[mamarasheika]

hi there~
can anyone tell me about a spanish program they like for 1-3 grade?
i have been researching la clase divertida & puertas abiertas. it looks like rosseta stone and those ones are too advanced for early elementary.
thanks~

mamarasheika

 

[taralv]

Hi, this is kind of a late response, but here goes... We have kind of made up our own Spanish lessons around a DVD I bought from Rock N Learn (Spanish I and Spanish II), a Spanish/English picture dictionary for preschool/K and lots of board book Spanish/English books. DD loves the DVD because it's almost all set to music, and she's picked up a lot. Then, I try to check out Spanish CD's from the library (for children) and we listen to them while driving. It's important for me to teach them Spanish because my husband is Mexican/American and his grandparents don't speak English at all. He grew up in Texas, and he is completely bi-lingual. My Spanish is good enough to get by, but I like the practice that "teaching" it gives me. Hope this helps.

Tara

 

[veggiemomma]

I am glad you posted this question. I am looking for Spanish materials for pre-K through 1st grade, as well.

Someone has recommended a CD/coloring book called "Teach Me Spanish" (I think it is somewhere around $14) and a DVD called "First Fun With Spanish" (approx &13)

I haven't viewed these myself yet, but I think they are supposed to go right along with what a child would learn in K or 1st, like simple words first, then compound words, short sentences, then some grammar in the latter parts. The CD has 3 different levels that you can buy as your child is ready to move up. The catalog says it is appropriate for ages 2-12.

I looked at La Clase Divertido, but am unable to spend $110 just for Spanish. I have heard that it is good, though.

 

[LilyGrace]

It really depends on what you want from your program. If you want an understanding of grammar, cases, etc. then a traditional workbook program is best.
If you want an intuitive grasp of the above, then you are better off going with an immersion program.
I have a 5yo and an 8yo using the Rosetta Stone for Mandarin. It's not hard for them at all - in fact, the 8yo went three months without touching it, went to the demo booth at the mall and was reading the characters and knowing the correct answers. I used to be a linguist and the only programs I would consider for my kids were Rosetta Stone and the Learnables. The Rosetta Stone won me over. It's expensive, but well worth it.

 

[MyLittleWonders]

We have Sonrisas Spanish School for early childhood; I like it but it definitely assumes the parent/teacher is pretty fluent in Spanish and able to teach the lessons in Spanish. But, it have songs/movement games, recommendations for books in Spanish to read, and usually an art activity to accompany the book. So, I try to incorporate the songs and books into our lives as "naturally" as possible.

We are going to start Rosetta Stone for Spanish this fall though. My oldest will only be 6; my middle son won't be 4 yet. From the demo, it sounds like you can do it just as a listening activity - that you can learn to hear/understand the language, read it, speak it and write it, depending on age and what you want to get out of it. When my boys did the demo with me, they just listened to the phrase and then use the mouse to click on the correct picture ... no reading required.

 

[Linda on the move]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mamarasheika i have been researching la clase divertida & puertas abiertas. it looks like rosseta stone and those ones are too advanced for early elementary. thanks~

We use la clase divertida and really like it. I'm learning Spanish along with my kids, so lessons on DVD work well for us. You don't need to know anything except how to use your DVD player and you can do this with the kids. The cultural lessons are very nice, the program is very fun, and everything comes in the box!

We tried the demo disc from rosseta stone and my kids didn't like it. We'll try it again later because I think it looks like a super program and goes much further than la clase divertida.

I think that Learnables looks dull. Because we are relaxed homeschoolers and I'm not going to *make* my kids do Spanish, I wanted something they would really enjoy and look forward to.

If you are on a budget, check and see what resources your local library has. Some have quite nice things for foreign languages. Some even offer access to all the Rosetta Sone materials via their internet sites.

 

[RedWine]

I can tell you who NOT to buy from -- Flip Flop Spanish.

Our order never arrived. They sent another package and then emailed me accusing me of stealing the first package...

:

I am awaiting the arrival of the second order...she sent another nasty email today...

Also refuses to give me tracking number so I can track the shipment..

Arg. Don't deal with them.

 

[mamarasheika]

thanks for all these great tips!
i will reconsider rosetta stone, becase i want something more than
days of the week etc. whaisch she already knows.

mamarasheika