Curriculum: Spanish and French

Spanish in the Middle School

Students meet for Spanish instruction in half groups throughout the Middle School, and the program builds on the work done in the Lower School. Whereas the focus in the Lower School is on receptive language, pronunciation, intonation, and creating a disposition for language learning, the emphasis in the Middle School is on helping students develop strategies for acquiring and retaining the language. Although teachers continue to address the elements focused on in the Lower School, they now expect students to understand and to begin expressing themselves with a greater degree of fluency. Toward the end of their time in the Middle School, children begin to explore basic grammar concepts in an informal manner, as part of a game or a song, or as a component of a thematic unit. All the Spanish language learning in the Middle School is done through interactive games, songs, art, activities, and projects that are often related to other parts of the academic curriculum. Throughout these experiences, the staff encourages children to hear, see, and use the Spanish language in ways that are relevant to their lives, their interests, and appropriate to their stage of development.