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I'm hoping that some homeschooling parents or any teachers on here can help me.
I'm looking for a spanish textbook for me to teach my 2nd grader Spanish and a workbook that goes with it for her to work in. I've been looking on-line and can't seem to find what I'm looking for. I want something that is at a 1st/2nd grade level since my daughter has very minimal experience with Spanish.
Send her to foreign language class. Unless you are a Spanish speaker, doing work in a workbook without being in an environment where she is communicating with her educator in the language, speaking with others, and completely interacting with the language, a workbook is a complete waste. Not to mention a foreign language isn't something that can be taught by someone who is not fluent in the language- textbooks for foreign languages are designed to be taught by people who understand the language as there often isn't much explanation.
If you do speak Spanish fluently, excuse the above. Any textbook for Spanish 1 would be appropriate- even those designed for middle school and high school. The language doesn't change depending on what age you are in, and Spanish 1 textbooks are designed to teach on about a 1st grade vocabulary level. We always used Paso a Paso which had a workbook along with it.
Send her to foreign language class. Unless you are a Spanish speaker, doing work in a workbook without being in an environment where she is communicating with her educator in the language, speaking with others, and completely interacting with the language, a workbook is a complete waste. Not to mention a foreign language isn't something that can be taught by someone who is not fluent in the language- textbooks for foreign languages are designed to be taught by people who understand the language as there often isn't much explanation.
If you do speak Spanish fluently, excuse the above. Any textbook for Spanish 1 would be appropriate- even those designed for middle school and high school. The language doesn't change depending on what age you are in, and Spanish 1 textbooks are designed to teach on about a 1st grade vocabulary level. We always used Paso a Paso which had a workbook along with it.
Thanks! I live out in the sticks and the school doesn't offer any foreign language. I do speak it somewhat, I've had three years of it in college. I'm having trouble finding any textbook anywhere, I've been online, I went to a teacher supply store today and Books a Million and found nothing. Last year I threw away all my textbooks not realizing I was gonna teach her.
You think the bookstores at college universities would be ok for her??? She's only 7.
Have you looked at any homeschool supply websites? I think you could find textbooks and language programs there. I've heard 'Rosetta Stone' is good-I have no personal experience with it though. That is a computer program.
I like the Pimsleur language lessons. My kids picked up some German quickly before our trip to Germany using it. It does not go into grammar or spelling at all... it's all verbal. They have the CDs at my local library, maybe yours does too!
I disagree with not being able to learn if you are not a native speaker... you can learn together, as long as you have CDs or videos for proper pronounciation and your daughter will probably pick it up faster than you do!
College books wouldn't be appropriate. I've tutored all levels of college Spanish and there's a HUGE difference between high school basic foreign language and college- for the most part. The language is more technical.
Honestly- at 3 years of Spanish in college, you're really not at the level to be able to teach her. Is there any way you can find or start a group with other parents, some of whom are fluent? With 3 years of college Spanish, you're at probably tops a 4th grade level and that's if you use it on a daily basis. If you don't use it on a daily basis, after only a year you can totally lose it. I'm not trying to be mean, just I saw it happen when my own dad tried to teach me German when he had more experience in the language and had even spent time in Germany- it's a real struggle.
IMO, the Rosetta Stone is a horrible way of learning a language having learned 3 (and about to learn my 4th this summer) foreign languages personally. I used the Rosetta Stone to try to learn German (which my dad tried to teach me as a kid.. he only had 6 years of studying it though so it wasn't enough to teach me anything) and it was just frustrating. It might work better for a child or someone with a different learning style, but for me it was just a collosal waste of money.
I appreciate all the advice. I understand I'm not a teacher, but my goal is not to teach her to be an Interpreter for the government by age 9. I simply want her to learn the basics before she gets to high school or hopefully the elementary will have a class in the next couple years.
I understand I'm not a teacher, but my goal is not to teach her to be an Interpreter for the government by age 9
LOL!.
If you are interested in Rosetta Stone (which I've never used myself, but many homeschoolers I know swear by it), check with your library... some of them have online subscriptions for their patrons to use. Another one I've heard good things about is Muzzy (again not a workbook).
I have a couple of Spanish workbooks with colors, numbers, the things you mentioned... trying to think of where I got them. Try Rainbowresource.com. They're a homeschooling family who sells books to homeschoolers, but of course anyone can order them. If you call and explain what you want, the people there are very pleasant and helpful, or maybe you can browse and see it on their website. Good luck!
Thanks for the help. I checked out Paso a Paso on-line and found some very useful information and also Rainbowresource.com had exactly what I was looking for!!
I suggest you use the workbook Teach Them Spanish! available at Carlex OnLine Store and supplement with Podcuentos del Profe (try el problema de blancanieves and la nariz de michael jackson).
For the past 15 years I have taught both homeschooled children and kids k-8 at a Montessori school. I think you can do a decent job teaching the basics, as long as you know your limitations and are clear about your limited goals. The workbooks have teaching suggestions for each topic (you listed them yourself!), and fun, well-designed worksheets. The workbooks are very inexpensive and are available for grades k-5. The podcuentos are created by a native speaker who teaches middle school, for the benefit of his students, but they have become very popular with everyone that teaches Spanish because the kids LOVE the episodes, and learn a lot. Your daughter will already have the basics down when she joins a class. Good luck!
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