My name is Ms. Claudia de Albaladejo. Mrs. Sonia Scherer and I are the Spanish Team at Go Like the Wind, teaching from Pre Primary to Middle School.
Our goal in today’s changing world is for your children to have a global understanding. To be able to know not only another language, but another culture with different values, customs, and traditions is a key for our students in these times because it broadens their understanding of the world around them and indeed opens entirely new worlds to them. Beyond these social and experiential benefits, much recent research has shown that learning – and maintaining – a second language brings large, measurable cognitive benefits that last through a lifetime.
According to Maria Montessori “Watching a child makes it obvious that the development of his mind comes through his movements.” Indeed, in our Spanish program students learn in a Kinesthetic learning style.
For Pre- Primary and Lower Elementary program, we implement a methodology that is movement and activity based, utilizing many props, gestures and visuals. In each class students learn new phrases, new vocabulary, as well as some grammar, through the use of games, songs and stories. Once a week, students do voluntary reading for 10 to 15 minutes, according to his/her level.
For Upper Elementary as well as Middle School, the methodology used is called TPRS (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). This methodology allows students to learn a second language like they have learned their first. We present three to six structures per class that can include verbs, nouns and phrases. Every structure is understandable through written translation, gestures and movement, so every style of learning is included. Students, then choose a story to act it out making learning a kinesthetic experience. Besides songs and games, students read a novel in Spanish, allowing them to be directly immersed in the Spanish culture, while expanding their vocabulary.