The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
Right Start Blog
The Value of Spanish at The Country School
Spanish teachers Claudia Stecher and Tori Lang explain the depth and breadth of our Spanish curriculum.
Families hear about our language program at Parent Night, in report card comments, and on our StarNet class pages, but sometimes it’s helpful to have a firsthand glance into what we are doing with the students on a daily basis and how the environment we’ve created will ultimately benefit them.
First, we expose children to the language starting in Kindergarten. As they progress through the program, students are introduced to more complex materials. Though topics may be similar or repetitive in nature, it is this quality of the program that strengthens and ingrains these fundamental skills in our students. Here’s an example. Sra. Stecher teaches adjective agreement in second grade using fruit and colors to add some pizzazz to the lesson, and this same topic shows up again in fifth grade when students are expected to describe family members and friends. Sra. Lang adds one additional layer in sixth grade by requiring students to incorporate the correct verb and use these skills in unrehearsed conversation with peers. The focus is not always on being accurate, either. In fact, mistakes are encouraged as long as they present a learning experience. This facet of our program is part of what makes it so effective.
Though textbooks exist, we don’t have a textbook curriculum. Vocabulary and grammar are extracted from the textbook and we build our units around these, but we design the program and ultimately create personal goals for each individual student. Our presentation of material is done in a way that forces students to familiarize themselves with concepts and use these concepts in their daily lives. From kindergartners discussing the calendar and greeting each other in the target language to eighth graders creating vlogs about their daily routines, our students are not just looking over lists of words or using tables to conjugate verbs. They are being exposed to everyday parts of their lives but in Spanish. Sra. Stecher reads picture books and Sra. Lang always starts class with a conversation about the day before using the past tense.
Starting young often gives them more than just a foundation in the language itself--it also provides them with the ability to overcome the usual fear and apprehension that comes with learning a second language. Though they may be embarrassed in the classroom and shy away from speaking with their peers, when presented with the opportunity or the necessity to communicate in this language, they see the value of it and feel a sense of satisfaction: “Hey, I’m actually pretty good at this. I can understand what’s going on.”
An illustrative example recently occurred for Sra. Stecher when her family traveled to Chile over the holidays. Picture this: In Viña del Mar, walking along the beach on a beautiful, sunny day, Country School alum, Alexander Stecher-Scott, was approached by a man with a video camera in hand and a posse of rapidly speaking Chilenos in tow. Immediately, they thrust the microphone in his direction and began to fire questions at him about what he thought about Viña del Mar and the ever-popular Zumba festival going on at the moment. Any other traveler may have balked at this opportunity, but Alexander confidently answered each question with his own bit of swag. Were his answers perfect? No. But, he understood the questions and he made himself understood. He also wasn’t worried about whether or not he was going to say something wrong. This is only one example of his fully immersive and functional experience during his stay in Chile.
It’s hard to gauge students’ progress outside of their assessments and assignments while at The Country School, but this example (and many others) depict the true value of our program. Although a sixth grader may not be able to hold a fluent conversation in the classroom, when the need arises, they are able to reflect upon their experiences and meet the challenge head-on. No, they aren’t fluent, but they have a strong foundation so that when they need to, they have the necessary tools and are able to use them.
Recent Posts
List of 5 news stories.
-
What Do We Mean When We Say 'Executive Function' Skills?
Learning Specialist Linda Rajacich demystifies the term 'executive function' skills and shares how The Country School imparts the knowledge for our students to gain self-awareness as to how they learn best.Read More
-
Stress Management for Families
Country School Counselors Linda Schuerholz and Anne McCauley offer some helpful resources for managing stress as a family.Read More -
Why Traditions Matter
The Country School community is overflowing with history and tradition. In this blog post, we take a look at the importance of traditions in school life - and why they matter beyond graduation.Read More -
Adopting a "Do Less" Mentality
In a recent "Hidden Brain" podcast, the concept of less being more is examined.Read More
-
2022 Summer Camp Guide
Check out the many great ways to keep your kids busy this summer with our 2022 Summer Camp Guide!Read More
© 2017 The Country School. All Rights Reserved.
The Country School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation in the administration of its educational, admission, and employment policies, or its financial aid, athletic, and other school administered programs.
