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Lower School Spanish

This is where you’ll learn a new language, discover a new culture, and find a whole new perspective on the world.

Language In Action

We believe that from an early age, it’s important to expose students to traditions and languages different from their own. This way, they can grow into culturally knowledgeable leaders in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world.

Our Lower School Spanish program engages multiple teaching methods to provide students with a rich collection of language activities. By using high-frequency words, we create comprehensible content that empowers our students to joyfully pursue future world language study.

Accordion

Even our youngest students study new languages through fun, engrossing activities.

In pre-kindergarten, students may:

  • Exchange Spanish greetings
  • Learn Spanish vocabulary
  • Discover Spanish-speaking cultures
  • Participate in songs and stories

As students progress, Spanish class gives them an outlet to talk about and describe their feelings in new and exciting ways. In kindergarten, they’re encouraged to participate in Spanish-focused activities that challenge their developing minds and reward their efforts.

At this level, Spanish classes coordinate closely with students’ homeroom classes, supporting and reinforcing math, writing, and language concepts with Spanish vocabulary. As students use different thought patterns to access the material, they are able to recall and integrate new concepts and new vocabulary more easily.

As their reading and writing skills increase, students are exposed to more listening and speaking assignments. Classes meet frequently enough to give students additional practice time among their classmates, along with further opportunities to demonstrate their new abilities with their teachers.

Third-graders are challenged with high-frequency words that are combined with context to introduce new vocabulary. Diverse activities such as reading, illustrating, role-playing, and written work allow them more opportunities to engage and make connections that further solidify their knowledge of the Spanish language.

Fourth grade marks a transitional year for most students, as they complete several projects that combine familiar vocabulary with larger sets of new, more complex words and phrases. They also receive more opportunities to use their growing Spanish vocabulary in their work and in daily conversations.

In fifth grade, Spanish classes supplement students’ already extensive vocabulary with even more verbs and grammatical structures. Teachers lead conversations and curate stories that give students more opportunities to listen, read, speak, and write in Spanish. These classes model a holistic approach that offers every student fun and exciting ways to demonstrate the culmination of their Lower School Spanish study.