Knowing a second language is not only beneficial but necessary for success in life. The continual globalization of the world’s economy brings diverse cultures and communities into more frequent contact with one other.
We have a dedicated focus on the rich cultures of Spanish-speaking nations, including their music, art, and literature. Spanish meets twice per six-day cycle in Kindergarten through Second Grade, three times in Third and Fourth Grades, and five times in Fifth Grade through Eighth Grade.
The Spanish curricular experience is one which spirals, as students will revisit concepts and skills from one year to the next but will do so in a way which allows for deeper understanding and more complex skill development.
As we all know, the gifted learner has a deep sense of and passion for social justice, often seeking opportunities to address issues of inequity and unfairness. We foster empathy through a social justice lens as a tool for language learning to engage our students as global citizens. In addition, our Spanish program provides our gifted students the opportunity for cross-cultural learning, critical thinking, reading, and writing while also exploring the real-world application of the language.
Cultural celebrations are a vibrant part of student life at our school and throughout the year, we celebrate the diversity and richness of Spanish-speaking cultures, from Hispanic Heritage Month, Día de los Muertos, the Festival de Alasitas to Carnaval and more. These events foster cultural appreciation and provide meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that connect directly to their Spanish studies. These celebrations bring culture to life, making learning interactive, engaging, and unforgettable.
In Lower School, students are exposed to the Spanish language through storytelling and songs. The role of songs, more specifically in Kindergarten, is key. The consistent repetition inherent in chanting and singing at an early age leads to the students’ acquisition of good pronunciation and exposes them to frequently-used structures. Spanish in First Grade quickly moves on to building the students’ listening and comprehension skills as they start to engage in short conversations. The students increase their vocabulary (themes of weather, clothes, school supplies, and celebrations) as well as begin the construction of basic sentences and the exploration of Spanish-speaking countries.
Moving into Second Grade, the Spanish curriculum highlights include constructing more complex sentences and students learn vowel and other Spanish alphabet sounds and practice their conversation and comprehension skills by acting out simple plays and dialogues. Throughout the year, our second graders explore Spanish-speaking countries’ geography and culture. In Third Grade, the content and skills within the Spanish curriculum intensify, expanding the students’ vocabulary and introducing the concepts of first and second person singular, verb endings for singular persons in present indicative, and affirmative and negative forms of the imperative. A central part of the Third Grade curriculum is learning about Spanish-speaking countries, which culminates with an in-depth project about a country of their choice, including research on its capital, population, typical food and music, and so on.
Working from a strong foundation from their prior years of Spanish, the Fourth Grade curriculum challenges the students to begin to extract information from a text related to the topic being discussed and go further with writing exercises and concepts. Our fourth graders also delve deeper into their exploration of Hispanic culture, including a cross-divisional study with Speyer eighth graders about the Mexican celebration of “El día de los muertos” (Day of the Dead).
In Middle School, our curriculum, Mundo Real from Edinumen, provides a 5–8 scope and sequence and allows for incredible differentiation and flexibility. The focus for our Middle School Spanish curriculum is on five different abilities, which are practiced in class: listening comprehension; reading comprehension; oral expression; oral interaction; and written expression. As they move from Fifth to Eighth Grade, students are expected to be able to: understand and use everyday vocabulary related to hobbies, the family, and daily routines; read and understand short texts; communicate in everyday situations; and write messages and personal letters. This comprehensive approach not only reinforced their grammatical knowledge and vocabulary but also provided a richer cultural context, making language learning more engaging and meaningful.
Students are separated into two levels of proficiency and once a week, students will periodically have the opportunity to work in Spanish Lab classes. Lessons are differentiated so that students are challenged and supported based on their learning needs. For students who already have a strong foundation in Spanish, Speyer also offers Spanish for Heritage and Advanced Learners, designed for students with functional proficiency in Spanish.
Developing collaboration skills is a main focus in Speyer’s Middle School and this seeps into the Spanish classroom as well — students engage in classroom discussions, activities, and long-term projects, all of which require students to collaborate in meaningful ways. This focus enhances listening comprehension, improves reading skills, expands vocabulary, and refines oral communication skills.
Beyond the classroom, our Middle School students deepen their Spanish learning through immersive field trips to museums, theater performances, restaurants, and festivals, experiencing Spanish culture first-hand. They also engage in cross-curricular learning, such as reading Romeo and Juliet or studying The Diary of Anne Frank in Spanish at the same time their Humanities class explores it in English, allowing them to make meaningful connections across subjects.
When students enter high school, they often report that they have been placed into advanced levels of Spanish, thereby completing language requirements and/or allowing them to go further in their Spanish learning or the opportunity to learn a whole new language.
