Primary Spanish: Class for 1st-3rd grades presents a rich exposure to Spanish through stories, songs, games, Bible verses, and activities. The children will quickly assimilate an impressive repertoire of vocabulary, expressions, and greetings, and have lots of FUN!
Elementary Spanish: Students in 4th-6th grades love to learn Spanish through storytelling! They will listen to, write, dramatize, and illustrate stories, as well as design their own fun narratives. Their boundless creativity propels their language acquisition. Text required.
Spanish 7/8: Using the Cuéntame text, this class is open to both new and returning middle school students. Seventh and eighth graders will find that the storytelling method catches their imagination, making acquisition of the language almost effortless! Course work will include homework, tests, and Bible verse memory; semester grades will be submitted to parents. Text required.
Cost: $100/semester plus text where required.
Although it is difficult to quantify the benefits of early foreign language study, the results are indisputable. Below are some pertinent remarks from experts in early language learning, as quoted in the Duke Gifted Letter, Vol.8, Issue 1, Fall 2007 (see full text at www.dukegiftedletter.com):
Beginning foreign language instruction early sets the stage for students to develop advanced levels of proficiencies in one or more languages.
Studies have shown repeatedly that foreign language learning increases critical thinking skills, creativity, and flexibility of mind in young children.
Students who are learning a foreign language outscore their non-foreign language learning peers in the verbal and, surprisingly to some, the math sections of standardized tests.
The notion of ‘earlier is better’ in language learning seems to be upheld by the fact that longer sequences of foreign language instruction seem to lead to better academic achievement, overall.
Interactive learning is the best since language learning is a social activity.
