Jana Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 I've searched the forums and found very little about Spanish curriculum choices. Next year I will have a 7th, 4th, and 2nd grader and I'd like a curriculum that I could use with all three of them. I'd also like the lessons to be daily, brief, and have both spoken and written elements. Anyone have any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Check out Getting Started With Spanish. The website has free downloadable audio files that go along with the lessons in the (very inexpensive) book, so that covers your requirements for both written and spoken elements. BTW, the book is available in paperback or Kindle format. The lessons are brief, especially in the beginning, so it could probably be done daily without being too intense for your younger kids. But it depends on the kid and how much you are involved as teacher. You have a wide age range for wanting to use the same program with all. Another program, which my DS really likes, is the Visual Link Spanish program linked in my sig. He uses it independently, at his request. The format is not too heavy, so might work for your youngers, but also teaches thoroughly. I think it works for a range of ages, but again, it depends on the kid, esp. for your 2nd grader. DS specifically asked to continue it next year. You can sample the generous trial version for free. The entire program is on a computer in visual and audio format (no written component), with the student also speaking into a microphone for practice with pronunciation. We supplement with the Practice Makes Perfect workbooks recommended by the author of GSWS. Here's a link to one of the series: http://www.amazon.co...perfect spanish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetted4 Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 www.SpanishDict.com/learn is a great free web site for learning Spanish. Has several forms of review to enhance learning (your eldest could be the typist for the Recall section so that your younger one(s) can learn the speaking w/o having to know how to spell everything if desired). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 We are all liking Duolingo quite a lot, but I don't know how well it would work for a 2nd grader---would depend on the child's reading level. It's a free online program Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBearsMama Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I did a review of Spanish for You! and really liked it. I was able to adapt it for the review for my K son but it's adaptable for any grade it seems - made for 3-8 and can be used with multiple grades. So that's one you could check out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielle1746 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 OP, thanks for this thread! Does anyone have any input about The Learnables? I am planning on getting it to use next year, but it is pricey (especially compared to free Duolingo), so if any of you have any input about The Learnables before I get it, I'd love to hear it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 OP, thanks for this thread! Does anyone have any input about The Learnables? I am planning on getting it to use next year, but it is pricey (especially compared to free Duolingo), so if any of you have any input about The Learnables before I get it, I'd love to hear it! I'm sorry to say, we bought The Learnables and didn't like it. I had read good reviews, but for us it was really dry, drudgery to use, and difficult to navigate (unless they've changed the format in the last two years or so). Perhaps an adult strongly motivated to learn Spanish could learn from it, but there are more engaging options out there for kids. As I mentioned above, DS likes Visual Link better than anything else we've tried - has used it consistently and happily for just over a year now - and has specifically asked to keep using it through all the levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 I second Visual Link. It is having amazing results with my two kids. As far as written programs, there are a few options that look fantastic, but are pricey. I just bought a used copy of BJU Pasaporte al Español and I am really excited to use it. It has all the material you need, a 15 minutes scripted lesson that includes memorizing verse, songs, TPR activities, and a workbook. Basically everything I was looking for in a program!! But it would not be worth it if you were trying to do it secularly, because you'd have to skip or replace all of the verse and songs which would be a pain. I have also downloaded the sample for Calico Spanish and that also looks equally amazing. The reason why I went with BJU is that it is almost impossible to find used copies of Calico,whereas I was able to get BJU for $100. Other curricula you might want to check out: Sube Spanish, Risas y sonrisas, El Español Fácil, and Español para los chiquitos. Do you speak Spanish at all? If you do there is also a TPRS which a few levels of curriculum that look good and I have heard some teachers swear by them. I don't know how any of these would be for your oldest, as I think they are mainly geared towards elementary. But Visual Link would definitely work for all of the ages you have, if you could add a written element to it. I think what works for you will depend on if you have and Spanish background, or were at least comfortable reading it. If you don't than I think you'd need something with a audio component. I am not a fan of GSWS but I know it works for others. It might also be a good supplement for your oldest who would probably need more grammar instruction than the other two to make a foreign language make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Rosetta Stone is worth every penny. It is quick, fun and painless. It will even ensure correct pronunciation. My dd had a friend over and wrote whole sentences in Spanish and she's only on the 2nd unit. The spelling wasn't perfect but I was very surprised how much she is retaining since I have pretty much zero teaching and interaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
................... Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 We bought the Learnables and found it to be lame and frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jana Posted May 31, 2013 Author Share Posted May 31, 2013 I second Visual Link. It is having amazing results with my two kids. Do you speak Spanish at all? If you do there is also a TPRS which a few levels of curriculum that look good and I have heard some teachers swear by them. I am not a fan of GSWS but I know it works for others. It might also be a good supplement for your oldest who would probably need more grammar instruction than the other two to make a foreign language make sense. First, thanks to everyone for their reviews. I always find the curriculum feedback very useful on these forums. I do speak Spanish, which I don't think helps choose a curriculum. I feel impatient with the tedious conversation they offer. (Clearly my problem, where else does a beginner, begin?) Forgive me, but I don't know what TPRS and GSWS stands for. Would you mind unpacking the acronyms for me? It's clear I have some research to do. Thanks, always, for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielle1746 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Visual Link--wow! I just got done doing the first few demo lessons, and I love it! I am going to study it a little closer when I have more time, but thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 TPR is a strategy for teaching foreign languages that stands for Total Physical Response. You start out with a few phrases at a time, and make your intention known by modeling or gesturing with no English. The student then responds physically, not by speaking. So a typical first lesson would be "Pedro, levántate" (signal for him to stand up." Then "Pedro, siéntate." (signal for him to sit down.) Etc. It can work really well building up understanding pretty quickly. TPRS is a specific company that sells materials--the S stands for storytelling and they incorporate stories with their materials. TPR is very common in ESL classes, or immersion type programs. GSWS is Getting Started with Spanish. It is too un-engaging for my taste, and had too much grammar for my young kids. But you can find a preview online and see if it appeals to you. I also was stuck in the beginner Spanish frustration for a long time. It seems all books for younger kids focus on colors, numbers, animals, etc. and eventually you're like "OK, THEY KNOW THE COLORS! THE KNOW HOW TO SAY 'ME LLAMO_____"!! Then there's this gap and the next level are textbooks that start with verb conjugations. But lately I'm having more luck finding this middle ground of elementary curriculum that really focuses on listening and speaking 'real' Spanish, not just vocab. (Programs like Calico, Sube, BJU...There's also a series of textbooks published by McGrawHill that look good and you can get used on amazon.) Personally I think if you have the background in Spanish those complete programs are the way to go. They include songs, conversations, TPR, worksheets, etc all with easy to follow lesson plans. The downside is that they cost $$$. But you also can't go wrong doing Visual Link and then just using what they know around the house. It really focuses on useful spanish, so pretty quickly the kids learn "quiero", "necesito", "tengo que"....it really makes it easy for them to form phrases, and if you already speak it you can prompt them to talk in Spanish more as their skills grow. For instance today my son asked for a napkin, and I prompted him "en español?" and he said "necesito una servilleta". He wasn't doing that before VL...he would have just uttered a word or two....it really has him speaking in complete sentences now! Sorry if this post is scatterbrained....but I'm pretty scatterbrained at the moment :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 We are using Getting Started with Spanish and I also like using these videos. Salsa, and Instant Replay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoxcell Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 But you also can't go wrong doing Visual Link and then just using what they know around the house. It really focuses on useful spanish, so pretty quickly the kids learn "quiero", "necesito", "tengo que"....it really makes it easy for them to form phrases, and if you already speak it you can prompt them to talk in Spanish more as their skills grow. For instance today my son asked for a napkin, and I prompted him "en español?" and he said "necesito una servilleta". He wasn't doing that before VL...he would have just uttered a word or two....it really has him speaking in complete sentences now! Do you have a link for this? Is it this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ariston Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Do you have a link for this? Is it this? Yes that's the site. I find their website kind of confusing. I think that's the website where you'd log in if you had a paid subscription. But if you click on the Spanish tab I think you can get to the free version. There is also this link which brings you straight to the free version: (click on the green banner.) http://www.spanishprograms.com/ ETA: or it looks like this link will bring you to the free lessons which a slightly better interface than the link above: http://www.learnalanguage.com/learn-spanish/spanish-courses/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TarynB Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Do you have a link for this? Is it this? Yes, that is their main website. But if you click on the Visual Link Spanish link in my sig, you can sign up for free lessons to sample. Plus, if you like it, when they have your email address, they'll send you sale notices. Don't pay full price. The various levels are discounted often at different times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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