Our eldest child (8.5 years) was fortunate enough to take Spanish through a Homeschool Co-op but since we moved from Texas, I have to admit it has been a struggle continuing without Ms. G.
I was thrilled to be offered the chance to review the online version of Speekee Spanish. We have checked out some of their DVDs from our local library so we are familiar with the fun videos and the cute characters: Speekee, Dino and Lupi.
Speekee Spanish for kids is an an online program design for children between the ages of 2 and 11 years. The program is has a total immersion approach meaning that the videos your kids will be watching are all in Spanish. The activities in the videos make it clear what the kids are saying however. There is also the option to turn on the english captioning so you can watch to see that your child is saying the correct words.
The videos teach everyday words like parts of the body, food, colors and things that you might see at the park. For younger children Speekee has a Fast Track Program which gives you 40 weeks of Lesson plans and links to download free worksheets and flash cards.
For children over 7 years there is the Speekee Spanish Challenge. In this program Spanish is taught through over 40 videos and and game play. There is also the option to interact safely with other Speekee Members. As an added bonus Speekee tracks your child's progress and sends you reports by email.
When we first logged on, I have to admit I was a bit confused as to which track to take. I settled on the Fast Track program so we could all do it together. It took a few videos for our 4.5 year old to get that the songs and dialogue were in Spanish. Once she understood this she got into the swing of it and began interacting more. Try as I might our 8.5 year old just didn't want to engage with the program until she realized that little sister was picking up words she didn't know yet. I didn't push the issue and after a few days she was joining us in the lessons. She began to explore the Speekee Map too.
Speekee Spanish makes learning Spanish simple and fun. A basic account is free so give it a try! Login and click on the gold bell and you will be given your first activity.
If you go to the bottom of the Speekee Homepage you can print some of the flash cards to try and view the Fast track lesson plans. I would recommend this program to all parents looking to teach their children spanish as a second (or third) language.
A paid membership gives your children access to all of the videos, games and locations to explore and unlock. Try out the free trial today and I'm sure you'll agree it is worth the affordable membership fee.
