Popular Audio Spanish Homeschooling Programs
Find a Foreign Language Homeschool Program to Fit Your Curriculum
Foreign language homeschooling programs can take the form of language learning DVDs and movies, computer software, workbooks and audio CDs, or online homeschooling courses. Each curriculum has its pros and cons. When choosing a homeschool program for Spanish or another foreign language, parents will want to take into account their own knowledge of the language, their children’s learning style, and the cost of each of the homeschooling programs. Here are the pros and cons of using audio courses to teach a homeschool language program.
Using Audio Homeschooling Programs to Teach Spanish
Foreign language audio courses are popular as homeschooling programs. They allow students to hear a new language spoken by native speakers and yet are generally more affordable than video courses or language-learning software.
Just like more expensive homeschooling programs, audio courses vary widely in their effectiveness. There are the introductory audio courses designed to cover lists of vocabulary or simple fraises in each unit. Kids will have fun learning but difficulty retaining these Spanish words because they are taught out of context. There are also audio courses designed to develop a child’s conversational skills by presenting the language holistically. Homeschooling parents will want to examine their goals and choose the homeschool program which meets their children’s needs.
The Learnables as a Homeschool Program for Spanish
Learnables is designed for children ages 7 and older. Their Spanish program is broken into levels 1-4 and advanced. Each level is equivalent to one year of a high school language course, but can be handled by elementary and middle school students as well.
Level one is available as a book and four audio CDs or as a CD Rom. The price of either format is $55. A book and three audio CDs with stories and exercises corresponding to the vocabulary in level 1 is also available for $55. The two can be purchased together for $99.
Review of the Learnables as a Homeschool Program for Spanish
This audio course teaches Spanish with the method children naturally used to learn their first language. Students look at a picture and listen to a native speaker describe that object. Sentences become more complex as a student’s comprehension grows. For example, the narrator first teaches the word for “egg,” then later on introduces the simple sentence, “The egg is in the bowl.”
The over 1,000 illustrations in level one help students learn vocabulary pertaining to clothing, eating, family, and transportation. Students will also connect this vocabulary through a context of prepositions such as in, on, and over, and verbs such as put, drive, eat, and drink.
While the Learnables black-and-white line drawings may not be sufficiently engaging to hold the interest of young children, the CD Rom addresses this drawback by offering color illustrations. Learnables offers a no-frills program at an affordable price for homeschoolers serious about becoming conversational in a foreign language.
Power-Glide as a Homeschool Program for Spanish
Power-Glide, written by Robert Blair, is available on two levels. The Children's Courses for Pre-K - 3rd grade include a Children's Activity Book (146 pages), a Level II Activity Book (92 pages), a Level III Activity Book (109 pages), a Parent's Guide (174 pages), eight Audio CDs, and a Children's CD-ROM. The Junior Courses for 4th-6th grade Include a Workbook (280 Pages), and three Audio CDs. The children’s courses cost $129.95 and the junior courses cost $125.95.
Review of Power-Glide as a Homeschool Program for Spanish
Power-Glide is affordable enough to be used in a home school setting. The curriculum offers audio CDs containing stories to hook students and keep them engaged. The course is a self-directed program designed for one student to work through on his own, though many parents find children require assistance.
Power-Glide does not present the language holistically. The stories in Power-Glide are almost entirely in English with a smattering of Spanish words. The activities are workbook-based and also a mix of Spanish and English.
Whether this homeschool program is right for an individual student depends on their language goals. If parents are looking for a low-pressure way to introduce their young children to a few Spanish words at a relatively low cost, this may be it.
Audio courses such as Learnables and Power-Glide offer parents inexpensive homeschooling programs that allow their children to hear proper pronunciation and native speakers. Though many foreign language homeschooling programs claim to be self-directed, it’s always helpful for parents to learn right along with their kids so they are available to field questions and work through snags as they arise.
Resources and Homeschooling Programs for Spanish
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