Founded on research-based best practices compiled by Tina Hargaden and Ben Slavic, our Spanish program uses proficiency-based instruction to immerse students in the language during class time.
By speaking primarily Spanish and relying on props, visual aids, voice intonation, and body language to promote comprehension, our Spanish teacher meets your child where he or she is at in the language learning process, just as one would with a native speaker learning a language for the first time.
With an early focus on communication, our Spanish classes place special focus on incorporating vocabulary that is meaningful to students into classroom activities. The ultimate goals of this approach to second language acquisition include getting students engaged in the learning process, helping them feel comfortable as they participate in class and make mistakes, and providing them with foundational vocabulary that will be useful in authentic daily conversations.
Over time, as students learn to read and communicate verbally in Spanish, they begin to understand the mechanics of proper grammar. Eventually, they put those understandings to use by learning to write the language.
“The activities outlined in Year One [of our Spanish program] are designed to build community, include everyone in the classroom, foster success for all students, and develop creativity and a group esprit de corps in a relaxed, easygoing, workshop-type environment that is focused, work-oriented, and driven by students’ interest and ideas.” –Authors Tina Hargaden & Ben Salvic
Spanish instruction at Sioux Falls Lutheran School begins in Fantastic Fives and continues throughout elementary, middle, and high school. Many students choose to take Spanish I for high school credit during their 8th grade year, which allows them to take more advanced coursework and college classes during their high school years.