Calico Spanish
Calico Spanish is a distinguished Spanish language curriculum designed for young learners, particularly effective in a homeschool setting. This curriculum was crafted with the purpose of making Spanish learning accessible and engaging for children without prior Spanish knowledge. It leverages a multi-sensory approach, incorporating real-life learning through interactive videos, songs, games, and repetition. The focus is on creating a conversational and immersive learning environment, which is credited to a team of language experts devoted to early language education (Modulo).
Differentiation: What Makes It Special Calico Spanish stands out due to its unique multi-sensory and gently immersive approach. The curriculum is designed to be engaging and fun, integrating a variety of learning tools such as cartoons, music videos, flashcards, and games. This makes it particularly appealing for younger children and caters to various learning abilities (Modulo). Unlike more traditional programs, Calico Spanish focuses less on grammar and more on practical conversational skills through its storyline-based learning and character interactions, which is a major differentiator in the homeschooling context (Cathy Duffy Reviews).
How to Get Started To begin with Calico Spanish, families can sign up for an annual subscription, which provides access to all levels of content with options to purchase additional hands-on materials like visual packs for each level. The program is designed to be easy to integrate into daily homeschool routines, requiring minimal preparation and offering flexibility in terms of learning pacing (Self Made Modern) (Modulo).
How It Works Calico Spanish recommends engaging with the Spanish lessons for about 20-30 minutes per day, which can be adjusted according to the child's interest and family schedule. The curriculum includes a variety of materials like video stories, workbooks, flashcards, and downloadable resources, which support a dynamic learning experience. Parents are involved in the learning process, especially in guiding through the lessons and utilizing the teacher’s guides provided (Modulo) (Self Made Modern).
Educational Content The curriculum covers a wide range of foundational Spanish vocabulary and conversational phrases through:
Animated video lessons
Music videos and songs
Interactive games and activities
Storybooks and mini storybooks
Flashcards and posters (Self Made Modern)
What’s Good About It Users often praise Calico Spanish for its engaging content and effective teaching approach that keeps children interested and motivated to learn. The use of songs, videos, and interactive games makes learning enjoyable and helps in retaining new vocabulary. The program’s ability to accommodate different ages and learning speeds is also highly valued (Self Made Modern) (Cathy Duffy Reviews).
What Could Be Improved Some areas for improvement include the need for more robust assessment tools to track progress and a greater emphasis on reading and writing skills in Spanish. Parents have also mentioned that the lack of printed materials could be a downside unless the full package is purchased, which adds to the cost (Self Made Modern) (Modulo).
Advice from Parents To get the most out of Calico Spanish, parents recommend purchasing the full package of materials to reduce preparation time and enhance the learning experience with tangible resources. Ensuring regular and consistent engagement with the curriculum is also advised to build and retain language skills effectively (Self Made Modern).
Who It’s an Ideal Fit For This curriculum is ideal for young learners, particularly those in kindergarten through fifth grade, who are starting their Spanish language journey. It works well for families looking for an engaging, interactive way to introduce Spanish without overwhelming their children with intensive grammar and writing at the early stages (Modulo).
Who It’s Probably Not a Fit For Families seeking an intensive focus on grammar or advanced Spanish literacy skills might find Calico Spanish less aligned with their needs. It may also not suit those who prefer a more traditional textbook-based or less multimedia-driven approach to language learning (Modulo).
Grades: Kindergarten through 6th grade (Cathy Duffy Reviews).
Cost: The cost ranges from $89 to $219 per year, depending on whether additional materials are purchased (Modulo).
Ways to Get It: Calico Spanish can be accessed through their official website, where subscriptions and additional materials are available for purchase (Modulo).
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