Spanish
Spanish is part of our curriculum for all students in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade at Sacred Heart School.
Spanish in Pre-Kindergarten - 4th Grade
In grades K-4, students learn about the cultures of different Spanish speaking countries and have conversations in Spanish. They play games to get to know the language and help build an appreciation for the language and culture. A variety of resources and methods are used to explore the Spanish language and to familiarize students with Hispanic cultures including TCI (Teaching with Comprehensible Input), culturally relevant crafts and guest speakers. Each grade level focuses on different concepts and cultures so that by the end of 5th grade, the students have a well-rounded overview of the Spanish language and different Spanish cultures.
watch our Spanish Info Session Video - Pre-K-4th grades
Spanish in 5th - 8th Grades
Spanish in grades 5-8 is a Comprehensible Input course that uses the Somos I and Somos II curricula created by Martina Bex; we use methods and strategies that are based on Dr. Stephen Krashen’s Input Hypothesis. In particular, we use the TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling) method of language instruction that was developed by Blaine Ray and based on the work of Dr. James Asher.
Class time is focused on the acquisition of high frequency structures (the most frequently used words in a language). These structures are used in class discussions, stories, games, and cultural explorations. Students are expected to recognize these high frequency structures when reading and listening and, in time, to produce them in speech and writing. As students progress, the range of topics they are able to communicate about increases and the complexity of the language they can comprehend and produce increases.
watch our Spanish Info Session Video - 5th-8th GRADES
Spanish Resource Links
Somos Curricula Description: https://www.somoscurriculum.com/
ACTFL Position Statement supporting Comprehensible Input courses: https://www.actfl.org/news/position-statements/use-the-target-language-the-classroom
Description of TPRS: https://www.tprsbooks.com/what-is-tprs/
