Avancemos Book 1

[JumpyTheFrog]

I picked up Avancemos 1 at a thrift store and it has proven to be a winner. How much of the book should we cover for Spanish 1? Considering they have levels 1-4, it seems like the publisher is thinking that the first book is equal to one high school credit. Looking through it, however, it looks more like what Spanish 1-2 covered at my high school. I also found a teacher's website with study materials that made it look like only the first half of the book was used at their school for Spanish 1.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Here are some materials I found to go with the book:

Teacher website with extra study guides, quizzes, and tests. I think I will use her tests and quizzes instead of having to make up my own.

Publisher's website with the audio files for the book, online practice, etc.

Free workbook from the publisher that goes with the text

[Matryoshka]

The online materials that go with this book are fantastic and very much enrich what's in the text - videos, audio, tons of extra practice both to print and online stuff, quizzes, tests (at three different levels, no less - no need to make them up yourself!), extra integrated reading, and other teacher materials.  Get them from the publisher.

What's in there should be what is covered in one year of high school Spanish, though I acknowledge that many schools don't make it through a whole text.  Having also looked at Levels 2 and 3, it looks like they anticipate you will definitely cover Units 1-6 from each level before moving on; the content in Units 7 & 8 at each level is reintroduced at the next level in a manner that you could move on to the next level without completing those; it would be extra review if you did.

[klmama]

I agree that the Avancemos books are intended to be one per year.  The 4th level is about half a year's worth of work and is mostly review, probably so students can also have time for reading literature in Spanish.

FYI, this week I noticed a message on the Classzone website that it will be retired on Dec. 28.   😕

 

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, klmama said:

I agree that the Avancemos books are intended to be one per year.  The 4th level is about half a year's worth of work and is mostly review, probably so students can also have time for reading literature in Spanish.

FYI, this week I noticed a message on the Classzone website that it will be retired on Dec. 28.   😕

 

Oh no!!!!

[klmama]

8 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

The online materials that go with this book are fantastic and very much enrich what's in the text - videos, audio, tons of extra practice both to print and online stuff, quizzes, tests (at three different levels, no less - no need to make them up yourself!), extra integrated reading, and other teacher materials.  Get them from the publisher.

I've always used the Classzone site for extra work, so I guess it's time to check out the publisher directly.  I looked at the publisher's site, and I'm having trouble figuring out which product has all this, or if it's necessary to order multiple products.  Any advice?  

[cintinative]

4 hours ago, klmama said:

I've always used the Classzone site for extra work, so I guess it's time to check out the publisher directly.  I looked at the publisher's site, and I'm having trouble figuring out which product has all this, or if it's necessary to order multiple products.  Any advice?  

I tried looking through the catalog, etc. recently myself to figure out what digital access I needed. There are no real descriptions for anything so I think I would have had to call. I ended up buying a code for $40 from The Curriculum Store.  https://thecurriculumstore.com/avancemos-spanish-level-1-online-edition-1-year-subscription-2018/  Choose the "homeschool edition" this will give you access to both the online teacher materials as well as the student materials, online textbook, workbook pages to download, etc.  There is also access to various levels of tests, a test generator, etc.  I just got my access last week so I am still poking around in this. 

 

[cintinative]

Also, I am using lesson plans from Kolbe (sort of?) and they go through all but the very last Unit. They said that the last unit is repeated in Avancemos 2 so they don't cover it in Avancemos 1.

[cintinative]

One more: I am on the teacher's website you posted.  There is material that she is indicating is in Leccion Preliminar which is not in that lesson, but is in Lesson 1.  For example, telling time is not in Leccion Preliminar, but her quizzes include that content. Also ser and estar are not covered in the Leccion Preliminar. 

 

ETA: Also, apparently this teacher doesn't teach the vosotros form or acknowledge there is a 2nd person plural in English? That's super weird, y'all. (pun intended)

Edited September 29, 2020 by cintinative

[cintinative]

10 minutes ago, cintinative said:

Also, I am using lesson plans from Kolbe (sort of?) and they go through all but the very last Unit. They said that the last unit is repeated in Avancemos 2 so they don't cover it in Avancemos 1.

 

ETA:  So far, the jury is still out on these. I haven't needed them that much, and I don't like the first test. As we move through hopefully I will have a better idea of how much these help. They don't suggest outside resources or anything, so it is basically just a schedule to get through the book.  The first test (at least) does not involve listening or speaking, which I wanted to include, so I am going to try to use the on-level test provided with the teacher materials online. 

[klmama]

2 hours ago, cintinative said:

I tried looking through the catalog, etc. recently myself to figure out what digital access I needed. There are no real descriptions for anything so I think I would have had to call. I ended up buying a code for $40 from The Curriculum Store.  https://thecurriculumstore.com/avancemos-spanish-level-1-online-edition-1-year-subscription-2018/  Choose the "homeschool edition" this will give you access to both the online teacher materials as well as the student materials, online textbook, workbook pages to download, etc.  There is also access to various levels of tests, a test generator, etc.  I just got my access last week so I am still poking around in this. 

 

Thanks for this info!

[Matryoshka]

1 hour ago, cintinative said:

One more: I am on the teacher's website you posted.  There is material that she is indicating is in Leccion Preliminar which is not in that lesson, but is in Lesson 1.  For example, telling time is not in Leccion Preliminar, but her quizzes include that content. Also ser and estar are not covered in the Leccion Preliminar. 

 

ETA: Also, apparently this teacher doesn't teach the vosotros form or acknowledge there is a 2nd person plural in English? That's super weird, y'all. (pun intended)

That's a crap teacher.  Oh, my.

[cintinative]

55 minutes ago, Matryoshka said:

That's a crap teacher.  Oh, my.

I feel like I should caveat my statement. It's hard to know what was going on. I saw a power point where there was an "X" in the 2nd person plural English and Spanish forms.  Maybe when she taught it, she explained? I think it is better to present the 2nd person plural for both and to indicate that the 2nd person plural in Spanish is only used in Spain.  I hope she explained this to them. 

[Matryoshka]

1 minute ago, cintinative said:

I feel like I should caveat my statement. It's hard to know what was going on. I saw a power point where there was an "X" in the 2nd person plural English and Spanish forms.  Maybe when she taught it, she explained? I think it is better to present the 2nd person plural for both and to indicate that the 2nd person plural in Spanish is only used in Spain.  I hope she explained this to them. 

A lot of teachers don't teach vosotros, which I think is ridiculous - it's not just used in Spain, it's used almost exclusively, in a whole country of millions of people and, y'know, the cradle of the language, where the bulk of Spanish literature comes from, and still where a large part of it comes today.  Spain is also where a huge number of Spanish students end up going on exchange.  Not good to get there and be missing the 2nd person plural, which again, is used pretty much exclusively.  Not a good time to learn on the fly. The vosotros form also is an easy way to get the vos form, if kids ever encounter it, which is used widely across South and Central America. 

But wait, there's no second person plural in English?  Well, yes, we use the same form in the singular and plural (beyond the colloqualisms of y'all, you guys, and youse...), BUT to act like it doesn't exist undermines students' understanding of basic grammar.  And y'know, Latin America also has a 2nd person plural, it just uses the 3rd person conjugation (this is confusing too, but I think bears explanation.  I rather have fun explaining, it, actually).  And chanting the pattern of verb conjugations is still a really useful way to internalize them, and leaving out one makes it really hard to remember all the vosotros endings if you have to add them in later.  

I may have strong opinions on this, lol...

[ByGrace3]

I just started teaching with Avancemos last year. In a classroom setting we completed units 1-6 completely and pieces of unit 7 and 8. It is intended to be done in a year. 

We have always used Classzone with my students but will need to adjust as Classzone goes away.

No stones, but I don't teach vosotros. I made it through 2 years of high school, a major in Spanish, and living abroad all with never needing it. (Yes, I experienced it on a few trips to Spain-- it is obvious to understand and not at all difficult to pick up quickly if motivated) Due to where we live and where most of these students will travel, I don't think vosotros is a necessary part of high school Spanish. If  you have a personal desire and plan to travel to Spain, it is not hard to pick up -- but most will not need it. Just my personal opinion though 😉 

 

[Jkacz]

Please post how the publisher’s website homeschool edition ends up working and if Kolbe was useful.  I really wish they had a sample to see.  DS informed me today he wants to switch to Spanish from Latin next year.  Uggg.

 

[JumpyTheFrog]

On 9/29/2020 at 8:13 AM, cintinative said:

I tried looking through the catalog, etc. recently myself to figure out what digital access I needed. There are no real descriptions for anything so I think I would have had to call. I ended up buying a code for $40 from The Curriculum Store.  https://thecurriculumstore.com/avancemos-spanish-level-1-online-edition-1-year-subscription-2018/  Choose the "homeschool edition" this will give you access to both the online teacher materials as well as the student materials, online textbook, workbook pages to download, etc.  There is also access to various levels of tests, a test generator, etc.  I just got my access last week so I am still poking around in this. 

 

I ordered this yesterday, but my access has not arrived yet. I will come back and post once I am able to get in and look around.

[cintinative]

38 minutes ago, JumpyTheFrog said:

I ordered this yesterday, but my access has not arrived yet. I will come back and post once I am able to get in and look around.

It took about a week for me to get my code. I had to email them because I didn't have it after five days. I got it that day. FYI.

There is a sort of orientation video I watched on the various things you can do in it. That was sort of helpful.

One thing I haven't figured out yet is how to get the kids' logins. I have set them up with usernames but I don't know how to give them passwords to login.  It might be that I need separate student accounts for that. For now, they are accessing the student materials via the portal I have (which contains the teacher materials as well).  

 

[klmama]

Cintinative, JumpyTheFrog, or anyone else with digital access, would you might taking a look at Classzone.com to compare to the material in the digital product you purchased?  The link is to the level 1 material.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  I'd especially like to know if the digital access has the same types of exercises as found in the @Home Tutor section and if it includes the audio and video files.  Thank you!

[cintinative]

On 9/30/2020 at 2:43 PM, klmama said:

Cintinative, JumpyTheFrog, or anyone else with digital access, would you might taking a look at Classzone.com to compare to the material in the digital product you purchased?  The link is to the level 1 material.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  I'd especially like to know if the digital access has the same types of exercises as found in the @Home Tutor section and if it includes the audio and video files.  Thank you!

Yes, it has everything on classzone plus a full copy of the teacher text, a full copy of the student text, and access to the Avanzarap, lesson plans, assessments, whiteboard activities, graphic organizers, etc.   The student text has embedded audio so you just click on the little speaker symbol in the text and it plays the audio (as opposed to trying to figure out which one to play on Classzone). 

The student resources include something called Spanish Interactive Reader (I have not tried) and Google Expeditions Audio for various countries. See attached screenshot.

I was able to get preview access (somehow? I am still not sure how!).  

 

[klmama]

 

Yes, it has everything on classzone plus a full copy of the teacher text, a full copy of the student text, and access to the Avanzarap, lesson plans, assessments, whiteboard activities, graphic organizers, etc.   The student text has embedded audio so you just click on the little speaker symbol in the text and it plays the audio (as opposed to trying to figure out which one to play on Classzone). 

Thank you!  This looks great!  

[Matryoshka]

My experience from many Spanish classes is that typically high school classes don't teach vosotros but college classes do. High school: "Vosotros is only used in Spain, so we're not learning it." College: "Vosotros is only used in Spain. You're going to learn it and never have to use it."

🙄🙄🙄  If you're ever going to actually do anything with Spanish other than order a taco at the local taqueria, like y'know, read literature, you will encounter it.  If you want to watch good Spanish shows on Netflix, 99% of them are from Spain, with vosotros.  A huge percentage of exchange programs are with Spain.  Gaaaaah.

I have used vosotros a TON.   I'll admit I don't see a ton of local Spanish speakers that I actually get to speak Spanish with.  But books and media - TONS of vosotros.  Like, more often than not.  Heck, it's like if someone was learning English and was told they would never hear or encounter someone with a British accent, ever.  (In that case you don't have to really learn any new verb forms, but the statement is equally ridiculous).

And it's actually EASIER to learn it if you just toss it in as part of the initial learning.  It's like virtually Zero extra effort, for Pete's sake.  

[Matryoshka]

Pacing depends on student.  The schools here have split Spanish 1 into two years, which is inappropriate for those desiring an IB education.  Maybe take a look at what your goal is and when you want to get there.

Splitting Spanish 1 into two years is appropriate for middle school level.   Here they do that, and the freshmen start with Spanish 2.  The Avancemos book series actually has middle school books that are pretty much the exact content of Avancemos 1 split up into two volumes. 

I constantly wonder what horrible corner of the US you live in to have such schools as you describe.  You should move.

[Matryoshka]

I didn't make a value judgment, just said what my experience has been. Goodness. (Every single student in my college Spanish classes also did not learn it in high school and had no issue learning it in college.) I mean, we don't learn the British accent, and in Spanish we don't learn the Spanish accent, at least not where I'm from. High school classes very much said they were focusing on Spanish you would hear more in Latin America than in Spain because of our likelihood to experience much more of that type of Spanish in our lives.

That's kind of my point with the British.  Accent is different than a whole verb form.  There's really no equivalent thing in English (but the Brits are still unavoidable, that was my point).  I have zero problem understanding different Spanish accents; they don't need to be taught (though an actual Spanish-from-some-Spanish-speaking-country-accent should be taught, the awful American accents with American rhotic r's and American vowels... cringe...).  But really, why NOT teach vosotros, is my question.   Really, it's like no extra work to teach - and while Spain may be a small country relative to the Spanish speaking diaspora, it has an over-large footprint in the materials (books, media) available to consume.  I guess the same reason most teachers don't bother with correct accent?  Most students are going to drop Spanish and why bother?  I never learned it and don't wanna teach it?

Edited October 2, 2020 by Matryoshka

[Matryoshka]

8 minutes ago, Heigh Ho said:

I live in an area where full inclusion is the law of the land.  Your suggestion is appropriate for the 25% of students who can learn the material in a year...but the law of the land is that everyone has a chance.  The 75% that can't do that pacing still get the opportunity to learn, just as they do with Algebra 1. Until the underfunding of schools ends on both the Federal and State level, this is what it is.  You might want to reconsider your phrasing, away from the elitism.

LOL, you're the one who's always complaining that there aren't enough advanced courses where you are and whatever version of full inclusion you have there is dumbing everyone down, AP classes and Calc are not offered, etc.  I've read your posts for years and years here complaining and complaining about the schools where you are and how dumbed down they are.  I'm just reflecting that back at you - I have no idea where you actually live or why it's like that there or what it's even actually like vs your perceptions.  You always talk like where you are is representative of how schools are all around the US, I'm just saying it really, really isn't.  There's some extreme form of tall poppy syndrome going on there, it seems.  I'm all for kids who need it getting a slower pace, but it's not 75% of them, for sure.

Most high school students can, in fact, learn one year of high school language in one year.  Americans actually teach languages much later and much more slowly than just about anywhere else on the planet - it's not a breakneck pace.  Even the non-college bound totally average students.  Enough good teachers, is, of course, likely the weak link here, like it is with math teaching in the US.  The standard content/pace of these classes nowadays are even much more slowly than it was even back in the day here.  I've seen my mom's high school Spanish textbooks - they were doing way more advanced work sooner than what textbooks give now.  And she was going to a public school in some Florida backwater in the 50s, not some elite prep school.

[klmama]

Well, having taught from both high school and college texts, I will agree that current high school texts move pretty slowly through the verb tenses and introduce far less vocabulary than college texts and many older high school texts.  Avancemos is slow-middle for pace, but the text and extra resources make it much easier for students and teachers to use than many other options.  The easier-to-use program is the one that gets done, and that is worth a lot.  

As for teaching vosotros, I think it makes sense to teach it, if it's not too confusing to the students, but I also think it's pretty easy to pick up when needed, just like vos. 

Also, some textbooks order their pronouns better than others, which helps students keep things straight.  I remember back in the dark ages of the 1970s and 80s learning from texts that ordered the 3rd forms “él, ella, usted" and "ellos, ellas, ustedes," and I struggled to remember that "ustedes" was the plural of “tú.”  It just made no sense to me that one would have to jump down a level and all the way to the end of the list to find the 2nd person plural.  It's easier for kids to remember when "usted" comes right after “tú” in the pronoun list, and that was actually part of my decision in choosing Avancemos.  

[JumpyTheFrog]

After two months of using the publisher's materials, I can say it was well worth the $40. Each chapter comes with two grammar quizzes, two vocab quizzes, and one culture quiz. Each chapter also has a test and there is a unit test after every two chapters. The tests (and I think the quizzes, although I haven't looked) are also available at four levels: regular, pre-AP, modified (which looks easier), and heritage.

I can't say how much I like not having to come up with my own quizzes and tests. We sometimes use the workbook from the ClassZone website and we always use the audio files for each lesson.

In fact, I was so pleased with the teacher materials provided by Holt that I went out and bought their Modern Chemistry book and the online access. Spectrum Chemistry just doesn't have enough practice in it for my son to succeed on their quizzes, so we have switched to Holt's chemistry book. (We'll keep using the Spectrum labs.)

[cintinative]

@JumpyTheFrog I have only been using the leccion 1 or 2 or full unit tests. How are you using the quizzes?  

We have been using the regular tests.  I like how they have an oral section, a listening section, and a writing section.  

Although when I bought lesson plans from Kolbe, they came with tests, I don't like those tests very much, and honestly I am really not using them so much. They do incorporate the use of the Did  You Get It? Worksheets which you can also access via the site.  These are supposed to be for review I think.  

I agree that it has been totally worth the money. If we had not subscribed, come December (currently??) we would not be able to access any of the video or audio files for the text unless we had previously figured out how to download them.  

There is a lot of functionality to the site I am not using, like being able to create assignments to give to your students, allowing online completion of workbook pages and text exercises, etc.  

What is the name of the Holt Chemistry book?  

How have you been working on speaking proficiency? We were going to maybe try Italki starting in January.  

[Matryoshka]

33 minutes ago, cintinative said:

@JumpyTheFrog I have only been using the leccion 1 or 2 or full unit tests. How are you using the quizzes?  

We have been using the regular tests.  I like how they have an oral section, a listening section, and a writing section.  

Although when I bought lesson plans from Kolbe, they came with tests, I don't like those tests very much, and honestly I am really not using them so much. They do incorporate the use of the Did  You Get It? Worksheets which you can also access via the site.  These are supposed to be for review I think.  

I agree that it has been totally worth the money. If we had not subscribed, come December (currently??) we would not be able to access any of the video or audio files for the text unless we had previously figured out how to download them.  

There is a lot of functionality to the site I am not using, like being able to create assignments to give to your students, allowing online completion of workbook pages and text exercises, etc.  

What is the name of the Holt Chemistry book?  

How have you been working on speaking proficiency? We were going to maybe try Italki starting in January.  

I love the Did You Get It worksheets - I love that they have a copy of the lesson on the first page so the kid doesn't have to flip back to the book.

[cintinative]

I have a follow up question.  

I had "heard" that Unit 8 of Avancemos 1 is largely repeated in Unit 1 of Avancemos 2.  Does anyone know if this is true? Before I dig through the books and compare, I thought I would ask to see if someone knew this for certain.

I am sort of in a pickle because we started late (we dropped out of another Spanish class and started Avancemos from the LP). At the current rate (one leccion per 10 days), if we cover all 8 units we will be going until July, probably longer as I super hope we can get a vacation in there somewhere.  It almost seems like we should just go all summer.  If we are going to do that, I would rather just skip either the first unit of Avancemos 2 or the last unit of Avancemos 1 if there is a lot of repetition.  That said, I want them to have a final exam and the one that I have via the HRW portal is for Units 1-8.  So I guess I need to cover all 8 units.  I do have a final from Kolbe that only covers Units 1-7 but I hate their tests.  Boo. 

@Matryoshka do you have any thoughts?

[Matryoshka]

@cintinative, yes, the last two units of Avancemos 1 are pretty much repeated (not exactly, of course, but pretty much) in the first two units of Avancemos 2.  

I'm guessing that's so that schools don't have to sweat it if they don't finish the book, and/or to give the kids a soft start after a summer off.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Matryoshka