Welcome to Spanish
By:  Mrs. Power

Students in first grade through eighth grade have Spanish class.

Kindergarten does not have Spanish class.  First through fourth grade students have Spanish once a week.  Fifth through eighth grade classes have Spanish twice a week.

The following links connect you to grade level benchmarks.  Click on a grade to view your child(ren)'s goals for the school year in Spanish.

First Grade Benchmarks
Second Grade Benchmarks
Third Grade Benchmarks
Fourth Grade Benchmarks
Fifth Grade Benchmarks
Sixth Grade Benchmarks
Seventh Grade Benchmarks
Eighth Grade Benchmarks

Each year the Spanish curriculum will evolve as students gain communicative skills.  All vocabulary will be recycled in new ways throughout all grade levels so students have many opportunities to become more proficient.  Students new to St. Francis school will have the opportunity to observe activities and participate as they gain experience.  Refer to the list at the link below to basic words used in class activities.

Essential Spanish Vocabulary List
 

Middle School students take vocabulary quizzes each class that correlate with a traditional Spanish I curriculum.  It is the expectation that St. Francis eighth graders take the Dowling Catholic High School Spanish I final at the end of the school year to determine if they will be able to take Spanish II as freshmen.  Most colleges require a high school students to demonstrate proficiency based on a three to four year foreign language sequence.  Taking Spanish II as freshmen would allow students to complete that obligation early or continue with AP (Advanced Placement) Spanish courses during their senior year to receive college credit.  Further, the study of foreign language at an early age is beneficial no matter what language a student chooses at the high school level.

The link below contains the vocabulary lists for first semester.

Middle School Vocabulary Lists

Language Acquisition and Children

It is the belief in language teaching that children benefit in many ways from structured language learning programs.  This belief is based on research that indicates:

Young children are at an optimal time to learn other languages.

Children in effective early second language programs show gains in standardized tests of basic skills, and derive additional cognitive and affective benefits.

The integration of content and language learning occurs easily as does the development of positive attitudes towards people who speak other languages and represent other cultures when long sequences of language study are an integral part of early schooling.

Early language learning results in improved literacy skills. Reading and writing processes are similar for first and second languages. Skills and strategies are transferable for first to second language and vice versa. Well-constructed elementary world languages curriculum will positively influence literacy skills in both first and second language learning.

Improved second language learning capability for elementary students can best be obtained with uninterrupted, well-sequenced, long-term language instruction.

Source:NNELL.org