Our student-centered curriculum provides students with the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities and games.
All our programs are designed for a play and music-based platform, and all the activities are focused on the children’s learning.
Special attention is placed on individual learning, and the environment and activities are adapted to each child’s needs, interests and abilities.
Our curriculum is designed to allow for active learning. Children have direct hands-on learning experiences through the use of multiple manipulative materials, and games.
The different curriculum we use for different age groups and the combined methods (music, actions, storytelling and visuals) are developmentally appropriate for preschool, elementary school, middle and high school students.
The songs and games are used in creating language that is appropriate for dialog and meaningful communication.
When children use physical actions to express language, it is more easily retained, which facilitates transferring from listening skills to the other language skills of speaking, reading and writing.
Using songs in class along with storytelling helps develop a structure to create cohesive meaning for the vocabulary words.
Through music, actions, storytelling and visuals we appeal to the children’s multiple intelligences.
Our lesson plans are professionally developed by foreign language teaching specialists and aligned with the American Council for Teaching Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Our curriculum utilizes the most advanced methodologies of early foreign language acquisition, guiding children through an authentic learning experience designed for both language development and cultural understanding aimed at helping students become fluent and be able to communicate meaningfully in the target language and culture. Our approach to language learning is holistic, and some of the methods we use include the Naturalistic Approach, Total Physical Response and TPRS (TPR Storytelling).
Aside from the core vocabulary and sentence structures (which includes words of common use, descriptive adjectives, expressions of like and dislike, verbs, and commonly used nouns), students will learn vocabulary and sentence structures related to different thematic units, and words and structures for describing the culture and traditions of other countries. Students will also learn vocabulary for describing pastimes and self-descriptive adjectives.
Through fun, student-centered and interactive activities, music and games, students will learn about families and traditions of different countries in which the target language is spoken, and they will be engaged to consider different cultural perspectives while incorporating the five C’s of the World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages.
Students will learn to ask questions and provide responses on topics such as self, family and community, as well as understand and describe some cultural aspects and traditions of some Spanish-speaking countries such as greetings, celebrations, food and civics.
Students will be encouraged to think about their own culture and how it is different from the culture and traditions of the countries speaking the target language they are learning.
For any questions regarding our curriculum, please contact Vanessa Simpson, M.Ed., our Director of Education, at vanessa@languagekids.com or call us at 281-565-1388
