The San Francisco School Spanish program exemplifies the school’s commitment to multiculturalism. We believe that to be true citizens of the world, students need to learn, in the deepest sense, about other cultures. Our goal is to produce life-long learners of Spanish who have the skills and interest to use the language to enrich their own lives and, in potential humanitarian efforts, the lives of others.

SPANISH BY GRADE

OVERVIEW

Research shows that children acquire a second language more efficiently if exposed to that language as much as possible before the age of eight. Learning a foreign language at this time determines whether or not the student will speak with an accent, or less of an accent, later on in life. Furthermore, learning a foreign language early develops problem-solving skills that help students in all subjects, including mathematics! Our aim is for the students to develop these skills at a young age using fun and effective teaching methods.

Our preschool through first grade Spanish program includes the following:

Art projects
Full immersion
Play (includes Dramatic and Manipulative Play)
Music and Movement (sometimes with instruments)
Total Physical Response and Total Physical Response Storytelling (Methodology)
Storytelling (sometimes using props, like dolls or puppets)
Introduction to manners and classroom rules in Spanish

Our lower school and middle school programs reflects the tenants of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning, which delineates five categories essential for a successful program: Communication (first and foremost), Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities, as well as those of the California Framework for Teaching Foreign Languages. Our program provides a myriad of opportunities for students to develop listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing proficiency, deepen their cultural understanding, and expand the skills and interest necessary to continue fruitful studies in Spanish. Based on the prominent model of Communicative Competence, our lower school and middle school programs center on project-based, culturally-relevant learning and creates the incentive as well as the necessity to use the language to communicate.

In addition to direct instruction, this model uses engaging, contextual activities as a vehicle to promote learning of carefully articulated and progressively complex spoken and written language as well as grammar and culture. We provide regular exposure to audio and video material featuring a variety of native speaker accents and authentic situations. The program is committed to multiculturalism, academic excellence, and integrated curriculum with an emphasis on multi-subject collaboration. Differentiated instruction addresses a variety of learning styles and developing levels of proficiency, ranging from novice to heritage speakers. Re-entry of previously introduced and learned material maintains long-term memory as do Spanish notebooks both at home and in class. Cultural traditions and values are often the vehicle to stimulate learning.

Assessments
Assessments are essential in order for the students to improve their oral and written language. For the teacher, it allows customization of the lessons to meet the needs of all learners. At the same time the students benefit from learning their strengths and areas of need. There are many forms of assessments, some formal, such as final projects, and others informal such as anecdotal observation of the individual work.

Homework
Homework is an extension of what is done in class. Normally the homework is an activity based on the story, poem or book that is being read in class. Once a week, the homework will be grammar-based. Students should expect to spend up to 30 minutes on each homework assignment.

Finished homework assignments will be reviewed in class and checked by the teacher. Late homework will be accepted, but will be checked in “late”. Students with questions can send e-mails or ask for assistance in class or during tutorial periods.

Preschool & Kindergarten Spanish

The preschool and kindergarten classes consist of 15-20 minute sessions twice a week with each age group (preschoolers and kindergartners).

Our aim is to introduce the language using non-invasive approaches (ex: not forcing the child to speak, until he or she is ready to do so)
Use repetition to reinforce acquired vocabulary
Use full immersion (98%) and Total Physical Response methods, since it is proven in research to be the most effective ways to instruct this age group
Introduce vocabulary and pronunciation through diverse games (ex: board games, duck, duck, goose, red light, green light) and art projects
Reinforce listening comprehension through books and storytelling
Introduce Latin American and Spanish culture through music and movement, poetry, art and storytelling

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First Grade Spanish

The first grade Spanish classes consist of ten-minute sessions four days a week. During this time our aim is to:

Develop an ear for the language through immersion
Duplicate daily circle activities in Spanish (such as saying today's date)
Use Total Physical Response (developed at Stanford University) and TPR Storytelling methods to help reach proficiency in the language. We make up our own stories in class using age-appropriate props (puppets for instance) in order to spark interest in the language and build comprehension.
Introduce a "word of the day" which students choose to reinforce language that they themselves are interested in learning each day. Some children volunteer to make a drawing for each word, which helps internalize the vocabulary even further.
Make simple art projects like paper airplanes, paper boats, or cards to encourage the students to follow intricate directions in Spanish as well as to build vocabulary.
Read books, especially ones that the students currently read in English at this age group. We read the Spanish version in order to allow the students to compare and contrast their English knowledge of the book and its vocabulary with the Spanish version.

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Second Grade Spanish

Second Grade Spanish formally begins the skill building processes leading to fluency. In two 45-minute sessions in small group meetings of 8-12 students, students gather for the first time in a space filled with regalia from the Spanish-speaking world. Our overarching understandings for our lower school program begin at this level and address the questions:

How can learning Spanish help me to understand myself and others?
How can I learn to understand, speak, read, and write in Spanish?
How is learning Spanish rewarding and fun?

Special emphasis is given to the last question in the second grade program. Here students are exposed to a maximum amount of spoken and recorded (audio and video) language and learn to use the most basic passwords and phrases in order to function in Spanish during class. Expressions of politeness become second nature. Language is learned as a vehicle to play games and participate in all class activities. Special attention is given to showing students how learning language is a means to communicate and requires listening, watching, repeating and moving. Activities adhere to the method of Total Physical Response and encourage the students’ full engagement in the process. We methodically build on passive understanding and oral production of basic vocabulary, as well as begin to introduce the written word of learned material. Grammatical notions are introduced through song and drama, setting a context for explanations in subsequent lower school classes. In any given year, students may:

practice forms of politeness,
learn to respond to personal questions,
develop receptive and productive vocabulary,
recognize the Spanish-speaking countries,
review material with a take-home CD.

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Third Grade Spanish

Third Grade Spanish continues the skill building processes leading to fluency in two 45-minute sessions in small group meetings of 8-12 students filled with regalia from the Spanish-speaking world. Our overarching understandings for our lower school program continue at this level and address the basic questions:

How can learning Spanish help me to understand myself and others?
How can I learn to understand, speak, read, and write in Spanish?
How is learning Spanish rewarding and fun?

While gradually increasing emphasis is given to production and to the written word, our program continues to appeal to the emerging understanding and developmental stage of the third grade student who now is developing listening-comprehension skills sufficient to grasp jokes in Spanish. Students begin both to create language taught formerly for recognition only and to produce a variety of songs, poems, and original dialogue in new contexts. Many third grade classroom themes are integrated. Performance in front of an audience of parents, fellow students and staff offers students the opportunity to show their knowledge, developing skills and self-assurance in using the language. In any given year, we may:

publicly perform original dialogues in the reenactment of a Mexican market,
practice numbers using math facts from the 3rd grade math curriculum,
learn essential vocabulary via authentic games, songs, and poetry,
develop reading skills,
reenact Mexican history,
dramatize a fairy tale,
review at home using the take-home CD.

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Fourth Grade Spanish

Fourth Grade Spanish is organized similarly to that of 2nd and 3rd grade, two 45-minute sessions in small group meetings of 8-12 students in the lower school space filled with regalia from the Spanish-speaking world. Here we add to the first three overarching understanding questions of:

How can learning Spanish help me to understand myself and others?
How can I learn to understand, speak, read, and write in Spanish?
How is learning Spanish rewarding and fun?

Students can now begin to address,

How can I improve my Spanish on my own and with others?

This added emphasis reflects the students’ emerging ability to read and write in Spanish as well as their developing skill in the use of the bilingual dictionary, permitting the introduction of homework (recorded on a homework website) to the curriculum. Reading and writing become a focus of skill development. Direct instruction regarding rules governing sentence structure, grammar, and spelling are intertwined in communicative activities. Activities take a step forward as students are regularly invited to produce language in a variety of contexts mirroring real life situations. In any given year, students:

become proficient using the bilingual dictionary,
learn essential vocabulary in order to make Day of the Dead bread,
join a San Francisco Latino community Day of the Dead procession,
listen to, watch, and read children’s stories,
perform an animal fashion show,
learn grammatical terms, spelling rules, and syntactic conventions.

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Fifth Grade Spanish

Fifth Grade Spanish completes the lower school structure of two 45-minute sessions in small group meetings of 8-12 students in the lower school space filled with regalia from the Spanish-speaking world. We now address all four overarching understanding questions:

How can learning Spanish help me to understand myself and others?
How can I learn to understand, speak, read, and write in Spanish?
How is learning Spanish rewarding and fun?
How can I improve my Spanish on my own and with others?

This last year of lower school Spanish offers students the opportunity to reach outside to the greater Spanish-speaking community in the Bay area, emphasizing the 5th of the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning, “Community”. Students apply all previous studies to true-life experiences in actual Spanish–speaking contexts with native speakers. Formal introduction to advanced grammatical structures and vocabulary development is emphasized, practiced and committed to memory in relevant and regular homework assignments (recorded on a homework website) and then applied to the real-life situations. In any given year, we may:

write letters to 5th grade Spanish-speaking newcomers to San Francisco (a year-long project),
host a visit and guided tour of the school to these pen-pals,
perform individually to this same native-speaking audience,
learn the basic verb conjugation paradigm and apply it to vocabulary,
produce an art installation (with a written/oral emphasis) in a Day of the Dead professional art exhibit featuring Latino artists,
perform a theatrical production of a children’s fairy-tale,
embark on a language-rich treasure hunt.

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Sixth Grade Spanish

Sixth Grade Spanish meets 4 times a week in a language classroom filled with regalia from the Spanish-speaking world. Novice, intermediate and advanced/heritage sections each meet separately for 3 class periods and are mixed for the fourth session when the advanced learners lead small group activities. Students are encouraged to use Spanish only. Regular homework and test preparation is posted on the homework website. Integration with other subject areas is frequent. The program adjusts to the developing maturity and ability of middle school students to grasp complex concepts. Our overarching understandings for our middle school program address the questions:

How can learning Spanish help me to understand myself and others?
How can I learn to understand, speak, read, and write in Spanish?
How is learning Spanish rewarding and fun?

The goal of sixth grade Spanish for the novice student is to lay the basic groundwork for continuing study. At this level through direct instruction, we target introductory vocabulary, language structure, cultural mores, and rules governing grammatical concepts, reading and writing. Students practice using the language introduced in communicative activities, role play, original dialogues, and plays. We provide regular exposure to audio and video material featuring a variety of native speaker accents and authentic situations.

The intermediate class continues to develop proficiency as it provides students with a deepening understanding of how the previously learned language functions. Students learn to use inductive reasoning skills to solidify their comprehension. Material is reentered, practiced and built on. Students make oral presentations, sing songs, participate in fluency exercises, and enact original dialogues.

In any given year, students may:

Perform a weather/country report on a Spanish-speaking country,
Write, memorize, and perform an original script based on a children’s story they have read,
Use a horoscope reading as a basis to interview classmates on a variety of topics, such as likes and dislikes and personality traits,
Participate in a Spanish-language radio listening contest.
Participate in a volunteer Independent Reading Project.

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Seventh Grade Spanish

The 7th Grade Spanish program continues to build upon students’ previous knowledge of Spanish grammar, vocabulary, writing, reading, and oral skills. Additionally, through numerous projects and readings, students learn about aspects of cultures in Spanish-speaking countries. In order to increase students’ literacy, the curriculum includes short stories, poems, paragraph writing, and long-term projects. During class time, we improve speaking and listening skills with group discussions and dialogues.

The San Francisco School Spanish program is designed to meet the full range of student language proficiency and to prepare students who are developmentally ready to master Spanish in 8th grade to pass into a High School Spanish II course. Furthermore, it aims to build a strong foundation for all to be enthusiastic language learners and to succeed in a High School language course.

Readings

Poetry: Si ves un monte de espumas y otros poemas
Selected readings: Realidades textbook, La herencia hispana, classroom library books, Lenguaje figurado

Projects

Paso a Paso: Students will work in groups to create a restaurant menu, write a script using explicit vocabulary and explain the
Latino Heritage Students will work in groups to study a Latin American person who has had a positive impact in the Latino culture and give an oral presentation
Verb game:Students will use their knowledge of verb conjugation and create a board game.

Structure of learning
Students will have a total of 5 class periods of Spanish per week, approximately 250 minutes. Once a week the students will have a double period Spanish class in which they work on extended in-class group projects and activities that require more time. The curriculum relies heavily on group work and participation, both in and out of class.

Assessments
Individual assessments of grammar learned in class are essential for the students to improve their oral and written language. For the teacher, it allows customization of the lessons to meet the needs of all learners. At the same time, the students benefit from learning their strengths and areas of need. There are many forms of assessments, some formal, such as final projects and quizzes, and others informal, such as anecdotal observation of the individual work and reviewing homework.

Homework
Homework is an extension of what we study and practice in class. Normally, the homework is an activity based on grammar, or a story or poem that is being read in class. Once a week, the homework will be journal writing. Students should expect to spend up to 30 minutes on each homework assignment.

Finished homework assignments will be reviewed in class and checked by the teacher. Late homework will be accepted, but will be noted as “late”. Students with questions can send e-mails or ask for assistance in class.

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Eighth Grade Spanish

The 8th Grade Spanish program continues to build upon students’ previous knowledge of Spanish grammar, vocabulary, writing, reading, and oral skills. Additionally, through numerous projects and readings, students learn about aspects of cultures in Spanish-speaking countries. In order to increase students’ literacy, the curriculum includes short stories, poems, paragraph writing, and long-term projects. During class time, we improve speaking and listening skills with group discussions, presentations and dialogues.

The SF School Spanish program is designed to meet the full range of student language proficiency and to prepare students who are developmentally ready to master Spanish in 8th grade to pass into a High School Spanish II course. Furthermore, it aims to build a strong foundation for all to be enthusiastic language learners and to succeed in a High School language course.

Readings

Poetry: 24 poemas latinoamericanos
Books: 16 cuentos latinoamericanos; El misterio de la llave
Selected readings: Realidades textbook, La herencia hispana, newspaper articles, classroom library books

Projects

Paso a Paso: Students both create a poster and demonstrate to the class the steps required to make or cook something.
Latino Heritage Report: Students study a Latin American country and give an oral presentation based on their research.
Children’s Book: Students write and illustrate children’s books using the grammar skills taught in class.
Investigation/presentation on Michoacán: students work in groups to research different aspects of both the community and the camp we visit during the 8th grade trip to México.

Structure of Learning
Students will have a total of 5 class periods of Spanish per week, approximately 250 minutes. Once a week the students will have a double period Spanish class. They work on extended in-class group projects and activities that require more time. The curriculum relies heavily on group work and participation, both in and out of class.

Homework
Homework is an extension of what we study and practice in class. Normally, the homework is an activity based on grammar, or a story, poem or book that is being read in class. Once a week, the homework will be journal writing. Students should expect to spend up to 30 minutes on each homework assignment.

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Advanced Spanish

The SF School Advanced Spanish program is focused on extending the regular Spanish curriculum for Spanish/Native and almost fluent Spanish speaking students. The goal is to improve students’ oral and written language as well as to support them in gaining a larger appreciation for Latin American culture. Furthermore, our aim is to provide students who are developmentally ready to master Spanish in 8th grade to pass into a High School Spanish II course.

The Advanced Spanish curriculum is based on Latin American literature and student projects. Reading writing and vocabulary activities are developed according to grade level literature. The reading and writing curriculum is complemented by a grammar curriculum based on Lecturas para hispanohablantes by Prentice Hall. Communication and literary discussions are emphasized throughout the program.

Structure of Learning
A small group of students have a total of 5 class periods of Advanced Spanish per week (approximately 250 minutes). Once a week the students have a double period class. These blocks are designed for students to work in their advanced Spanish class as well as in instructional groups. When working in their instructional groups, advanced students get a chance to serve as language models for the non-fluent speakers. Students use the double period to work on collaborative projects and activities in mixed-ability groups.

The advanced curriculum is based on the literature read in class. Through the stories, poems and books, the students hone their reading skills and learn a wide range of vocabulary. The stories are discussed in detail in class, and the conversation focuses on character studies and plot development. Ideas are shared as a whole group and activities alternate between small group and individual work. Students find new ideas or interpret parts of the text from their own perspective and thus make their own contribution to the rich discussions.

Advanced Spanish - Sixth Grade

Projects

Paso a Paso: Students demonstrate and explain to the class steps required when making or cooking something.
Biographies: Students complete research on the various authors we study in class and then create formal biographies in Spanish.
Latino Heritage Project: Students study a Latin American person who has had a positive impact in the Latino culture, prepare a written report and give an oral presentation.

Literature

El principito
Confidencias de un superhéroe
Misterio en Villa Jamaica

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Advanced Spanish - Seventh Grade

Projects

Paso a Paso: Students demonstrate and explain to the class the steps required when making or cooking something.
Latin American Country Report: Students research two Latin American countries and they interview a person from that country. They compile and present their research in a final oral and written project.
Women’s Heritage Report: Students research two Latin American women of their interest and then compare their lives.

Literature

16 cuentos latinoamericanos
24 poetas latinoamericanos
Cuentos de enredos y travesuras

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Advanced Spanish - Eighth Grade

Projects

Paso a Paso: Students demonstrate and explain to the class the steps required to make or cook something.
Latino Heritage Report: Students study a Latin American person w has had a positive impact in the Latino culture. They then compile their research into a formal essay written in Spanish.
Children’s Book Project: Students write and illustrate children’s books using the grammar skills learned in class. They then present their books in Spanish to an lower school class
Investigation/presentation on Michoacán: Students work in groups to research different geographical and cultural aspects of Michoacán in preparation for the 8th grade trip to México.

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