Teaching a foreign language can be one of those
intimidating prospects for many homeschooling families. How do
you teach something you either don't know, or that you barely remember?
And then all those experts tell you that earlier is better and you should start them young. So much of what you find, though, requires that the teacher have a clue.
Well, if you are thinking about teaching Spanish, Speekee may be the answer for you. Targeting the younger set, Speekee consists over over 150 minutes of video learning that is entirely in Spanish (English and Spanish subtitles are available). Speekee uses native speakers of various (mostly youth) ages. There is a sample video on Speekee's homepage that introduces some of the kids.
Speekee consists of ten episodes, which take place in a variety of real Spanish locations -- a park, the zoo, a home, a restaurant, the beach, the market, etc. Each episode also includes downloadable worksheets that can be used to reinforce the content that is introduced in that episode.
And it is fun. The songs will stick in your head, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to learning a language.
Members of the TOS Review Crew received a two-month subscription to the online version of Speekee. Subscriptions cost $7.50 per month, but there is a free two-week trial, so you can check it out before you buy. There are also annual rates, plus the option to purchase PAL formatted DVDs. Check the website for information on those.
For visitors to view the list of reviews, and for Crew Members to enter your
links, please
click here.
Product review by Debra Brinkman, The Homeschool Crew, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine,
LLC, January, 2011
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