Best high school Spanish curriculum for a hybrid school

[ByGrace3]

I began teaching at a hybrid school a few weeks ago teaching Spanish 1. I am still undecided if I will continue this next year, but if I do, I will have some room to decide curriculum. Currently they are using Bob Jones. I am teaching Breaking the Barrier at home with my dd. I love BtB but think it moves too quickly for a classroom. Bob Jones is ok, but I don't love it, and it is slow IMHO.... so, what would be my best options for high school Spanish 1 and 2 for a 2 day a week in a classroom setting?

[wendyroo]

The weekly immersion class that my boys attend is having good luck using Somos with their older beginners.  It uses the comprehensible input model.

[Matryoshka]

I've been using Avancemos for just such a class. We meet twice a week. The online materials are a great supplement - videos and listening exercises. Also extra practice worksheets to supplement the workbook if you want them. I hate most school texts, but I've really been impressed with this one. It's solid and incremental and has built in review that's transparent to the student. Also clearly laid out so you know the point of the lesson (for some reason most school text seem to want to keep this a secret).

I used BtB with my own kids at home and did like it, but for a 2x a week class I agree it's too fast. Also it constantly uses vocab not previously introduced, and there's no attempt to review past vocabulary for reinforcement. 

I've used 2 levels of Avancemos now and am still very pleased. And it's affordable.  I wish I could find something similar for German!

Edited February 22, 2019 by Matryoshka

[SoCal_Bear]

Avancemos is what WHA uses for their Spanish classes.

[mlktwins]

7 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

I've been using Avancemos for just such a class. We meet twice a week. The online materials are a great supplement - videos and listening exercises. Also extra practice worksheets to supplement the workbook if you want them. I hate most school texts, but I've really been impressed with this one. It's solid and incremental and has built in review that's transparent to the student. Also clearly laid out so you know the point of the lesson (for some reason most school text seem to want to keep this a secret).

I used BtB with my own kids at home and did like it, but for a 2x a week class I agree it's too fast. Also it constantly uses vocab not previously introduced, and there's no attempt to review past vocabulary for reinforcement. 

I've used 2 levels of Avancemos now and am still very pleased. And it's affordable.  I wish I could find something similar for German!

Can you please tell me how Avancemos would work for 2 kids at home?  What would I need to purchase?  Where do I find the on-line materials?  If I used 1-3, what would I use for a 4th year, which is what colleges around here seem to be looking for?  I have twins in 8th grade who have done GSWS and a lot of DuoLingo.  I was getting ready to start Easy Peasy Spanish 1, but it seems like a lot of pieces (on-line) to deal with.  I've also been looking at BTB, but have read some things on these boards that have given me pause.

[Matryoshka]

9 hours ago, mlktwins said:

Can you please tell me how Avancemos would work for 2 kids at home?  What would I need to purchase?  Where do I find the on-line materials?  If I used 1-3, what would I use for a 4th year, which is what colleges around here seem to be looking for?  I have twins in 8th grade who have done GSWS and a lot of DuoLingo.  I was getting ready to start Easy Peasy Spanish 1, but it seems like a lot of pieces (on-line) to deal with.  I've also been looking at BTB, but have read some things on these boards that have given me pause.

I think it could work well for 2 kids at home.  You need the textbook (they could share, or you could get two if they'd squabble - the whole text is actually in the online component, but I find it a bit hard to teach from a screen in person - although that's exactly what I do when I teach the class online one day a week - I have classroom copies of the physical texts for when we're in person, but they don't have them at home, just online), and you need the online component, which is about $18.  The text you can get used a version or two old - the updates are insignificant.  There's also a print workbook that you can get, but the PDFs of it are included in the online component as well, so you could also print out pages as needed.  There are tons of extra practice sheets (that I really like) and also extra readings in the online component.  There are tests at three different levels (On-level, Pre-AP and Modified (easier)).  The videos and audio components for homework and tests are also in the online component. Also vocab quizzes and all the answer keys to everything.  There's also online practice, which I keep suggesting as a good way to study for tests, but I'm not sure any of my students have actually used it.

The student license includes separate teacher passwording to access teacher materials, so you don't need a separate teacher license, just the student one.  I also bought the Teacher Guide used and edition old (it is also part of the online component, but I don't like reading on screen...)   The online license is good for one calendar year.

They do also sell a homeschool package; that might be an easy way to go but then you're buying the text new, so a bit more $.

Oh, and there are 4 levels of Avancemos.  By the fourth year, imho you should be adding extra reading/writing/speaking beyond a textbook.  The 4th year text looks a bit shorter (6 units), so they may be taking that into account.     There are 8 units in the first three texts, which are designed so that if a class only gets through 6 in a year the first two units of the next book are a review of 7-8 from the previous one - and if you finish all 8, the year starts with a quick review.  Each chapter starts with a vocab section, then two grammar sections, then review.  Everything is integrated - the grammar is practiced with the vocab and vice versa.  There are three integrated videos per chapter (and two chapters per unit).

[ByGrace3]

Thanks everyone! Is there  a way to preview Avancemos without having to sign up?

[Matryoshka]

8 minutes ago, ByGrace3 said:

Thanks everyone! Is there  a way to preview Avancemos without having to sign up?

 

If you call your local Holt McDougal rep, they will give you a free license for all the online materials for all the levels (which includes online versions of all the printed texts) that will last 30-60 days.  If you call their 1-800 number and they will give you the phone # of your local sales rep.

[ByGrace3]

3 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

 

If you call your local Holt McDougal rep, they will give you a free license for all the online materials for all the levels (which includes online versions of all the printed texts) that will last 30-60 days.  If you call their 1-800 number and they will give you the phone # of your local sales rep.

Thank you! I will call next week. 

I have found that public school curriculum around here tends to focus on vocabulary and attempts an immersion experience....it's all failing. I really believe in a strong grammar coupled with immersion. Does Avancemos balance enough grammar? I find that BtB is grammar heavy but that's ok because I make my time with my dd heavy on conversation . . . but with a hybrid situation, I need the book to be solid grammar and vocab/conversation. Would you say Avancemos has enough grammar and is balanced? Thank you again! 

 

[Matryoshka]

20 minutes ago, ByGrace3 said:

Thank you! I will call next week. 

I have found that public school curriculum around here tends to focus on vocabulary and attempts an immersion experience....it's all failing. I really believe in a strong grammar coupled with immersion. Does Avancemos balance enough grammar? I find that BtB is grammar heavy but that's ok because I make my time with my dd heavy on conversation . . . but with a hybrid situation, I need the book to be solid grammar and vocab/conversation. Would you say Avancemos has enough grammar and is balanced? Thank you again! 

Yes, this I think is what is so wrong about most public school type texts.  That's kind of what I was getting at with they keep what they're teaching a 'secret'.  They just have all these haphazard exercises where the student is supposed to somehow intuit what's being taught.  That is not immersion.  I learned both my foreign languages with a large dose of immersion - that means going to a foreign country by myself where no one spoke English with me for months and months on end, 24/7.  There is absolutely no way to learn a foreign language through 'immersion' in a classroom as one of 25-30 students for less than an hour 5 days a week.  Yeesh.

Avancemos is different.  It clearly says what it's teaching you upfront.   There are clear grammar lessons before practice.  The workbooks even come with laminated charts summarizing the grammar (and vocab) taught for each chapter for reference and review.  The sections of the chapter are clearly labled Presentación de vocabularo, Práctica de vocabulario, Vocabulario en contexto, Presentación de gramática (concept 1), Práctica de gramática, Gramática en contexto, Presentación de gramática (concept 2), Práctica de gramática (2), Gramática en contexto (2),  Todo junto, then there's an excerpt to read and a chapter review.  Clear to teach and clear to follow.

[BakersDozen]

Our Spanish begins with Galore Park's So You Really Want to Learn Spanish 1 and 2, then Destinos. I think each of those programs are fantastic and very user friendly.