Sonrisas Spanish Blog

Homeschooling is a tremendous undertaking that requires a lot of work from parents. One area of concern is finding teaching materials that will set children up for success. For your convenience, here are five questions you should ask before choosing your Spanish curriculum.

Does It Fit With Your Children?

There are a few ways to determine whether a specific Spanish curriculum fits your children. First, ask whether the content is age-appropriate in terms of subject matter and skill level. Thoroughly read and understand a curriculum to know its targeted age groups better. Furthermore, consider the difficulty of the curriculum. You want something that adequately challenges your students without becoming overwhelming.

How Much Parental Involvement Does It Require?

One of the major difficulties of teaching a secondary language at home is the potential lack of learned or native-speaking instruction. Basically, it really helps if you, the teacher, are capable of speaking Spanish. Luckily, some curriculums include lessons and resources that can compensate for a lack of language skills and ensure your child gets the most comprehensive education. This usually means there is less parental involvement required, so determine if you are comfortable with taking a more hands-off approach to this subject.

Does It Engage Your Child?

Young children thrive when their education is engaging, and studies show this engagement actually improves the retention of information and key concepts. So, how do you avoid selecting a “boring” Spanish curriculum? First, determine what type of learner your child is: visual, reading/writing, auditory, or kinesthetic. Then, find a course that allows you to implement the teaching styles your children respond to the most.

Is It Culturally Rich?

One major aspect of Spanish education is the inclusion of culture-based lessons and concepts. You can’t teach Spanish without discussing Spanish culture and how it influences the language itself. Determine whether your curriculum covers cultural subjects like history, geography, and social studies. If so, this curriculum will provide a complete education for your children and prove more engaging.

Does It Work For Multiple Children?

Any homeschool parent will tell you that some curriculums just aren’t built for multiple students, making it challenging for guardians with same-grade kids. If your class size exceeds one child, ensure your curriculum has the resources and lesson plans to adequately educate everyone. This isn’t to say you can’t use ones meant for a single student. With a little creativity, you can make a curriculum applicable to multiple learners. Review your preferred curriculums to determine if you can use them for multiple children.

It’s important to ask questions before choosing your Spanish curriculum because a poor decision can set your children up for failure. We at Sonrisas Spanish have comprehensive K-8 Spanish curriculum materials for all your homeschool needs.