Spanish
Expanding students' minds and lives through language and culture.
The Lower School Spanish program seeks to develop the foundational skills of communication, listening and comprehension through group work, engagement with primary sources and an emphasis on creativity.
Children who study a foreign language before age 10 may find it easier to master that language and other languages. Foreign language instruction also improves students’ command of English.
Key Characteristics
- Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling (TPRS): Students learn the language through short stories and in-class performances.
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Using the target language as the primary language of instruction, students are encouraged to take risks. The focus is on communication and creation using the target language.
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Integrated performance assessments use the three modes of communication—interpretive, interpersonal and presentational—to evaluate students’ communication abilities and style.
Curricular Highlights
Reading and storytelling. Students engage with the language in creative, meaningful ways that draw on their own life stories and the stories of others.
Multidisciplinary projects. The Spanish curriculum integrates with Social Studies, Art, Music and Science to provide students with opportunities to use the language in real-world contexts.
Traditional and modern learning tools. Students use workbooks and pencils as well as web-based platforms like Flipgrid, where students submit videos to demonstrate their speaking abilities.
Students are actively engaged during class time through vocabulary-building games, activities and songs.
