level 1, also by Barron's, still in print.

 

My older dds followed a similar path. I hated Spanish Now! Level 2 (why can't these things be consistent from level to level?? - the two levels have different authors) and switched to Breaking the Spanish Barrier 2. That went well, and this year (8th grade) I'm doing Breaking the Spanish Barrier 3 with them.

[SquirrellyMama]

Sounds like you might be in a similar place I was. I hate the elementary curricula for languages. They seem to teach colors, numbers and parts of the body over and over and over till they start actually teaching the language in middle school. If you do find a curriculum that teaches something in elementary, there's only one level - and you have to wait to teach more till middle school again!

 

 

Yes! This is my frustration. I'll look at the books you suggested. Thanks so much! Kelly

[linguistmama]

We use Rod & Staff Spanish. We are bilingual and I wanted a program for native speakers. If money were no issue and I could figure out which books to use I would have ordered from Santillana USA. I prefer secular curriculum, but R&S is cheap and very thorough. I also like that it's all in one. I have alphabet books, first readers and intermediate readers from Scholastic which are very helpful and our library has a decent Spanish section.

[SquirrellyMama]

We use Rod & Staff Spanish. We are bilingual and I wanted a program for native speakers. If money were no issue and I could figure out which books to use I would have ordered from Santillana USA. I prefer secular curriculum, but R&S is cheap and very thorough. I also like that it's all in one. I have alphabet books, first readers and intermediate readers from Scholastic which are very helpful and our library has a decent Spanish section.

 

Ooo, I looked at the R&S Spanish and think it looks good. Do they teach verb conjugation also or is it just learning how to read? I couldn't tell from the samples.

 

Kelly

[Alte Veste Academy]

Santillana USA

 

I am in love with this! I called the company to see if they would sell to homeschoolers. Waiting on a return call...

[Harriet Vane]

I really like the Practice Makes Perfect workbooks specifically because the explanations are short, with lots of drill. They have the same "flavor" as the Rod and Staff grammar books, IMO.

[linguistmama]

Ooo, I looked at the R&S Spanish and think it looks good. Do they teach verb conjugation also or is it just learning how to read? I couldn't tell from the samples.

 

Kelly

 

I have the first 2 levels and there doesn't seem to be much verb conjugation. I assume that will come later. I would imagine that R&S assumes the child knows spoken conjugations already. The first level focuses on reading and writing. It has some basic grammar like when to use a period, capitalize letters etc. Copywork and dictation are used along with some basic spelling. In the second level there is more grammar, vocabulary and reading comprehension.

 

On the Santillana site they also have this curriculum for learning Spanish as a second language.

 

Alte, I think I read on the bilingual board that it's possible to order materials from the sales rep in your area. I noticed on the site that it says they only sell to educational institutions. I'm excited to see if they do sell to homeschoolers.

Edited September 22, 2011 by linguistmama

[linguistmama]

Was anyone able to place an order with Santillana as a homeschooler?

 

We're using R&S Spanish level 2 and it's mostly reading comprehension, vocab and a little bit of writing. It doesn't have much grammar at all or actual writing instruction. I'm feeling like I could get books from the library and do just as well as the curriculum. :glare: In the front of the level 2 book it says that they recommend "un curso de lenguaje de Publicadora la Merced" This website claims that Merced is working on a Spanish version of CLE. Has anyone seen this or found a place to order it?

 

I would love that since CLE is all in one and would hopefully cover all our bases for grammar, spelling etc. I emailed the company and they said they would forward more info to me and have my regional rep get in touch with me, They asked my location to know which rep should contact me. I haven't heard back since telling them that we are in UT. I'm wondering if it's because they assume we are LDS (we are) and have a problem with that.