serendipitous journey Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 A. is in third grade, and we are doing Getting Started With Spanish over the next year or two and plan to follow with Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn Spanish. I bought CAP's Spanish for Children Primer A for us to use this fall, but I've begun to realize that it is a chunk of work for us and am not sure that it is the best way to be using that time. Probably 20-30 min/day on school days. If we drop it and continue on with just GSWS and then pick up SYRWTLS later I think we will be fine but it occurs to me that perhaps the Spanish for Children is one of those things whose value becomes clear after a year or two of use ... any thoughts? for context, I'm focusing this year on A's math (he's accelerated and doing PreA); his writing (we're starting Classical Writing) and reading (bringing comprehension up) and lots of outdoor time (A. is on an idiosyncratic developmental timetable -- he spent his PreK-2nd grade years doing lots of formal work because it helped keep him sane and balanced, and now that he's becoming a bit more able to relax I am trying to give him a lot of unstructured play time to make up for the lack of it in the early years). On the one hand I don't want to overburden him; on the other hand, the Spanish for Children is do-able but challenging for him so it may be an ideal component for our school. thoughts? (and thanks!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 My DD really didn't like SFC, It's OK, but it's a lot of memorization, dry, and it just plain was more fun to learn Spanish by reading in it and speaking it than by vocabulary and translations. She loves languages, but not that way. (And she's also a math accelerated, very analytical kid). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted October 1, 2013 Author Share Posted October 1, 2013 My DD really didn't like SFC, It's OK, but it's a lot of memorization, dry, and it just plain was more fun to learn Spanish by reading in it and speaking it than by vocabulary and translations. She loves languages, but not that way. (And she's also a math accelerated, very analytical kid). thanks! are there any particular programs/resources you've liked? (I don't speak Spanish -- I'm learning, too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 SFC was a bust here. We went back to GSWS (and added Duolingo as a supplement). It gets really overwhelming with all the memorization of all the tenses & teaches things so confusingly, IMO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 We use lots of trade books, Spanish-language basal readers (for 1st/2nd grade when she needed controlled vocab), and various Spanish versions of stuff that fits into what we're doing in other areas, plus Duolingo and mango at various times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serendipitous journey Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Thanks, y'all! I'll plan for GSWS then and look into Duolingo; mango may be available through our library; and Spanish versions of stuff when our vocab is up ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haiku Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 We like Duolingo and also Fun With Spanish and More Fun With Spanish, books by Lee Cooper. I think SFC approaches learning Spanish completely backward if you actually want to speak the language. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Here is another thread which had some ideas (and links to free spanish readers for kindle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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