Homeschool: Spanish Language Study

[elohiym]

I am looking for a Spanish language curriculum that I can use for my seven year old. She is reading English at a third grade level now. Any suggestions based on your own use of a particular curriculum, or have you encounter any homeschoolers using a Spanish language curriculum they recommend?

 

[thelaqachisnext]

I am looking for a Spanish language curriculum that I can use for my seven year old. She is reading English at a third grade level now. Any suggestions based on your own use of a particular curriculum, or have you encounter any homeschoolers using a Spanish language curriculum they recommend?

I hired a Christian friend who taught high school spanish as a substitute to come over once a week to teach Spanish to my 8th grade son and had my 3rd grade daughter sit in on it and do the reading with him, with her. It was easy for her, as Spanish is always pronounced the way it is written.

I think I bought a Spanish curriculum, but it was a long time ago and maybe she -the teacher-used her own.

Later, when the same son was in 10th grade, I had him take the college placement test at our local community college and he and I signed up for the college's night Spanish class taught in the local near-by high school. I had the same daughter sit in on the class and the teacher allowed her to participate with us also, though she took no tests and got no grades -she audited for free.
Spanish is easy, but I can't converse in it, though I got an "A".

I also had a set of Latin college level books [Latin 1 and Latin 11] that a retiring priest/teacher at St Martyn's college in OLY WA gave me, and I had the same daughter -and son- go through a portion of the level 1 the same year they did the first Spanish, and the daughter [3rd grade] complained she didn't understand it -but she did it anyway. I told her it would all come together at some point. She's a literalist and wanted to get herself wrapped around it and she couldn't at that age. She was excellent in English reading and spelling.

I don't think it makes a big difference what curriculum you use, -but of course in Christian text homeschool Latin sources they would not teach it by having you read of all the rapes and murders of the 'gods' -so called, as the Latin we used did -not that you asked about Latin, I just threw that in.
PS -the son is now 32 and a practicing Dentist and the daughter is 26 and is a Christian high school Choir teacher [and just began teaching choir to 6th-8th at another Christian school this year.

 

[Chileice]

I am looking for a Spanish language curriculum that I can use for my seven year old. She is reading English at a third grade level now. Any suggestions based on your own use of a particular curriculum, or have you encounter any homeschoolers using a Spanish language curriculum they recommend?

I think the best way at their age is to try to get them to actually hear the language in use. What thelaqachisnext suggested is probably best. Hire someone who speaks Spanish very well, yet who understands both English and Spanish grammar. Let your kids watch age appropriate videos in Spanish. The more Spanish she hears spoken, the better for children her age. They develop the proper accent and a love for the language. My daughter learned playing Barbies with the Spanish-speaking kids across the street. She was 6.

My kids are perfectly bilingual but they started when they were very young and were immersed in the culture. If it is just a grammar course, kids that age will be bored to tears.

Entonces, lo más importante es darle oportunidades para escuchar y hablar. Y pronto hablará mejor que nadie.

Take her to a Spanish-speaking church and let her go to Sunday-School or Vacation Bible School. You won't understand much, if you don't already speak. But in a few weeks she will be talking circles around you.