Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids: Homeschool Spanish Made Simple
We are excited to share this post, Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids: Homeschool Spanish Made Simple, with you both as a reviewer and an affiliate of the company. It was made possible with a Starter Set 1 from Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids for review as part of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
Learning a foreign language is one of those ‘extras’ many homeschool families incorporate into their schedule.
Ours has dabbled a bit with Latin in the past, but find ourselves coming back to Spanish.
Some programs can be rather dry for younger kids. So, I was tickled to have the chance to review Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids as it makes homeschool Spanish simple to do.
What is Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids?
Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids is like many products and services with their roots in discontent. Kim Strauss was seeking a way to teach her 3 sons Spanish but did not find a product she liked.
With this program, kids from the age of about three and adults are able to speak and understand Spanish in short order. The words and phrases are ones that are used in everyday life.
The videos recorded combine an immersion approach with the use of visuals.
Humor is a key component to the videos with the use of kids making it unique compared to many options out there.
Also, they have a “rapid review” at the end of each segment with images from the story with a short delay before the words appear on the screen.
The short break allows the student to attempt the words on their own.
The Starter Set includes:
- DVD with videos for Levels 1-3
- Three Parent-Teacher Guides which sets out a detailed lesson plan with a suggested viewing schedule and a variety of fun, supplemental and hands-on activities to choose from to reinforce the material taught in the videos.
- Flashcards and Card Games for Levels 1 to 3
- Workbooks for Levels 1-3
- Stickers for Levels 1-3
Homeschool Spanish Made Simple: Glimpse at the Product
You can see a sample of the Level 1 video.
Viewing it is a great way to see the approach and how humor is included in the video.
Here’s a video we made showing you the key components:
Homeschool Spanish Made Simple Using Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids
With multiple grade levels in the house, I find my time more limited for some of the ‘fun’ learning with my 1st-grade son.
I need programs that will engage his interest and be easy to implement.
Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids is just that!
While we’ve only been working on the 1st level of the set, I can say that the video is silly enough that he is happy to watch it over and over. That’s a good thing as the program expects them to have repetition.
Matter of fact, he refuses to let me stop the video at the designated stop point.
He’s having too much fun watching the three brothers to stop part way. So, each time we sit down to do our work, the entire video is watched.
I am also loving the teacher guides.
Everything is broken down for me so I do not have a lot of prep work.
Instead, I can grab the materials, pop the DVD into the player, and we are off on a learning adventure.
As mentioned, repetition is important. Without it, the new vocabulary will not stick.
I found that while many of the words and phrases were constantly repeated the day we watched a video, a quick ‘quiz’ by me showed that long-term retention still needed work.
Beyond watching the video daily, I am using the flashcards for spot checks, too. Of course, playing Go Squish instead of a basic drill is more fun.
Overall, this is a great product to engage young children (and even older ones or parents!) in learning basic Spanish. The series presents everything in an engaging and fun manner so that learning Spanish is no longer a chore.
Do your children study a foreign language at home?
Would this program appeal to you and your family?
Don’t just take my word for how we found this to be. Visit the Foreign Languages for Kids by Kids post on the Schoolhouse Review Crew website to see what other homeschooling parents thought about this title and other grade-level ones.
More Spanish Curriculum Reviews
Teach Your Young Child Spanish with Little Pim
Rock N Learn Spanish DVD, a review
Speekee for Fun and Easy Spanish Learning
Easy to Use Online Language Learning